Can baby bunnies bully each other?

[fuzzywuzzy]

I have 7.5 week old crème de argents...there's only 3. In the beginning they all "appeared" to be doing well with Mom. Now that they are on their own, there is definitely one bunny that isn't getting enough food for whatever reason. I've tried to look at it's teeth to make sure they line up right...so far I've been unsuccessful getting a good look. What I know is that it's able to eat hay and was eating pellets before I took them from Mom.

I'm to a point where now I'm supplementing with wet pellets mixed with goats milk and honey. He is ravenous!

I don't want to make it sound like this little bunny has no "value" because though he's a meat bunny, I don't think I should make no effort to try and rectify this if it's just a case of the other 2 not letting it eat or drink. Hubby is going out today to get another water bottle and feed bin to make sure everyone has the opportunity to eat and drink. I don't know if that came out very well. I guess I what I'm saying is I can't just sit by and do nothing although I've been told before to let nature take it's course. I also can't see putting down a potentially healthy rabbit if it's just a question of making sure there are more opportunities to eat and drink. I hope that makes sense.

I don't know enough about rabbits to know if "bullying" can occur. Could I have some input from all of you that have had rabbits much longer than I and have more knowledge.

 

[Dood]

At this age it is doubtful he is being 'bullied'. I have seem mature does who bully younger and/or more submissive ones in a colony setting, but usually only over non food resources like a nest box or preferred resting space, once the food comes out they tend to forget their differences and get down to eating

I think his 'failure to thrive' is more likely caused by some sort of internal defect.

 

[fuzzywuzzy]

My hubby wanted me to add that the other bigger and healthier 2 cluster around the water bottle and feed bin so this other smaller one can't get to either of them. We've both seen them actively block and push the smallest away from food and water. He also wanted me to add that this smaller rabbit was thriving and doing well til we took them away from Mom and put the 3 together. Since doing that, that's when we've both noticed that NOW he's not doing as well. This little one was doing well enough that you couldn't tell the difference between the 3 rabbits, they were all the same size and gaining weight.

They've been together without Mom for about 1.5 to 2 weeks. It's only been since this past Monday that I really noticed that he wasn't doing well.

All that being said, it's still in the back of my mind that you're right and there may be something else wrong. Hubby wants to tend to him til Sunday and see if we see any improvement...we'll have to make a decision at that point.<br /><br />__________ Thu Jul 18, 2013 8:46 am __________<br /><br />Jeez, now the guilt is setting in...maybe I took them away from Mom too early. They were all eating and drinking fine and she didn't appear to be nursing any of them. Every so often one would try and it would get kicked or she's move away from it.

 

[Dood]

If you think it is bullying then put him in his own cage. Weigh him and/or his food daily to see he is gaining and/or eating and wait and see

Jeez, now the guilt is setting in...maybe I took them away from Mom too early.

Umm no, 5-51/2 weeks is plenty old enough, ESPECIALLY for such a small litter. I wean at 4 weeks, or earlier if a doe has been bred right after birth, and have less than 1% losses.

If he makes it and you get attached (it happens to the most ruthless of us ) and you cannot bring yourself to eat him, remember to not use him for breeding stock. The others are bullying him for a reason. The last thing you need is an entire litter of rabbits that cannot hack weaning and need to be babied to get up to weight.

 

[Random Rabbit]

When we've sorted thru litters and put the boyz with the boyz and gurls with gurls... i have seen some that can be a bit on the pushy side. Usually in the Boyz pen. The aggressive one can make life miserable for the others.

Hopefully the extra feed and water will help. Or move the picked upon one to its own cage.

 

[dangerbunny]

I would separate them now, a young rabbit can go downhill very fast.

With my last batch of silver fox I had one fall behind, she was the biggest and ended up getting really frail. I think it was partially due to a high greed factor (she would sit in the creep feeder and eat alllll day) and she upset her gut flora. I pulled her out and gave her hay only for a week and slowly introduced grains back into her diet. She made it just fine but is a little stunted. You hear about weaning enteritis and it seems to just pop up sometimes, I think some animals might have weaker digestive systems and are predisposed to imbalances or a high starch diet doesn't agree with them.

 

[fuzzywuzzy]

Great advice... thanks everyone! I'm going to several things that were suggested. I'll separate the 1 from the others and I'm going to cut back on the pellets it's getting. Hubby called over to work and said that he'd just give the little one some water by itself and was drinking greedily.

And Dangerbunny, you mentioned something I'd forgotten. The 2 biggest for a while were sitting in the food bowl so no one could get to it. I changed to a hopper and they can sit in it now.

I'll have to let you all know how it's making out as the week goes on.<br /><br />__________ Thu Jul 18, 2013 9:33 am __________<br /><br />Hubby called again... said he's back to eating the gruel and that he's "chowing down". I can see this is going to be a long day with hubby calling every 5 minutes to give me updates. LOL

 

[JessicaR]

I learned the hard way that baby buns can be greedy! I had a litter of 8 in a growout pen and had to separate them into smaller numbers since they wouldn't let the smallest on eat, he ended up dying. So now I keep them 3-4 to a pen and have several bowls of food

 

[fuzzywuzzy]

Probably the title of this thread shouldn't have been, " can baby bunnies bully each other?" but instead, "Can baby bunnies be hogs?"

I think several of you have hit on what the problem is, I have 2 hogs and they have taken over. But thankfully, after getting advice from you all... I'm going to rectify that issue.

 

[Miss M]

I have had bunnies only a few weeks older be actual bullies, though. Only a couple of them. But it'll pick out one other bun, and pick on it mercilessly, tormenting, pulling out its fur, etc.