• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Trio bonding - stages explained post 166

Grin

Grin

Wise Old Thumper
Sorry, but i've got a few specific bonding questions rather than general ones and wondered if i can get help? I always thought the best time to start this would be a monday morning when the vets are open etc but i only have 10 days (from Saturday) to get this done.(This means i am home for the whole 10 days and not planning on going anywhere - they will still be supervised after the 10 days - but not by me).

If i start Friday afternoon, i get a good few days ahead though - my vets will be open til 6 and re-opens on Sat morning.

So, shall i start this tomorrow afternoon? Or Saturday morning when they can have the full day before i go to bed? (I'll still hear them - even in bed because we are bonding them in the hallway)

I've got a pen to do the bonding but i do worry about them being able to get out - once they seem ok, do you think it would be ok to move them into a large dog crate? It has about the same floor size as the pen but if anything does kick off, they will be harder to get to.

Also, If they have a row, what do i do? Split them up? For how long and where?

Should i have the spare large dog crate for this emergency?

Any advice would be appreciated!! :)
 
Last edited:
Grin said:
Sorry, but i've got a few specific bonding questions rather than general ones and wondered if i can get help? I always thought the best time to start this would be a monday morning when the vets are open etc but i only have 10 days (from Saturday) to get this done.(This means i am home for the whole 10 days and not planning on going anywhere - they will still be supervised after the 10 days - but not by me).

If i start Friday afternoon, i get a good few days ahead though - my vets will be open til 6 and re-opens on Sat morning.

So, shall i start this tomorrow afternoon? Or Saturday morning when they can have the full day before i go to bed? (I'll still hear them - even in bed because we are bonding them in the hallway)

I've got a pen to do the bonding but i do worry about them being able to get out - once they seem ok, do you think it would be ok to move them into a large dog crate? It has about the same floor size as the pen but if anything does kick off, they will be harder to get to.

Also, If they have a row, what do i do? Split them up? For how long and where?

Should i have the spare large dog crate for this emergency?

Any advice would be appreciated!! :)
Click to expand...

I would say sat morning but would the emergency vet details handy just in case

I wouldnt move them from their pen for a few days until things have settled. You can get nets to go over pens though so might be worth looking into that

It very much depends on the row, fur pulling and chasing no locking on and ripping chunks out of each other yes
 
webble said:
I would say sat morning but would the emergency vet details handy just in case

I wouldnt move them from their pen for a few days until things have settled. You can get nets to go over pens though so might be worth looking into that

It very much depends on the row, fur pulling and chasing no locking on and ripping chunks out of each other yes
Click to expand...

Thanks Kath. I've got a net for the pen - d'oh!! I didnt think of that!!

I've got the number for the emergency vets, so that's good. I suppose tomorrow afternoon i can set the pen up and generally get the area ready. :)

Exciting times!! I sooo hope it goes well.
 
Grin said:
Thanks Kath. I've got a net for the pen - d'oh!! I didnt think of that!!

I've got the number for the emergency vets, so that's good. I suppose tomorrow afternoon i can set the pen up and generally get the area ready. :)

Exciting times!! I sooo hope it goes well.
Click to expand...

Dont forget the camera too :D
 
webble said:
Dont forget the camera too :D
Click to expand...

:lol::lol::lol:

I'm feeling quite positive - they know of each other and have played in runs next to each other and it all went really well. I soooo hope they will all get on well.

Shall i line the base (there is no base) with newspaper?
 
Grin said:
:lol::lol::lol:

I'm feeling quite positive - they know of each other and have played in runs next to each other and it all went really well. I soooo hope they will all get on well.

Shall i line the base (there is no base) with newspaper?
Click to expand...

Yes and put hay in too
 
Not sure about the newspaper as I've never personally done a bonding

But don't forget to put in lots of hay for them to munch on - once they start eating in each others presence it will help calm things down.
 
Thanks. I was just going to put hay lose in there rather than a tray. Will this be ok?
 
I would like to try my existing male with a female pair from a rescue. Just haven't got the nerve to try it though. :(
 
oooh goodluck! I would lay newspaper ( catches the wee abit better etc and lay over with a pile of hay in themiddles...have any extra forage , herbs, treats etc ready to sprinkle to use as a distraction, spray bottle and gloves and a towel in case oyu need to seperate etc. Id have a water bottle and a bowl of water. Goodluck!:wave::wave:
 
i wouldnt use a tray to begin with Grin - somebun could get territorial over it.

I'd also NEVER use a dog crate for bonding - you just can't get in to break up any fights that occur quick enough.

Just a plain and simple space, lots of hay and away we go!

I slept next to B&G's pen while bonding so was always less than a foot away, i wouldn't want to be much further away as things can kick off REALLY quickly and it only takes one bite to cause major harm to anybun.

Good luck and i hope it all works out fo ryu!
 
Thanks. I was just going to put hay lose in there rather than a tray. Will this be ok?
Click to expand...

Absolutely. I agree with Graham a tray gives them something to get territorial over, when I bond I don't have anything in their excepts lots of loose hay.
 
good luck with the bonding hun....i will be taking notes as ive got a bonded pair of sisters and want to introduce a male to make a trio...they get on well together through mesh........bonding vibes for you hun xx
 
I would start the bond saturday morning. Make sure you have the vets numbers and emergency numbers handy though. Will you be sleeping by their pen? I had to, I couldn't leave my trio for about three days, even to go to the bathroom I had to call someone into watch incase they started fighting.
I wouldn't use a dog crate, its to hard to get into. In my pen, I had it lined with newspaper and hay on top. Don't put in any litter trays or toys, just the hay and when it comes to feeding pellets or veg, scatter it over the cage to stop fighting over it.
When they fight, what I did was separate them, try and pull them apart and then hold one in one side of the cage for a few seconds. Don't remove them from the cage though. What you want to do is separate them before fights happen.
As for when to split them up, and give in - that's up to you. My three boys had bad, bad fights, fur everywhere, loads of bites, cuts, blood, etc. I know many would of separated them when I didn't but I kept going. You know your buns and how they react so just go from there.

Should say, my trio didn't work out, they worked out past the fighting at first, but after about a week, cooper got depressed being in a trio so I seperated then. But I did get a pair.

Good luck.
 
Thank sooo much for all your advice - i've read up loads on it but there were still things that came up that i didnt know about. :oops:


MichelleGsPets said:
I would start the bond saturday morning. Make sure you have the vets numbers and emergency numbers handy though. Will you be sleeping by their pen? I had to, I couldn't leave my trio for about three days, even to go to the bathroom I had to call someone into watch incase they started fighting.
I wouldn't use a dog crate, its to hard to get into. In my pen, I had it lined with newspaper and hay on top. Don't put in any litter trays or toys, just the hay and when it comes to feeding pellets or veg, scatter it over the cage to stop fighting over it.
When they fight, what I did was separate them, try and pull them apart and then hold one in one side of the cage for a few seconds. Don't remove them from the cage though. What you want to do is separate them before fights happen.
As for when to split them up, and give in - that's up to you. My three boys had bad, bad fights, fur everywhere, loads of bites, cuts, blood, etc. I know many would of separated them when I didn't but I kept going. You know your buns and how they react so just go from there.

Should say, my trio didn't work out, they worked out past the fighting at first, but after about a week, cooper got depressed being in a trio so I seperated then. But I did get a pair.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

MichelleGsPets, were the trio you were bonding 3 single buns before you tried to bond them?
 
Grin said:
MichelleGsPets, were the trio you were bonding 3 single buns before you tried to bond them?
Click to expand...

Yes the three of them were three single males that I tried to turn into a trio. They were all neutered together at the end of February, and they were bonded in April. It just didn't work out as Cooper wasn't happy in the trio, which was a pity.
 
MichelleGsPets said:
Yes the three of them were three single males that I tried to turn into a trio. They were all neutered together at the end of February, and they were bonded in April. It just didn't work out as Cooper wasn't happy in the trio, which was a pity.
Click to expand...

Aw, that is a shame - i wonder if it is easier bonding a single to a pair? *hopes*
 
Well, the bonding starts tomorrow.

We had them out in the runs earlier and instead of leaving a gap between them, i put them flush. Daisy nearly chomped Lillys face but i got there just in time and Lucky bit her bum. He must have just had a mouth full of hair though because i've checked her and she seems fine. Not once did she try to nip back but since then, Daisy and Lucky have been having little falling outs.

It just made me realise that i am going to have to watch them like a hawk, have lightening quick reactions and a nerve of steel.

I had some doubts today over it. I am SURE it's the best thing to have a trio - i cant go on with 2 'lots' much longer - i feel like i am depriving them. I know it will be wonderful for Lucky having 2 wives and Lilly desperately needs company but is this right by Daisy? Who can blame her for feeling left out? I dont want to make her sad.

Hmm.... let's see how it goes then :shock:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

L
Bonding Question
Replies
2
Views
206
Lattebun
L
D
bonding a trio to a quad!
Replies
1
Views
148
Omi
O
Graciee
Bonding q
4 5 6
Replies
112
Views
2K
Babsie
B
Back
Top