I started with similiar prejudice, but pretty quickly realised that keeping them alone didn't make me happy. Now, for ne, a lot of the joy from keeping rabbits comes from watching them interact.
Bucks, together, that's something I never tried, and don't think has much of a chance to work. Neutered bucks, espcially when neutered before puberty (seems not to be done in the US?), yes can work, but even then a girl can tip that balance - neighbours have a group of 4 or 5 neutered boys and tried to add a girl, had to remove her.
Intact bucks natural instinct is to drive rivals away, if the other can't get away it can escalate really fast, and bad.
Girls have more social skills. I started with 2 does, seperate, and never tried to get them together since first accidential meetings when I had little experience turned into a Furnado instantly.
I did keep daughters of those two to live with their dams so they were at least always in pairs, also the doelings stay with them for up to 5 months.
Eventually I fused the groups together, since of one there was just one doe left with no offspring, I just started to give them the opportunity to meet in the garden where they spend the day (ca. 200m²) on their own terms, for weeks. Can't remember the timeline, but at some point I connected their hutches, and it worked out. I didn't hurry it
Now there are 3 does living together, Red (11), Ruth (5) and a still unnamed 1 year old, the other doeling I wanted to keep unfortunatly managed to run into a car, but I plan to have 2 active breeding does and as many retired ones are around - they are great aunties when kits are around.
I think what helps to have that all go smootly is to give them structured space, where they can claim a part of it or just get out of each others eyes when they feel like it, in my case this are 2-3 seperate rather big hutches connected with tunnels. They also spend a lot of time outside, foraging.
My new buck Hansi, rescued him on impulse, lives alone now, but he can interact with the girls through the wire and gets his share of garden time - he's fine, and a happy camper.. My previous, now neutered buck is my house bunny, and he lives with a girl that I got spayed for his predecessor because he looked lonely as my single house bunny. But there are stories to tell about what happens when you add a girl to an intact buck
, that's why Pacino got snipped the second he lost his job
.
It took me a few years from not having a clue to understanding them, their social dynamics and needs, but it is worth it. I enjoy seeing them groom each other, lounge in wiered heaps, work together keeping lookout on the meadow or even their little squabbles and moods.
