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Neutered rabbits still try to mate

S

saki

New Kit
I have 3 bunnies. A pair of 2 females, mum (mini lop mix, 1 yr) and daughter (3 months), which are bonded well. Both are unspayed, they never fight. Mum is quite a submissive rabbit, also not that territorial or aggressive.

The third rabbit I have is the Dad, a neutered (about 1 month ago) mini rex. Hes never really had any behavioural issues either. I kept him with the sons before I sold them and they got on great.

I tried to bond the trio, I kept them in hutches side by side and that seemed fine. But when I put them in a neutral territory they basically just tried mating and started acting crazy, I quickly picked the male up and saw he had an erection, which is a bit worrying. Is this meant to happen to neutered males?

I put them back in their own hutches and they were fine.

I really dont want the male to be all by himself during the winter (theyre outdoor rabbits).

Any advice?
 
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Being neutered does not stop rabbits of either sex occasionally attempting to mate and humping their bonded partners. The general advice following a buck's neuter is that he can be fertile for up to 6 weeks and so I would keep your rabbits separate until after that time. He will also still be hormonal, which is probably why you are experiencing problems.

Personally, if your does have no health issues, I would consider having them spayed. It would protect them from developing uterine cancer later in life and also might be helpful with the bonding.
 
You may get issues with the 2 unspayed girls when the young one matures in a couple of months (maybe less). The boy will also still be hormonal and may still be fertile, so I would not attempt to bond him for at least another couple of weeks. Your best outcome would be to have both girls neutered (mum could be done now, daughter at 6 months) and re-bond on neutral territory when they have recovered from the op.

Trios work quite well and it's worth waiting to get a stable bond. They may well still try to hump (in any combination) - that's normal rabbit behaviour.
 
Yes I am going to get the older one neutered but only next spring because I don't want her to have to recover from surgery when its cold also im a little short on money right now.
 
saki said:
I have 3 bunnies. A pair of 2 females, mum (mini lop mix, 1 yr) and daughter (3 months), which are bonded well. Both are unspayed, they never fight. Mum is quite a submissive rabbit, also not that territorial or aggressive.

The third rabbit I have is the Dad, a neutered (about 1 month ago) mini rex. Hes never really had any behavioural issues either. I kept him with the sons before I sold them and they got on great.

I tried to bond the trio, I kept them in hutches side by side and that seemed fine. But when I put them in a neutral territory they basically just tried mating and started acting crazy, I quickly picked the male up and saw he had an erection, which is a bit worrying. Is this meant to happen to neutered males?

I put them back in their own hutches and they were fine.

I really dont want the male to be all by himself during the winter (theyre outdoor rabbits).

Any advice?
Click to expand...
You shouldn't keep your rabbits outside. It's a very outdated way of keeping rabbits as pets. They deserve to be indoors. With a large inclosure like an x-pen and let them free roam for at least a few hours of the day. They were meant to run and play in large wide open spaces.
 
laureniemarie said:
You shouldn't keep your rabbits outside. It's a very outdated way of keeping rabbits as pets. They deserve to be indoors. With a large inclosure like an x-pen and let them free roam for at least a few hours of the day. They were meant to run and play in large wide open spaces.
Click to expand...
Are you American?
 
Also. You should get your female rabbits spayed. It protects them later in life from getting ovarian cancer and other types of cancers.
 
laureniemarie said:
You shouldn't keep your rabbits outside. It's a very outdated way of keeping rabbits as pets. They deserve to be indoors. With a large inclosure like an x-pen and let them free roam for at least a few hours of the day. They were meant to run and play in large wide open spaces.
Click to expand...
This is a very old thread. But no, in the uk it is not outdated and certainly not frowned upon to keep rabbits outdoors. In fact, for most people it is the best way of giving them the space they need. Many people house their rabbits in sheds with large attached predator proof runs and that is great for the rabbits.
 
Well. That makes me incredibly sad that your rabbits have to live in hutches. Do you at least feed them fresh leafy greens and do they have a bowl to drink their water out of? I'm really not trying to be rude, I'm just concerned for them.
 
saki said:
I have 3 bunnies. A pair of 2 females, mum (mini lop mix, 1 yr) and daughter (3 months), which are bonded well. Both are unspayed, they never fight. Mum is quite a submissive rabbit, also not that territorial or aggressive.

The third rabbit I have is the Dad, a neutered (about 1 month ago) mini rex. Hes never really had any behavioural issues either. I kept him with the sons before I sold them and they got on great.

I tried to bond the trio, I kept them in hutches side by side and that seemed fine. But when I put them in a neutral territory they basically just tried mating and started acting crazy, I quickly picked the male up and saw he had an erection, which is a bit worrying. Is this meant to happen to neutered males?

I put them back in their own hutches and they were fine.

I really dont want the male to be all by himself during the winter (theyre outdoor rabbits).

Any advice?
Click to expand...
 
laureniemarie said:
Well. That makes me incredibly sad that your rabbits have to live in hutches. Do you at least feed them fresh leafy greens and do they have a bowl to drink their water out of? I'm really not trying to be rude, I'm just concerned for them.
Click to expand...
In the UK people keep them inside or out, mine are indoor buns. We don't have the dramatic temperature changes so it's much easier if people want to keep them outside. The rwaf is a rabbit welfare charity in the UK and I think one of their campaigns was "a hutch is not enough" it's not considered appropriate to house rabbits in just a hutch here.

Obviously not everyone in the UK will take the best care of their rabbits, just like everywhere else in the world, but yes drinking from and bowl and daily greens, mostly fresh hay or grass and very few pellets is considered the proper care for rabbits :)
 
Graciee said:
In the UK people keep them inside or out, mine are indoor buns. We don't have the dramatic temperature changes so it's much easier if people want to keep them outside. The rwaf is a rabbit welfare charity in the UK and I think one of their campaigns was "a hutch is not enough" it's not considered appropriate to house rabbits in just a hutch here.

Obviously not everyone in the UK will take the best care of their rabbits, just like everywhere else in the world, but yes drinking from and bowl and daily greens, mostly fresh hay or grass and very few pellets is considered the proper care for rabbits :)
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Oh, well that's wonderful. I'm so very happy to hear 😊... these are my boys.
 

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laureniemarie said:
Well. That makes me incredibly sad that your rabbits have to live in hutches. Do you at least feed them fresh leafy greens and do they have a bowl to drink their water out of? I'm really not trying to be rude, I'm just concerned for them.
Click to expand...
https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/

rabbitwelfare.co.uk

Outdoor Housing

Explore outdoor rabbit housing solutions for happy, healthy bunnies. Get expert tips on creating the perfect outdoor environment. Hop over now
rabbitwelfare.co.uk rabbitwelfare.co.uk
 

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