Bonding my Trio - don't kow what to do now.

[MichG]

Having the most horrendous bonding time!!

So I had a group of 8 bunnies and a 2, which all bonded lovely easier than I thought.
Chloe managed to get stasis and impaction 2 weeks ago, which she has now recovered from fine, but I had to separate her from the group of 8 as she was so poorly.

So I have 4 options:
1. Bond her in with my 2 (Snoopy and Minky)
2. Bond her back in with the 7
3. Keep her single
4. Rehome her cry

So I went for option 1, all 3 bunnies are lovely.
Minky is a 3 month old girl (and is 0.55kg)
Snoopy is a 9 month old neutered male (1.5kg)
Chloe is a 1 year old neutered female.(2.5kg)

All of them have calm and lovely personalities and are the "nicest" of my bunnies, so I thought it would be no problem bonding them. Stupid me!!
So I took them into the vets I work in to bond them in one of the kennels (so would be 100% neutral) and all they would do is chase and fight (kennel was probably 3ft x 2ft I guess) It seemed to be mainly Snoopy and Chloe, but sometimes Chloe would go for Minky. I just left them to it for the day, did not separate as it didn't seem that they were hurting each other. By the end of the day Snoopy was terrified and constantly trying to climb the bars at the front, but chloe was laying next to Minky, squashing her against the side (I did have to move her a couple of times as I was worried Minky couldn't breath) I took them home to continue, put them in a run someone had lent me (again a very small space) and the fighting continued, I had to split them when I heard Minky screaming, she has a smalll cut to her eye lid

Since then I have put them in 2 indoor cages side by side so they can't get to each other but can still see each other and they all seem fine like that, but as soon as I let them out the chasing and fighting begins.

I just don't know what to do. I really do not want to rebond her into the 8 because they have just settled nicely now, and I don't want her to be single or rehome her

Should I persevere?
I think I am just scared as Minky is so tiny that she will get crushed.

Any help would be great.

I am thinking of sending them to Cheryl (who some of you know) next week.
I have always used the "bung em in" method and always had sucess, so if anyone has any tips for bonding the longer way then that would be fab

 

[janice]

If it is clear that Minky will not settle with the pair and she is quite frightened. I would eitehr bond her in with the 7 or take one out and make another pair.

 

[MichG]

Is it normally easier to bond a 4 than it is a 3? Would putting another male with them that I know she has bonded with before be easier?

I am not going to bond her back with the 7, not yet. They have only been together about a month and have only seemed settled in the last week properly and I don't want to unsettle them again and start the chasing/fighting again.

If Cheryl can't bond them for me then I think I will settle for 2 pairs and a 6.