Keeping intact males together

[Mesafox]

I’m planning to start breeding rabbits and I’m worried about keeping the males alone. I’ve never had problems keeping intact does together and I’ve seen how well they do together and how much they benefit from socializing and I don’t want to deprive my bucks of that.

Could I keep two intact males together if given enough room? An intact male and fixed doe or buck?

Is there anything I can do to prevent loneliness in the bucks if I have to keep them solo?

I’m going to be breeding standard Rex and English angora rabbits if that’s relevant.

 

[JBun]

Do not keep intact males together. This could result in very serious injuries occurring, or even death.

Male rabbits aren't the same as does. Once hierarchy is sorted out, does can usually live together semi peacefully as a colony. Not bucks. They don't want other male rabbits around, especially sexually mature ones. And rarely, will two intact bucks together ever work out and not result in fighting and injuries.

Maybe a spayed doe or neutered buck if given enough room that they can get away from the intact buck and the constant humping. @Preitler has something similar. But this isn't keeping a buck in a cage, even a very large one. This is the rabbits having free roam in the house. So you would need something to that effect for it to possibly work.

 

[Mesafox]

Do not keep intact males together. This could result in very serious injuries occurring, or even death.

Male rabbits aren't the same as does. Once hierarchy is sorted out, does can usually live together semi peacefully as a colony. Not bucks. They don't want other male rabbits around, especially sexually mature ones. And rarely, will two intact bucks together ever work out and not result in fighting and injuries.

Maybe a spayed doe or neutered buck if given enough room that they can get away from the intact buck and the constant humping. @Preitler has something similar. But this isn't keeping a buck in a cage, even a very large one. This is the rabbits having free roam in the house. So you would need something to that effect for it to possibly work.

Okay thank you for the information!

 

[Preitler]

Before my buck became my house bunny I kept him in his own hutch but he had garden time with the opportunity to communicate with the does through the bars. That was perfectly ok, especially because I kept him with the does for 3 weeks when I wanted to breed them. That worked very fine.

Then I ran out of hutch space, and since my buck ventured into the house and behaved perfectly I made him my house bunny. But he was cut off from the girls there, so after a year or so I thought he looked lonely and had one of his daughters spayed as his cuddlebun.

It's not easy sailing, at some times of the year she needs places to get out of his sight, and then there is some spraying to mop up. I wouldn't encourage anyone to do it that way who isn't aware of the compromises that need to be made - easy for me because I'm single, have my own house and so on.

I do keep bucklings together for up to 5, 6 months, sometimes there are tensions, but it just once really escallated, comming home to crudly castrated rabbits and feet tangled in intestines. Neighbour had a buck with his two sons together, I've never seen that many severe bite wounds. Intact males together is not a good idea.