Help with bunny bonding

[AlmondJoy]

I am having some bunny bonding issues. I have 2 bonded bunnies that are sister and brother Almond and Joy, but about 2 months ago we adopted another bunny, Captain (boy), and have kept them separate but alternate them in cages so they get used to each other scents. We have done this for about a month now. They have all been fixed probably 7-8 months ago.

We have tried putting all 3 recently in the bathtub but it quickly turned into a big fight. Joy bit Captain and in return he bit Almond. We then decided to put Captain and Almond together in a small travel cage where they didnt have much room to move but they started nipping and pulling hair. They were only ok when my husband had his hands in there petting both of them. We then put Joy and Captain in the travel cage and my husband was petting both of them and they seemed pretty calm.

I am nervous about bonding them any other way so maybe we will keep them in the travel cage for bonding time with my husband petting them so they get used to each others smells more? And then move onto stress bonding? Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[Blue eyes]

Hello again.
You may be in for a difficult journey. When one has an already established pair of bonded rabbits, introducing a third rabbit can wreak havoc on the original bond. It is recommended that if one is going to attempt to bond a trio of rabbits that all three rabbits meet for the first time at the same time. It is also recommended that no more than 1 male be part of that group. (Two males typically fight over the female's attention.)

Unfortunately, you not only have an existing bonded pair, but two males as well. That is why it may be difficult.

There is a website that discusses bonding trios and groups. It is at the following link but you'll have to scroll way, way down to get to the section on "RABBIT GROUPS AND TRIOS."
https://www.cottontails-rescue.org.uk/information/bonding-bunnies/

This is a quote from there:
Whilst most experienced and knowledgeable rabbit owners and professionals agree that the best social arrangement for rabbits is to keep them in bonded neutered pairs (usually male/female), there are some situations where a trio or group may be attempted, with varying degrees of success. In this article we will look at various options to give such an arrangement the best possible chance of working.

However, it must be said that if you have a happily bonded pair of rabbits you are best to leave well alone and not try to add in any extras! Some owners set up a rabbit group with apparent ease, only to find later on that fighting breaks out with injuries and sometimes fatalities – things can go wrong even after a year or two, so do not be fooled by seemingly an easy bonding, you need to be prepared to cope should it all go wrong.

 

[AlmondJoy]

Oh dear, this is not good news lol. Thank you for the link and your response. I will go through the link shortly.