Quarantine (spelling?)

[Zab]

How long should I keep rabbits isolated before introducing them to my little trio?
What to think about?

I expect a couple new kits (does) in a few months and even though I trust the breeder I figure I should do it right. They'll be 8 weeks old or so when I get them.

 

[MaggieJ]

Most people quarantine for a month. If convenient, I would say six weeks is even better. Be sure to care for the new rabbits last to avoid carrying any possible germs to your own rabbits.

 

[5dognightfarm]

I only did for two weeks, and that gave us a wave of disease right quick after we brought home some infected auction rabbits. Do it for at least a month.

 

[Zab]

Hm.. thismay require some thinking..

I could put them in the new pen.. but it'd be hard to disinfect if they were sick, and perhaps they become territorial when the other does get in there later..

Or I could keep them together in my 150cmx70cm indoor cage which would be easy to clean.. but not very much space for them to hop about. I'd feel a need to take them out in a playpen once in a while, going back to issue one,.. is there any general time limit to when an area is safe if a sick rabbit just hopped there a bit (no droppings and urine or so)? Of corse depends on what hit them. I'm thinking of a building that I have no plan at all to use for rabbits otherwise, so it could be left alone for months. But it's big so difficult to disinfect it it comes to that.

 

[Miss M]

At first, it is good to wash up before you care for your quarantined rabbits, so you do not expose them to anything from your rabbits while they are getting over the move.

Two weeks before I brought Yuki out of quarantine, I stopped washing up before tending to her. If she was going to get sick from something my rabbits carried, I wanted her to do it in quarantine, not in the rabbitry.

I can't answer your most recent question, though, except to say that I would not put them in the new pen before the other rabbits... You don't want your established rabbits to suddenly have to adapt to the newcomers' pecking order, rather than the other way around. That's my thinking, anyway... I'm sure that more experienced members will be able to give you more (and probably better) information.

 

[MaggieJ]

A month in a small cage is not going to hurt them. And think how happy they will be when they actually get into the colony.

Another advantage of a smaller cage at first is that you will be able to make friends with them more easily. Colony rabbits, unless you get in there and socialize with them, can get very skittish and wild. The only rabbits I have that are really tame are two that were originally in cages. The ones born in the colony do not like to be handled. This is my own fault... I don't work with them. They are meat rabbits and I don't make pets of them.

 

[Zab]

Thanks for the advice

Will a 12 week rabbit really be able to even try putting a 1 year rabbit into her own pecking order? I figured I'd put them all in at the same time though. But my main concern is that I want to put the new ones in there while they're still young kits, to make it easier on everyone.. of course that doesn't change with wherever I put them during the safe month, since they're not supposed to meet.

I know it won't hurt them with a month in a cage.. but I'd feel mean when I have the space

 

[Secuono]

QT a month at the very least. You can also stress them a little after QT and see if anything pops up.

 

[AnnClaire]

Zab, if your current does are mature, then adding the 2 younger does will not unduly upset the balance of the pecking order.

As for the quarantine period, I agree that keeping the new does in the indoor cage will give you quality time to befriend them.

 

[Zab]

I guess it will be indoor cage.

Is 12 (or possibly 16, I'm not sure when people usually wean here but I think it's 8-12 weeks) still young enogh to not upset the older does?

 

[AnnClaire]

Zab, I have housed younger doelings with senior does indefinitely ... however, the bucklings will need to be seperated when you start to see dominance behavior from them ... generally, they will have all the other bucklings and doelings stirred up in a bunny blender. What ever age this comes at, you will definitely want to start seperating them. Also, some breeds mature earlier than others, and earlier in summer than winter. All you can do is be aware of the behavior, and watch for it.

Personally, I wean my litters by 4 weeks and will introduce them to the doe herd at about 6-8 weeks.

 

[Miss M]

I was not paying attention, Zab, and missed the fact that they will be so young. There shouldn't be any problems. Kits like that will automatically be at the bottom of the pecking order, at least until they reach maturity.

 

[Zab]

Zab, I have housed younger doelings with senior does indefinitely ... however, the bucklings will need to be seperated when you start to see dominance behavior from them ... generally, they will have all the other bucklings and doelings stirred up in a bunny blender. What ever age this comes at, you will definitely want to start seperating them. Also, some breeds mature earlier than others, and earlier in summer than winter. All you can do is be aware of the behavior, and watch for it.

Personally, I wean my litters by 4 weeks and will introduce them to the doe herd at about 6-8 weeks.

Sorry.. I don't follow you here..

I mean that the does I'll get will be either 8 or 12 weeks when I get them (we have a habit of weaning our animals late in sweden.. like cat's are never to be sold before 12 weeks. We neuter and spay late too, btw) I don't know at what age the breeder I'll buy from will sell.

If I get 12 weeks kits they'll be 16 after quarantine.. is that a problem?

My does are not used to colonies either. They have each other but never an outside rabbit except the short time with my buck.

I'm terrified that they'll start fighting and ruining the whole colony set up since I like that idea.. I guess I'm still influenced by the swedish belief that colonies don't work unless you have a huge amount of space..

I'll separate the buck kits from the herd at 8 weeks.

Do you take the doe away from the colony when she's about to kindle?

 

[MamaSheepdog]

If I get 12 weeks kits they'll be 16 after quarantine.. is that a problem?

Problems are much more likely at that age. They will most likely be very close to sexual maturity at that point, with all the attendant hormones.

I would get them at 8 weeks so you can introduce them at 12.

 

[ladysown]

depends ENTIRELY on the rabbits involved.

I've had senior rabbits who will NOT TOLERATE youngsters OR adults. Simply won't do it.
I've had junior rabbits who WILL NOT tolerate being anything less than boss REGARDLESS of the age of the other rabbits.

I have two adults go ...oh.. my best friend!!! (with a complete stranger and being fine forever).
I've had buns be perfectly fine with each other forever and then one day go DIE! YOU JUST DIE!!!

With buns there is always learning and discovering to be made.

After all that is said:

Generally speaking the best results work with getting young kits (I'd get six week olds if I could).
Quarantine them a month...so then they are 10 weeks old.
THEN I'd introduce them into the colony and add lots of extra hiding places. Throw in some cardboard boxes and a ton of hay. Or a treat of parsley, dandelions or something. Just give them something else to do then to worry on each other. Helps them to adapt to each others smells and what not.

Be prepared for this very basic fact.

Whenever you colony rabbits you have to know that if someone is hiding something it can wipe out your entire herd quickly.

I wouldn't choose to keep a buck in a colony situation (I've seen too many go badly too quickly - overbreeding, bucks fighting etc). I would keep him off by himself...perhaps giving him 6 week old bucks for company OR putting his cage inside the doe colony area). Then I would give him does to breed. I'd keep daughters as replacements rather than buying in new rabbits.

Whenever I would want to add new blood I would simply replace the buck. For something bigger, better, more compatible with what I wanted long term. OR I'd bring in a baby doe or two.

 

[Zab]

MSD I'm not able to chose that myself. I will not be able to get any kits younger than 8 weeks, but I hope to get them at least at that age.

Ladysown: I know I can't be sure of anything, but I'll try to make it as easy as possible
Thanks for the advice. I won't keep the buck in there at all times since I want to know when they're bred, but I was curious.

 

[AnnClaire]

Zab, here is the pen with does, doelings, and 8-week old babies from this summer:

This pen is 9 feet by 6 feet and as you can see, there is plenty of room even though you can't see the senior doe because she is in the pet taxi where she was feeding the youngest kits

Today, I put all the senior does into the runout pen after they have all been seperated in cages for a month, and introduced 2 new does. I started with the top doe and introduced one of the younger subordinate does. There was a bit of chasing. Then I introduced a new doe, but one that had been subordinate with the other new doe during their quarantine period. That had a bit of fur flying and some more serious chasing and kicking, but it soon settled down. That is when I introduced the "second in command" doe and she put the new one in her place too, but no fur flying or kicking. Then I added in another original subordinate doe and it was fine. Then I introduced a doeling that is 16 weeks old. Well, that was interesting! LOL That young doeling seemed to think she needed to be top doe and was challenging the top doe LOL She finally submitted and settled down, but we will see what happens tomorrow. At the end, I introduced the second new doe that had been dominate in the quarantine pen. That was a bit of a scuffle, but she was still more interested in flirting with the buck she had just been with for breeding in the other pen :cheesysmile:

I'll set up the camcorder tomorrow and film as I put the does in the pen if anyone is interested in seeing it.

 

[lissapell]

How far away from the current buns do the qt buns need to be?

 

[Zab]

AnnClaire: Thanks for such throughout explaining love to see a film

 

[AnnClaire]

Sure Zab ... it is supposed to be right around freezing tomorrow, but sunny so I will probably get them back out in the runout pen ... they had such a good time today :cheesysmile: