Fighting Pair

Hi, new to the forum.

I got two brothers in March. Everything was fine until they started humping and fighting (growing up and hormones kicking in). Obviously split them up and got them neutered at 6 months as I was told there would be a chance they could go back together. I waited a couple of months to reintroduce (let the hormones settle) as advised and tried a few cautious bonding sessions. Unfortunately one of the rabbits was very aggressive still to the other and chasing and fighting with it.

I was resigned to the fact I would have to keep them split up and they have been doing shifts in the garden for months now one at a time.

Tonight, one of the rabbits was having a shift in the garden and I had not checked on him for a couple of hours. I went out to find the hutch door was open on the other rabbit!!! :shock:

Luckily, they seemed absolutely fine and were happily running around together! I have given them a check over and see no cuts or bruises, but will take another look in the morning. I have put them away in their own cages now (split up as normal).

What has happened? Have they had a quick fight when they got out together, one has established dominance and they are likely to live happily together in the garden now? Or is it just the fact the hormones have settled down as it has been a longer period of time?

I will let them out together again tomorrow night and observe this time. I do not think I will ever trust them to live in the same hutch over night ever again, but it would be great if they could use the garden all day together so they could socialise and exercise for more time through the day. Having their own hutch I suppose gives them their own territory so this might help with the relationship?

Any advice welcome as I am quite a novice with rabbits.

You will only know by monitoring them as to whether it's safe to leave them together all day (are you at work). Maybe choose a weekend or holiday when you are going to be home most of the time to see if they could live together peacefully. Good luck.

I have been letting them out sporadically.

There is a little bit of humping by one which turned a bit nasty with some fur all over the place. They are occasionally nibbling at each other's fur, is this playful or more sinister?

There is lots of smelling of each other but on a whole generally quite calm apart from the humping. This is causing the problems.

I am supervising them when they are together after the fur incident. They seem to behave when I am watching. For example, as I type this one is laid down with the other sat next to him quite happily at the moment. Not sure I trust them now for them to be left alone, Any advice welcome

The only advice I have is to keep going as you are as all rabbits are different. We have members who have boys living together peacefully so it isn't impossible, and now their hormones have subsided you stand a good chance of them being able to stay together. The problem is if they both want to be the dominant bunny - do they both do the mounting or is it just one?

tonibun said:

The only advice I have is to keep going as you are as all rabbits are different. We have members who have boys living together peacefully so it isn't impossible, and now their hormones have subsided you stand a good chance of them being able to stay together. The problem is if they both want to be the dominant bunny - do they both do the mounting or is it just one?

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Just one is doing the mounting. I keep grabbing him off him, am I doing the right thing?

This will be the dominant male. It doesn't sound very hopeful to me but you will have to give them more time and maybe they might settle down. Fingers crossed.

Thank you for your help

With reference should you stop humping...defo if they are on the wrong end (humping face) as castration can happen this way, but otherwise only if one is obviously grumpy or it goes on too long.

Good luck

joey&boo said:

With reference should you stop humping...defo if they are on the wrong end (humping face) as castration can happen this way, but otherwise only if one is obviously grumpy or it goes on too long.

Good luck

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So your saying a little bit of humping is not the end of the world?

The problem is once he starts a bit of humping he will keep trying and trying after that. Very annoying. Why does he get the urges anyway when I have had him done?

I have no experience with fixed rabbits, but maybe some of those things apply anyway:

Well, humping is not only mating behaviour, but a way to establish dominance. My dominant doe did hump until the pecking order was clear and well established.

Now for some speculation: since he wasn't done before maturing (somehow that doesn't seem to be done in the US, can't understand why) it could be a learned behaviour, it's the same with fighting other bucks, if they act out that behaviour while not fixed they will remember it as the right thing to do later, although the reason is gone, rabbits very much like to follow known paths..

May take some time until this wanes, humping isn't actually aggression. Another thing is fighting, that really can lead to a dieing bunny pretty fast. Had to euthanize three bucks last year, no idea what was different, normally a band of brothers get's along pretty well long enough, but there was at least one killer, never had that before or after...

Imho they don't castrate each other by biting when being humped the wrong way, as far as I can tell, but by ripping the male parts out and open with their hind legs in an infight. Takes mere seconds, does can do that too.

Good evening,

An update - amazing really, they spend all day outside together now and are best of friends. I can go to work and leave them no bother, it is really remarkable.

They spend time in each others hutches through the day as they please and there is no trouble when I feed them on a night. They are often sat together in the hutches when I go out to check they are ok.

The next big question is, can they live in the same hutch? They seem very annoyed on a night when I put them away in separate hutches. I would love to try this as it would save on space in the garden, would improve their lives and would save on bedding costs etc. Only problem is, what if there was some bother again??? Would love some advice of experienced rabbit owners here please.

All sounds very good. Personally I'd try to attach both the hutches together so they have plenty of room. (I mean, you already have the two hutches... why not make use of both?)

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yorkshirerabbit said:

So your saying a little bit of humping is not the end of the world?

The problem is once he starts a bit of humping he will keep trying and trying after that. Very annoying. Why does he get the urges anyway when I have had him done?

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Rabbits hump to assert dominance, it's about degrading the other rabbit and nothing to do with hormones. If you succeed bonding them, every so often they might still hump - that's just reasserting who's boss. It's something all rabbits do (some more than others), so don't worry!

Very pleased they're getting on! I'd personally hold on to the second hutch in case you need to separate them in the future for any reason (I.e. illness). I was very nervous when I first shut mine away together, but you won't know if it will work unless you do it!

daphnephoebe said:

All sounds very good. Personally I'd try to attach both the hutches together so they have plenty of room. (I mean, you already have the two hutches... why not make use of both?)

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Space is not the issue, they have a huge hutch each anyway and spend all day running round the whole garden! So I would rather downsize to one hutch if possible.

The replies are positive, I want to try it. They are not likely to kill each other are they??

If rabbits get in a bad enough fight, they can kill each other. If they're getting on ok for such a long period during the day, I'd think it'll be ok. At some point you have to risk it to see whether it's going to work. Catch 22 in that sense!

Does your bedroom look over the garden? You could maybe sleep with a window cracked open a little so you could hear any thumping/fighting in the night. You could also shut them away for a few hours one evening to see how they get on before shutting them away for a full night.

MiniC said:

If rabbits get in a bad enough fight, they can kill each other. If they're getting on ok for such a long period during the day, I'd think it'll be ok. At some point you have to risk it to see whether it's going to work. Catch 22 in that sense!

Does your bedroom look over the garden? You could maybe sleep with a window cracked open a little so you could hear any thumping/fighting in the night. You could also shut them away for a few hours one evening to see how they get on before shutting them away for a full night.

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Trailing your second piece of advice as we speak. Put of a bowl of food in and closed them in. Will check on half an hour.

Thank you

Let's just say he didn't want to go back to his own hutch. :lol:

Fingers crossed they will remain happy together :thumb: