Regrouping does after kindling: alfalfa slightly cuts injuries, a study finds
Published by Planète Pets · managing editor: Clément Lacaille · how our guides are written
When you introduce two rabbits to each other, after an adoption, a spay or neuter, or the loss of a companion, reducing the risk of injury is usually the main concern. A Belgian study on farmed does regrouped after giving birth offers one concrete answer: among several possible setups, only one actually cuts down the number of injured animals. Our equipment recommendations are gathered in the rabbit accessories section.
Contents · 5 sections
Eighty does, four setups compared
Liesbeth Van Damme, Nusret Ipek, Jan Verwaeren, Evelyne Delezie and Frank Tuyttens published a study in 2024, in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science, on eighty does and their 22-day-old kits, split across twenty cages each housing four does for ten days, over three reproduction cycles. Four treatments were compared: an alfalfa block to gnaw on, a wooden panel placed under a raised platform, both combined, or no extra enrichment as a control. Skin injuries were scored before and after regrouping, and a computer-vision system continuously tracked activity and aggressive behaviour over the first 24 hours.
Fewer injured does with alfalfa, but aggression itself didn't disappear
By the very first day in the group, 67.2% of does already carried a new injury; that share climbed to 82% after ten days, across all groups. Over the whole observation period, the control group had significantly more injured does than the alfalfa-only group (p = 0.04) and the alfalfa-plus-panel group (p = 0.005). The wooden panel alone, on the other hand, produced no significant effect by itself. The authors are clear about the scope of this finding: none of the enrichments tested meaningfully changed the does' aggressive behaviour or their overall activity level, only the share of injured females edged down with alfalfa.
What this means for bonding at home
This work looked at farmed does regrouped after giving birth, a different context from bonding a companion rabbit, but the underlying principle still transfers: offering something to gnaw on during the first exchanges between two rabbits occupies some of the attention that might otherwise go toward confrontation, without guaranteeing there'll be no scuffle at all. Our guide on bonding two rabbits covers the equipment worth having on hand for a gradual introduction. The choice of hiding spots matters too, though not always in the way you'd expect: another study on hiding places for group-housed rabbits nuances their real effect on tension.
The study's limits
The sample stays modest relative to the number of cages (twenty cages of four does), and the setting, a commercial farm with scheduled post-partum regrouping, differs sharply from the gradual introduction recommended for two companion rabbits that don't know each other. The authors themselves note the lack of a marked effect on the aggression captured on video: the drop in injured does fed alfalfa remains a modest statistical result, not a fix that removes the risk of a fight.
Frequently asked questions
Does a chew block guarantee a fight-free bonding session?
No: the study shows a drop in the share of injured does, not the disappearance of aggression. A gradual, supervised introduction stays essential.
Is the wooden hiding panel pointless, then?
Not pointless, but its effect alone wasn't statistically significant in this study; combined with alfalfa, it didn't outperform alfalfa on its own. Find all our guides on the rabbit hub.
See it in the Planète Pets shop: 2-in-1 felt tunnel and hideout for rabbits and ferrets (44 × 60 cm) (€37.90) · the whole shop
See it in the Planète Pets shop: Modular plastic playpen for puppies and rabbits, 4 or 6 panels (from $87.90, ships from the US) · the US shop
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Rabbits universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.
