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Finding out who is dominant **EDIT** Further bonding queries

xlaurax

xlaurax

Mama Doe
Is it possible for neither bunny in a pair to be dominant? My two girls (both aged eight) have been together all their lives. We are thinking of attempting bonding in a third bunny given their ages, I don't want one of them to end up single.

I've started doing some research and it seems important that I establish who is currently dominant. This is not an easy task!

They do equal grooming, equal humping and they're both protective of each other (when we have visitors if someone tries to say hello to one of them the other will block).

I'm really at a loss!

ETA further info at post #5
 
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I hear you - its so subtle with some pairs. Food can be a good indicator- who is the greedier, who gets to it first, who snatches it from the others mouths. I think once in groups it becomes a little more clear cut where each bun lies in the pecking order. Not sure why its so important to know who is boss though, that might even change. i do think personalities are important with groups, apparently submissive buns are key so maybe the third bunny should be known to be a gentle & easy going character (with bunnies, not just people) as your girlies sound quite lively. I'd be inclined to go for a boy
 
Although it’s uncommon, sometimes neither bunny is dominant in a pair and they see each other as equals. However, in relation to bonding with an additional bunny I would be careful. I understand that you may want to bond so that one is not left alone when the other passes away, but please take into consideration that these are older bunnies (8 years old is considered elderly especially if your bunnies are outdoor bunnies). And so, introducing another bunny is likely to be very stressful for them if they have never been with another bunny for their whole lives. Make sure to assess their physical health first (ie if either suffer from arthritis) as bonding in most cases consists of some level of mounting one another which may hurt the other bunny if they aren’t physically fit enough. Also please make sure that your current bunnies’ bond remains strong throughout the process as you don’t want to disrupt their bond by introducing another bunny which could result in fighting (although not too common it’s not impossible). But overall it’s up to you as to whether you introduce another bunny but remember to weigh up the pros, cons and risk factors in doing this. I would also say that if you do decide to bond them then please look into adding a neutered male who is submissive and laid back (ideally one who you would adopt as the rescue will be able to tell you about their personality more than a breeder as baby bunnies’ personalities can change). Hope it works out for you!
 
mismatchbunnies said:
Although it’s uncommon, sometimes neither bunny is dominant in a pair and they see each other as equals. However, in relation to bonding with an additional bunny I would be careful. I understand that you may want to bond so that one is not left alone when the other passes away, but please take into consideration that these are older bunnies (8 years old is considered elderly especially if your bunnies are outdoor bunnies). And so, introducing another bunny is likely to be very stressful for them if they have never been with another bunny for their whole lives. Make sure to assess their physical health first (ie if either suffer from arthritis) as bonding in most cases consists of some level of mounting one another which may hurt the other bunny if they aren’t physically fit enough. Also please make sure that your current bunnies’ bond remains strong throughout the process as you don’t want to disrupt their bond by introducing another bunny which could result in fighting (although not too common it’s not impossible). But overall it’s up to you as to whether you introduce another bunny but remember to weigh up the pros, cons and risk factors in doing this. I would also say that if you do decide to bond them then please look into adding a neutered male who is submissive and laid back (ideally one who you would adopt as the rescue will be able to tell you about their personality more than a breeder as baby bunnies’ personalities can change). Hope it works out for you!
Click to expand...

I agree with this. I like my pairs though!
 
Thanks everyone, a lot to think about for sure. The situation is that I've wanted another for at least a year. Bramble got really ill about 2 years ago and we thought we were genuinely going to lose her. Blue went into such a state of depression it was awful to see. We ended up leaving her at the vets with Bramble while she was in hospital, as Blue was in a pit of despair. Bramble also recovered better having Blue with her.

So, I've been considering getting another one, or maybe two, bunnies to introduce to them so when the time comes, there's some distraction and another friend or two to ease the pain. We moved house in August this year and I have been planning on extending their current (outdoor) accommodation to include a very large run and more space to house more bunnies.

I was thinking of starting this project early next year, when the weather starts to improve.

I found out last week that a friend of a friend has an unwanted litter. This got me thinking as it could fit in with my plans.

After doing more reading, I think another pair is the best option. Then try to forge a quad. That way if the bond doesn't work out, I won't be left with a single rabbit.

The downsides to this of course is that they will be too young to know their personalities and after they're spayed/neutered their personalities may change.

I'm really unsure what to do. It's a minefield!
 
The problem is there is no right or wrong way. Brother/sister pairs are usually very happy but you have the worry about when to separate before the boy can be neutered. It usually works out ok though, whereas 2 boys will possibly fight at around 14 weeks. Sexing young rabbits is not easy so that's another worry.
 
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