Vince the grumpy old git

The rex trio were free ranging the garden today whilst I cleaned them out and Vince really does have a HUGE problem with Boo It was my fault because I forgot to cover Vince's run over with the blankets), and he saw Boo and flew at Hazel
Poor Hazel screamed down the tunnels, and I mean screamed. DH even said 'what the bloomin' hell is that noise'? It sounded like a cat had got a bird in the woods. It was awful, I ran to the avairy where I met Hazel and Vince and I had to really shout at Vince to make him stop. I picked up Hazel to check she was OK and she just had some tufts of fur sticking out. The run is covered in her fur.

I think it's getting to the point where I cannot let out the rex trio because of Vince's temper, which is a shame because they really enjoy going out. The only thing I can think of is to shut him in the guinea pig hutch (he likes to hop in and pinch their food when I'm putting the pigs in the run ) before I let the rexes out. I don't like to do that to him, but why should the rexes miss out and even more importantly, his girls shouldn't get a beasting just because he doesn't like Boo?

I'm a bit miffed with Vince at the mo, I really love him, but he is such a ....... sometimes.

Is there any way you can permanently block the sight-lines from Vince's aviary and run to any part of the garden Boo might be in? I know you would not want to close Vince and the girls in too much, but without seeing the relationship of their layouts it's difficult to suggest how it might be done without a 6' wall

The other thing I'd be inclined to try as a last resort would be to put Vince in a run next to the rex trio (who I assume are completely unbothered by him?) but separated by a gap so they can't nip at each other through the bars. Then leave them there until Vince realises no matter how much of a fuss he makes, nothing changes. If he calms down, give him treats. Then put Vince's girls next to him in another pen, so they are present but he can't attack them either. If he seems calm, introduce him to his girls' pen, still in Boo's presence.

I would be trying to teach him that a) nothing he does allows him to get to Boo or Boo's girls, b) Boo cannot get to Vince or Vince's girls and c) merely being able to *see* Boo does not make him a threat.

I don't know if it has any hope of helping the situation, but I'd see it almost like a bond. You need the buns to be in each others presence without being able to harm each other for long enough that they calm down and relax. You need them to co-exist without violence, although not interact.

That's a good idea Sparky, Boo has on once or twice had a brief pop at his girls in Vince's presence but not to the extent Vince does. Even when he cannot see Boo, he charges up and down his tunnels like he is on a mission.

Easter and Hermione go up to him and sniff through the bars and he is ok with them, but not Boo.

I don't know if your helpful suggestions would work, I don't fully understand referred aggression, so I don't know what his reasons are behind it. When he goes up to the rexes house, he is perfectly well behaved, it's when they are near his house he gets funny. Perhaps if he hadn't have been so young when I got him, I would have found difficulty in bonding him with any friends at all?

He seems ok with neutral territory, it really is when Boo ventures near his side of the garden that the issue occurs. My set ups are on opposite sides of the garden, with the play house and the avairy being at a diagonal to each other.

Thank you for your help

Referred aggression is strange. Dougal and Rosie get half an hour on the drive in the morning (bear in mind they also have permanent access to their run) before Humum goes to work. After work, Jack and Layla are often out there, or me and Gizmo might be. Considering how little time Dougal spends out there, if he sees any other buns on the drive he goes loopy and attacks Rosie. Humum just drapes a blanket over their door - he seems to still be aware there are buns the other side of it but does not attack. There are pens on two other sides of his, and he can see those buns all the time, and they don't bother him at all

All this ^^^ would lead me to believe that the answer is not for Vince to see less of Boo, but more of him......

Like this he was fine, all free range but seperated by a devider