HELP! Bunnies fighting?!?!?

[Nibblesnmunch]

I need HELP!!!

I have two female bunnies who are approx. 4 months old - not yet spayed. One is quite a bit smaller than the other, and the smaller one has been dominant. They live in a hutch inna reading room at school but during the day they free roam the room. I am their main caregiver, feeding them, putting them away for the night and visiting them on weekends. So far we have had no problems and they have appeared closely bonded, sleeping on top of each other, grooming etc.

Last holidays they went home with a teacher and stayed in a 2 level indoor cage for two weeks with no problems (but they didn't roam). I took them home a few days ago for these holidays and have been allowing them to roam my corridor and spare room as well as stay in their 2 level hutch. There have been no problems over the weekend but then yesterday the little one began chasing the bigger one. Despite me separating them, the little one continued this and eventually the big one got annoyed and started humping the little one quite aggressively. A big chunk of fur came out which gave me a fright as this has never happened before and I separated them. Later that night I tried putting them back together but the same thing happened so i sectioned off the hutch and left one on the top level and one on the bottom.

This morning I tried rebounding them - took them for a walk in a box for 25 mins which went well and then put them in a lined bathtub, but again the little one started aggressively humping the big one and fur pulling and the big one started squeaking and was distressed so I ended it. I moved the cages next to each other and left them for the morning. I took turns letting them free roam, but when I turned my back the little one somehow (honestly no idea how) got inside the big ones cage and they fought again. the big one was squeaking and very distressed.

Now I don't know what to do! I feel like I have read every blog about it but still am unsure!

I have a few big questions as well:
- I don't know if I'm intervening too much and therefore not allowing them time to work it out - how do I know?!
- I know a new environment was probably the trigger and I feel terrible about it (but I didn't want them to be lonely over the holidays!) will it help to take them back to school? or is the damage done?
- how long should I wait before trying again!?

 

[Watermelons]

Baby bonds are not real bonds.
They should be split up until spayed unless you can get them done right now (no it is not too early if your vet is capable)

 

[Aki]

You shouldn't try at all. The answer to your problem is in your first sentence : it's never a good idea to put intact rabbits together, no matter the sex (females are particularly territorial, for the record). Babies will get along alright but when the hormones come into play, it's over. Them fighting at 4 months is completely normal and would certainly have occurred even with the change of environment. Don't put them in contact at all, they could very seriously hurt (or even kill) each other and it could happen very quickly. Beside, them creating a ton of bad memories together and a habit of fighting each other will only make things more difficult in the future. The only thing to do right now is to keep them separated until they are around 7 months old, to get them spayed and to let them heal for a few weeks before attempting to bond them again in a neutral territory. I should warn you that there is no guarantee they will get along as adults, even if spaying will give them a better chance at it. Trying to bond rabbits from the same sex is tricky especially when you don't have much experience with bonding.

 

[Nibblesnmunch]

Thanks - can they be in the same room (separate hutches)?