Not sure it's a colony anymore..

Well. I got this lovely new doe as you may or may not know. Young one.
I've tried to introduce her to the colony, kept her in a cage inside it, let her out to explore a bit while they were busy eating etc. But it's not working, they want to kill her!
They go after her instanty! It doesn't matter if she stays or runs, tries to greet them friendly or show all the submissve behaviour she can.. I even caught her screaming but they kept going on. It didn't get better either, and I've found them lying outside her cage just waiting for her to come close enough to get bitten..! I never imagind such murderous behaviour!

The younf kit - who still needs a name, Lakrits daughter - and Spira seem to stand a better chance. There's some chasing but it's short runs and they mostly ignore each other.

So I divided the colony into.. two pairs? I built a wall between them, small enough mesh to avoid too much fighting. I don't really like it, I wanted to give them large space and live like a happy family! But this is what you get when you're not sharing - less space!

Well, at leadt I can stop thinking about introductions and feel bad for keeping her locked up in a cage in the monster sisters cage. I have too much else to worry about. So this is it.

aww, I'm sorry to hear that your new doe is not being accepted. It's strange since she's acting submissive (I did read that right, correct?) and the other rabbits are used to sharing...

Yeah :/

I think the other two just stayed alone for too long. They're full sisters, at one point there was two other does in the colony but they were taken out for other reasons. And then the sisters lived alone and had a few litters alone, just with each other. I guess they figured that noone else needed to be there.

But this will probably work too.

You might have to keep the new doe separately, but you may have better luck introducing some of her daughters into the colony. Immature rabbits are generally more easily accepted, in my opinion.

Colonies seem to work best when their numbers are increased by breeding within the colony. You might even want to consider breeding your current does at the same time as your new doe and then fostering new doe's kits on one of your originals. A painless way of getting the new genetics into the colony.

MaggieJ":284j71l0 said:

You might have to keep the new doe separately, but you may have better luck introducing some of her daughters into the colony. Immature rabbits are generally more easily accepted, in my opinion.

Colonies seem to work best when their numbers are increased by breeding within the colony. You might even want to consider breeding your current does at the same time as your new doe and then fostering new doe's kits on one of your originals. A painless way of getting the new genetics into the colony.

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VERY good idea, that is EXCELLENT advice. Would have never thought of that, but it makes sense!!!

I had three does in a large colony, but after the last batch of babies, one of the does (Alice) started to get really violent towards one of the other does (Kiwi). I finally had to separate them buy building an annex onto the colony and moving Kiwi out for her own protection. Even with lots of room, rabbits seems to be a territorial grumpy bunch.

Does can be insanely territorial. I've not had much problem with that since my rabbits are all closely related and pretty tolerant of each other. I think the colony worked best though when it was divided down the centre with one doe and her offspring in each half and the buck commuting between the two areas. I could not have him in with a doe that was kindling because he was too eager to rebreed the doe and kits were being trampled.

The thought of just introducing Spiras kits (both intruducing them young and fostering) has crossed my mind, but I want HER. She's the one unrelated to all my other rabbits and she's the purebred checckered giant. Her kits will either be related to my only CG buck or to Kori and be half-big. Plus.. if she's a genetic charlie nd still keeps her health, she can give me 100% spotted rabbits with no charlies in the litter and I could sell a kit or two without even thinking about the charlie-gut-issue thing (wouldn't want a kid to get sad due to sudden illness of their pet)

She's also just 14 weeks, and a giant breed.. she shouldn't really be mature yet in that sense. Bit older than a kit but not reaching adulthood.

Besides, nw the wall's there. It's permanent, not moveable. It will be two paired does in each, the sisters in one and Spira and Lakrits kit in one.

But thanks for the advice. The thought has crossed my mind. I als concidered selling Kyndel and breaking the pair up, but I'm not sure Kummin would be any better alone against a new one.<br /><br />__________ Tue Jul 23, 2013 3:47 am __________<br /><br />Spira and her friend were grooming each other today I think it will be a good match.

And now I can start with having two litters at the same time without risking to confuse who's mom

zab .........I really like your set up... Happy bunnies

Thank you

*sigh*

More pictures of Zab's gorgeous setup to drool over.

*fingers crossed they continue to get along*

Hehe Thank you. I'll put that comment somewhere to cheer me up when things are bad

Love you set up. I think some does just get mean :twisted: . Had two gray doe litter mates raised in the same colony as they got older about 10 months just kept getting meaner and meaner had the whole coloney sturred up and one of my two cals almost plucked bald across the sholders. Well last weekend the two went off to freezer camp. The coloney as a hold is doing well now. Got to pick two new doe to keep. :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: . Hope you have better luck with yours.