The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Community => Coffee Lounge => Topic started by: jameslindsay on February 23, 2009, 11:01:49 am
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I had 2 rabbits who got on like a house on fire - Jasper the male was neutered but Bonnie the girl was not. Anyway they share a large paddock with my 7 Pygmy Goats and have a good life as they are free to run around all day for a good 10 hours or so a day. Then, at the end of last year our vets phoned and asked if we would re home an abandoned female rabbit - which we did but only to discover the 2 girls hated eachother. At the same time we discoverd Bonnie was pregnant, she had escaped a few times and was caught running about with wild ones. So, we put Bonnie in a cage of her own and in due time she had her babies.
She had 6 babies, we rohomed 5 and kept onto 1 which stayed with her(she has now also been neutered). However, after a few months the baby dug a hole and made a run for it. We still see him many times daily and he has taken up with a wild one now. Then, we managed to capture him and we kept him for a few weeks and we blocked off all his escape routes. The first time we let him out the little s**t bit his way through the wooden fence and took off again. We still see lots of him but the second he knows we are present he's off like a rocket!
Now we have to let the 2 girls out at separate times - not ideal but that gives them their exercise. Jasper our male rabbit is now failing - we reckon he must be about 7yrs old and we notice a difference in him now.
Just thought I would share my story....
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He he, I reckon that baby bunny is wanting to return to his roots If he is half wild perhaps you're best to let him be. Sorry to hear about Jasper and about the girls fighting. No solutions I'm afraid except to divide their run. I occasionally have that problem with my two bitches, but being Alpha bitch myself ;D ;D ;D ;D I have been able to control it so far.
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We had a similar experience - we had boy and girl rabbits. They were both in what we thought were secure (separate) hutches. But every day, somehow, the boy got out - and we always found him staring longingly at the girl rabbit! After the girl died rather prematurely the boy still escaped regularly and we spent many happy evenings chasing round the garden trying catch him. Finally, he escaped and was last seen at the end of the lane playing with the wild rabbits!
I guess some rabbits are just meant to be free!!!