I gave my does some exercise today. They really fight!

[Legacy]

My rabbits have not had much exercise all summer due to the extreme heat. Today, I let all the does loose in the rabbit run (apox. 8'x25'). It has some "obstacles" and "toys" buckets and such. I thought it was a large enough area and there was so much junk in the way they could get away from each other easily. I also thought since none of the rabbits have been in the run for months, none of them would feel it was "their" space.

Apparently they want to fight! The jr does were fine but I had 3 senior does that just wanted to kill each other. I have put senior does together before without that problem. I have even introduced senior does to a colony of does before without a problem back when we were doing a colony. When I have heard people talk about does fighting, I also thought "oh they don't fight that bad" because I have experienced a lot of them that didn't fight that bad.

I have never seen does want to kill each other like that before. They were screaming and biting each other. We had to pull them apart and they didn't want to let go either.

I wont be making that mistake again. It's a good thing the does I want to put in to a colony have grown up together and get a long.

 

[KatzNetherlands]

When I let my bunnies play my two older does get together in a corner and huddle like two old bitty ladies complaining about the young 'uns being rowdy... LOL

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

I have Wilma-- Cannot put her in with ANY does. BUT she is a great mother-- You would think a 10x25 patio, with hiding places and obstacles would be big enough for two does-- nope-- not so...not even with multiple water and food sources!!

 

[LilFish_JWQueen(:]

I've never had that problem. I have a play pen for my rabbits to get exercise. And I've put too does together and they have never fought at all. I guess it just depends on the doe...but then again for breeding we are supposed to put the doe in the bucks cage cause does can get territorial

 

[SatinsRule]

Does can be as territorial as bucks. I recently re-bred Stratus to Big Show, and had to hold her to steady her while Show did his deed. As soon as he fell over, she was all over him again like patent leather at a high school dance.

I will concede that it all depends upon the rabbits in question. Some are just not nasty and aggressive. Stratus is.

 

[akane]

When I alter colonies mine will have kicking matches and try to knock or pull each other to the ground but they don't usually make much noise and rarely do they actually make contact with teeth enough to pull fur much less break skin. It looks horrible and like they are going to kill each other but it's all an act to try to show who is the boss by who can jump highest and knock the other down the most. After a few hours to a half day they stop with no injuries and just do a little harmless chasing periodically for the next few days. Now screaming and actual contact by teeth might warrant needing separation and you probably don't want to attempt to put those particular does together again. With any animal if they "ball up" where they are rolling around holding on to each other and trying to tear and bite so it looks like a ball of fur rolling across the ground then they are serious and you need to separate immediately and reconsider ever putting those animals together because that behavior is an obvious sign that they are willing to kill each other.

Bucks have been tons easier for me to combine. They tend to be a bit less vague than the does about their disagreements. While the does make a big showing that means little the bucks usually cut right to the chase and one pins the other to the ground which sometimes leads to screams. Again it's never resulted in injury. The screaming loser gets released and that is the end of the disagreement. I find bucks are easier to put together because they settle everything in 5mins if they are going to argue at all and then they never bring it up again. The loser remains out of the way and avoids touching any does and the winner pays him no attention. Does will revisit who holds what place in the herd periodically and they tend to get extra touchy the first week they are bred. Sometimes I'll have a perfectly peaceful colony break out in to world war 3 about 5 days after the buck was put in with them. In another day everything is settled again though. I've only had one injury that involved a torn ear and the occasional patch of missing fur and that's it.

 

[Legacy]

With any animal if they "ball up" where they are rolling around holding on to each other and trying to tear and bite so it looks like a ball of fur rolling across the ground then they are serious and you need to separate immediately and reconsider ever putting those animals together because that behavior is an obvious sign that they are willing to kill each other.

Yep, this is that! My dd had to get in the pen and separate them. She wound up getting bit because she was between them. They have little bald spots and bites in several places. I wont be doing that again!!!

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

That is Wilma, too. Marsha just wants to graze and lounge-- but Wilma is out for blood!!!

 

[Demismith]

Wow that's a big run! I have a group of three (two neutered males and a female) and a group of two (male and female, not fixed so only meet 'throgh bars'), they're fine in they're little groups but if I tried mix they'd kill each other. The females hate each other and after my thrianta buck bit and deformed my other bucks anus they're determined to fight

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

Probably not a good idea to let them all out together if they fight...

I don't let any rabbits out together unless they're juniors that are still living with eachother and can get along. Otherwise everyone goes into a separate exercise pen and they are about 6 inches apart from one another so there isn't any fighting between the wire.

Emily