Communal Living for my 11 rabbits

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LindseyandKen

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Dec 29, 2004
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Location
Hartlepool, , United Kingdom
Hi everyone,

I haven't posted on here in ages having been busy with a new job. I have come on in a mini-emergency as I would appreciate a bit more of the brilliant advice I had last time! You may remember me talking about my new wrigglies at Xmas - I know you all loved the word!

I have 11 rabbits and they live in 8 cages in the garden. The cages are huge and very deep - specially and expensivelymade, as I don't believe in keeping buns in tiny cages. There are 9 females and 2 males - one mother with6 babies, another mother and one baby, and two individually rescuedrabbits. At the minute, the unneutered boys live in cages alone, three of the girls live alone, whilst I have 4 of the 'babies' (9 months) together and the mother and other 'baby' together.

It is such constanthard work keeping them all clean in seperate wooden cages and I am worried the individual buns are lonely as they rattle the cages all the time. I work full time and can't play with them as much as I would like, but took them in originally from an evil man who was trying to train his dog by letting it attack them. I wondered whether moving them all in together (except the boys) would be a good idea, or even altogether after neutering the males? All the girls play in the yard together - one tends to bite but the others seem happy enough. I spotted this on Ebay which seems perfect, but at a cost of $420 altogether, it would use all of my savings and I would die if it didn't work. Also, I have so many amazing cages with no idea what to do with them!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7708441127&sspagename=ADME:L:RTQ:UK:1

So sorry this is long, but I really am confused - I would love to bond them and house them together but need advice.

Thanks so much in advance if you even read this!

Lindsey xxxx
 
You might try e-mailing the person who's selling it. Let them know you're interested but you won't be able to purchase right away. I'd make sure you'd be able to bond them before you waste your money. Also, if your hutches are still in good condition you might consider selling them on eBay. It's possible you could get most of your money back if you sell each cage individually. My main concern is that you buy the new one but the rabbits end up not being able to get along and now you have this giant kennel and nothing to live in it.
 
Thanks for that! I let them play together in the yard - it is very big though, so they have the chance to run away if need be. Is there a way I could check if they would bond before buying? They play happily enough altogether in the yard but in a 10ft enclosure it may be a different story....:D
 
That is absolutely fabulous!!! But, at almost $800 (US) the price is a little steep!! Shuu is right about them all not getting along and that should be tested first. I don't know the price of lumber in the UK but, I'm sure you could make this yourself...all it is is a box with a roof and a couple of doors!!! Heck, you can even make it bigger!
 
Isn't it fab! I would love to try and make it but I am useless with woodwork :shock:

Awww it's so expensive but sooo fab - I am torn! I always wanted a hugerabbit house as long as I can remember but am scared in case they ripeach other's bunny tails off!
 
Wow that is brilliant! I would love that for mybunnies! As dootsmum said you could make it but if you can't do youhave any friends that are good at DIY? One of my mum's friends made mybunnies run.:)I'm not sure about bonding them but i'm surethere are plenty of people with experience of this that can give youadvice.
 
Check out these sites for bonding info:

http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabrefs.html

http://www.mybunnies.com/bonding.htm

The second link is written by someone with large numbers of bonded rabbits.

Are your girls spayed? Would you be able to spay themfirst? I'm thinking that your rabbits consider the yardneutral territory so they don't fight over it much, but they might getmore territorial about sleepings spaces and such. Spayingthem will reduce their hormonal territorialness, but isn't a cure-allfor aggressiveness.

I really like that hutch. It actually looks like mygrandmother's old chicken coop, though. Have you looked intochicken set-ups at all?
 
Hi!

I will look at chicken housing now - that is a great idea. Thanks! Ifound a similar cheaper version at £230 which I am seriously thinkingabout.

Most of the girls are related - 5babybunsand one mother, and another mother and daughter pair whoall get on really well. They all try to get on with the boys so I thinkif I neuter the boys (none of the girls are) I think I may try it - Ireally want to! I want a big natural type rabbitry with little burrowsand family groups - LOL - I think I live in fantasy land!

There is one rabbit, Isis, who bites hell out of us and anything elsewho goes near her, so I could put her cage inside the larger one andjust leave the others free to run around. Do you think that is cruel orcould work?
 
Just to say, I was looking through my oldprivate messages and found a big conversation with Buck Jones where wewere both chatting about a mini community of bunnies and he was tellingme how a friend of his made a rabbit town. It made me smile as he saidhe shared my desires to build one, and I also thought how funny it wasthat I found his thread just as I needed advice on this exact subject!

Thanks Buck! :angel:What a star he was, and is....I wish I had had time to know him better.
 
LindseyandKen wrote:
Hi!

I will look at chicken housing now - that is a great idea. Thanks! Ifound a similar cheaper version at £230 which I am seriously thinkingabout.

Most of the girls are related - 5babybunsand one mother, and another mother and daughter pair whoall get on really well. They all try to get on with the boys so I thinkif I neuter the boys (none of the girls are) I think I may try it - Ireally want to! I want a big natural type rabbitry with little burrowsand family groups - LOL - I think I live in fantasy land!

There is one rabbit, Isis, who bites hell out of us and anything elsewho goes near her, so I could put her cage inside the larger one andjust leave the others free to run around. Do you think that is cruel orcould work?
Click to expand...
It sounds like a nice fantasy for your buns and i'm sure theywill love you for it. About Isis, how big would her cage be? If it isbig enough to play around and you make sure she has plenty of her owntoys i think she will be fine.:)
 
I think its a great idea. However it maybeharder to catch illness sooner cause so many rabbits you might notnotice if one stops eating or drinking or going potty.

Cristy
 
That looks great. I'd love to be able to get my buns one of them, so they could all play together.

I'd gladly help you if you need to get rid of some of your hutches. I'mlooking for some big hutches myself. When the time comes and you needto sell and need buyers, send me a PM and If I still need one ortwoand I am sure something could be sorted with regards topostage. It isnt too far, I'm in Manchester.

Vickie
 
DaisyNBuster wrote:
That looks great. I'd love to be able to get my buns one ofthem, so they could all play together.

I'd gladly help you if you need to get rid of some of your hutches. I'mlooking for some big hutches myself. When the time comes and you needto sell and need buyers, send me a PM and If I still need one ortwoand I am sure something could be sorted with regards topostage. It isnt too far, I'm in Manchester.

Vickie
Click to expand...
Um...could i go for that aswell?:D I'm thinking about buying a newhutch i've found on the web but i'll go for any big one, my bunniesneed a bigger one for the winter as they can't come out as much. Ormaybe just a plan of how to make a hutch?

Do you think we could get some pictures of your bunnies set up, itsounds really good!:sunshine:Good luck with making yourbunnies newhome aswell. I'm sure it'll turn out brilliant!
 
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