My rabbits are fighting?
Hello. My rabbits, male and female, both about 1 year old, are no longer getting along. The male frequently chases the female, and she always retreats into a corner and seems rather timid. But this only happens in the hutch; when they run around outside, they get along. Could this have something to do with them trying to establish a hierarchy? And will this ever end? They are currently living temporarily with a barrier between them.
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How big is the hutch? Rabbits absolutely need at least six square meters of space for two people around the clock. Anything less is simply too small, even at night when they are at their most active. This means they can lie down if they have less than six square meters available at night.
Separating them with a cage also worsens the situation simply because they want to be together but can't. This means they can't establish the hierarchy if it needs to be re-established.
Otherwise, your female may be chased due to an undetected illness. So, you could take both animals to the vet and have them both checked out to see if an illness is the cause.
I would remove the mesh immediately. It only makes the rabbits aggressive towards each other.
And yes, they regulate the hierarchy.
If this only occurs in the stable, I would worry about whether the stable is too small.
The hutch might be too small, because rabbits need at least 6 square meters 24/7, but that is actually too small.