# Can Rabbits live together?



## kasey08 (Jan 9, 2012)

I plan on breeding rabbits just to sell to family/friends. Can females and males live together? Can males with males? Females with females?


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## AZ Rabbits (Jan 9, 2012)

I keep all mine separate except for those special times when Barry White is playing in the background... 

Males can not live with other males in cages. Sometimes females can live with females, but not always. Many factors come in to play. It can be a bloody mess if you guess wrong. If you want to be safe, keep them separated.


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## kasey08 (Jan 9, 2012)

They are all babies right now. 7weeks. All 5 are togther right now. Some are borther and sister so I know I cant breed them together. Someone just needed to get rid of them.


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## Ms. Research (Jan 9, 2012)

kasey08 said:
			
		

> They are all babies right now. 7weeks. All 5 are togther right now. Some are borther and sister so I know I cant breed them together. Someone just needed to get rid of them.


I think they will all be OK until about 3 months.  Then you really seriously need to think of placing the males away from the females.  4 months is when they get active and could possibly multiply.  I would then consider putting them in individual cages.  I thought I could have rabbits together, but at 5 months, even after neutering, one was aggressive with another.  And rabbits will kill another.  

There are lots of cases and also people who use colonies (all rabbits living together freely) that bunnies will live together with harmony, but it didn't happen here.  

It was sweet you taking in these bunnies.  They are still babies at 7 weeks and should have no problems living together peacefully.  But I would seriously start planning what you would like to do.  

I'm like AZ Rabbit, mine all live in individual cages.  Peace and harmony reign,

Wishing you all the luck.  Keep us posted.

And also 

 from New Jersey.

K


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## a7736100 (Jan 9, 2012)

I keep my in the same cage till they start fighting.  Often rabbits will tolerate each other if the cage is large enough.

Rabbits that get along in a group will not get along with a new comer.  They may attack the new rabbit or the new one will attack them.

Most of my are in 2's and 3's of the same sex.  One large cage have 6 female rabbits and a guinea pig.


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## AZ Rabbits (Jan 9, 2012)

kasey08 said:
			
		

> Some are borther and sister so I know I cant breed them together.


Actually, you can breed brothers and sisters no problem if for meat consumption. You just don't want to keep their offspring for new generation breeders, then keep theirs, etc. One generation of inbreeding is fine for personal meat consumption. Just don't sell their young to other breeders as most don't want inbred rabbits because it's a high risk.

With inbreeding, you end up amplifying traits. If they have good traits, you can inbreed to amplify that trait. Then bred to a non-related rabbit with another desirable trait, you can get a really nice line with diverse genes. This is how most rabbits are developed at the start... inbreeding, line breeding, etc.

However, if there is a bad trait, you'll amplify that and you'll be producing extremely inferior lines. And if you continue to do this, you'll start seeing bad breeding results, less kits, etc. etc. Just bad stock.

But 1st generation inbreeding kits shouldn't have any negative effects on production if it's terminal production.


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## kasey08 (Jan 10, 2012)

Thanks I didnt know that. I was looking into just getting a nonrelated male for the sisters. I already have a female.


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## gryeyes (Jan 11, 2012)

I've never had more than one rabbit at a time, so I didn't know bunnies could be fighters amongst themselves!  The first bunny I had, I was 7 years old (51 years ago) and I've recently acquired a Lionhead buck.  The family giving him up is also giving me the doe and some of her kits from him on Thursday.  

So I guess I will be learning about this rabbit stuff "for reals" now.


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## Ms. Research (Jan 11, 2012)

gryeyes said:
			
		

> I've never had more than one rabbit at a time, so I didn't know bunnies could be fighters amongst themselves!  The first bunny I had, I was 7 years old (51 years ago) and I've recently acquired a Lionhead buck.  The family giving him up is also giving me the doe and some of her kits from him on Thursday.
> 
> So I guess I will be learning about this rabbit stuff "for reals" now.


Congratulations on the Lionheads you are acquiring.  I'm looking to get that breed as well.  I have three right now, varieties, that my DH and I started out with.  Never had rabbits so we needed to get our feet wet.  Love rabbits.  Really neat creatures to have.  

And yes these cute, sweet, furry creatures WILL fight and it's not pretty either.  So I would think of separate cages of the doe and buck.  The little ones can live together for a while, but I would think of separating around 3 months.  Amazing how active sexually they get at 4 months.  

Good Luck.

Welcome to the Forum.

Would love to see pics of your new Lionheads.

K


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## oneacrefarm (Jan 11, 2012)

gryeyes said:
			
		

> I've never had more than one rabbit at a time, so I didn't know bunnies could be fighters amongst themselves!  The first bunny I had, I was 7 years old (51 years ago) and I've recently acquired a Lionhead buck.  The family giving him up is also giving me the doe and some of her kits from him on Thursday.
> 
> So I guess I will be learning about this rabbit stuff "for reals" now.


I had a couple of young does together for a while, then separated them. I tried to put them back together and Holy Cow! A rolling, biting, scratching, fur flying ball o' rabbit ensued! And these were very calm and docile rabbits too!


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