We've lost two rabbits in a week : (

[JaneBirkin]

We've had a family of bunnies for two-three years and there was a mum and her two babies.

They were all fat and lovely and very thick winter fur, and I was starting to think, how wonderful they were getting.

I made the stupid mistake of putting them in the large walk in run at the end of the garden, which they had been in for the entire summer and actually since early spring, along with the chickens, and always seemed happy there. They had dug a network of burrows under the hutch in there, which was fine until about 3 weeks ago when they found their way OUT of the run and into the main part of the garden up there.
It's separated by a fence and well wired in round the sides, so I thought they would be happy, plus I tried filling in the burrows and they just dug around and got out again.

Well, I got concerned and brought them back to the hutch by the house, last week. But they looked so bored. And I gave in and put them back out there, and the other night I thought I heard a little squeal and the next day one was gone. Just a handful of fur on the ground, as a clue.

I think it was a fox. However the others seemed well, and happy, and continued to make great burrows under their hutch so while I was concerned still I thought they'd be Ok, probably, and happier than in the hutch all winter.

So I left them out there. And today I went up to look, having not seen mummy rabbit yesterday either and she's definitely gone too

She was huge, it must have been some fox - there is no sign at all though. Nothing. I kept thinking she must have escaped, or be down the burrow still, because nothing looks disturbed. I keep hoping she will come back.

Poor lonely girl rabbit is now safely in the hutch by the house, all alone and very nervous looking. I don't know what to do for her. She will be cold and lonely and I feel really guilty and stupid.

Can I introduce another bunny? They have always fought when I tried before.

[thisisyesterday]

well, i guess there is a chance the other one is still down one of the burrows. rabbits are really quick and if something was after her she may well have gone down a hole quickly

you could try introducing a new rabbit to your remaining one, but you do need to be quite careful and I wouldn't get another one if you are not willing to take the risk that they may never get on and if you can't house them seperately if that happens.

In your position I would look to rehome a male rabbit. Get him neutered and her spayed. Introduce them on neutral territory. maybe bring them into the kitchen or something? if you have an indoor hutch that would be ideal. if not use a pet carrier or something and introduce them with one inside and one out. if they seem ok with each other (ie sniffing at each other etc, not trying to attack!) then allow the one to come out of the pet carrier. But make sure it's in a small area cos you don't want to end up chasing fighting rabbits around a room! stand by with a towel so that if they fight you can break it up without getting injured and you can pick one of them up with less chance of being bitten/scratched yourself.
if all goes well you can then try them outside together, although your existing rabbit may be very territorial over her hutch

[JaneBirkin]

Oh thankyou, you know who I am don't you and all this time I've never learned how properly to introduce rabbits. Well, I might have to now, thankyou for explaining what to do.
My instinct is to bring her into the house and give her lots of cuddles, but I can't do that all the time, she will really be missing her mum and sister

It's dreadful. I had no idea what was the best thing to do once they had got 'free', as they seemed so jubilant

How I wish I had kept them in, somehow...
Do you think a male would get on better with her? she's already spayed. I wondered about a gentleman bun actually, maybe not such a threat?

How are yours getting on btw?

[JaneBirkin]

I would be so happy if mum rabbit turned up.

They were all very very close.

I waited and waited today and dug about down the holes I could find, and have left a bowl of food and a bottle of water on the hutch there, doors open, in case she comes back. But I haven't seen her in 3 days now.
Last weekend she scared me, I thought she was gone but she turned up eventually out of a burrow! So you never know I suppose.

I'd be so relieved.

[thisisyesterday]

ohhhh you're you! lol

i think, in general, male/female pairs do get on best.

we've had a right old time with ours lately :( one of the pair we already had got myxomatosis and we had to have him put to sleep.
thankfully dp's "mega-hutch" still had not come to fruition and they were not in together with the new pair so they are unaffected, but his hutch-mate we think has had a milder form of myxy and is still recovering, poor old girl

anyway, I have now ordered a small shed for them all to live in, once recovery is complete!

the one who died, Oakley, was a real digger and we thought about putting that plastic matting down that they use in car parks sometimes? so the grass can grow through but they wouldn't be able to dig.
I think chicken wire would do similar but I seem to recall reading somewhere that it isn't good for their feet or something?

[JaneBirkin]

Oh gosh poor Oakley. That's really sad...and sorry to hear it. I'm glad little buns are doing well though.

Shed sounds great! We have a playhouse, but I thought it might be too dark for them. I suppose they have been happy lately, playing about in the real garden, eating random bits of tree, running really fast and so on.

I nearly put chicken wire down under the earth in the run, but never got round to it - I suppose I liked them having their burrows. I'm the kind of person who always wanted to release the frogs in biology.

That's not such a good thing iyswim...

I'm encouraged now and will keep an eye out in case Tabbers appears again, maybe she was busy digging, I've not been there all day just on and off. Abnd if not will look to get a rescued male rabbit for Indigo to live with...I could house him if it went wrong, but the whole point is to be together, for warmth and company so would be a pity!

Thanks ever so much for talking me through it a bit, I feel a bit more confident now.

[thisisyesterday]

yeah it's nice when you can allow them to act like they would normally in the wild isn't it? ours often have the run of the garden while we're home although at the moment it's waterlogged so Rosie has been sat in her hutch most of the day!