Help Required Bonding Rabbits

foleyrabbits

foleyrabbits

New Kit
Morning Everyone,

New user here looking for some advice on our particular predicament. I've watched some videos on bonding rabbits but feel there are a few specific variables that I cant seem to answer. I'll try to keep this as concise as possible.

We originally had two mini lop x bunnies born may 24' which were bonded and have always gotten on. Both male and female have been neutered but not quite early enough and so we ended up with 7 lovely babies born October 24'. 6 have now gone leaving us one male which we'd like to keep (not yet neutered).

Our aim is to bond the younger male to the bonded male and female but it's proving problematic. Bonded pair are currently living together in a hutch and run in the garden and they are given free range of our garden during most of the day as my wife works from home. The younger male also has his own hutch and run in the garden but is chased by the female in particular if let out, she obviously sees this as her territory.

If we bring all three indoors (an environment they're rarely in) they get on well and eat together and groom each other etc. My question is what should my next step be? We've put their runs together and feed them either side of their runs regularly but as soon as we let the younger rabbit out with space he's chased (we've only done this a couple of times in ignorance!).

Any help would be gratefully received as I'd like to have a plan in place to eventually join their two hutches into one super-hutch and allow them free rein of the garden together.


Thanks very much!

Keith
 
The young boy needs to be neutered first. Hormonal adolescent bonding isn't going to work. He should be old enough to neuter now, although being single and outside means I would probably put it off until the weather is a bit warmer so that he makes a better recovery from the anaesthetic. They can't maintain their temperature straight afterwards, so would need a day or two when he isn't in the cold. Bringing him in to an unheated area could be an option for his recovery, but preferably not in the area you intend to use for bonding.

He needs a couple of months between neutering and any attempt at bonding, as that allows for recovery and hormone levels to stabilise again.

The other issue is that we are coming up to Spring, when rabbits can get 'Spring Fever', whether or not they are neutered - so it's not the best time for bonding. So bide your time, bond in a neutral area and be very watchful when you put them all back outside together if any rabbit sees it as 'their' territory. Maybe move things around so it is very different from the current set up, and clean their scent off as much as you can.
 
I completely agre with all of Shimmer's very sensible advice. Achieving a positive result with bonding rabbits can't be rushed and the basics need to be fully observed. In this case neutering your boy is necessary before more attempts at introductions occur.
 
I would add that I would try to keep the unneutered Buck as far away from his parents as possible. Unneutered Bucks often spray urine a lot and if his urine gets onto either of his parents a fight between the parents is likely to kick off. This is known as ‘referred aggression’. The last thing you need would be for the bond between the parents to break down.

Not really related to your bonding question, but as well as neutering the Rabbits should all be vaccinated too, hopefully this has already been done 😀
 
Thanks so much for all your advice. A lot of knowledge on this forum!

Interesting you've mentioned a fight between the parents as I witnessed this yesterday. It happens if we let the young male out of his hutch/run for a hop around the garden. The parents (who are confined to their run at this point) started being aggressive to each other. They dont exhibit this behaviour if the reverse is true (i.e the young male in his run and the parents in the garden) so we'll put a stop to this particular situation.

Can I ask what you'd all do to get them to bond if and when the time is right and hes been neutered, etc.

Many thanks again

Keith
 
It does sound like referred agression, and it needs to be managed if you intend to bond all 3. I would stop sharing garden space and keep him out of sight of the parents. It won't be forever, but will be better in the long term for a successful bond.

Get him neutered ASAP. Then look at bonding a couple of months later in an area that is new to them all.
 
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