Getting bunnies in and out of hutches, how do you do it?

Hiya,

My two are in seperate hutches (to avoid babies!) - I would love to have it another way but live with parents still and am trying to make it as safe and as enjoyable as possible for them.
It can be difficult sometimes to get them in and out. Kiki is a lot easier as she doesn't mind being picked up for short amount of times and will very rarely get frustrated whereas Hiro HATES it and will try anything not to be picked up.

So - we have to get one out first and put into the carrier so we can then put the carrier in the run (on grass) - I don't want to stress them. The other we have to pick up and get them on our patio for a run (before that we use some blockers for the path so they don't escape).

They both love it either way when they're out but was wondering how other ppl get their bunsters in and out of hutch/run?

I hate to think they are stressed so try and make it as confortable as poss for them but at the same time get them used to being handled.

I carry most of my monsters as they are happy for me to do it; but I have a few who just do not do the 'feet off the ground' thing :lol:. So for those, I'm like you and use the carrier. They now associate it with their run time or dinner time, so don't normally hesitate getting in there, but it wasn't like that at first. I tempted them in with a nice piece of kale or dandelion leaf and then rewarded them when they got back in at the end of a run, so they learnt to associate nice food or an afternoon in the run and more yummy food at either end of getting in the carriers and it seems to have worked. It is very stress free

I have great trouble getting Honey out of her run. I usually bribe her with a tasty dandelion and pick her up quickly.

Max is fine being carried but Bub and Poppy hate it. I have to bribe them to come over to me with treats and then I have to grab them quickly and pull them quickly into my body. My arms get scratched to pieces but once they are secure against my body they are fine and do not struggle at all. Or sometimes I just coax them into a carrier and take them indoors, they are fine being picked up from the carrier.

Is your garden enclosed? If they were to go to the hutches themselves would they be able to escape from the garden?

Buu is clicker trained to go in and out on her own I say in your run and they go from their hutch at one end of the garden to the run down the other and straight in the door with no messing about Same with the hutch, I tell Buu in your hutch as I open the run door and she is straight up the garden and into her hutch

Clicker training is so easy and I completely trust Buu 100% to get in and out of her hutch or run when she is told, its been ages since anything distracted her and she has hopped of in the other direction :lol:

If we have people in the garden when I do it they are like :shock: :shock: :shock: at the fact she gets in and out when she is told :lol:

I really should video it and put it on here, I keep saying I will but I had to give my ex his video camera back :lol: I will see if I can borrow one and film it for you x

hurricanhoney said:

I have great trouble getting Honey out of her run. I usually bribe her with a tasty dandelion and pick her up quickly.

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I do that with Kiki give her something to nibble to distract her then pick her up - she's fine short distances, she's so wee anyway it's easy with her, but Hiro gets a little skittish when he sees the carrier (bless him) he's find once he's there though and loves the run time afterwards

Just hope the "good association" kicks in for him and he chills out when we get the carrier out

sillyrabbit said:

Is your garden enclosed? If they were to go to the hutches themselves would they be able to escape from the garden?

Buu is clicker trained to go in and out on her own I say in your run and they go from their hutch at one end of the garden to the run down the other and straight in the door with no messing about Same with the hutch, I tell Buu in your hutch as I open the run door and she is straight up the garden and into her hutch

Clicker training is so easy and I completely trust Buu 100% to get in and out of her hutch or run when she is told, its been ages since anything distracted her and she has hopped of in the other direction :lol:

If we have people in the garden when I do it they are like :shock: :shock: :shock: at the fact she gets in and out when she is told :lol:

I really should video it and put it on here, I keep saying I will but I had to give my ex his video camera back :lol: I will see if I can borrow one and film it for you x

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Yeah! you'll have to film it, I got a couple clicker training fave clips on my Youtube and love to see some demonstrations.

I really wanna get my two trained but it's difficult atm as I want them as indoor and outdoor buns and living with parents. We got a clicker though, it's just knowing where to start and my neighbours might think I'm mad :lol:

My garden is in sections, we have the front bit with a small wall and a path through the middle to the second bit, then the third bit is also seperated with grass either side. They stay in the middle bit where their hutches are and I block the paths with sturdy trellis's. It takes some time to set up tho :roll:. Plus we get loads of cats in our garden (no matter what we do) so theirs hasps and bolts and swivels on all the doors :roll:

Thumper and poppy both rip my arms to shreds when i try to bring them in so what i do now is take the pet carrier out with me and they jump in that then straight into there hutches

AnnaDelie said:

Yeah! you'll have to film it, I got a couple clicker training fave clips on my Youtube and love to see some demonstrations.

I really wanna get my two trained but it's difficult atm as I want them as indoor and outdoor buns and living with parents. We got a clicker though, it's just knowing where to start and my neighbours might think I'm mad :lol:

My garden is in sections, we have the front bit with a small wall and a path through the middle to the second bit, then the third bit is also seperated with grass either side. They stay in the middle bit where their hutches are and I block the paths with sturdy trellis's. It takes some time to set up tho :roll:. Plus we get loads of cats in our garden (no matter what we do) so theirs hasps and bolts and swivels on all the doors :roll:

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I just started by teaching them their names, took about 15 minutes with the clicker You just click and give a small piece of fruit or veg until they hear the click and know they are getting something - takes about 2 goes :shock: :lol: Then start saying their names as you click and give them the treat, then stop clicking and they respond to their names

Its so easy honey

If you cant train them to walk across the garden to a certain part, I have Beau clicker trained to jump into a laundry basket It cost about £3 in B&Q, once he is in I just cover the basket with an old towel, carry the basket to his run and then he jumps out x

sillyrabbit said:

I just started by teaching them their names, took about 15 minutes with the clicker You just click and give a small piece of fruit or veg until they hear the click and know they are getting something - takes about 2 goes :shock: :lol: Then start saying their names as you click and give them the treat, then stop clicking and they respond to their names

Its so easy honey

If you cant train them to walk across the garden to a certain part, I have Beau clicker trained to jump into a laundry basket It cost about £3 in B&Q, once he is in I just cover the basket with an old towel, carry the basket to his run and then he jumps out x

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That's awesome It sounds so easy :lol: I will have to spend some time and plan it out.

Kiki's quite good, she jumps up for treats so I think she'll be great to train, Hiro might take a little longer. I can't wait to get to your stage though.

Really appreciate the tips too, I could really use them :wave:

OOh where do you get a clicker from? I wanna name train!
Also i have a massive problem putting Rory away. He doesnt mind coming out but when it comes to putting him away I have to have the hutch door wide open before i pick him up so that I can put him, or rather he can jump straight in and scratch up my arms. I have got a new hutch though that is my height - i wondered if it was cos i had to bend down to put him away that he was being funny?

HelB said:

OOh where do you get a clicker from? I wanna name train!
Also i have a massive problem putting Rory away. He doesnt mind coming out but when it comes to putting him away I have to have the hutch door wide open before i pick him up so that I can put him, or rather he can jump straight in and scratch up my arms. I have got a new hutch though that is my height - i wondered if it was cos i had to bend down to put him away that he was being funny?

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Here's one of the Bunny clicker training clips on Youtube (my fave): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgDHWLyztCI

The clicker you can get from big pet shops or online, it's just called a clicker I believe, they're more well known for dog clicker training - but it's the same thing.

I think bunnies (or at least my Hiro does) like things on "Their terms" and once they know what you're up to, they can get pretty clever and stubborn :lol: sometimes when I walked away from my old bun (RIP Mitsy) she would hop back in her hutch on her own cheeky!

I would use an "incentive" - a treat when they have got back in their hutch, I don't put Hiro back until he's chilled out - he might think then that if he wriggles he gets away .. so don't let him out of your arms until he's chilled out, I find if I hold Kikis bum securely and the other hand with fingers between her paws she can't wriggle, but Hiro is bigger and "badder" :lol: