Deirdra/Neigey falling out

[Deleted User]

My new quartet cemented for one month in their pen and there was peace. Then I got them the BB tunnel. They just love that thing. In the beginning I noticed Neigey was avoiding the tunnel… and I should have seen it coming: Deirdra was claiming it for herself and her doting black rexy boys. Neigey, being the lowest-rank member of this group had no rights yet to use the coveted tunnel space. I thought their bonds were strong enough but rabbits are such stubborn creatures! I was going to make a video the other night as I saw Neigey using the tunnel; I thought it meant things were working out. I was wrong. My quartet experienced an upset.

I removed the tunnel for the time being. They are not ready for it.

I spend some hours allowing Deirdra and Neigey alone as a pair, leaving Lint and Duffy behind in the pen. I did this two days consecutively, for about four hours. There are no issues between Deirdra and Neigey as a pair but Deirdra is a different animal in the group of four. On the second day of having separated Deirdra and Neigey from Lint and Duffy, I wanted to see how the quartet would do outside their pen. What a surprise, their bonds were shaken up: Duffy was nipping Neigey, Deirdra chasing Neigey and Duffy… it was chaotic.

after a half hour they settled down

 

Once back in their pen, they resumed their group dynamics but minus the tunnel!!!

 

 

 

 

[Sarita]

It’s funny you should say this – it’s not unusual that these things happen with bonded rabbits. I adopted a pair who had been together for years and then all the sudden, BOOM, they were fighting. The only thing that worked keeping them together in peace was removing any extra items like tunnels, boxes, etc…from their space and they were all happy again. Why? I have no idea but it didn’t matter as long as taking it out meant they were happy again. When my adopter took them back and kept it simple, they were still fine. I don’t know if it’s because Boo, the female was quite a bit larger and she couldn’t enjoy the toys the same way as Coco who was smaller or what.

[kralspace]

man, the bunnies are funny, Petzy. What if there were two tunnels? Just wondering if they’re like piggies where you need to have a hiding place for each one if they feel like it? Poor Neigy, I always feel sorry for him.

[Deleted User]

Yeah, you are right Sarita, it’s not a big surprise, but Neigey and Deirdra were bonded for a whole year with Mops in a quartet and I thought they were over that. It might be a permanent dynamic then. It is funny though, because when they are just a pair they can share anything… ????

Two tunnels? I guess I could cut the tunnel in halves but I don’t want to cut up my tunnel!

[mrmac]

You can see the change in Deirdra once she notices Neigey in the tunnel. They are not ready for it yet. Maybe work with some trio sesisons. I wonder what is with them?! why can’t they all just get along!

[Deleted User]

I think I will go with Sarita’s point, no toys that cause competition. I’d like to trio them up respectively but it will upset things again. It is a big order to cement a quartet, a month is not that much really. I will just keep the tunnel for the future, I might try it out on the patio to see if she will share it  outside of the pen. Deirdra is fond of Neigey, but theirs is a very complex relationship, always has been.

 

[Karla]

I was really concerned when I saw your headline, but I am glad to see that they are only fighting if the tunnel is there. Strange though. I wouldn’t expect that from bonded rabbits either by now. Molly had a thing for cardboard boxes in the beginning when Jack moved in. She would chase him if he got near her cardboard boxes, but if he stayed away from them, she loved him. It passed though.

Does are too territorial for their own good sometimes.

I love the last pic

[RabbitPam]

I feel sorry for Neigey too. I know this is insane, but I wonder if he had a bonded friend all his own, and Dierdra had her boys, if they would be better in two separate groups? This is really tough on all of you. Dierdra reminds me of Malfoy and his two grunts from Harry Potter.

[Sarita]

I think once you remove the tunnel they will be fine. The pair that had the problem with the tunnels and boxes have been bonded for about 5 years and all the sudden kaboom but once the offending stuff was removed, they’ve been fine. I think you are right about the competition…I never thought about it that way, only that it just caused unneeded commotion and needed to be removed to keep peace.

[Deleted User]

It makes sense, Sarita, competition is such a factor in groups. I should have seen it coming. Harmony is restored after removing the tunnel.
Yes, pairs are always more peaceful than groups. Neigey is a little machine himself and given the opportunity he will bully the others around too for space and stuff, not Deirdra though. I think Neigey’s personality is the reason for Deirdra checking him… it’s like you can’t give him too much or he will take over~ I have no intentions of separating anyone because there are no injuries from this falling out which shows that their bond is sticking quite well. Deirdra plucked a fluff of fur out of Neigey over the tunnel dispute, this is a good sign. A bad bond would have left him with a wound over this matter. It was also a good sign how fast they settled down after I moved them into the gold crate for a territory change. What I like about the quartet is that they are always busy and my mini rexes thrive on that.

[Deleted User]

Posted By Karla on 12/01/2010 11:09 PM
She would chase him if he got near her cardboard boxes, but if he stayed away from them, she loved him. It passed though.

Does are too territorial for their own good sometimes.

 

It is usually just a phase. In a larger group, however, much like inside a warren, there will always be areas that are ‘privileged’, where not all buns are allowed. I wonder if this competition increases with size of group….

Does! *#%#$^^ they are a menace~

[Deleted User]

[mocha200]

aww!

[Lintini]

Dee, queen of the tunnel!

[Deleted User]

Well, there will be no tunnel for at least a while~ She can be a queen of the empty space the tunnel left behind.

Tonight I used a feeding bowl for them for the very first time. I used to just scatter food on the ground in a wide circle.

There were even raspberries in the bowl, Deirdra’s most favorite thing, and yet she tolerated Neigey to get his share. Lint is still careful around Neigey during feeding, better safe than sorry, I guess. It looks as if they have taught each other boundaries. Notice how Neigey pauses at one point to let Deirdra have her picking ahead of him.

[jerseygirl]

I think Neigey’s personality is the reason for Deirdra checking him… it’s like you can’t give him too much or he will take over~

Your on the money. Sometimes he seems to act like a teen still.
That last video you posted in the quartet thread, he seems to dash away from her alot yet to me, it didn’t come across that she was chasing or being aggressive in any way. Almost like she was thinking “that boy, what’s he up to now?” She’s probably not a bad influence on him. It’s so funny he has such a strong character.

[RabbitPam]

That’s a great picture of the 3.
Love the video. Is that AFTER the tunnel was removed? Because they are getting along so well and it amazes me that they will all eat out of the same bowl, and just take bits away once in a while to eat privately.

Just a guess: I wonder if Deirdra sees anything like the tunnel as a possible haven where she could safely have a litter. I mean, whether she’s spayed or not, the instinct to claim a good hidden spot for the possibility might override an ability to share.

[Deleted User]

The bowl video was taken 24 hrs after I took away that tunnel.

For whatever reason, gender or other, Deirdra is just the queen of my group.  Neigey sometimes will grunt and stomp trying to bump other bunnies out of a defined zone… so maybe Deirdra senses this ambition in him. I am just relieved to see that he has clued in to the fact that he cannot challenge her successfully: this is really important in a group, that the rabbits know to back down.

 

 

[RabbitPam]

Aside: Petzy, did you cut that window out of the tunnel? I was going to search mine for one or perforations, when I realized you probably did it with a little help from Deirdra.

[LittlePuffyTail]

Such strange creatures bunnies are. Just like kids I guess though. Fighting when a new toy is brought in!

Love the Deidra/Neigey pic!!

[Deleted User]

Yes, like kids!

My pen for them is a little boring without the tunnel, but better boring than fighting. I will try hide-out toys again for them but not in this pen for a while.

About the windows I cut, I only cut one line straight across the center of the diamond shapes, horizontally. So the window can pop open or be popped shut again.

it iis a straight line when you push out the vertical fold

[LoveChaCha]

oh wow petzy.. i think i may cut a hole in chacha’s tunnel. she likes card board, but has no idea how to chew on her tunnel

i’m glad to see everyone is peaceful again. deirdra gets her own side to munch on hay such a queen!

[Author]

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