2 female bunnies (i think) & behavioural problems - advice needed!

hello all :wave:
Im a newbie & have joined up for advice. Apologies for the lengthy of this post & apologies if it is in the wrong place but it is about bunnies behaviour so hope its right.
I have 2 long haired female bunnies (sisters) & had them since 10 weeks old - they are now 7 months old. Until recently they shared a hutch in my conservatory with access to a run which I put outdoors weather permitting. I intended on putting the hutch outdoors once the weather got warmer.
I began to notice a change in behavior from one of the rabbits (Daisy) a few weeks ago she began shredding paper and making growling noises if I approached her & stopped going into the run. I kept a close eye & as time passed she began taking off her fur & appeared to be nesting. I read up on the symptoms & concluded that either I have a male & female rabbit instead of 2 females or my female bunny is having a phantom pregnancy. I phoned PDSA for advice & was told that Daisy was probably pregnant & to seperate my bunnies immediately. So out I went to buy a new hutch with run underneath - now there is no more room in the conservatory so I had to put it outside which is ok as the weather is finally getting milder. I decided to put the suspected male rabbit (primrose) in the new hutch outdoors & leave Daisy the suspected pregnant rabbit in her own hutch in the conservatory so not to cause her any distress. This happened 1 week ago & both my rabbits seem really miserable with the situation. Daisy has at least stopped growling at me & wants more attention which I give her & Primrose has started shunning me & eating very little. I do intend on taking Primrose to the PDSA to have him neutured but am saving up as it will cost me & still paying back money I borrowed to buy a new hutch.

Am I doing the right thing? How can I make my bunnies happier? and will they rebond again at a later date? Please can you help.
Thank You x

:wave:I'm assuming neither bunny is neutered? Possibly that you have got 2 sisters and one is having a phantom pregnancy.As they have been separated you may have to start the bonding process all over again,if indeed they will bond again without being spayed.Best to neuter then start from scratch.

this happens frequently that some females turn out to be males ... as sexing is difficult when they are babies...

you have no choice than separating them if the female is really pregnant, but has this be confirmed by a vet ? did she put on weight yet, how are her teats ? because females only build a nest when they are about to give birth... and the pregnancy takes 31 days after copulation. Are you sure the other one is a male at least ? because supposing there were 2 females, it could be a "false pregnancy" this is why is best to see a vet.

if he really is a male : once he is neutered, you will have to wait a good month before puting them back together, the time for him to evacuate his hormons as the female can be pregnant again while feeding her offspring.

meanwhile maybe it would be best even separated that they can see each other in different cages, to reassure the little male that his sister is still here.

other people will advise you of course.

Id say shes hormonal :? They have now reached the age where they will start to do things like this, as their hormones will be all over the place. Once you get them both speyed, things will calm down again

You will however, have to rebond... :? Im really suprised the PDSA told you to seperate the bunnies, you shouldnt really seperate a bonded pair, this is why Primrose is pining

Has Daisy put any weight on? Have you noticed any mounting? If you took her to the vets, they may be able to tell if shes pregnant. You could also get the 2 bunnies sexed for definate... this is surely what the PDSA shouldve advised in the first place? :roll: If you are unable to get to the vets, maybe someone from on here could come round and sex the bunnies for you? Depending on the area you are in

You did what was best for the bunnies at the time - i hope it all works out for the best! Keep us updated xXx

You say you are saving up to pay for the neuter. If you are on low earnings or in recipt of benefits then the RSPCA will often give vouchers for neutering rabbits. Also it is rabbit awareness week 30th March to 5th April some RSPCA centres will be offering other services such as health checks for free. Ring your local branch to see what they are offering and if you are eligible.

Where are you based? There might be a rescue who can help sex your bunnies.

Thank You all for your replies. I contacted the PDSA again & took Primrose to be sexed & she is a female so Daisy is experiencing a phantom pregnancy. Given advice on how to sex Daisy & after a lot of coaxing was able to confirm myself for definate that she is female too (even though I knew this due to her signs - but useful to know & be able to do).
Ive been advised to have them both spayed but despite being on low income I still have to pay for this as it is not a free service.
I let them know how much it has upset me to seperate them plus have to pay for a new hutch but was told that based on the symptoms I described on the phone it sounded like Daisy was pregnant and for the safety of new bunnies & to avoid the risk of getting pregnant as soon as bunnies arrived they had to be seperated - standard advise for pregnant bunnies apparently. Plus my PDSA does not deal with rabbit pregnancies!
I want my bunnies spayed sooner than later so tryin to persuade dh that it would be wise to bung it on the c/c so that buns can recover & bond again. Moved Primroses hutch into the conservatory despite it being a tight squeeze so now within sight & smell of one another & once rain stops will put them outdoors in their run.
Thanks HayleyHelen re; advise on rabbit awareness week I will enquire about this
Thanks again all x

Just keep an eye on them when you put them in the run incase the separation has had an adverse effect on their bond.

sigh I feel your pain I was told mine were two boys...till Scooch had babies a few days ago. Hope they get reunited soon x

hi everyone :wave:
Just an update on my bunnies Primrose & Daisy. After a tense day yesterday they have now re-bonded & are snuggled up closely to one another as I type, I can't tell you how happy and relieved I am. It wasn't nice watching them being so hostile towards one another but I realised (thanks to advice on this forum that it was typical bonding behaviour) I had to rebond them prior to them getting spayed as I couldn't arrange it until the end of next week and they were pining for each other.
They will both be going in together to be spayed & on their return both hutches will be merged together (thanks to oh's joinery skills). So the end result should be happier bunnies with bigger living quarters. Im a bit technophobic but will try & upload pics for u 2 see.
Thanks to all concerned x