interesting behaviour

Rosie lept out of the run whilst I was sweeping up (she is such a cheeky monkey!) and she hopped over to where Vince and his girls were on the lawn in the trixie run. Well, Rosie's tail went rigid and Vince went bonkers, really aggresive and took it out on Faline! He chased Faline around the run and then up the tunnel back into the main run where i had to shout at him to get him to leave Faline alone.

Not sure why he took his anger out on Faline, she was just munching the grass minding her own business! He is always really kind to Faline cos she gets a rough deal from Hazel sometimes. Rosie just looked at them all and hopped back to me!

Strange little buns. When out in the front garden together they all respect each other.

I've heard of buns taking there temper out on each other before when another bun appears!

How very funny though! I hope harmony is restored now???

Who knows what goes on in the minds of the buns.

(maybe he is cross that she went back to Hutch after their encounter in the ally the other day?)

Ha ha, I hadn't thought of that! Perhaps Faline was making rude remarks about Rosie's loose morals and Vince got upset

Sounds like it was a case of referred aggression. Cwazy Wabbits.

What is that?

Mines do it too. If any from the other groups approach my group of four, Dylan who is boss chases off and sometimes nips the bottom bunny. It a behaviour I have seen in the horses many times and is actually protection. It looks like they are taking their anger out on the other but they are actually chasing the weaker one off to protect them from the intruder. My horses used to do this with the yearling shetland if she or the other horses in the next field approached the fence.

Referred aggression is when a rabbit vents it's anger at a trespasser it cannot reach on a member of it's own group. This is to state its dominance should any of its group be thinking about running off with the newcomer and to display its dominance to the newcomer it can't actually get at.

Not all rabbits do this, and some only do it at certain times of year (i.e. peak breeding season).

I have noticed that since Brian came to live with us, Scamp attacks Hazel whenever Brian goes near their run. Bit of a cheek really, because pre Brian, he used to play up to Mindy whenever she came around the run. Yesterday when I went into the shed there was a lot of fur around, mostly Hazel's. Looks like even pesky wabbits get jealous.