Sudden Agressive Behavior

Question
Hi Julia,

My son is preparing to show and sell market rabbits for the first time this year.  We have 4 Californians that are about 3.5 months old,  1 doe-3 bucks.  The breeder we purchased them off of stated the could all be kept in one cage,  until our fair next week.  My son has worked with the rabbits daily and they are mild tempered and come to him at the cage door when he visits or feeds them.

Then suddenly yesterday afternoon when my son returned from school, the rabbits are acting aggressive.  When he opened the cage to feed them, they ran circles around the cage.  In the evening, my husband attempted to help him feed them.  When they opened the cage, 2 lunged out of the cage into the yard. They were not easy to get back into the cage. My husband showed rabbits himself, but is truly puzzled by this behavior. We have not been able to feed the rabbits since yesterday morning at AM.  

Watching the rabbits from afar, it appears that the doe is the rabbit that is truly aggressive and her behavior instigates the other 3.

What should we do?  My son is heartbroken that he has worked on this project all summer and may not be able to take the rabbits to the fair, which is next week.

Thanks

Answer
Rabbits should NEVER be kept in the same cage after they are weaned. They are very territorial rabbits, and need to have their on space. Many times the does will get aggressive when they are ready to breed. They need to be housed separately right away. This should help. The doe may need to be bred to calm her down.
I hope this helps you! And good luck to your son!