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Forum BONDING Getting bunny number 3! Update 4/29-introducing Miss Lavender the baby Lionhead!

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    • HenryMouse
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        Please read: First of all, let me go ahead and say that yes, my rabbits do live outdoors because of my living situation.  They have a massive hutch (pics in a previous post of mine if you are interested) and we are building them an aviary as I type.  Please see my other post regarding their living space if you have questions.  Please do not suggest that I get a rescue because my local bun shelter does not adopt out to people who have outdoor rabbits.

        As stated in my little disclaimer, we are currently building a 12’x12′ aviary for the buns around their hutch, so they are about to have a TON of room.  Since we have the space and my birthday is coming up, the parents have agreed to go ahead and let me get a third bun!  Aside from wanting another rabbit because they are completely addictive, I’d like to have a third just in case something happened to one.  Mouse’s first husbun Tanner died from a sudden bout of stasis, leaving her a widow, and I’d hate for one of them to be alone like that again. 

        We are planning on buying our new rabbit from a local feed store where we got Henry from.  They take decent care of them and just want to find them good homes.  They have a variety of breeds and personalities to choose from.  I will probably end up getting a male because most of their females are pregnant.    I do not think this will be an issue because 1) Mouse, the female (spayed) is extremely submissive around males and has already been bonded with three (her brother, before I got her, Tanner, and now Henry) without any problems whatsoever; and 2) because Henry (neutered) is the most laid back rabbit on the face of this earth.  He is not bothered by any other animals, and he and Mouse had a perfect bonding (except he had been neutered a week earlier so he was a bit humpy).

        I just wanted to post this so that I can post updates on the bonding, once I get my new bun, probably next week.  If anyone has had experience with a male/male/female bond, I would be very interested in your stories and advice.  I plan on putting an x-pen inside the aviary so the new guy can be near M+H and get used to them until he gets fixed.  Obviously I will get the new rabbit neutered and keep it indoors while it heals and all bonding interactions will be very supervised.


      • Linette
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          I don’t know where you live, so this is not a judgement or anything, just sharing from experience. When you get your aviary up, I would suggest putting solid siding around the bottom 24″. I had similar outdoor enclosures years ago, and if a fox or stray dog or something gets into the yard, it WILL try to pull your buns out through the fencing.

          Another fun idea. Not sure which breed you have but, in one outdoor enclosure we had long lengths of that corrogated plastic black drain pipe. We wired it up round the sides and they loved climbing through it.

          I have never had luck with male/male bonds. I’ve had luck with male/female/female bonds. I have found outdoor bonds were much easier and straightforward than indoor bonds.

          Since the new aviary will be neutral territory, it would probably be best if they all get introduced at the same time to the new space, no one will “own” it.


        • BunnyLady1989
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            That is my concern as well. I would be most worried about any animal being able to get to them, so really take extra precautions. Years ago when we had Thumper she was housed in a hutch outside during the spring,summer,fall time. Her hutch was probably about two feet off the ground, but that didnt stop a raccoon from trying to get to her once. Luckily there was no damage to her or the hutch. We had her very secure inside. Just be very cautious with that.


          • HenryMouse
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              Just to clarify, they’d be out in the aviary during daylight hours when someone is home and in the hutch inside of it at night. I am super paranoid about predators, even though we don’t get many around here, so we’ve tried to make it as safe as possible. Luckily none of our neighbors have outdoor dogs because our road is so busy.

              Their hutch itself had a wire area and completely enclosed area so they can hide and feel safe and can get away from any random critters. I will definitely keep your siding suggestion in mind (also because our cat wants to be bffs with the rabbits and she drives them crazy). We have a few store bought tunnels for them and I’d love to do something like the corrugated pipe you suggested.

              Thanks for the bonding advice! I’m hoping for a smooth bond.

              This is a picture of their hutch. It was taken in the winter when we had a bit of rare GA snow. Our winter temps aren’t very extreme (they actually love the cold) and we are moving them to a shady area where the new set up will be, plus we are going to have a big wall-mounted fan for them.
              Image and video hosting by TinyPic


            • LopNessMonster
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                I just want to echo what BunnyLady said about raccoons. They can open a surprising number of things (including spring-hook type cage latches) and they WILL go after bunnies
                The only thing I have found that they cannot open is snaps (like the clip at the end of a dog leash)


              • HenryMouse
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                  Oh, I’m definitely aware of raccoon issues. The doors to their hutch are extremely difficult to open, even for me, because we purposely made the latch slightly uneven so you have to lift up the door with one hand and lock it with the other.

                  I really appreciate all the advice about predators but I would really prefer to keep this discussion mainly about the bonding. As I have said I have a post all about their housing situation, here is the url: https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/128755/Default.aspx Feel free to leave any suggestions regarding predators over there!


                • BunnyLady1989
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                    Ah I see. Yes that does clarify thank you
                    As far as bonding goes it can be successful yet it also may not be. This really goes for ANY bond. For the most part there are more successes than fails. I guess just be prepared if the bond will not take. Some bunns prefer to just be bonded to you versus another bunny. If the bond does take, will all three be housed in the same bedtime hutch?


                  • HenryMouse
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                      That would be preferable so I don’t have to buy/build a separate enclosure, unless there is major squabbling among the bunnies that requires them to be separated. In the middle section of the pen we are going to build a shelf so they have a little bit more room. They currently have a wooden hidey box in that spot where they spend the majority of their time when they are resting, so a shelf would be a nice addition and it would be enough room for three buns to cuddle. It’s bigger than an x-pen so there shouldn’t be a problem with the amount of space, especially since they’ll be sleeping most of the time. Assuming I don’t get a Flemish or anything.


                    • Gracie
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                        I don’t know If you’ve gone to get your bunny yet. But I highly recommend that you do everything in your power to get the store to let you bring your current bunnies in for a “date”. I’m bonding a male/male/female right now and the buns behave very differently around each other than separate. Mine went on a date that went extraordinarily well (grooming and everything). But at home they turned into fluffy nutcases again. I can’t imagine trying to bond a trio that’s a bad match.

                        Henry will probably be very aggressive with the New Bun. With a completely outdoor situation you need to be cautious about making sure their living situation keeps everyone safe from the elements and each other. You mention that your pair had an easy bond. Erase that bond from your memory go into this third bond with the mindset that this is going to be the worst most grueling bond ever and these rabbits are going to try to kill each other. Sorry to say that about your birthday present, but buns can be crazy in trios. When there’s only two they are on some level stuck with each other. But with three, especially with an established pair they’re going to be extra territorial. It’ll help if you can keep their interactions to completely neutral territory for a while. You joke about a Flemish but getting a rabbit that’s the same size or bigger than your current buns might help keep them from beating each other up.

                        Be aware that your current pair will probably start fighting/humping more than usual and may come unbonded. It’s not likely to be a huge problem. But its worth it to be vigilant about checking the current pair for signs that something’s gone wrong.

                        Having three bunnies is wonderful. I wish you all the luck in the world with your bonding.


                      • HenryMouse
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                          Thank you for the advice. We have not gotten the bun yet and are most likely going to wait until the aviary is finished being built. I’m not sure when that will be, since my dad is just working on it in his spare time. I have to ask, though, would it be a wise idea to introduce my two to an unneutered rabbit (unfortunately our only choice is to get an unaltered rabbit since we can’t go through a rescue)? I’m sure the people at the store would let us do this but I don’t want to create any problems between them.


                        • HenryMouse
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                            **What I meant to say is that bun#3 will eventually be neutered, just won’t be fixed when we buy him.


                          • Gracie
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                              Well, that’s a pickle. I’m going to retract my suggestion for a date, because I’ve never done a date with an unaltered rabbit. They’d probably fight even if they’re a good personality match. I worry about bringing a male into a trio with a female with out the rabbits picking each other. If it’s your only option then pick a submissive male and make sure you have a plan to support the rabbits being able to live separately in case the bond fails or takes years to establish.

                              It really would be easier to bring home a female than a male. Especially since it sounds like Henry is the dominant partner. Honestly, I think you’re going to need a lot of luck with this one. It will be really important to keep the boys from fighting and they are almost certainly going to try. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen rabbits fight before. It’s relatively easy to stop it before it happens but once they get going they can do a lot of harm. After the new bun is healed from neutering, I’d keep him living separately while you introduce him to the pair. Do the dates separately with the new bunny and Henry then the new bunny and Mouse. You don’t need them to love each other but if you can make sure they don’t hate each other before you do a trio date that will help.


                            • NewBunnyOwner123
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                                I’m in this situation. I have two buns who are bonded. Harley, a boy, and Sally, a girl. They’ve been bonded for a year now and Harley is the dominate one. I rescued a male bunny and I can already tell it’s gonna be a tough bond. But definitely doable. Harley and Bam (the new guy) will fight given the chance. I’ve been putting bam in the crate and letting Harley come around the crate. But I have to use the coriander to keep them from biting eachother through the grid door of the crate. It’s definitely going to be a lot of work to get bam and Harley to coexist. And I’ve noticed Harley is definitely reminding Sally he’s top bun. He won’t let Sally near the gate. If she gets to close he will chase and hump her.

                                I’m going to start bonding soon now since Bam is healed up from his neuter. We have no neutral territories as the house is pretty small so I’m going to try the bathtub, or outside. But I’ll probably jump right into stress bonding. Keep us posted on how it goes. I’ll be eyeing this since I’m in a similar situation.


                              • HenryMouse
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                                  Major: Thanks for the advice!

                                  I am honestly not 100% sure who is dominant in their pair anymore because they bonded while he was unneutered so as you can imagine, the dynamic was different. They have changed quite a bit now and sometimes it seems that Mouse is the boss, other times I can’t tell. He was laid back to begin with, and nowadays, even moreso. And when I say “laid back” I’m talking basically half dead. We joke that he’s part Basset Hound. He is a French Lop mix, so he has more of a “giant” personality (even though he is medium sized). I am sure that some fights will break out but I don’t foresee them being too major because of Henry’s low energy level. He is not territorial about anything. I definitely wouldn’t even consider a male/male/female if I didn’t feel like Henry would do well. I can see things going worse with a female/female/male because Mouse is definitely territorial (case in point: cat climbed in their x-pen today. Mouse growled and chased it and Henry just hopped into his tunnel and fell asleep). I hope I’m making sense. I’m feeling pretty confident about things (knock on wood) but I’m prepared if they go horribly wrong!

                                  We may end up getting the new bun this week so that by the time it’s healed from the neuter, the aviary will be set up. I may try to let them at least meet through two x-pens in the meantime to gauge their reactions.

                                  I volunteer at the Georgia HRS (can’t say enough good things about them) and even though I can’t get a rabbit from there, I’ve become friends with the staff and I know that they’ll help with the bond if things get ugly.

                                  NBO123: Keep me posted on how they are doing! Glad to know someone’s going through something similar! Hopefully we can help each other out.


                                • HenryMouse
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                                    Btw I forgot to mention that I have seen, and broken up, rabbit fights before. Early on when I got Mouse’s first mate Tanner, he would box her through their pens and once she managed to get in his pen and they got into a major fight that I had to separate.


                                  • HenryMouse
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                                      We actually might end up getting a female because the place we were planning on buying from just had a litter of Flemish mixes! We are going to hold out for a while before we make a decision, though.


                                    • Gracie
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                                        That sounds like you’re in a great situation. I’ve heard wonderful things about the Georgia HRS. Sorry for the being super nihilistic about bonding. But I tried two buns who had an okay date and things got so ugly that there was no way to keep them in the same house without doing a disservice to the well being of both buns. If the bun I’d adopted to bond didn’t have a foster mom who adored her and was thrilled to have her back, then I would have been in serious trouble.

                                        I think the reason trios tend to work better with two females is because they’re not in direct competition with each other reproduction wise (even though they can’t have litters anyway). In my group Amy’s the alpha and she’s been doing at least as much work as me to make the bond work and the boys are still being buttheads. It sounds like your guys will be able to bond with anybody eventually (Mouse sounds like the cutest thing ever).

                                        I’m extremely jealous of you if you get a Flemish Giant. I’ve always wanted one, but never had enough room. I’ve heard they tend to be happier than other breeds living outside as well.

                                        Please post pictures when you get him/her?


                                      • HenryMouse
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                                          Ok so we ended up having a bit of a change in plans…my mom ended up buying this little furball!! Her name is Lavender and she is a lionhead (Angora mix?). She is about 9ish weeks old and is the sweetest bun I have ever met, even for a baby (Mouse was an Easter reject we found on Craigslist last year at about the same age and was nothing like this). She gives kisses, constantly asks to be petted, and actually likes being held. She loves to sit right on my shoulder, which is hilarious. Binkies all over the place, and is a happy, happy girl. Very brave and I’ve only heard her thump once, the first time she met the dog. So far she has taken very well to being groomed, but we do plan on getting her shaved for the summer for obvious reasons. She is an indoor girl for now.

                                          Thank you for all the advice, I do appreciate it! I totally understand.

                                          Obviously outdoors is not completely ideal but they are some of the most spoiled outdoor rabbits in the world. The aviary (aka the “Bunny Mansion”/”Project Rabbitat for Humanity”) is almost finished, we are just finishing the tin roof and putting the wire and screen door up. They will have a big box fan, too. So basically by the time it’s done they will almost be house rabbits, it’s just that they will be rabbits with their own personal house, LOL. I will take pics of that when I get the chance.


                                        • Deleted User
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                                            OMG she is SO cute! How could you let her little precious feet hit the ground? I’d have to cuddle and nurse her every minute of every day! LOL!


                                          • HenryMouse
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                                              It’s a struggle all right. I’d hold her all day long and carry her around with me like a little teacup poodle, if only she would put up with it. (kidding-sort of) I still haven’t gotten over how cute she is.


                                            • BunnyLady1989
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                                                I can’t see the picture on my phone but I will have to check the lab top. She sounds so precious!


                                              • LongEaredLions
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                                                  Poor LEL can’t see pic of adorable fluffeh baby lionhead. *cries*

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                                              Forum BONDING Getting bunny number 3! Update 4/29-introducing Miss Lavender the baby Lionhead!