Anyone ever bonded an intact male and a spayed female?

[Preitler]

First, don't wonder about the wording, I used this text on other forums

Hi,

I'm asking if someone has experience with intact buck + spayed doe living together.

Yes, I know, and don't need to be told that this isn't the most promising combination, I would be glad to hear from people who tried it, and with which actual results, positiv or negativ. It's just something I'm contemplating, so I'm looking for people with experience to make up my mind.
And no, neutering the buck is not an option.

I don't have much experience with neutered animals, only had a male castrated foster dog for a short time - it was funny, female dogs didn't recognise him as male at all, niether treated him as female, were somewhat confused and some even ignored him completly - to the point that I had 2 dogs on my lap, niether of them caring that there was another.
I think if the buck doesn't see her as female and focus of his desire it could work out. If not, the doe would just go back to live with one of her daughters.

Buck would be a 3yo laid-back dude, free range house bunny, doe a 6yo breeding doe that is quite an Alpha and wouldn't take becoming retired from breeding too well without beeing spayed, very hormonell, bossy girl. They would be free range in house and garden, the doe was my housebunny for 8 months when she was 1 (myxo quarentine), was quite destructive with her hormones raging.

So, if someone has first, or second hand experience, please speak up

 

[Random Rabbit]

I have heard of people giving a buck a "snuggle buddy".... either a spayed doe or an older doe that no longer produces. It seems to be beneficial for both animals.

Reading Your post again... You mention that the doe is Dominant... that might be a problem... but hopefully spaying would help with that. altho at 6 years of age... she might be sterile ......

 

[Preitler]

Oh, you are the first one to mention to have at least heard of what I've in mind

She definitly isn't sterile, I don't know - really, I have no clue whatsoever - how she managed to get knocked up this year, but when I wanted to clean the nestbox there was a furry litter of 6 in it. She's a real Ninja when it comes to this, not many a year when she didn't give me a surprise, that's one of the reasons why I'd rather retire her for good. Those farm mutts stay productive til 8-10.

I don't see it as a problem that she's dominant, she get's what she wants by giving the eye, posing, humping and fur plucking, the buck is pretty good at avoiding violence, from my feeling I would say when she get's somewhat calmer it would be a good match.

He doesn't really pester does that are not willing to breed, sometimes had them together for a week to get the deed done, no problem, the doe did change colour though :x , it's gross what rabbits think romantic courting is about...

There are a lot of "if"s where something could go not as desired, as a young girl just out of puberty she wasn't a great pet, but that issues were hormonal, I think.
I just have no experience what spaying really does to a does behaviour.

 

[Random Rabbit]

My big concern would be the actual spay operation.
Rabbits do not do well with anesthesia.... mortality rates are rather high..... a vet that has done many, many successful spays would be the best choice.
The doe being 6 years of age would also have that against her.
Shall cross fingers that it goes well.

 

[Preitler]

Yeah, that's one of my big worries. That doe is quite unique, never saw a rabbit with instincts that strong, she has an attitude that is unbelievable - her mothering skills are beyond whatever I saw or read on the net, and she's BOSS, doesn't matter that all other rabbits around her are bigger, doesn't even matter if those "rabbits" are actually cats or dogs. And there havn't been many living things ( parents and sister, all far away, excluded) coping and actually interacting with me for that long for the last quarter century...