My 9-10 month old flemmish doe just started showing what I think are beginning aggression issues. I (thought)bred her mid sept but day 36 was last Sunday and no nesting/kits. Put her with the buck this Sun. pm. after he bred a time or 2 (not sure it was successful, from what I could tell she did not lift hind end) she seemed to get irritable and started to do mounting behavior to him- I promptly removed her. The next am same chain of events but I know the buck was not successful that visit. Yesterday and today my doe was kind of running toward me when I opened the cage door to feed and pawed at me- I popped her on the nose when she did this and she ran to back then we repeated the senario. when I popped her the next time she stayed in the back while I placed the bowl down. I then closed door and left to come here to tell on her! I've had her since she was 8wks and while she is not a passive doe, she has never been aggressive before. I always pet them at feeding time and often have a treat of some sort. She does not like to be picked up but I will do it sometimes (and fair amount in the past 1 1/2 months) Is this hormonal- from preg, from need to be bred? Is this behavior I'm cultivataing by something I'm doing (not sure what) and how do I proceed in handling her?!
doe starting to show aggression
- Thread starter reverie
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MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
She is probably just being hormonal. My maiden does often get very upset with me after I have put them with a buck, whether there was a successful breeding or not.
Here is a link that you should find helpful in judging if she is actually ready to be bred:
judging-a-doe-s-readiness-and-breeding-tips-t9869.html
Some does will have bouts of aggressiveness when they want to be bred, just after they are bred, or just after they kindle. Every doe is different, and they will sometimes change their routine to keep you on your toes! If a doe is consistently nasty, she should be culled from your breeding herd.
Here is a link that you should find helpful in judging if she is actually ready to be bred:
judging-a-doe-s-readiness-and-breeding-tips-t9869.html
Some does will have bouts of aggressiveness when they want to be bred, just after they are bred, or just after they kindle. Every doe is different, and they will sometimes change their routine to keep you on your toes! If a doe is consistently nasty, she should be culled from your breeding herd.
skysthelimit
Well-known member
I had a doe that was only pleasant after she was bred. I have noticed that her kits are pretty nasty too. She was culled three days ago.
I got a doe from a breeder because she was very cranky while pregnant and nursing, and he would not put up with that. He said to breed her and cull her if I could not put up with her moodiness. Right after she weaned the litter she went back to normal. Go figure
I got a doe from a breeder because she was very cranky while pregnant and nursing, and he would not put up with that. He said to breed her and cull her if I could not put up with her moodiness. Right after she weaned the litter she went back to normal. Go figure
My does are so used to being babied, that they got pissed off when I gently put (to them threw), them in a strange 'male' rabbit's cage and would not talk to me for almost a week. During that week, Grey (my satin) growled and lounged at me, Red (mini rex) growled and them would go to a corner and turn her back to me, Hersey would run to the back of her cage and growl, Blue (lg Dutch) stayed to the back of her cage - like daring me to take her out and do that again.
- They do get a head to tail (complete) exam and toe nails trimmed, before being put in the male's cage. I think I insulted them. *I know I did, lol*
- It took about a week+, and oats, but they have started mobbing the doors (waiting for their oats) and asking for rib scratches, again.
- When they rush me, I use a small plastic coffee can and keep it between my hand and the doe. If I need to pick up the doe, I will put the can right in front of them (keeps them from seeing my hand) and bring my hand over the can to grab them at the base of the neck.
- If a doe were to continue being snarky around here, they would go to fc. Right now I have about 12 rabbits, 10 chickens, 5 chicks, 4adult guinea pigs (1 should deliver any day) and 4 baby guinea pigs, while trying to transition from a pellet diet to a grain/hay diet. It takes over an hour to get everyone fed and watered. I am responsable for them and can not take time for a snarky doe to take a bite out of my hand. I also would not want that behavior to be bred into my rabbits. A snarky doe would only be here long enough to add her genetics - had babies, they would be fostered to another doe, and the snarky doe would be off to fc.
- MaggieJ has a great link, about how rabbits communicate, it may help - http://language.rabbitspeak.com/
- Good luck with your doe, figuring out why she did it, and hopefully she will not continue it.
- They do get a head to tail (complete) exam and toe nails trimmed, before being put in the male's cage. I think I insulted them. *I know I did, lol*
- It took about a week+, and oats, but they have started mobbing the doors (waiting for their oats) and asking for rib scratches, again.
- When they rush me, I use a small plastic coffee can and keep it between my hand and the doe. If I need to pick up the doe, I will put the can right in front of them (keeps them from seeing my hand) and bring my hand over the can to grab them at the base of the neck.
- If a doe were to continue being snarky around here, they would go to fc. Right now I have about 12 rabbits, 10 chickens, 5 chicks, 4adult guinea pigs (1 should deliver any day) and 4 baby guinea pigs, while trying to transition from a pellet diet to a grain/hay diet. It takes over an hour to get everyone fed and watered. I am responsable for them and can not take time for a snarky doe to take a bite out of my hand. I also would not want that behavior to be bred into my rabbits. A snarky doe would only be here long enough to add her genetics - had babies, they would be fostered to another doe, and the snarky doe would be off to fc.
- MaggieJ has a great link, about how rabbits communicate, it may help - http://language.rabbitspeak.com/
- Good luck with your doe, figuring out why she did it, and hopefully she will not continue it.
garden lady
Well-known member
Piper":2x8b57lm said:
Sunshine got mad at me because I tossed a piece of kale in and it landed on her back. She thinks I threw it at her. She has been in a mood lately where after she eats she lays down and if I open the door to change water and she is not hungry and she is taking her siesta then she makes a honking or growling noise. Too fat to get up to come say hi, so she is on a diet now. :lol:
ZRabbits
Well-known member
Agree with the others, sounds like hormones to me. My Luna was like that for a week after putting her in with Neville. Very upset she was. But she did calm down. Started up once kindling was close and now has settled back down to her sweet self. I wore gloves when she was in those moods. I needed to handle her, plus with the gloves, I was more confident putting my hands in the crate and she knew that.
Also agree, MaggieJ's posted link was very helpful for this newbie understanding the "language of rabbits".
Hoping your girl settles down. I've had my Luna since she was 6 weeks old. Sad to see those hormones turn this sweet girl moody. But it did pass and she's back to that sweet girl again. Will see if it's a pattern the next time I breed her.
Karen
Also agree, MaggieJ's posted link was very helpful for this newbie understanding the "language of rabbits".
Hoping your girl settles down. I've had my Luna since she was 6 weeks old. Sad to see those hormones turn this sweet girl moody. But it did pass and she's back to that sweet girl again. Will see if it's a pattern the next time I breed her.
Karen
Thanks a bunch for your input! I have given her a little space and distracted her with long stemmed (ie hands not near the head!)food and have not had any problem getting her fed and even pet on the head some. i did check out the language site and I am a stupid foreigner! I've got some basics but the nuances and inflections are way over my head- I would NOT be good at any of the asian languages!!!
ZRabbits
Well-known member
reverie":2kxra6qd said:
Glad to hear things are calming down for your doe.
Don't feel stupid. You got the basics, which I used that site for as well. Best thing you can do is observe your rabbit. I found that getting to know each and every one of my Tribe members, I got to know their way of talking. Each has their individual style of getting their point across. Helps if any of your rabbits are "under the weather" too. Rabbits are good at hiding sickness because they are "prey" animals and knowing your rabbits will help.
Karen
starshotbandit
Well-known member
My doe did kinda the same thing, but she would also do a mad dash around the cage and bashe into the corners. I got growels and lunges. She would try to fight the buck and he never even got a chance to mount.I had to force bred the first few times and hold her rump up for the service the next day I only had to hold her by the scruff.about a week+ later she was back to being most of her former self. she had her first litter and she is a gerat mom. My second doe was just snarky she bit me she would lunge and claw, she wasent that bad with the buck but I still had to hold her the first breding after that she was fine with it. She was still agresive after breding. but when she had the littre she started calming down not as good of a mother as my cal doe but her babbie r now 3 weels old and seem to be in great shape. I did have to do some of the things you did, but one piece of advice that helped was to keep my hand above her when i reach for her, and I kept a hand on her when I was puting the food in the dish.I would bring her to the dish and pet or just keep my hand on her until she started eating and was relaxed, just to say I'm going to do it if you like it or not, get over it.
If the second doe goes back to being mean I will cull her. I have kids that like to spend time with the rabbits and bring them in the house.she is just a mix breed that I got off craigeslist for free, and I wont have a mean animal around my kids.
I think its kinda like us when we hit puberty the hormones go crazy and we dont know what to do with them. lol. Hope you have the best of luck!
If the second doe goes back to being mean I will cull her. I have kids that like to spend time with the rabbits and bring them in the house.she is just a mix breed that I got off craigeslist for free, and I wont have a mean animal around my kids.
I think its kinda like us when we hit puberty the hormones go crazy and we dont know what to do with them. lol. Hope you have the best of luck!
