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Is it safe to keep new(ish) rabbit in existing rabbit's hutch?

LilyStyle

New Kit
Hi all,

I've joined this forum looking for specific advice about introducing a small female bunny, still a baby, to our existing 2 year old female. We got the new bunny 2.5 weeks ago, on the vet's advice, as company for our existing bunny, Rosie after her sister sadly died. We have successfully introduced the new bunny, Cutie-kins (our daughter named her!) into Rosie's big outside daytime run (a fenced off apart of our front lawn). Rosie tolerates her, but runs at her a bit. We have been keeping Cutie-kins inside in an indoor cage at night and place her cage and an octagonal wire run in Rosie's daytime run during the days, set up with a gap so Cutie-kins can slip into her bit, but Rosie can't. Today I've noticed Cutie-kins calmly sitting in the run bit of Rosie's hutch/nighttime run with Rosie sitting in it next to her. Rosie's hutch run is big, with about 2 metres of run space and then the nest box part, which is big also. We lock her into it at night so she's safe from foxes. Sorry for the long post! Anyway, my question is, do you think it'd be safe to now lock Cutie-kins into Rosie's run at night? Or would we be better to get a separate outside hutch for her to keep her in at night? Thanks in advance
 
Hi all,

I've joined this forum looking for specific advice about introducing a small female bunny, still a baby, to our existing 2 year old female. We got the new bunny 2.5 weeks ago, on the vet's advice, as company for our existing bunny, Rosie after her sister sadly died. We have successfully introduced the new bunny, Cutie-kins (our daughter named her!) into Rosie's big outside daytime run (a fenced off apart of our front lawn). Rosie tolerates her, but runs at her a bit. We have been keeping Cutie-kins inside in an indoor cage at night and place her cage and an octagonal wire run in Rosie's daytime run during the days, set up with a gap so Cutie-kins can slip into her bit, but Rosie can't. Today I've noticed Cutie-kins calmly sitting in the run bit of Rosie's hutch/nighttime run with Rosie sitting in it next to her. Rosie's hutch run is big, with about 2 metres of run space and then the nest box part, which is big also. We lock her into it at night so she's safe from foxes. Sorry for the long post! Anyway, my question is, do you think it'd be safe to now lock Cutie-kins into Rosie's run at night? Or would we be better to get a separate outside hutch for her to keep her in at night? Thanks in advance

I am very sorry for your loss of Rosie's Sister :cry:

Is Rosie spayed ? If not then you may have your work cut out once CK reaches puberty (at about 16 weeks of age) Two Does are the most challenging pairings. Whilst your adult Doe may tolerate CK at the moment once CK reaches puberty things could become very fraught. Also, Does are very territorial, even when both are spayed and bonding needs to be done in an area that is 100% neutral to BOTH Rabbits.

So personally I would invest in separate accommodation for CK until she has been spayed.

These links may be useful to read;

http://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-care-advice/bonding-rabbits/

http://www.fatfluffs.com/info/bonding/

Also, re the daytime run. Unfortunately predators do not only attack at night and if the Rabbits would not be safe from Foxes in the run at night then they wont be safe during the day either. So perhaps you may feel that you need to increase the 'predator proofing' of the run.

http://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-housing/outdoor-rabbit-housing/

I hope it all works out well for Rosie and CK :)
 
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Hi all,

I've joined this forum looking for specific advice about introducing a small female bunny, still a baby, to our existing 2 year old female. We got the new bunny 2.5 weeks ago, on the vet's advice, as company for our existing bunny, Rosie after her sister sadly died. We have successfully introduced the new bunny, Cutie-kins (our daughter named her!) into Rosie's big outside daytime run (a fenced off apart of our front lawn). Rosie tolerates her, but runs at her a bit. We have been keeping Cutie-kins inside in an indoor cage at night and place her cage and an octagonal wire run in Rosie's daytime run during the days, set up with a gap so Cutie-kins can slip into her bit, but Rosie can't. Today I've noticed Cutie-kins calmly sitting in the run bit of Rosie's hutch/nighttime run with Rosie sitting in it next to her. Rosie's hutch run is big, with about 2 metres of run space and then the nest box part, which is big also. We lock her into it at night so she's safe from foxes. Sorry for the long post! Anyway, my question is, do you think it'd be safe to now lock Cutie-kins into Rosie's run at night? Or would we be better to get a separate outside hutch for her to keep her in at night? Thanks in advance


Hi there and welcome to the forum :wave:

As CK is still a baby, it will be an unknown quantity as to whether she will accept Rosie when she reaches sexual maturity, and vice versa. Rosie accepts her now, as she is still a baby, but tensions rise when does become a bit older and vie for dominance. Two females are recognised as one of the hardest bonds to forge!

Is Rosie spayed?

I posted these links to another thread earlier today, and something here might be useful for you:


http://rabbit.org/the-most-important-word-in-bonding-is-patience/

http://rabbit.org/introducing-rabbits-in-a-group-situation/

http://www.cottontails-rescue.org.uk/information/bonding-bunnies/ (good for pair bonding)

http://www.fatfluffs.com/info/bonding/

http://www.actionforrabbits.co.uk/bonding.html


Book in RWAF shop:

https://shop.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/product/bonding-rabbits-by-fiona-campbell/



Mischief and Tinker’s Mum
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?462466-How-I-bonded-my-trios-videos!


Good luck :)
 
Thank you, Jack's-Jane and MightyMax. Rosie isn't spayed because she'd had no access to male rabbits. I think we'll have to think about getting them both spayed. We can't fox-proof their current run area any more because our neighbours vetoed us raising the height of our shared fence. Our hens live in a fox-proofed area of the back garden. Would our bunnies get along with hens OK though? Also, CK's currently so small she can slip through tiny, tiny gaps :/
 
I just want to add that we made a temporary run adjacent to Rosie's and placed CK in it for the first week so they could get to know each other. Rosie took to lying against the adjoining fence. We then made a bigger temporary run and placed them in it together for short times (though longer than suggested in the first link MightyMax posted) and they were fairly placid, but CK was nervous of Rosie. Rosie's ears remained forward though, which i think is a sign of happiness?
 
Thank you, Jack's-Jane and MightyMax. Rosie isn't spayed because she'd had no access to male rabbits. I think we'll have to think about getting them both spayed. We can't fox-proof their current run area any more because our neighbours vetoed us raising the height of our shared fence. Our hens live in a fox-proofed area of the back garden. Would our bunnies get along with hens OK though? Also, CK's currently so small she can slip through tiny, tiny gaps :/


I would definitely get them spayed, both for their own health and for the sake of the bonding:

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/pdfs/neutering28807.pdf

Spaying will prevent them getting uterine cancer later in life :)

I personally wouldn't keep bunnies permanently in with hens, although I have seen bunnies and hens running together. I feel it would cause unnecessary stress to both species. There are divided opinions:

http://www.raising-rabbits.com/rabbits-chickens-dont-mix.html

Other things to consider:

http://urbanhomestead.org/135/


I would also be concerned about rabbits and chicken faeces. Rabbits keep themselves very clean and lick their fur often. Chickens have a shorter and faster digestive tract. Both animals can succumb to salmonella and coccidiosis, but rabbits are quite fragile when it comes to that sort of thing. I wouldn't risk it.
 
Yes, I had severe reservations about putting them in with the hens. Our feeling is that Rosie does like CK. Getting them both spayed should hopefully make for long term happy bunnies!
 
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