Will sharing a shed with bunnies be a problem?

[AlisonK]

Hi all,
Not been on here in months!
My two boys have been bonded brilliantly now for over a year, having got the baby one to be a companion for my lonely rescued boy.
Thing is... Hubbie has agreed to look into letting the kids get a rabbit each, which is fine by me (even though I will end up looking after them). But if we get them I would like to keep them in a shed/playhouse/hutch in the garden with a run/yard attached. In this case during the winter I would like to move my guineas two tier hutch into there also to help keep them warm rather than relying on their insulation covers outside. The rabbits will ideally come from a rescue so should hopefully already be spayed or neutered. My question is ... Would the presence of rabbits, male or female, cause my guineas to fight? I was advised that letting them within a sniff of a female guinea would cause them to fight, but not sure about the whole bunny thing!?
Any thoughts?

 

[Lil-Ninnibig]

I dont no for certain but i wouldnt think it would affect the guineapigs in anyway as they are a seperate species. But dont allow the rabbits to run free with the piggys as rabbits can easily bully and harm a piggy. I think they should be fine i had rabbits and piggys as a child in double tier hutchs side by side so they could see and smell eachother but not get to eachother and they lived happily together. As for you ending up looking after the bunnys you should explain to your kids that unless they care for there pets they are not allowed them, it will teach them to be good pet owners and not rely on you once there bored.

 

[Pebble]

Provided your husbandry is good and you have good airflow/ventilation within the shed and wash your hands etc between the buns and the pigs then having them in the same air space should be fine.

There are diseases that bunnies carry which can affect piggies in a much more serious way. For instance bunnies with snuffles carry bacteria that can cause fatal URI's in guinea pigs.

If you tell the rescue of your plans then they should be able to select snuffle-free buns for you.

One final point and that is to be aware of the need to protect the piggies in cold weather even inside a shed. Bunnies grow a thick winter coat and are more suited to surviving the cold temperatures. Guineas don;t and are not as hardy. A sudden variation in temperature of 10degC can weaken a piggies immune system and cause respiratory infections to develop so whilst the bunnies may be toasty and warm the piggies might need some extra insulation if the temperature drops suddenly.

HTH
x

 

[AlisonK]

Lil-ninnibig
Thanks for your thoughts. I was rather thinking that being different species living side by side (yet separate) might be fine. The kids have been fully lectured by their dad and myself on the commitment involved with pets. They are now 8 and 7 and these rabbits would be their first pets of their own. However, I have had plenty and they have both always taken an interest and wanted to be involved. Is just a good backup that I love having pets and am secretly just as excited about the idea of adopting some bunnies as the kids are. p

 

[AlisonK]

Hi Pebble, thanks for that. Yes, I certainly will be watchful of the guineas in the winter. My thinking was just that being able to use the shed also would be safer for them than relying just on their insulation covers.

 

[BossHogg]

I have buns and piggies in the same shed in different hutches. Playtime in the garden, the pigs are in a pen whilst the buns free range. I've had no problems whatsoever.