Bucks

[MamaSheepdog]

I am going to put solid dividers between the bucks, and possibly does.

This link was originally posted by MaggieJ: http://pan-am.uniserve.com/pg000031.htm

They hang Koroplast between all of their cages to prevent the spread of disease.

 

[michabo3000]

I think the solid divider is an excelent idea if you have new rabbits coming into your rabbitry .30 day quaranteen is not long enought to know , some illness doesnt show up till the first litter is born of the rabbits you bring in .

Im not gonna say that its wrong to put rabbits in a colony. But i am gonna point out that wild rabbits do not live in a colony, they live in warrens. They are not kept from leaving the warren like they are in the "colony" people put together for thier rabbits. Living in close proximity in a net work of tunnels where rabbits that dont get along can move further apart or leave the warren completely is not the same as living in a small area that they cant leave.

I think if your new to raising rabbits, you should start out with them in cages, till you get to know your rabbits and their health and possibly try the colony thing later if you want to . I think when you set up a colony that you should pay special attention to the location you live in and the changing seasons. I also think you should have cages as a back up in the event you need to get your rabbits back inside for some reason.

As far as the original question about the buck, your buck will be perfectly content living in a cage by himself as long as he is well fed and watered. You dont need to get him fixed.

 

[akane]

I've had dozens of adult rabbits together for years now and I've a total of 1 torn ear and no other injuries. Including putting adult bucks together in 12x12 or 12x24 areas depending if we currently have it divided for breeders and growout or open for winter watering simplicity.

 

[Stormy]

@ Akane- thanks! hello! Yes, it really does work if you do it right. Don't try to co-house two adult rabbits who have been kept in separate cages and become used to being alone in their territory.

@ Michabo- its one set up or the other, that is a massive investment to do one then try to switch! Especially because the does & bucks you put into solitary living quarters will then need solitary living quarters for the duration of their lives. Making a colony is done with young animals only, or the likelihood of fighting goes up, or even just never liking each other.

@ Skysthelimit - yes, I don't think its a good idea to raise your prize show buck bunnies in a colony set up. Although I have seen posts on this forum that some people who raised their show rabbits colony style won first place. Might have been a doe however. It has a lot to do with a lot of things - if one wants to take the time to create the right environment, introduce the rabbits young, etc. I find it to be far more rewarding watching my rabbits live natural lifestyles hanging out together, grooming each other, and both does take care of each other's litters with out a care. I think they are far happier than when I raised rabbits 25 years ago in the belief they needed to be one rabbit a hole, in a wire cage suspended off the ground. My rabbits love the earth, and the sunshine, and the company...

 

[akane]

Especially because the does & bucks you put into solitary living quarters will then need solitary living quarters for the duration of their lives

Not true. I've put adults together many times. I've even put 1 year old does who had produced litters in cages down in to colony. I just stuck one 8month old, two 6month old, and one 15month old that had been cage raised only prior to that in to my 12x12 breeder side that already had one 16month old, one 13month old, one 3 year old, and two 10month olds all with litters with only 1 tuft of fur lost and a little chasing for 1 day. This is temporary since it's too many rabbits for the given space but no one is breeding again until late oct probably given heat sterility. When I sell the mini rex I will move the 3 purebred american sable does out of the colony. I have also put breeding age bucks from cages together and made colonies out of them as well as running 2 bucks at once in the colony when it's opened up to 12x24. Some of the arguments look rough when you first put them in or after removing them for awhile and putting them back but like I said we've had 1 minor ear injury and the odd tuft of fur.

 

[skysthelimit]

Maye with the hollands, but there is no way I'd try that with my Rexes. Not a chance.

 

[3mina]

I would never house two Bucks together,
but that's just me. I also would not house two grown Does together in thew same cage.
The problem with Does humping each other continually is: It leads to "False Pregnancy".
Should you have plans to breed that Doe you will have to wait until
she runs through that false cycle. I go by the One Rabbit per cage rule.
I like to know who my Does are breed to and when, I also like to be the one that makes that decision. I guess I'm funny that way.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

You aren't the only one Ottersatin. My rabbits are out in the boonies and I am not in love with the idea of feeding every coyote, owl ,hawk, weasel, and neighbours dog in the area. It's hard enough keeping weasels out of the cages as it is, I can't imagine trying to keep them out of a colony set up. JMO

 

[WildWolf]

I think it depends on your set-up. You can avoid the predators, 3mina, by fencing and roofing your colony. And if there are hiding places, it can actually be safer than a cage (in a cage the rabbit is a sitting duck, so to speak). Also, as many people who don't really like colonies have said (like michabo30000), the wild rabbits are able to do it because they have enough room and hidey holes... so, provide enough room and hidey holes. So there might be a few chases, maybe a tuft of hair pulled, but there won't be major fights. All social animals- social meaning living together- have the instinct not to actually hurt each other. They know that when they kill/injure each other, they are weakening their group and attracting predators. They don't want to hurt each other, they just want to establish a hierarchy. So when the subordinate one is able to get away and show that he is getting out of the dominant one's space, the dominant one won't attack. And if there are 2 that can't come to an agreement as to who is dominant, they can just avoid each other.

I do agree that housing bucks together, although it is possible, isn't necessary unless you have enough does for 2 bucks.

The other thing- if you house the does separate from the buck, and bring the doe to the buck, you are in complete control of the breeding even though it is a colony. And if you have enough space and hiding places, then aggressive humping isn't an issue because the victim can run away if she needs to.

My 2 does are sisters, but they were separated for most of their life. They live together now- and I introduced them when they were about 1 yr old. I have had no problem

And michabo3000- Thank you for clearing up my original question!

 

[akane]

but there is no way I'd try that with my Rexes.

Rex are probably average for keeping in colonies. I've done it with mini rex, creme d'argent, champagne d'argent, new zealand (the worst so far for colony life), checkered giant(runner up for not making good colony rabbits), netherland dwarf, dutch, and american sable. I don't think there is a breed that can't be housed in a colony but there are some slightly more suited. I have 1 mini rex who can't handle it and abandons her litters in colony but otherwise they seem good. 1 of my checkereds though would go on young rabbit killing sprees occasionally. Her half sister is just fine but checkereds do have temper issues that makes some individuals tricky to keep with other rabbits. The NZ are just too jittery. They over react to dominance displays and bash themselves in to corners when first introduced. Then refuse to go near food and water where the dominant rabbits might be for a few days. It works eventually but I wouldn't try it in hot weather.

 

[michabo3000]

Dominate females killing the kits of others is normal activity in a warren. Bucks fighting is normal activity in a warren. Abnormal activity in a warren would be people trying to make all the bunnys get along , they do get along in their own way. They live in warrens because its safer, more ears and eyes watching for preditors. When a rabbit is being chased , it can go down a hole and a fresh rabbit pops up from another hole to get the preditors attention. At that time they act like a team to wear the preditor down causing him to give up the chase if all goes well.

 

[akane]

Mine killed her own offspring. Whether they were 4, 8, or 12 weeks she'd just randomly go on a killing spree and wipe out all her own offspring plus a few other small rabbits like if we left any netherlands in with her. She did it twice and became dog food after the 2nd time.

 

[WildWolf]

hm... so,along with all the things I said in my previous post, you also need to find bunnies that get along/are more mellow/ adjust well/have the right personality. Then, there would be no problems.

 

[Stormy]

hm... so,along with all the things I said in my previous post, you also need to find bunnies that get along/are more mellow/ adjust well/have the right personality. Then, there would be no problems.

Yeah- then its easy!

For the record, I've got American Blues. One doesn't like being handled by people - so I'd have assumed she would have been difficult, but no- it has worked it out with other doe quite well- so much so they put their babies all in the same nest! The other has a very sweet disposition to the point of being a lap pet - so, whatever the variety in personality, this breed in my experience, which is only 2 original rabbits of course, has taken to colony living quite well. Never a fight after their initial dominance struggle period.

We are thinking of trying uncaged colony style with the one with the afforementioned personality. She is sure we're out to get her and constantly tries to bust out of the day pen. In this forum there are links to great set ups with electric fence to keep the foxes and weasels out. We might try it. We also live way in the boonies, as one of the other posters mentioned that as a reason not to do colony style, and we have only lost kits to a predator if they escaped, before we tightened down our setup. We don't do free-roaming colony style, the night cage is completely enclosed, just very large with multiple levels.

 

[michabo3000]

If your gonna have a colony set up,,,,,,,you need a chicken police force like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D35uQCtr4EY

 

[Stormy]

LOL that's awesome - thanks for sharing, Michabo3000. If I ever have need, will get chickens. I just got a horse and heard they keep flies down too! That's a couple things going for them now

 

[WildWolf]

I never thought chickens would do that!! I wonder if ducks or geese or guineas would do that, or just chickens...?

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I would never house two Bucks together,
but that's just me.

I have done this only until they reach sexual maturity (for my Cals/NZW) or until they start beating the stuffing out of each other. Rexes, OMG...they seem to be much more agressive at earlier ages! I have had 6wk olds humping each other and 12wk old bucks half killing each other!

I also would not house two grown Does together in the same cage.
The problem with Does humping each other continually is: It leads to "False Pregnancy".
Should you have plans to breed that Doe you will have to wait until
she runs through that false cycle.

This is the primary reason why constant humping is not good...also, it IS a dominance behavior, not just them expressing their sexuality.

I go by the One Rabbit per cage rule. I like to know who my Does are breed to and when, I also like to be the one that makes that decision. I guess I'm funny that way.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

That is what you have to do if you want correct pedigrees, Otter. Nothing funny about that! Even if you only had one buck in a colony, does will sometimes kindle in a common nest :shock: How would you know who's kit was whose?

 

[WildWolf]

Don't you have to bring the doe to the buck? So then, you can control who breeds when, and you would know whose kits were whose. But that's only if you have the buck separate from the does.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Don't you have to bring the doe to the buck? So then, you can control who breeds when, and you would know whose kits were whose. But that's only if you have the buck separate from the does.

Yes, that is what I said about the buck, but if all the does live in one colony and some of them kindle in a communal nest, or once they leave the nest, how do you know who the dam is? :shock:

 

[skysthelimit]

I have done this only until they reach sexual maturity (for my Cals/NZW) or until they start beating the stuffing out of each other. Rexes, OMG...they seem to be much more agressive at earlier ages! I have had 6wk olds humping each other and 12wk old bucks half killing each other!

I have never seen anything like it. All but one set of kits were humping at 6 weeks. And they were serious! This was not just some testing the water thing. They have to be separate as soon as I can. I almost never grow out bucks for that reason alone, not near enough space.