Just a head's up for anyone out there who doesn't like to see blood, there are some pictures in this entry that you may find upsetting. Fair warning
I have been asked a number of times about incidents in which rabbits did not do well when introduced to a colony. I will attempt to describe some of the incidents I have observed here, and things to look out for, but this information will likely be best taken in conjunction with our YouTube videos (linked where appropriate), where there will be videos and examples given.
Despite concerns about males fighting, I have had far more issues between older does than I have with bucks. I always encourage people to introduce their animals at the same time if possible, and as young as possible. As noted HERE, these teens did well when introduced with babies, but the older female did not take well to the new neighbors.
Related does, or those introduced together at young ages have rarely been a problem for us. While there have been occasional pecking order squabbles that resulted in pulled hair, in average, does have always gotten along well, and sometimes even co-parented each other's young.
Wednesday, however, we have never been able to introduce to another doe, no matter how young, unless they were her own offspring.
Charlie, likewise, is old enough that she has had some trouble with the colony life. She and Wednesday did not get along, and she - until recently - she bit every male we tried to breed her to. However, we have discovered she does enjoy having her own pen with her chosen mate as companionship.
This just goes to show that paying attention to your rabbit's preferences is important.
Sometimes interactions start well and go badly later on.
Bunnigo Montoya and Maverick have been neighbors for some time now. You can see Bunnigo's introduction to the outdoors in THIS VIDEO. At the time we made it, they had been neighbors for about six months with no issues. Montoya has even bred the two does have connecting cages and their friendliness towards one another continues
However, yesterday we went out for feeding time and found this:
Maverick had stuck his nose through the fence, as he often does, but this time he pulled it back bloody. We suspect Montoya is the culprit, but Charlie does have a history of biting men who do too much sniffing around!
Either way, there is now a solid wall between the three, and we are watching Maverick's nose for signs of infection. Just a warning that getting along in the beginning doesn't mean getting along forever.
It is very difficult to verbalize aggressive behaviors without a visual, so please watch OUR VIDEO on signs of agitation for more details.
Let us know what behaviors your Grumpy Bunnies exhibit with each other, or with you!
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