Is chasing normal?

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RustyPocket

RustyPocket

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Hello everybunny.
After thinking about it for a few days I finally paired up Nina and Fawn and trew them both up in the colony, where Fawn lives with her kits. They didn't seem to mind each other while on the floor outside the colony, but when I put them together, Fawn started chasing, but would corner Nina and then walk away, no real fighfing occurs. Is this normal when introducing rabbits at first?
Thanks in advance,
-Marko
 
It's fairly normal, Marko, but it could escalate so be vigilant. Fawn is being territorial (she considers the colony hers) and she is asserting her dominance over Nina, who she considers an intruder. Outside the colony, it was not an issue because they weren't meeting on Fawn's territory. It may not go any further or it may end in real fighting.

What I prefer to do when setting up a colony is to let the first doe kindle and then keep the best female kit to be the second breeding doe in the colony. That way there is rarely aggression. The young doe knows her place and the momma is used to her being there. You could still do this by removing Nina and keeping one of Fawn's young doelings in the colony.
 
Thanks Maggie.
I let them spend some time alone without me anywhere near the colony, and when came back some 3 hours later, both were cornered, but breathing normally. I tryed offering some food; Fawn walked to the dish and started eating and Nina simply walked across the colony to get in the opposit corner. No fighting, no blood. I really hope everything's gonna stay good.
I thought about keeping one of Fawn's daughters, but all of them are Fawns and I don't want to risk mixing them up.
 
Hi Marko,

I raise in cages, so have no personal experience with colony raising, but from what I have read here at RT, I know that it is important that you have lots of objects in the colony to give hiding places and visual barriers.

You can use just about anything- buckets, chunks of logs, cinder blocks with a board on top, plastic pet crates, etc.

I also think that introducing multiple rabbits at the same time would probably be better than just one at a time. This is what I do with my chickens so that the aggressive behavior is spread among multiple animals so one doesn't get singled out for abuse.
 

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