Previously sweet buck turned into demon-bunny overnight ???

[AmberLops]

Hi everyone!
Just looking for any kind of advice/help here! I know it's a long post so bear with me!

My 1.5 year old Holland Lop buck, Archie...who has always been very sweet, calm and shy has suddenly turned into this new, crazy, aggressive rabbit starting today.
For the past couple months i've been putting does in with him, hoping for some more of his kits. He's sired 1 litter and that was with my Lionhead doe. The kits turned out beautiful but after that i've had such a hard time getting my does to breed. But every time i put a doe in with him, he's been gentle.

Today, just like every day, i put my doe Sammy in with him to see if she's ready to breed...and as soon as her feet touched the floor of his cage, he full-on attacked her. Biting and kicking her while she was screaming. It took a long time before he let go of her and i brought her in the house to clean up and seal her wounds.
I thought maybe he was just confused (i double-checked her and she is a doe) so i put a different doe in with him...a bigger, more dominant doe and he attacked her the same way...latching onto her face and tearing her apart with his hind claws. I looked him over just to make sure there was nothing physically wrong with him that would be hurting him or making him uncomfortable. I didn't find anything and he seems completely normal otherwise....begging for food and hay, drinking water and acting like himself....until he's with a doe.
I thought maybe he just decided to be territorial all of a sudden, so i put him in a brand new cage...one that no rabbit has been in before. I put him AND a doe in the cage at the same time...thinking 'neutral territory' might be the answer. But no....he attacked her. And this is not a little bit of aggression, or the normal over-dominating buck type of thing. I think if i'm not there to stop the attack, he would kill the doe.
Anyone know why he would suddenly become so aggressive??
I've never had this issue with my Holland Lops before. I've had aggressive does (lionheads and angoras) but never an adult buck. And i would hate to have to cut him from my breeding program...i love him and he was always a sweet rabbit until now.
PLEASE HELP!

 

[AmberLops]

@Baymule @promiseacres @Bunnylady @GypsyG @Larsen Poultry Ranch @MG'S Rabbits @B&B Happy goats

 

[Baymule]

I have no idea what would make him do a personality flip like this. I never experienced anything like that.

 

[promiseacres]

Have had territorial bucks...but to me not does. Both were culled before breeding. Both (polish).. i have heard of aggressive Holland lops. You might try table breeeding. Maybe give him some time off, maybe he knows they aren't in the "mood"

 

[Mini Horses]

have no words of wisdom. No rabbits.

If a horse, donkey, goat, hog, I'd be of some help.....

Do you have a harness you could put on him & pull him off?? I mean, with my horses if a stallion is aggressive, he is reprimanded and immediately removed. Of course, different mind on the two animals but, I'm just thinking you might be able to have some control over his attack with a harness. My only thought.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Sorry I don't have any answer for you......never had that happen either.. you did everything that iI would of suggested to do.

 

[Larsen Poultry Ranch]

I haven't had that issue, maybe he's not feeling well and is feeling territorial? Maybe try the table breeding or just keep him in isolation for a while. Is he aggressive to other rabbits through the cage? Or just when they are in his cage?

 

[AmberLops]

I haven't had that issue, maybe he's not feeling well and is feeling territorial? Maybe try the table breeding or just keep him in isolation for a while. Is he aggressive to other rabbits through the cage? Or just when they are in his cage?

He is pretty much touching cage bars with a doe next to him. But she is a sweetheart and he doesn't seem bothered by her. He isn't being aggressive towards me either....just anything that i put in his cage.
When i am holding a doe and i open his cage door, i can see his aggression immediately. His tail goes up and he gets real stiff and pins his ears back. And when the doe hits the cage floor, he's out for blood. I can try to get a video...that might help ? I don't know!

 

[AmberLops]

Table breeding is a good idea. I can try it, but he is so shy that i'm not sure he'd even try to breed.
It would be worth a shot though.I've decided to give him a break from breeding...maybe a week or 2 to see if that would help. My other Lop buck (John Wayne) loses his mind if he goes more than a few days without breeding!

I've never had a buck become so aggressive...I have a few does who will chase my hands around the cage and 'bat' me with their front feet but they've never bitten me or even tried to actually hurt me. Archie isn't being aggressive towards me at all. He is the same as he's always been until he sees a doe.


@Mini Horses that's a good idea with the harness..i just scruff him as fast as i can when i see him start to go after the other rabbit and that seems to work. He just doesn't let go once he has a grip on her
A bunny break-stick would be helpful in this situation! I have a one for dogs but it's too big for a little rabbit!

 

[MG'S Rabbits]

That is weird, I've never had anything so sudden. Good idea giving him a break, you could try letting him run around in a pen over the course of a few days before breeding. I have a buck who is super skittish around me and does I put with him, so I let him out in my xpen and let him burn off some energy, after that he comes right up to me and let's me pet him and is nice and gentle with the does. Maybe this will help your buck.