When Rabbits ATTACK!!

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Z

zee

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Sooooo.... I've decided to get back into the "groove" of things and start breeding the buns again since I gave them a break for the summer due to the heat.

1st day, I took both does to both bucks. Both of them REFUSED to breed. They just kept running around in the cage.

2nd day, when I went to pull the bigger doe from the cage with 2 sisters in it, the smaller one released a FULL FLEDGED attack on my hands. Thank goodness they were gloved, but, I did feel her teeth come through the glove. (I did not get injured) She also got on her hind legs and started attacking my hand with her front feet like a cat. I WAS SHOCKED! I must admit that I was having naughty thoughts about fighting back! :evil: I finally had to use a net to get the bigger one out of the cage for breeding. When I did this, the smaller one went after me again and bit on the net.

I have NEVER seen this behavior in this little one. I just couldn't bring myself to butchering her because she was the runt of the liter, so, I just let her stay in the cage with the one I picked out for breeding, but, I think her days are numbered now. :chair:

Both does are old enough to breed. I had a successful breeding with one of them before, but, I have yet to get the younger one bred. Please share with me what I am doing wrong, or how could I remedy the situation if it's possible. Thanks in advance. I'm thinking about just getting two more bred does to replace them. What are your thoughts?
 
If it was mine I'd butcher the little one, she already has two strikes. Won't breed, and aggressive to humans. Last thing I'd want is to produce MORE rabbits like that.

That aside, if you really want to keep her. Consider changing her cage situation. I'd definitely separate her from her sister. She might start being aggressive to her as well.
It's a new thought for me, to try to manage aggression instead of simply removing animals that didn't behave like proper domesticated rabbits.

But,
one thing I have noticed (since I'm holding onto a psycho bun currently), is that she seems to do better in a smaller cage that can be accessed from above. Perhaps it's just that she feels more insecure, but I see no inclination in her to ever be friendly with me.
Again, it's a reason to cull for me. I feel sad to see a rabbit huddling in fear, when the others bounce to the front of the hutches/pens/cages for attention and treats.
 
Rabbits that attack that aggressively are food. Plain and simple. You don't want to breed that into your lines.
 
Normally, I would say send her to freezer camp, but I have to wonder in this case if the gloves might have frightened her. I remember once when I was wearing a big pair of red rubber gloves that our doe, Alice, took a run at them. She didn't bite but it was obvious that the gloves spooked her.

When something weird happens with our critters, I look for something that was different. Quite often it gives me the answer.
 
michaels4gardens":2hmwfvwg said:
I have noticed, [at my place] does kept together develop a lot more agressive behavior then does separated at / by about 12 weeks-- but-- overly agressive rabbits are a problem for a lot of reasons.
Click to expand...


Hmm. I'm gonna track this one, as I routinely keep litter mates together for extended amounts of time.
 
Hmm. I'm gonna track this one, as I routinely keep litter mates together for extended amounts of time.
Click to expand...
It will be especially noticeable when / if the does get pregnant [I guess it is a territory thing.]--------------
last winter, -The owner of the place I worked last year[ Zion Mountain Ranch] brought about 30 rabbits , before they had cages, and was keeping them bunched up for a couple of weeks, in 3 small dog kennels and 4 cat carriers, --then when they built a couple of biger cages [2'x8'] and just threw all of them in together, [I had taken some of the older better looking does home -as , it was about 10 deg out side and they were wet and standing in an inch of pee / water in a cat carrior , I had some empty holes [cages] at my place], --any-way-- the owner mixed up the males and females, and some got bred, -- in about 2 weeks the fighting began, and at 3 weeks rabbits started dieing. --and that is what it took to get the owner to build some more cages. -[it made me sick and angry]--Another one of the reasons I no longer work for him.
 
michaels4gardens":1mr80jpc said:
Hmm. I'm gonna track this one, as I routinely keep litter mates together for extended amounts of time.
Click to expand...
It will be especially noticeable when / if the does get pregnant [I guess it is a territory thing.]--------------
Click to expand...
All does get their own cages when they are bred, I don't trust any doe like that. But I do have siblings that are together for up to six mos, while I decide who stays or goes. Usually by that time they are getting ready for shows, and need to be separated to make sure they eat the right amount of food, and one isn't hogging the feeder.
 
I've kept sibling sisters together for a good length of time. I've never kept
track of exactly "how" long, though. I do know it was never past 4 months.
Once they reach 4 months old, their ration needs to be limited. Otherwise
you'll end up with an overweight rabbit that is difficult to breed.

Aggressiveness is not tolerated. Dealing with an animal with
these issues is frustrating and counter-productive. I've got a snake-guy that
takes these @a buck, eighty-five a pound. I'm not real whippy about any
extra holes in my hands. They're here for only a short while, then they're
history.
 
-- for me , -it seems,-I am more likely to see aggresive behavior with unrelated does caged together, but sometimes I have seen it with siblings, some does just decide to "not like" a member of the group and pick on it-- once that starts- it is sometimes a developed trait that is noticed later on.[especially around kindling time, or if they are not bred for a while].
- I separate all my replacement does at or around 12 weeks, [usually] just because of my theory about aggression-, it seems to me, to make better moms, and more friendly rabbits. -- but-- that is just me and my theory--- I only have one doe that has bit me, [and she is what is left of the "rescue" does] -but-- i blame that one on me-- as I reached in to check the litter box, and did not notice she was trying to have her kits at the time, I don't blame her for being aggravated with me.
------a long time ago I worked with a man who had a large rabbitry,raised New Zealand, and California, the practice was to put 3 or 4 replacement doe possibilities [sometimes more]in a 30" x 24" cage, [they were not necessarily related] he had some aggression from time to time also, and they were not bred- but-- I can't remember how old they were either.
 
This subject answers a few questions I have. I have a pair of does. They are 7 months old. I just got them about a week ago. I have them caged together. The breeder had them and their other sister caged together with no problems. They have had no problems that I noticed . Then last night they were chasing each other around the cage and took turns humping each other. I kinda blamed it on the full moon since they hadn't done that before last night. At least not that I've seen. In June I plan on breeding them. And I had been wondering if they could stay together after they have been bred. But with all the different posts I have been reading I am definitely thinking that Once they are bred they should go to their own cages next to each other instead of back in with each other.
 
I would separate them after breeding. The humping is merely just a dominance display, all my females do it out in the yard together, and as soon as the dominant doe is accepted, it stops. However, mother rabbits can be quite protective of their young, even to those they're used to, (my sweet momma rabbits will even nip at me if I spend too much time in the nest) so it would be best to avoid any issues.
 
It is my opinion that Rabbits tend to be quite territorial.
I house all of my rabbits in their own cage/territory.
I will not/doi not house any Rabbit for very long after it shows aggression.
I like having all my fingers and like to avoid marking my body.
If an attack is do to my blunder it may be forgiven, but continued aggression
will lead to a trip to the MEAT wagon. I,ve had my share of bites and scratches in the past.
I feel that I must be able handle my rabbits whenever I need to without fearing an attack.
If I encounter an aggressive rabbit, it will get that "once in a liftime Award"!
The Golden HAMMER! [FEAR THE HAMMER] :twisted:
Ottersatin :eek:ldtimer:
 
Find someone you don't really care for and then have them put their hand in the cage to pick her up with any gloves on that way you can see if she just attacked you because of the gloves maybe? lol :lol:
 
Good thing you are going to butcher the thing! Wow, that is a nasty doe! lol.
I had a NZ doe that was a total witch. She bit 4 judges, abandoned 3 litters, and she even charged the front of the cage when I walked by! She had started that behavior even before she hopped out of the nest box. The only reason i kept her is because she had good type and I wanted to see if breeding her would calm her down. Nope! And, she took to every buck I bred her to. The loved the men, but she hated everyone one else, including her babies she had. So, needless to say I butchered the dumb thing. I made her foot into a keychain. Lovely keychain, but bad memories :lol:

~SDR
 
I've only got 12 rabbits and I've only been bitten a few times. It usually only happens after I have handled a male rabbit and then gone to pet or pick up another male rabbit- so seems to be triggered by hormonal smells. So maybe the gloves smell like other rabbits and not like human? I also think if they have been fighting with another rabbit or have been sprayed in the face by another rabbit they think everything is another rabbit.

As far as breeding goes- I always swap cages starting 1- 3 days before my intended breeding date. So, I put the doe in the bucks cage and the buck in the does cage overnight. Then next day I check to see if the doe seems ready - by checking to see if her vent is bright pink-red-purple and I also see if she will lift when I touch her back end. If she doesn't seem all that ready- I swap the cages for a second night- usually after a second night in a bucks cage the does usually lift when I just touch their tails. Then I breed them.
 

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