Should I separate? :(

Hello everyone,

New bun mum here and just thought I would post to get some advice from you lovely experienced lot.

We got two boy rabbits a couple of weeks ago. They’re now 11 weeks and all has been well but today when I went to open their cage this morning I noticed they were having a bit of a scruff and there was fur in the cage.

I put them out in their grass run and one was chasing the other round and round and again the fur flew

Obviously I will be getting them neutered when they are old enough but is this just a bonding/dominance establishing thing that they’ll sort out or do I separate then until after they’re neutered and try and rebond them then? They have a two story cage so I could always keep one up top and one below for now.

Note to add when I took them for their first injections and health check the vet wasn’t 100% on sex and I’m taking them back again to be resexed in a couple of weeks. So again I wonder if maybe one is female

Any advice would be welcome, I want them to be happy and I don’t want them to injure each other and I just want to do the best I can.

They’re back in their normal daily enclosure now and seem to not be speaking to each other at the moment…

Thank you for reading.

I would separate them until a few weeks after they are neutered, then start to rebond them again. If they start a proper locked-on fight and drawing blood, it is going to be very difficult to re-establish a bond, so better to be on the safe side now, for a better outcome longer term.

Boys should be fairly readily identifiable around now, and about ready for neutering. Girls need to be 6 months old. Both need time to recover from the neutering and for their hormone levels to drop, which is usually around 6 weeks, before starting to rebond.

As you mentioned a 2 tier cage, I would also look at the amount of space they have, as that could be causing more stress as well, and therefore more fighting.
https://rabbitwelfare.co.uk/rabbit-care-advice/rabbit-housing/

Sorry I should have explained better. They aren’t confined to their hutch during the day, they have a run area on our patio of 3m by 4m which they have access to all day. But I do also put them on the lawn to graze as well.
I just put them away at night so they’re safe.
Thank you for your advice, I’ll keep an eye on them and decide what to do. I just really don’t want them to not bond again and have to live by themselves and not be happy but obviously their safety is my number one concern.

I agree with Shimmer. Your boys are growing up and need to be separated now as they can inflict severe injuries on one another. Most Vets will neuter boys when they are 12 wks old but there is no guarantee that they will get along once neutered. Many neutered boys do live together harmoniously but many don't. If one happens to be a female then she will be at risk of becoming pregnant and really she is too young but it is possible. I hope everything works out well for you and the Rabbits.