Older male bunny humping the rest of my rabbits

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 5sd replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 11 months ago by jerseygirl.

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- 12/11/2018 at 10:00 PM
  Killerbunnies
  Participant
  13 posts
  So my older (newly fixed!) buck Ted constantly wants to hump my younger buck Jeffrey, in addition to my doe Annabelle. Ted always tries to hump their faces though! Is this normal behavior? Ted has been fixed for about two weeks now, so I know the hormones will calm down eventually, but is this a behavior that will ever go away? He doesn’t try to mount stuffies or anything else. I know it could be a dominance thing too, because most of the time Jeffrey just lays with his chin to the floor and lets it happen. I am working on getting Jeffrey fixed, and once Annabelle has her oops litter and her babies are weaned, I’ll be fixing her too.
  
  As for Annabelle having a litter, I’m so frustrated. My kids opened her kennel and Ted’s one morning while I was making breakfast, and he got ahold of her before I knew what was going on. ???
- 12/11/2018 at 10:20 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22345 posts
  It should reduce in time but I do advise you separate him from the other rabbits! As you have witnessed, he is still acting hormonal and some rabbit can become even more so in the weeks following the op. Secondly, (and most important!), males are not immediately infertile right after the op. Annabelle is still at risk of becoming pregnant again. Does can become pregnant even right after giving birth if with an intact male. How old are the babies?
  
  It is recommended a newly neutered rabbit does not go in with another rabbit for at least 4 weeks post-op. It is also recommended they only be introduce to other desexed rabbits to form a lasting bond.
  
  The other risk is to Ted himself, especially if he is mounting faces. One other the other rabbits could easily bite his genitals.
- 12/11/2018 at 11:11 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17024 posts
  I agree with Jersey. Best to be safe than sorry.
- 12/12/2018 at 8:25 AM
  Killerbunnies
  Participant
  13 posts
  I do have them all separated, but this is happening when I let the boys out to play and run. I watch them closely, and I redirect Ted into doing something else often, but he just goes right back to it until I put him back in his kennel so poor Jeffrey can have some free time that doesn’t involve him. Jeffrey is friendly towards Ted, and he doesn’t seem to mind being humped, but I just feel bad for him.
  
  Annabelle has always been separated ( except the tone the kids let her out with Ted) and will remain that way until after I can get her spayed. Her babies are due right around Christmas day, so it will be awhile before I can do anything with her, probably March or so. It was her first and only litter. I have plans to get Jeffrey snipped too, before Annabelle weans even.
- 12/12/2018 at 8:32 AM
  Asriel and Bombur
  Participant
  1104 posts
  Bunnies can’t really play together. They’re either bonded or they aren’t. Play dates aren’t really something you can do with bunnies just because of their inherent nature with their hierarchies, territorial tendencies, and at this point Jeffrey’s hormones. They need to have separate play times. Your older one is still hormonal because he’s calming down from his neuter, but even once he has calmed down from that he will still be feeding off the other unfixed bunnies hormones. So having them together at all isn’t safe. Jeffrey is liable to snap and they could likely get into a very dangerous fight.
- 12/12/2018 at 8:38 AM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22345 posts
  Posted By Killerbunnies on 12/12/2018 8:25 AM
  
  I do have them all separated, but this is happening when I let the boys out to play and run. I watch them closely, and I redirect Ted into doing something else often, but he just goes right back to it until I put him back in his kennel so poor Jeffrey can have some free time that doesn’t involve him. Jeffrey is friendly towards Ted, and he doesn’t seem to mind being humped, but I just feel bad for him.
  
  Annabelle has always been separated ( except the tone the kids let her out with Ted) and will remain that way until after I can get her spayed. Her babies are due right around Christmas day, so it will be awhile before I can do anything with her, probably March or so. It was her first and only litter. I have plans to get Jeffrey snipped too, before Annabelle weans even.
  
  I hadn’t realised Annabelle hasn’t yet had the babies. It sound like you will have your hands full this Christmas!
  
  As it is so soon after his op, it is still likely hormones, not dominance. Some people will see positive changes right away after neuter, but some see worsening for a short period until the hormones level out.
  
  He might even be picking up on hormonal changes in Annabelle.
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