Can entire male littermates live together okay?

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maddogdodge

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I recently got 2 new Flemish Giant boys, roughly 12 weeks old now. I'm just wondering if it is absolutely necessary for me to have them desexed? Can entire male litter mates live together without fighting?

The last two boys I had desexed seemed to get really spooked by the experience and I've never managed to gain their trust again since then despite my best efforts :( I'd rather this didn't happen again if I can avoid it.

I will get them desexed if I have to but I figured I'd ask if it is possible for them to live happily together as entire males.
 
It's more likely that your other two males simply grew into their adult personalities. Some adults are more stand-off-ish than others. Almost all are totally different than they were as babies. It just so happens that that transition to adulthood often coincides with the time rabbits are fixed. The personality change is then (falsely) attributed to the neuter.

All that to say that it wasn't the surgery that "spooked" your rabbits. They just became adults and happen to have reserved personalities. It's only for less than 8 weeks after surgery that residual hormones may have an effect.

Concerning the two intact males, I've never heard of two intact males remaining bonded. It may work for a short time but it doesn't take much to set them off.
 
I’ve had three neutered males and only one was standoffish. He was just a jerk, perhaps due to personality, perhaps life experience. Or both. The other two were/are sweet and friendly. I don’t think neutering males causes those issues.
 
I wasn't meaning to imply that the change of hormones from being desexed altered the personality of my boys. I'm a firm believer in desexing having little to no impact on the personality of animals. What I do mean is that I know my two boys were scared when they had their surgery (I work at the vet) and I also had to give them pain relief which they hated. The whole experience basically undid all the work I'd put into gaining their trust and I've never managed to get them to trust me again. Yes they do have reserved personalities and always have been shy from day 1, but I do believe that stressful day from surgery really set in stone that they aren't going to trust me, it was an instant change... the day before they would happily come up to me for food, day after surgery they wouldn't come near me and it's been like that ever since :(

All that aside, I probably will get the two newbies desexed because I want them to remain living together.
 
I've only seen one instance of two intact males living peacefully together. That is extremely rare and likely occurred because both males weren't terribly hormonal so didn't harass each other.

It's not recommended and can be very dangerous for the two rabbits, as intact males are likely to fight and the fights can result in serious injury or even death.

I haven't had a spay/neuter affect any of my rabbits trusting me, but I have heard accounts from others of it occurring. With you working at the vet office, if they were neutered at your vet and you were closely involved at all, then that may have something to do with their reaction to you. So if this was the case, I would say try to be as much removed from the whole vet and neutering process as much as possible, so they don't closely relate you to what happened to them.
 
I've only seen one instance of two intact males living peacefully together. That is extremely rare and likely occurred because both males weren't terribly hormonal so didn't harass each other.

It's not recommended and can be very dangerous for the two rabbits, as intact males are likely to fight and the fights can result in serious injury or even death.

I haven't had a spay/neuter affect any of my rabbits trusting me, but I have heard accounts from others of it occurring. With you working at the vet office, if they were neutered at your vet and you were closely involved at all, then that may have something to do with their reaction to you. So if this was the case, I would say try to be as much removed from the whole vet and neutering process as much as possible, so they don't closely relate you to what happened to them.

Thank you, yes I'm thinking best to get them done to avoid grumpy bunnies!

Last time I was quite involved with the procedure so this time I think I'll try and stay out of it if I can, let my work mates do it all. Hopefully they then won't associate the experience with me.
 
were your other two buns Flemish Giants?

I ask simply because the majority of flemmies I know of have friendly and calm personalities including my boy. So hopefully if your other two were a different breed then these two will be friendlier and bolder. I know my boy is almost bomb proof. next to him my calmest is a new Zealand male. That's why I prefer larger breeds and males.

definitely get them neutered if you want them bonded. Even if they get along now you never know when they might decide to fight
 
were your other two buns Flemish Giants?

I ask simply because the majority of flemmies I know of have friendly and calm personalities including my boy. So hopefully if your other two were a different breed then these two will be friendlier and bolder. I know my boy is almost bomb proof. next to him my calmest is a new Zealand male. That's why I prefer larger breeds and males.

definitely get them neutered if you want them bonded. Even if they get along now you never know when they might decide to fight

Thanks :)

I bought my other two (Thor and Loki) as flemish giants but they are not purebred. Not sure what they are crossed with but when I asked on here a few members suggested Flemish X Californian.
They came from a bit of a dodgy breeder, so I imagine that didn't help with their aloof temperaments!
 

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