ARBA is definitely alive and well, even up here! We’ve got some Thrianta breeders in the area, even. I bred and showed Mini Rexes and Holland Lops; we’ve got some really good stock up here in Canada though we really seek out some of the US bloodlines such as Belokonny and Campo (or did, that was some years ago now!). I still have an absolutely gorgeous chestnut Belokonny x Campo Holland doe - she’s 6 this year and was bought to further improve my breeding program at the time, but I got out of rabbits and showing immediately after. Clear sailing, I always lusted after the Belgian Hares also!! I’d still love to get one, one day.
I think with modern medicine all of hte rabbits we saw at the clinic handled neutering and spaying just fine. No more stress then your dog and cat. Kept them away from the crazy dog wards and other then that they did’nt get kid gloves so to speak.
As for fights I raised rex rabbits for about 10 years through 4-h and all my young bucks got along just fine. Had doe fights all the time but the bucks were pals until one got to breed then they tended to get scrappy.
If the plan is to make them pets vs livestock then get them neutered or spayed and I think most combinations work just fine when you remove the hormones.
Loved my silver Flemish giant! He was an indoor bunny because of our TX heat (I do have some outdoor bunns - all rescues - that are very shaded and ice cooled in the summer.)
Back to Gordon: easy to house train, but he was a consummate chewer, so I laid down a big piece of vinyl flooring with one of those movable dog pens over the top with his hutch inside. If I wasn’t at home, he could still have a large area, but use his hutch to loo in. When I was home, he was out with me around the house. Loved to watch him and our mutt play tag. Gordon was as heavy as Henry!
Find a good vet that works with bunns. Spay or neuter is a must! Much more pleasant. As for companionship, I also had a French Lop that was smaller, but they got on well. If you have the opposite sex paired up, you need to fix them both, otherwise she will pester him to no end…literally!
