Rabbits fighting!!!

[cackydoodledoo]

I have 4 rabbits total. Two female and two male which I have separated into separated hutches by sex. One of my females eyes are all nasty and gooped up and actually a little bloody. Also noticed over the past couple days that she is staying outside. Took her to the vet for her eyes as nothing I was doing was helping. While at vet and inspecting her closer we found several gashes on her. The two females have evidently been fighting!! I feel so sorry for the poor girl that's getting beat up but sorry for the other one now too because I am going to have to separate them. Is it normal for two does to fight? I know two female dogs will sometimes but not sure about rabbits???

 

[bossynbella]

sadly yes, often does do fight, especially unaltered does. I am more surprised that your bucks are not fighting. We raise rabbits and as much as I hate the individual wire cages it is the safest way to house them. We try to get ours some individual time on the ground in a secure chicken tractor or bring them in the house to run around. Either way you are lucky honestly that your doe is still alive. Though I have had a few does who can and do coexist it usually takes a very large pen, and is in my opinion a rarity most definitely not the norm.

 

[emvickrey]

We tried rabbits last year. It was a nightmare. I ended up sellling them all. They eat alot and poop even more. The only way we could stop the fighting was to put a couple of does with each buck.

My personal opinion on rabbits is they're cute and a good pet if there is only 1. Other wise cage them individually.

 

[Akane]

Rabbits are territorial and especially does. You need a very large space to keep multiple rabbits together. Ours are in 12x12' horse stalls and we still get fights periodically but with the space and objects to get away from each other it doesn't go beyond fur pulling. Sometimes does not raised together won't even get along in a large space like that. I had one I always had to pull out when she was bred because she's start attacking everyone a week or 2 in to pregnancy. Without the large pens for a colony setup each rabbit needs it's own cage.

 

[cackydoodledoo]

So what your saying is I should separate the bucks too? I checked them this morning and don't find any marks or anything on them. I could build bigger hutches but would probably be easier to just build 4 separate ones. I honestly was fixing to have DH build a ramp from each hutch into the two different chicken coops so they could get in there and run around but if you think they would still fight then I will just build separate hutches. Never thought about a mobile tractor! I will have to inform the DH that he has even more to build now!!!!

 

[cackydoodledoo]

Quote:
I don't want to mix the does and bucks because that creates lots of little tiny does and bucks and I don't want those. This just really sucks because these are my kids' rabbits and my one girl just loves them to death. I could easily get rid of one female and one male myself but the kids would be heartbroken.

 

[bossynbella]

You have gotten good advice. You don't have to sell them or get rid of them. Just build them each their own cage. If they are your children's, I am sure they will get plenty of time out of their cages anyway. They don't get lonely by themselves, they like to have their own area.

 

[cackydoodledoo]

Ok that makes me feel better. I just felt bad separating them as I thought they would get lonely. I will build them their own then. Thanks for all the help!!!

 

[sourland]

Good advice given and a good conclusion reached. Once they reach maturity rabbits do best in their own hutch. I too am amazed that the bucks have not been fighting.

 

[cackydoodledoo]

I really thought if anyone would it would be those too. Maybe I have them mixed up and the ones that are fighting are the bucks. Heck I don't know. I just made sure they were separated by sex. Guess I will doublecheck tonight to see! I have the beat up one in a large dog kennel inside the coop for now but think I will take the other one that is sharing room and put it in another kennel until DH can build separate hutches.

Thanks everyone for all the great info. I am very glad I joined this forum as I have learned a lot about all my animals and it's also just a great place to come and hang out!!!