Fighting rabbits

[Baymair]

Hello - I'm sorry it's been such a long time since I posted here, and am now looking for advice...
I have four rabbits, siblings, always lived together, and they are coming up to a year old. All neutered, living out, in a dog kennel plus run plus runaround system. 3 boys 1 girl.

There has occasionally been a little bit of scrapping, judging by the small pieces of fur found in their run, but it has escalated. There was blood on the table they use to jump down their runaround tube, fur everywhere - in the shed and in both runs, big clumps. I was bringing out their veg and pellets, but one of the boys stayed in the shed and wouldn't come out. He has a bald patch I found by going through his fur, but no obvious wounds. I don't know if I've done the right thing - I've brought him indoors to the kitchen to keep an eye on him. He seemed so worried about going outside with the others to eat that it didn't seem there was any bond left to break, and I was worried about leaving him in there overnight in case he got really hurt.

Just wondering if I've done the wrong thing? He's eating, so doesn't appear to be too shocked by what happened, but it's unheard of for him not to come out for his pellets and veg. Do you think the situation is irreparable and I'll need to find some other way of keeping him? Should I bring one of the others to be with him? Trouble is, I'm not entirely sure which one beat him up, although I've got a fair idea.

I'm really sorry to come here for help after not posting!

[RabbitResidenceEllen]

With fighting rabbits, one of my biggest pieces of advice is to check not just the rabbit but the fur that has been pulled out. It's easy to miss wounds on the rabbit, but if you find skin attached to the fur then you know for sure there is a wound to find.

Can you think of anything that might have triggered such a situation? Has anything changed? Does their set-up allow for them to see outside animals (wild rabbits, foxes, cats etc)? Maybe Spring has Sprung and now somebody has had enough of siblings cramping their style and is feeling territorial.

If the bond has broken down, on one hand it makes sense to split into two pairs. On the other hand, this can cause its own problem- we had an all-male quad at the Rescue (who, surprisingly, were not all siblings). They lived happily for years but then one mysteriously broke his leg and had to be removed for treatment (his movement had to be limited), one suffered an ear infection which gave him severe head tilt and of the remaining two, one decided he didn't like his brother very much after all and began viciously attacking him. The surviving three of the quad are now bonded to separate girls.

Hopefully someone with more experience of group bonds can give some advice.

[Baymair]

Thanks for replying. There was so much fur I couldn't check it all!
Wild rabbits go right up alongside their runaround, quite often I've seen them all nose to nose through the bars, so maybe they are feeling that space is tight. The female of the group is probably the most aggressive, she mounts the boys and gets excited circling and that sometimes leads to a minor punch up.

[sdf76]

It could just be territorial but I wonder if it would be worth taking the attacked bunny to a vet for a thorough health check? Animals are very sensitive to one who may not be 100% well and in the wild it is survival of the fittest and they will oust any who are sick. As these are young rabbits I wonder if their innate instincts have told them something is wrong with this rabbit so they have attacked him to send him off ?

Another thought.. has the rabbit they attacked had a change of smell? Has a visitor with perfume handled him or has he has any any ointments put on that might make him smell different.?

Do you think the boys have been fighting for the only girl?

I think you have done the right thing to remove him from the situation whatever the reason.
sue

[Hunnybunny2007]

I would get the rabbit checked over by the vet, as sometimes healthy buns turn on ones that are not 100% fit As we know they do tend to hide their symptoms if they are unwell, but the other rabbits will pick up on this

It could also have something to do with the wild rabbits getting so close to yours, perhaps they are feeling threatened and the one you've separated got caught in the crossfire?

I hope you find the cause of the problem and able to bond them back into a group.

[Baymair]

Thank you, I was so worried about separating them.

I'd checked him for wounds etc and he seemed OK, but I hadn't considered that maybe there is something underlying which could cause them to attack him - I'll get him checked at the vet tomorrow, luckily the vet is very good with rabbits and understands them.

He's quiet but eating well and all poos look good. I don't think he likes being in the kitchen. My plan is to order up a complete runaround system for him with a chatting wall between him and his siblings, so he can go back outside and have their company if he wants it but also get safely away from them if needs be. Or, would it be a better idea to set it up and then put him in it with his quieter brother?

Thanks so much for your advice.

[Hunnybunny2007]

I hope all goes well at the vets Please let us know the outcome

[MariasAnimalShelter]

Sorry to hear about the bunnies. We had a pair of rabbits who had been together for years with no problems at all. One day we went to feed them and there was fur everywhere and both rabbits in separate corners of their pen. After checking they were ok we put them back in their hutch and they just viciously attacked each other. They never got on again and we never found out the reason for it. Silly bunnies.
I hope all goes well and you get to the bottom of it .

[Baymair]

They like to keep us on our toes don't they!

William has been checked out fine by the vet - they couldn't find anything wrong with him, at least superficially, heart, lungs eyes etc. He was the runt in the litter, just a little bit smaller than the others as they grew, and when all their eyes opened he opened his one at a time. So maybe something is going on that they can detect. But there are so many wild rabbits around at the moment, and I spent some time peeking at them last night - they run quite close to the domestic rabbits' runs, and set them all off chasing. Maybe if they'd had a lot more space William would have been able to get away.

He's taken over the kitchen - has already trained the husband to hand over fenugreek crunchies! I've ordered a runaround set up for him, and I'm thinking about contacting a rescue to get him a wife of his own, rather than trying to reintegrate him with the others. They all look more relaxed now he's gone, so maybe I should leave those three be and sort out a new way of living for William.

[sdf76]

Glad William is OK... maybe they have picked on him because he was the runt of the litter? I think a new wife bun would be a good idea. maybe take him to the rescue for "speed dating" (through the mesh)to see which one he likes and likes him?. I am guessing he will look for a docile girl after being bullied by his mates.
sue