Outdoor bonding

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 2sd replies, 2 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 1 month ago by Bella Bella.

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- 10/04/2017 at 3:57 AM
  Bella Bella
  Participant
  20 posts
  I have read the bonding section which was really helpful – will definitely try the stunt double idea. But most of the info is for house rabbits who you can keep an eye on most of the time. My rabbits are outside and I know the principles of bonding are the same, but I just wanted a bit of advice.
  
  We’re going into winter here in the UK so wanted to try to get Bella and Aaron bonded before the cold kicks in so they can keep warm together – fingers crossed
  
  Bella is unspayed (vet said not to spay when tiny as she was a weakling) now she’s 7 and fairly robust! I got Aaron 12 days ago – he is 5 and was neutered 10 days ago.
  
  Bella’s run is outside and measures 25ft x 10ft with space to burrow. I have split this down the middle and left her in the burrowing area where her hutch stands. Aaron is in the other half in his hutch.
  
  They are separated by slatted fence and the space between slats is about 3 inches (originally I put wire there too but have now removed this).
  
  They met “over the fence” 5 days ago and sit next to each other quite a lot. They’ve also eaten next to each other this morning and I saw Bella grooming Aaron’s head through the fence 2 days ago.
  
  Does this all bode well? Are older bunnies more likely to be easy going? Or are they laying in wait to have a knock out round when they finally meet in person! I was going to leave it another 2 weeks before introducing on neutral ground so hopefully Aaron’s hormones will have died down.
  
  Thanks for reading and hope to hear. PS. If my rabbits seem familiar I did post on here once when I first got Aaron but a change of email and forgotten password made it easier for me to re-register with new name Bella Bella.
  
  Thank
  Jane
- 10/04/2017 at 9:46 AM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22345 posts
  Good of you to give a home to an older bun.
  
  If he was only just desexed, I would hold off on bonding for the time being. Male rabbits are still fertile for up to 4 weeks post-neuter. Your girl is older, so maybe less fertile herself, but there is still a chance of pregnancy. Did he mount her at all when they met?
  
  That aside, the interaction so far sounds good. It can be very different once a divider is gone though. Females especially are more territorial about their space.
  I have seen rabbits go into each others spaces and not be fussed before. They bonded fairly swiftly afterward. My trio worked that way. It was an already bonded female pair, introduced to a single male. He went to explore their space while they went into his pen to check things out. I also had my friends rabbits bond that way. Pens side by side with all their things. I opened the divider and let the female go in and visit the males space. They were both very sweet natured and bonded quickly. This was pretty neutral territory for them though as they had only been staying with me for a few days before that.
  
  If you have a puppy exercise pen, you could set that up somewhere else in the yard and see how there interaction in that is. That would be more neutral ground to start off with.
- 10/04/2017 at 2:03 PM
  Bella Bella
  Participant
  20 posts
  Thank you Jerseygirl. They haven’t met properly yet so no baby bunnies likely thank goodness! I will definitely leave it another 2 weeks to make sure he has no bunny juice left!
  
  Will post more news when I start the bonding in earnest. For now, its just over the fence interaction for them!
  
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