Single hen

[Battylady]

Hello! I'd be interested in hearing other people's experiences of bunny bonding. I got a new lady bun yesterday she's 6 months old, and her new husbun is 2 years old. He's a widow as we lost his previous partner just over a month ago. I've bonded a new bun to an established bun twice before, the first time I just bunged them in together and that was it - love at first sight and no problems what so ever. The second time it was harder as the new male bun had not been neutered and they had to be kept apart until several weeks after his 'hoperation'. They had got to know each other through the safety of a wire mesh and certainly she was really agressive at first... but time seemed to do the trick there and they soon became inseparable. Anyway, this time my established male bun is doing a lot of bottom biting / fur pulling and as the new girl is pretty timid, we haven't let them have much time together yet. I wondered, is the bottom biting thing purely dominance behaviour? mating behaviour? I just can't wait to see them snuggled up together and grooming each other, but I know I can't push it! x

 

[cathybc]

I have bonded bunnies twice and on both occasions it took about 5 months - I did take it really slowly as each time, the girlies had had many attempts at bonding before at a local sanctuary and it hadn't worked out.

 

Both times, they were in the same room, but the new bun was in a cage, so they could sniff but not hurt each other. That way they both felt safe. I did a bit of swopping them round ie existing bun in cage, and also some get togethers on neutral territory (the kitchen or garden, depending on weather). But it worked eventually, even for Mary who everyone thought was destined to be single !

 

Stick at it, as you know it is well worth it when they cuddle up together, although I understand that how much in love they become can vary, eg some will happily live together but are never seen to groom each other. Good luck!

[Battylady]

Good news, my bunnies were bonded in less than a week! I'm so pleased. Basically, they were in separate hutches at night, but during the day I had one of them in a run and one outside the run, so that they could get to know each other safely. After about five days I had them together in the living room (where I was able to keep and eye on them), then I put them outside together, then in the hutch together and all was well. It's so lovely to see them snuggled up together now and as they are both quite young (6 months and 2 years) hopefully they'll have many happy bunny years to come. xx

[bigmommasally]

Aahh, that's lovely. It's good to hear of easy bondings.

I'm still waiting for my new rabbit hutch and run which I ordered over a month ago before I bond my two.

[bigmommasally]

I took the plunge yesterday and put my bunnies together!

 

They have been in runs side by side for several weeks and I was waiting for their new hutch and walk in run before I attempted bonding them. But the company that I've ordered it from are taking longer than I first thought, so yesterday we decided to just go for it.

 

We put them in a grass run together and I spent most of yesterday anxiously sitting by the run watching them. (Thank goodness the weather was sunny)

 

There was lots of humping from Priscilla (buck) and Penny got a little cross with him at times but there wasn't any real fisty cuffs and by yesterday evening they looked quite settled together.

 

Priscilla was grooming Penny quite alot but she didn't reciprocate

 

Penny's hutch is the bigger of our 2 hutches so we gave that a good scrub out and sprayed it with a vinegar solution to try to take her smell away. Then last night as the day had gone so well we decided to put them in the hutch together. I was very stressed as I know you are supposed to put the doe into the bucks territory but Priscilla's hutch just isn't big enough for 2 buns. Well the humping hit epic proportions with both buns trying to out hump the other and I thought I was going to have to separate them But after about 20 minutes (it honestly felt like 20 hours at the time ) it calmed down and they settled down side by side. I was up and down until midnight checking on them and every time I put the light on they were sitting side by side giving me a look that said "what you looking at?"

 

This morning the inside of the hutch looked like a tornado had struck all the newspaper has been ripped to shreds and the food bowl was completely buried in the hemcore and the mountains of hay that I put in last night had mostly disappeared (I presume they ate it!) But both bunnies were sitting innocently side by side as if butter wouldn't melt .

 

Today they are back on the grass but with their hutch in the run. There was a little bit of humping from both buns when I first let them out but they soon settled down to eat their veg together and are looking quite happy.

 

All in all I'm pretty impressed with them - my lovely bunnies.

 

 

Sorry if I've rambled on a bit

[jenuk99]

Well done! My Mac does the tornado effect with hay and newspaperand then looks so innocent, it always looks like Dougal is posted on watch duty because he is always nearby looking guilty but doing nothing

Jen

[FruitandNutCake]

Rather than start a new thread, I thought I'd add to this one.

 

Bugs Bunny (neutered male) was widowed in October 2008. my autistic son was devastated, so thinking it may help, we got Chloe, and had her neutered. we kept them in separate runs side by side, but Chloe ( very small dwarf) was an amazing jumper, and managed to jump in to his run, but he insisted on biting her, so I would put her straight back in her run.

 

Poor Chloe was desperate to play and be friends but Bugsy was having none of it, and I thought he would never forget Steffi.

 

However, after about 7 months, she managed to escape into his run again, and I found them together, snuggled, with him licking her ears! I couldn't believe it and I was sooo happy!

 

So, if you are having trouble bonding a widowed bunny, please do not give up. But PLEASE make sure both bunnies are nuetered.

[bigmommasally]

That's lovely Michelle, I'm so pleased that you've had a happy ending for them.