Companion for breeding buck?

[dobergoat]

I have a colony, and I have a buck that has spent his entire life either living in the colony or living with younger bucks. Normally I have been able to put him into the colony for breeding and take him out when needed. Or bring girls to him. No problems, it has worked well and I like having the flexibility with him. Last month he spent a week with the ladies. But this time he was removed and seems depressed. Today I guess one of my kids was giving him some treats and they didn't close his door. I found him later sitting in a snow storm waiting by the door of the building the colony is in. I opened the door and he hopped right in.

His cage is to big to fit in the colony building, which was my first though.
I have an extra cage in there but they are only 30x24 with 2 levels and he is use to a great dane sized dog crate with 2 levels,almost twice that size.
I was also wondering if I should get him a neutered buddy? Would he be happy with a male buddy, I know he would prefer a lady but that's not fair. He has been fine with the young bucks in the colony and they are 8 weeks old.

I can't keep him in the colony as I like to control how often breeding happens and with the coming does I don't want him breeding them. So only dates at his place now. And he disturbes the peace as one of the doe's does not like him.

Any idea's what to do? I feel bad for him as he isn't use to being alone.

 

[ottersatin]

Any idea's what to do? I feel bad for him as he isn't use to being alone.

I guess that he will just have to learn how to live with
any decision that you make! "Who's in CHarge here"!?
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[Dood]

If you have a big enough cage for two rabbits to share and don't mind feeding a non-working rabbit then why not?

 

[dobergoat]

I guess that he will just have to learn how to live with
any decision that you make! "Who's in CHarge here"!?

LOL definetly not me!! as Peter has proven - I caved and put him in the colony again, but I had to pull him out this am. He isn't causing issues, persay, but his presents makes the ladies nutty. The minute he is in there the does start racing around, the kits then start and then he starts and everyone goes nuts. The calm is gone!!! I remove him and everyone goes back to normal.

Dood, how big is big enough for 2 adults? keep in mind he is use to alot of space.I would get or just keep one of our junior bucks and then have him neutured. The crate he has is roughly 54"L x 35"W x 45"H and there is second level that is 45"lX 35"W.

Or could I get a smaller breed rabbit as a buddy, so less food consumption. There are always lots of pet bunnies that need a home. My buck is an 11 lbs Argent. He is goods with the kits so I would assume he would be okay with a smaller breed, not dwarf, but something smaller, what breed to avoid - I know I couldn't add one of my brits, even neutered as they are super territorial. Lots of ND but I think they are to small? needs to have enough coat to live outdoors.

Oh my husband is going to be so impressed, "sweety, I need to get a pet for Peter the rabbit...."

lol
thanks

 

[Zab]

I've had neutered bucks with breeding bucks and it worked fine. But the breeding buck soaked everything in his cage. That's the only problem I had.

 

[dobergoat]

I find the few times he has been by himself he does not spray. You think he will spray with another buck(neutered) around? Zab, how much space do you think they would need? i try and give the rabbits as much room as I can.

Also is it ethical to let rabbits run loose? I know in the back 80 we have wild rabbits, but I never see tracks close to our house. I have a 2 acre area that is fenced for the geese with 1x4 inch and 4x4 inch( obviously the rabbits can get through that). And our dogs are only allowed in there supervised - and are good with the adults. What about getting a buddy for the buck and then once they bond and gett accumstomed to their new home letting them loose in the fenced area, lots of shelters there, ( 3x3 buildings with lots of straw). But then is it right to do this? I see it sometimes around here but wonder how safe it is (diseases) and is it ethical to the domestic rabbit and for the wild ones? I'm not worried about predators in the fenced area, the geese are good at taking care of that. And how do you collect them for breeding? I guess have a food station to catch them...I would love to do this but it seems unrealistic. Any opinions?

Maybe not the same topic....lol oops

 

[Zab]

Yes I think he will spray, or just ''leak'' everywhere with a companion.

I've had thoughts of free ranging as well, but right now I'll wait a few years for any cocci in the ground to die ( coci is species related and my rabbits had it. All are treated and cages sanitized but I want to know I'm rid of it and the outdoors need to be clean from the coci oocytes dying)

I don't see a problem with letting them roam free, as long as you provide shelter and feed. I'd have them locked up in a pen to start with, once they learn where the food is served and where shelter can be found, I figure they could run loose.

They may get sick, but they could get sick anywhere. If you think a grass-colony with a fence is ok, what would be different from a free ranging colony? They may however ig huge warrens and will possibly dig under your house, they may actually ruin it completely.

 

[dobergoat]

Would the 2 bucks still build the warrens? That would be bad as alot of the fenced in goose area is over the septic bed. That could get messy.

I don't think I would have the colony loose, to difficult to control breeding, collecting, and with all those rabbits running around I'm sure they would leave, my neighbours would be angry. But I could give the boys one of the goose houses, solid floor, have them locked in there with the door open and a rubbermain in there for a den for a bit. And once they get use to their view fence in a bit and eventually loose the fence so they have access to the full 2 acre fenced area. That would also give the geese a chance to get use to them. I wonder if Peter would still go to the female colony all the time or would he stay put with his buddy?

 

[Zab]

I don't believe two bucks would dig warrens, no

I think your idea may work, if the two of them bond decently. Being bucks, they may decide to hate each other (well, does could do that too). Your buck may run back to the ladies, they do form quite strong social bonds. But he wouldn't be alone.

I know others with one or two free range rabbits

 

[Dood]

I disagree with Zab.

I had bucks in ground pens and they LOVED to dig, usually in the corners and just enough to get out and fight with the neighbourhood buck or to try and dig into the ladies pen :mrgreen:

I first put patio stones around the edge but they would dig under them, 24 inches out from the fence, to escape so i had to completely pave their runs.

They are smart little boogers

 

[Zab]

Did they dig warrens, though?
My fear would be that they dug warrens in beneth buildings which could cause the whole building to collapse.. a warren for a wild colony can easily cover a football field and there has been fields where tractors suddenly fell down because of cave ins.. :O

But it's interesting to hear that your bucks dug out. I don't have much experience of rabbits on dig-able ground, I'll admit that. "Everyone" say bucks don't dig, just scratch the ground. Well.. ''everyone'' also say bucks kill the kits, so I suppose they can be wrong :lol:..
Thank you for sharing your experience with them digging out. I'll remember that example .

 

[Dood]

They dug just enough to get out but would dig a 1 meter tunnel under a cement slab to do so.

I never saw them dig "burrows" like the does, usually in the middle of the pen and with one or two alternate exits and they probably would try more if the could but we filled them regularly until we got the entire doe colony paved

 

[Zab]

Impressive nontheless.

 

[akane]

Mine didn't dig the huge more than 5' long multi-tunnel burrows the does would dig but they still dug several feet down when given the chance. They could easily go under a fence or dig well enough under a building that you couldn't get them out again.

The problem is going to be using one buck for breeding. Even if one is neutered you can't put a doe in there or they will fight. You also will risk fights every time you move him from the colony back to the pen or cage. It just doesn't work with same sex pairs to keep switching them up. If you want to use the buck for breeding I would pick out a laid back doe to move out of the colony with him every time and just pull her before her first due date to avoid breeding back to back. Unless he's an over enthusiastic breeder your cages should be big enough for temporary housing with a pregnant doe. I've kept lots of my smaller rabbits in pairs or trios with a single male. I had to sell all my outdoor rabbits recently and kept just 2 does and 2 bucks to go in the house. I have a sable ND buck with a rort argent cross and a sable point ND buck with a mini rex cross. They have single level 36x30" cages. It gets slightly crowded if the litter is big and I start pulling rabbits out to temporary cages then but otherwise they live together in pairs in those size cages without issue. I have had enthusiastic breeders drive the does nuts though. You have to watch it because they will get aggressive toward everything including people if the buck bothers them nonstop. It was mainly a problem with a specific mini rex line I had and not so much the large breed bucks.

 

[dobergoat]

Thanks

This gives me alot to think about. The buck is a Lilac Argente and he is VERY nice, well put together etc and I want to use him for breeding for a while longer. I can see the issue with breeding as well, and I'm not sure I want to invest in a neutered buddy for him if in the end it will be hard to pull him for breeding, re-introduce etc. But this buck is pretty relaxed, not onfrontational with anyone.

I was planning on pulling the does out of the colony and bringing both of them to a neutral area for breeding. I have an doe that I would like to "retire", she was my first rabbit so I am attached to her. Maybe that would work - but then she will keep having litters....

I'll start looking around and see if I can chance upon a neutered doe but I think the chances are small.

He is presently in a cage by himself in the colony, and seems okay, not as depressed as when he was in the other barn. But I feel bad - maybe it is mostly me having the issue.

 

[Schipperkesue]

Do you think he might like a cavy as a friend?

 

[dobergoat]

not sure. I know nothing about cvy's, I've never had one. I do ses there are ALOT of them out there. I'll look into it.