# Do female rabbits EVER get along?!



## big brown horse (Aug 24, 2009)

Just wondering can they share a habitat?


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## ksalvagno (Aug 24, 2009)

The only chance would be if they are spayed. Most of the time females don't get along even if spayed but once in a while you get a pair that will get along. There are also bonding articles on House Rabbit Society's webpage.


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## miss_thenorth (Aug 24, 2009)

There is an animal farm near me, who has their rabbits living in a colony type setting.  I know for a fact that they have more than one doe living together, as well as more than one buck.  I think it has to do with the amount of space--they have their requirements.  If you looked up colony raised rabbits, you might be able to come up with some more info.  Eventually, I would like to provide my bunns with a colony type setting, but it will take planning and space.  so for now, my bunns livie in cages, with some "free play": time as offered by my dd.


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## big brown horse (Aug 24, 2009)

miss_thenorth said:
			
		

> There is an animal farm near me, who has their rabbits living in a colony type setting.  I know for a fact that they have more than one doe living together, as well as more than one buck.  I think it has to do with the amount of space--they have their requirements.  If you looked up colony raised rabbits, you might be able to come up with some more info.  Eventually, I would like to provide my bunns with a colony type setting, but it will take planning and space.  so for now, my bunns livie in cages, with some "free play": time as offered by my dd.


Thank you!

Colony living is the way I would like to go.  Thank you!!  I'll look it up.  Perhaps we should start a thread on it?


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## rebecca100 (Aug 24, 2009)

I want to do the colony thing too and on pasture grass.  Maybe it would be a good thread.


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## currycomb (Aug 27, 2009)

when we first relocated the rabbits here after having them in my old place, we kinda did the colony thing in a dog pen. it worked well, each doe had its territory all ate together, etc.( had a buck in with them by mistake) when it came time for them to have their babies, instinct took over and they dug borrows, all over. those turned into connecting tunnels, until a heavy rain. don't know how many babies might have been lost, all the moms escaped, either into the pen or ouside in the wide wonderful world. caught some when they moved in under the chicken house, others were never seen again. so, be sure they cannot tunnel out from where ever you house them.


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## big brown horse (Aug 27, 2009)

currycomb said:
			
		

> when we first relocated the rabbits here after having them in my old place, we kinda did the colony thing in a dog pen. it worked well, each doe had its territory all ate together, etc.( had a buck in with them by mistake) when it came time for them to have their babies, instinct took over and they dug borrows, all over. those turned into connecting tunnels, until a heavy rain. don't know how many babies might have been lost, all the moms escaped, either into the pen or ouside in the wide wonderful world. caught some when they moved in under the chicken house, others were never seen again. so, be sure they cannot tunnel out from where ever you house them.


:/ That is tragic.  Sorry to hear about that.


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## trestlecreek (Aug 27, 2009)

It would be really difficult to set up a colony situation appropriately. A normal range for a rabbit colony is about 5 acres. So that would mean that each doe should have that for her and her kits.
Rabbits really like to be alone for the most part. Some will tolerate each other(littermates), but generally, one will be picked on all the time, while the other dominant pushes around. To me, it's hard to watch one push the other around all the time when they could be separated and happy! 
I hate weaning, so I wait until the dynamics begin before I initiate the separation. Usually around 3 months is when it starts getting ugly.
Spaying my change the normal behaviors, but intact rabbits need lots of space to tolerate each other.


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## rebelshope (Aug 27, 2009)

I highly suggest you fix your rabbits if you do a colony type setting.


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## waynesgarden (Aug 28, 2009)

rebelshope said:
			
		

> I highly suggest you fix your rabbits if you do a colony type setting.


Perhaps if they're pets and not livestock.

Wayne


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## rebelshope (Aug 28, 2009)

waynesgarden said:
			
		

> rebelshope said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I just assumed that they would be pets. I have not heard of serious breeders using this type of a system.


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## waynesgarden (Aug 29, 2009)

Serious breeders wouldn't likely use a colony system (hard to maintain any kind of breeding schedule,) but it is becoming more popular for meat production for the homestead.

Wayne


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## JoieDeViveRabbitry (Aug 31, 2009)

I recently read an article on a breeder who kept her rabbits in colonies in horse type stalls.... 

 Hang on, lets see if I can find it.....
 Ahh here we are:
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/articles/clny_valerie.html

 Enjoy!


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## trestlecreek (Aug 31, 2009)

That was a good read. 
I enjoyed how the writer plainly explained the cons of this type of system.


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## JoieDeViveRabbitry (Sep 8, 2009)

Yes, that is why I liked it too.


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## Run-A-Muck Ranch (Sep 8, 2009)

We used to have about 4 or 5 rabbits living in a 'colony' type setting. They were all females, we did put a buck in when we wanted babies. They had hutches to jump into and also areas that were set up for shelter. They all got along great. We did put wire down on the ground to prevent digging and tunneling. When it came time to have the babies....each doe took her own spot and had there babies in those areas. everyone got along fine. 
We have since moved our rabbits and gotten more to where the 'colony' type setting wasn't do able anymore. We had different breeds and what not, and didn't want crossbreeding going on...Now each rabbit is in it's own pen with hutch and set up. When we want breeding we obviously put the bucks in with the does at that time.


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## JoieDeViveRabbitry (Sep 8, 2009)

Run-A-Muck Ranch said:
			
		

> We used to have about 4 or 5 rabbits living in a 'colony' type setting. They were all females, we did put a buck in when we wanted babies. They had hutches to jump into and also areas that were set up for shelter. They all got along great. We did put wire down on the ground to prevent digging and tunneling. When it came time to have the babies....each doe took her own spot and had there babies in those areas. everyone got along fine.
> We have since moved our rabbits and gotten more to where the 'colony' type setting wasn't do able anymore. We had different breeds and what not, and didn't want crossbreeding going on...Now each rabbit is in it's own pen with hutch and set up. When we want breeding we obviously put the bucks in with the does at that time.


Nice to hear a first hand account of a colony type arrangment!


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## Bunnylady (Nov 27, 2009)

Greetings, all! Newbie here (well, new to this forum, but not to rabbits. 20 years+ with them!)

A friend of mine tried to keep rabbit in a colony type setting a few years ago. She had them in different sized pens, but about 20' x 50' was average. She was trying to raise Netherland Dwarfs, Mini Rex, and Holland Lops to sell for the pet trade. She lost adults and babies to floods, snakes, hawks, owls, foxes, bobcats, and dogs (her own included!) Her rabbits dug out, and dug into locations where she couldn't get at them. To add insult to injury, the few babies she did raise had had so little handling, they were a little too wild to be good pets. Not a very successful experiment for her!

But as to whether does can get along, my experience says, "it depends on the does." I have occasionally had as many as 4 or 5  unrelated, retired breeders that I have kept together in one large cage with no problems. I have also had does that had to have a cage to themselves until their dying day, they just wouldn't behave decently to a roommate. One of the latter kind was a great mom, and perfectly sweet to handle, but was pure poison with another doe. Go figure!


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## Petty (Mar 30, 2014)

In commercial setting, males and females are housed together, but the males are neutered, not the females. To house the rabbits, you don't need acres of land. I think 1m2 per rabbit is more than enough for rabbits meant for slaughter. But as for breeders, they are normally housed individually so that they can stay with their litter for some time.


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