We came home on Sat with three friendly, tame rabbits. Two days with my children and the mother is growling at me. Help.

[Jumente]

They were perfect, very nice, sat to be stroked, etc etc...then mistakenly I took my eyes off ds2 and he dropped the run lid in on them, probably scaring them badly, and then ds1 climbed in the run this afternoon to 'see' them and kept mucking about with the ladder while I was dealing with a spate of phone calls, despite knowing he isn't allowed to, and when I went out to feed and stroke them just now, the babies were fine but the mum went to attack me several times

I am distraught.
I don't know if keeping the kids away from them for a few days will work, I justw ant my friendly bunny to let me stroke her again - she even attacked me when I was stroking the baby. (4mo)

PLEASE can anyone talk me through what I need to do now. I can't bear it - we only just got them and already the boys have buggered up a beautiful friendship. I am really really upset.

Jumente - glad you are feeling better this morning, you sound very caring and your rabbits will have a lovely home when it's all complete.

My dcs (aged 17mths - 6) sometimes get a little over enthusiastic over our pets (1 rabbit, 2 guineas) but I've convinced them not to open the hutches unsupervised and instead set them little missions finding tidbits to hand feed through the run to build trust. It seems to be working although youngest (17mths) does try to feed them odd ruler hairbrush stone random items when he thinks I'm not looking.

My female rabbits in the past have always been more friendly than my males. My current rabbit is 5.5 and now growls when I try to pick him up.

LOL at ruler/hairbrush/stone

I am really really relieved, I've managed to force ds2 to watch a DVD and been out there building the chicken ark (yes, we were planning on chickens, but the rabbits turned up first!!! One step at a time...)

anyway I got it back up, it's HUGE, and decided to transfer them into that as taking the other one to bits and reassembling is going to take ages...

so I opened the hutch bit, sat in the run and managed to pick up first one baby, then the next, and finally mummy bun.

She was FINE

I did it like I read on a website yesterday - really good tip - you hold them with their spine against your breastbone (or slightly sideways) with one hand round their chest, the other cradling their rump, and rabbit facing outwards.

It was fab - apparently it amkes them feel really secure and they can't kick either.

I ws a bit cack handed before I read that and was holding facing my shoulder, but amazingly, they LOVED being held facing out, and it was so easy - just popped them into the ark, and they are fine.
Now the guineas are back in their original run again as well. Time for a cup of tea and more fence planning

I think we need more bolts though...chicken ark only has swivel catches, I am surprised it isn't bolted as fox would easily manage to swivel them and bang, no chooks/ rabbits any more.

I am going to screwfix later and coming back with a consignment of bolts to fix to everything!

What sex are the rabbits? Just something to bear in mind. When we got rabbits we asked for two females. Then one started to hump the other so we got a rabbit loving friend round who revealed that one was a boy! They were swiftly seperated after that

the woman showed me in the shop...all girls, thankfully

You were lucky I think NL, sometimes they manage to get up the duff instantly, first try iykwim...when I was a teenager we got two small 'boy' bunnies to play with our large old grey gentleman.

He was humping them from the beginning, which we assumed meant one of two things...he was gay, or very stupid

We ended up with lots of babies. It was a bit of a surprise. Sadly the girls had been so young that they became very aggressive after that, and didn't stand much handling - I think we kept most of the babies for a while at least though.

I had an awful flashback to scary female rabbit moments yesterday, but I think she is alright with me now. Just ened to keep childrena nd buns separate for a good while now, unless fully supervised..

Right, well we were doing great, then I went to the front door to unscrew something and ds1 (whom I thought was happily watching TV with ds2) came running into the hall shouting 'come quick, it's an emergency! The rabbits have escaped!'

So I went out and they were hopping all over the garden. It was bloody lucky I managed to get them all as there are gaps in the hedge, and a busy road at the front which they could have got to eventually.

I was so upset. He said it was a mistake, but later when I asked him for an explanation (I was furious at the time) he admitted he had let them out deliberately...he said he wanted to see them running about free.

I am just at the point of despair with him really.
Though now he has done it and seen my reaction, I don't think he will again. I am covered in huge scratches from struggling rabbits and they didn't want to be picked up again to be put away.

Does anyone want a 6yo child with a FREE rabbit hutch for him?

oh poor ds1, sounds like he's so excited about having them and doesn't fully understand the repercussions. My ds1 also 6 used to be the same, we now live in a rural area seeing what the neighbours cat does to the wild rabbits has cured him of this urge.
Hinges on our rabbit hutch are rusty now which prevents the younger ones being able to open them.
Just keep reiterating that he can't open the hutch without you around. You'll get there.

Thankyou...I am going to add bolts today, which may slow him down a little at least!! They should be ds2 proof anyway...for a while