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Best way of housing 2 sets of pairs in the same garden?

Jasperello

Warren Scout
Hi

So we currently have Pops & Charlie indoors but they will soon be going outside permanently and I've got a dilemma on how best to house them because the garden is already 'owned' by Jasper & Lola and they are not thrilled at the imposter bunnies who keep coming out to visit!!
Understandably Jasp & Lo are behaving very territorially and Jasp aggressively chases Lola at the sight of other rabbits. Poor Lola.

I thought that they might get used to living alongside each other?
The 4 have even had a couple of bonding style meetings in neutral ground because I thought that might let them suss each other out and they were ok for a short while but I don't think it's a good idea anymore.

They have to go outside though, my only other option was trying a trio with zucc, poppy and Charlie indoors but that won't work either- I currently have 6 butterfly stitches in my arm for my efforts, after already having 2 the other week!...(rather me than the rabbits tho) so that plan has been abandoned.

Questions- do I put Charlie & poppy in a shed next to jasp & Lola in the hope they will get used to each other, similar to a long bond? (Bit without the eventual quad)

Or do I put them at separate ends of the garden, as though that will magically make a difference?!

Or is this doomed to fail...

Thanks, Laura
 
It's difficult to say how things will go but if Jasper and Lola are very territorial and are displaying referred aggression at the sight of the others it might work if they are at opposite ends of the garden so they can't see each other. Some rabbits are upset by the smell of others too, in which case you might have to feed them etc first.

As you say, unfortunately it might not work :cry:

At one time I had 2 pairs in hutch/run combos and I eventually bonded them into a quad but there was never any referred aggression from anybun.
 
Hi, I have exactly this scenario in my garden!

I had a trio, the boys fell out and I rescued another girl so now have 2 boy-girl pairs. They take it in turns to have supervised play in the main garden, but I have to distract whichever pair is staying in with snacks or toys to avoid them chasing each other, or shut them in their hutch/playhouse while the others are out (they usually have 24/7 run access).

From my experience it's important to have an area of 'no mans land' between their permanent runs. They can see each other and even alert each other to anything scary, taking advantage of the extra numbers, but if they're too close together we get tails up and patrolling the borders.

We also have a bit of a garden hierarchy - the older buns have to have their dinner first and the younger pair patiently wait - the other way around results in chasing!

Good luck, I'll be interested to hear how you get on and if anyone else has any tips :)
 
Hi, I'm going to be having the same dilemma. My quad fell out so I took Lucy out and she's currently in the same shed but in a cordoned off corner. I'm going to bond her with my new boy Dave. Currently he's out of sight in a hutch/run combo round the corner, but eventually I want to put Dave and Lucy's hutch inside the shed alongside the trio (so in winter they are all in the shed). So this summer I will move them closer and closer hopefully to get them all used to each other's smell! I'm going to set up a movable run on the grass with some runaround tunnels I've just agreed to buy off this forum and somehow give them turns in it over the summer. ( my garden is big and not bunny proof at all).
Where abouts in Notts are you Laura?
 
I have a double kennel and run, with a solid divide down the middle. The only problem I sometimes get is one of the girls will do a strategic wee down one edge :roll: as she can smell other bunnies. I never have problems with referred aggression as they cannot see each other.

They then free range in front and I have thick Perspex on the bottom of the door (clear), again, never any issues. They can see each other but not get too close. I think it does depend on the bunnies though!
 
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