Mean does

[NewHopePoultry]

I got 2 does a few weeks ago and when I got home I noticed that both were a bit nippy, I didnt think much of it since they were probly scared.
Well its been a few weeks and its not getting any better, in fact its worse. They both growl and thump their hind feet when I put my hand in the cage to feed them.
Well to to a cage error, one has got out and was running around the rabbitry. I went to get her this morning and put her up for the 2nd day in a row(I know how she got out now), she sat up and tried to bite me!
The 2 does have always been housed together and only want to be around each other.
I got them to add to my breeding stock, and even though most of the babies will be used for meat, I dont want to breed mean animals, so now I dont know what to do.
Should I give them more time to settle down? Or what? I dont really want to give them away since they are mean,I dont want someone to get bit, or kicked. (The black one kicked me and left me 3 nice long cuts to show for it)
Would it be better if I took the black one out of the picture and just left the white one, or would she still be mean(she hasnt treid to bite,but she does growl)

 

[Run-A-Muck Ranch]

I know when the thump there back feed they are scared....The only thing I have ever heard about them growling is that it's a sign of being breed...Is there any chance that they have ever been with a male??? I would maybe try and seperate the 2. If you can maybe put them in cages next to each other as so they can see each other still, but not be in the same cage.
Have you tried putting a male in with them?? If so and she growls, I would guess she/they are breed...
I really am no expert on rabbits though. We went from none to 16 over the course of the last 6 months or so...None of ours have had babies here yet...These are all for the girls to show for 4-H and eventually for our breeding stock....

 

[Farmer Kitty]

I had one rabbit that growled, he didn't last long! You can try separating them as Run-A-Muck suggested and if that doesn't work, I would process them.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

Neither one has ever been with a male, only each other for the last year or so.
I've never a problem with mean rabbits before, much less one that bites.

I dont want to take a chance of putting a male in there and him breeding them. I dont want babies form mean animals.

Right now the black doe is running around in the rabbitry. she got out of the cage and I cant get her, so as of now, they are apart,lol.

 

[gypsy2621]

2 things can happen if you seperate them now.
one is they will get worse, the other is they will get over it.

If the black one is running around the floor, as soon as you catch her put her in a seperate cage. break the bond. so to speak.

as for growling, biting and thumping, these are all fear reactions.
think how you would react if someone put their hands in your cage for what ever reason.
I have raised rabbits for a long long time , give these girls time to settle in it can take months. in the mean time put an outside feeder on the cage, keep your hands out for now. soon they will be coming forward the cage and seek your attention.

right now YOU are a preditor in their mind.
Cage aggression is normal for the first month or so. it will get better, hang in there.

As for breeding and getting mean babys , no that doesnt always happen, what creates mean offspring is the lack of handling when they are young.
A) if a rabbit is mean due to lack of handling whos fault is it? generally the care taker .
B) if the rabbit is mean dispite handling whhose fault is it, the rabbits,
these basically are the best tasting rabbits.( there is satisfaction in cooking a miserable rabbit).

Again the old stand by , Please play with your food.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

Thanks.
I've bred and delt with rabbits for awhile,just never had mean ones.(guess I've been lucky)

Could part of their problem be the fact that they have always been together?

I'll give them so more time and see what happens. If they stay the same or if they get worse then its the end of the line for them.

 

[gypsy2621]

Quote:
I dont blame you for not putting up with it very long.
I have some nasty scars from frightened rabbits.

It could very well be part of the problem, I would definately seperate them.
You could be experiencing the fact one rabbit feels the need to protect the other rabbit.
thats never a good situation.

I have to say all the chatter about rabbits being social creatures is not completely true.
rabbits are loners and do not need the company of other rabbits to be happy.

I had a person dump 6 does and a buck on me here not long ago, the does were very skittish, pregnant, and mean.
they were living in a communal pen, killing each others babys , fighting over nests and the person couldnt handle it.

The first thing I did was seperate them into their own cages half of the aggression stopped.
Its been a long haul to get them to trust me but its worth it. they were once upon a time very nice New Zelands, and will be once again.

Are you the girl who has what being called a Silver Fox Giant ?

If so I would love to know if this is a cross bred animal, with mother and father being a silver Fox and Flemish?
I raise Silver Fox for meat and for show and am very curious. the picture I saw was of a Steel Flemish in a different post.

 

[NewHopePoultry]

I ususlly dont house them togrther,but these 2 were housed together when I got them and I didnt think anything of it.


I'm going to try seperating them and see what happens. I"ll give it a month or so and if it doesnt work out then I'll have to figure something else out, I cant keep 2 rabbits around that wont benefit me.



This is the black rabbit I'm talking about:

I'm not sure what she is, everyone has different ideas as to what she is.

 

[gypsy2621]

My best guess is she is a gold tipped Satin cross. She has sheen which is the clear hair shafts that you can see in the picture.

personally I would seperate and go with an outside J feeder. that way you can have your meat rabbits and safety too.

 

[hooligan]

Spaying them will get rid of most if not all of their aggressive behaviors.