Two brother rabbits: will they fight?

Question
When I was a child, we had 2 brother rabbits that were fine in the beginning but fought when they reached sexual maturity. At the time, it was decided it was cheaper to separate them than to neuter them.

Fast forward 15 years...We have adopted 2 brothers - they are just babies and the pet shop owner said they would be fine together growing up and would not fight. (that is not true in my experience) This time around, if they display any fighting behaviour, I plan on getting them neutered.

Do boy bunnies that are friends that get neutered early (4-6 months) stay friends in you experience?

Answer
Dear Genie,

Whether the brothers will stay friends after sexual maturity depends on their individual personalities.  Some unneutered males remain pals, as long as one agrees to be subordinate to the other.  

Problems tend to arise when both rabbits decide they want to be Alpha, and neither backs down.  Once they start fighting in earnest, it's *very* difficult to get them to re-bond, even after neutering.  Rabbits have a long memory, and they don't forgive easily!  So the key is really to have them both neutered as soon as their testicles descend, if they start to show any aggressive behavior towards one another.

Until they get older, one way to prevent fighting is to allow them a LOT of space, so even if there are dominance issues they can get away from each other, and are not forced to fight.  *Preventing* fighting is really the key.

Unfortunately, sometimes even spayed/neutered rabbits have a falling out, and lose their bond of friendship, though this is more rare in spayed/neutered rabbits.  You'll have to play it by ear, watch them closely, and make sure you don't let any small tiffs escalate into full-blown battle.

I hope the boys will get along for a long, happy life with you and with each other!

Take care,

Dana