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Free Range

Jade950

Alpha Buck
Just wandering, for those who let there bunnies free range. How do you get them back into their hutches at night? And obviously the garden would have to be safe but how do you make sure they dont get out? Lastly.. We have plants in our garden such as lavender, would we have to take this up or just put something round them? Thanks
Jade x
 
well i let mine have free run time. though they have a run for when im not home. around the perimetre of our garden is a fence. under the fence is layer of concrete in a little ditch my boyfreind made this is covered over by dirt and grass. all the plants in my garden are bunny safe, as far as i am aware you could try putting netting around the plants but if you htink they aer poisonous you are best to take it out and put boxes on top of hutch to plant those sort of things in.

to get back in at night originally i had to herd them in holding a towel out.... now i shake thier food tub and give them greens i call them. this was fine for a while then i learnt they only came to my voice and boyf was unhappy so iv now trained them to come in for my voice adn clicking of fingers..i walk behind them and say bed time....adn click my fingers as this is something he can do too. they have learnt that when they go in they get veg adn their evening pellets and i have no trouble any more... x
 
I usually open the back door and they are sooooo nosey they come in to investigate and i give them treats for coming in i have had the odd day when i have had to herd chloe with a towle though
 
Food is the key to all bunny moving, the sound of the food tub and they come running. Even the cats do, bunny food, cat biscuits all sound the same in a tub. Silly animals. :lol:
 
I only have to open the door of the aviary and they are straight on to the garden, when its "home time" I just ask them to go back in and clap my hands and with a bit of encouragement of they pop. They have to do it several times a day as I have 2 groups that take turns and I wont leave them out when im not in so they are very used to it.

In answer to your other questions plants will need to be kept out of reach (i removed all mine and I had loads just for my rabbits:oops:) You will have to check, check and check again for anywhere they may be able to get out and check daily for gaps of holes theyve dug. A free range rabbit can never be 100% safe but I take that small risk as my bunnies love playtime and i couldnt bear to see the locked up 24 hours a day even though they have a 9ft long run:D.
 
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Thanks for that, yeah i will definitly look into either taking up or putting something around so they can't munch them. And keep checking for if they've dug, because piglets always digging! When im at college is it ok to have them out in runs ? I asked my mum and she said she wasnt sure,but shee's no bunny expert , unlike you lot :D
 
Free range.

My bunnies are NEVER hutched up:)they are free range 24/7:)all my hutches have had the doors taken off (by me:oops:)so they can go in and out at will:)they tend to huddle up in little groups (even when it,s really hot)they definately have their own "friends" who they like to spend time with and tend to have their "own" hutches:? where they like to sleep but they all get on together:D(most times anyway:oops:;))
 
NB Lavendar is fine for them to eat...

Food works a treat for gathering them in, and they seem to be happy to adapty to coming in earlier as it gets dark earlier too :)
 
My bunnies are NEVER hutched up:)they are free range 24/7:)all my hutches have had the doors taken off (by me:oops:)so they can go in and out at will:)they tend to huddle up in little groups (even when it,s really hot)they definately have their own "friends" who they like to spend time with and tend to have their "own" hutches:? where they like to sleep but they all get on together:D(most times anyway:oops:;))

do you not worry at night about them? we are talking outside buns arent we?
 
Is it ok to have them in runs when im at college?:D Oh maybe i wont have to take the plants out, cos we mainly have lavender :)
 
We have the back door open and Lola comes and goes as she pleases - being a nosey piglet she is more often in the house than in the garden - she just nips around until she finds something she can chew/damage or attack.
 
My bunnies are NEVER hutched up:)they are free range 24/7:)all my hutches have had the doors taken off (by me:oops:)so they can go in and out at will:)they tend to huddle up in little groups (even when it,s really hot)they definately have their own "friends" who they like to spend time with and tend to have their "own" hutches:? where they like to sleep but they all get on together:D(most times anyway:oops:;))

:wave: Two of mine are free range all the time too, they have a hutch and a small shelter but never really use them, even when it's raining! I don't have many plants or grass left but I don't mind as it's nice to watch them running around the garden. When I open the back door they come running to see what yummy things I have for them :)
They have only got out once and that was because next door broke my fence:roll: I am home nearly all day so I don't woory too much. I feel really guilty if they are locked in their hutch.
 
If your buns are anything like mine, and most other folks' ... they will strip every plant including the lawn of every blade of edible greenery that grows in your garden.
If you have any favourite plants growing there, expect them to be murdered when you are not looking!!

And the rattle of a few bunny pellets in a pot will have bunnies racing you home before you get there.
 
I have my 2 giants free range, they eat EVERYTHING :lol:, no joke. the good thing about it though is that we have never had to mow our lawn becuase theyre always eating it.

I find it quite easy to catch mine at night to put them away, usually they know when its time to go in, so they run away like mad, but its easy enough to herd them in (Im not kidding! ;))
 
Yeah mine would eat everything! Thats why iwas worried about letting them out, until maybe ive covered the plants over or taken them out. WHile im at college is it ok to leave them in their runs?
 
Yes, perfectly fine to leave them in the runs while you are at college - mine is in his run while I am work. It gives him more freedomthan his hutch would. I am getting a bigger run built though and the shed converted next year.
 
Free range.

I should have explained that my buns live in a very large purpose built shed/outbuilding:)this has a run going all the way round which they have access to when i am at home during the day:)It,s covered over the top to stop foxes getting in (hopefully)
Their hutches are inside the shed and this is shut up at night or when the foxes are about so they are safe:)and YES i worry about them all the time but that,s bunnies for you;)
I like to think that the shed and hutches are their warren:)and the outside area their territory where they can play:)
I want them to have as much freedom as possible:)even my vet thinks it,s great:)he said that it,s like wild rabbits which is exactly what i had tried to create:)
 
If your buns are anything like mine, and most other folks' ... they will strip every plant including the lawn of every blade of edible greenery that grows in your garden.
If you have any favourite plants growing there, expect them to be murdered when you are not looking!!

And the rattle of a few bunny pellets in a pot will have bunnies racing you home before you get there.


Totally agree! Lola has scoffed the lot! I had a gorgeous Acer - nope its gone and as for my lavender, its a sad little stalk. If its green, its gone! Lola shows no mercy!
 
I made sure my garden was bunny proof as my house! Mine are house rabbits and not in a hutch anymore ( as they would not go in!!) As such I bunny proofed my house ( wires etc) They originally had their hutch in the conservatory and each night I had such a job on getting the BABY to go in the hutch - I admited defeat! So let them both sleep with the hutch doors open so they can get hay etc. If your bunny does not have a conservatory to 'sleep in' as you may be going free range - get into a routine! veg usually works ( my baby one was getting nipped by the older one prior to spaying). Veg will do the trick for your bunny. Mine have got used to the sound of chopping veg. To get them both in from the garden, I leave them too it til they come in and then shut the doors. Early dark nights means in early!
 
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