Help?

I wasn't sure where to post this topic, this is my best guess of where to put it!

Is it possible for three female rabbits who are not spayed, specifically a mother and two daughters, to live together? I am trying to plan how many rabbits to keep. If the hutch was big enough, would they get along?

You have a better chance of mother/daughter rabbits getting along than unrelated ones, but there is still the risk of fighting.

I always tell people to make sure they have extra cages or a backup plan for all the rabbits they have, because fighting in colonies is very common, even among related animals.

I think, certain animals would fight for dominance even with unlimited space, and some animals will get along in small cages. It really depends on the individual rabbits you are keeping.

A couple of questions ... the answers to these would help members to give you a better idea of the chances for a peaceful communal pen.

1. Have they always been together?
2. Do they like each other now? Do they snuggle and groom each other?
3. What size hutch do you have in mind?
4. Do you intend to breed them?

Hi,

I have that configuration right now, for about 2 months. Mom(Black Fury ca. 4 years) with older daughter (Red Shrew, 1year, just kindled her first litter) and now a younger sister(gray), 6 months, too.

The Red was with the Black since she was born and was a great big sister for 2 litters. That was no problem at all, some humping by the older doe from time to time, but otherwise a harmony you can only hope for.
The last one was seperated for a month with the growouts, reintroducing her was some stress, some tufts of fur, lots of sitting in a corner, but I think it works out. Would have been better to never seperate her from mom and big sister, and it didn't help that my shrew was pregnant. Still have a nervous eye on the scene, hope I don't have to take the grey out.

But they need a bigger hutch soon. I added an extra big box, imho it's important that they can disappear out of sight, and that each one has its own private resting spot.

I'm doing this because it's so much easier to just tend 1 hutch instead of 3, also all rabbits get more garden time when I don't have te seperate them. And I like the interaction of bunnies, they too, I think.



But it sure depends on the individual rabbits, there is no guarantee that it will work.

I'm trying to keep a couple pairs together for the winter (mother daughter pair and sisters).
So far I have done ok with moms and daughters as long as i don't ever leave mom alone LOL once she gets alone time, she will not let anyone back in!
I have tried bringing together young does at about 10-12 weeks without success.
All you can do is try~ give them as much space as you can (I had a pair of sisters who fought in one cage and were fine when I gave them a much larger one) and have a backup.

Zass":1xfh43i2 said:

I always tell people to make sure they have extra cages or a backup plan for all the rabbits they have, because fighting in colonies is very common, even among related animals.

I think, certain animals would fight for dominance even with unlimited space, and some animals will get along in small cages. It really depends on the individual rabbits you are keeping.

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I agree with Zass , -- and- Maggie, -and--- just because they have been "fine" with each other for a long time, still does not mean they won't change their mind and try to kill each other , a careful watch over their behavior ,[like sitting separately, and for little tufts of hair in their area] will give you some signs the relationship is getting a little stressed. do they like to snuggle, and groom, or are they just tolerating each other. [like MaggieJ said]
If you decide to put two rabbits together [even if they have been together before] you need to put them together in a cage, or space, that was not the home of either one of them, rabbits are territorial, and they will consider another rabbit introduced into their cage [or area] an intruder. They need to be introduced to each other in a "neutral" space.

Thanks all!

The mother would hopefully be separated to breed again, then reintroduced. I don't actually have any offspring from her yet, I am just trying to plan the future.