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Freeranging

sailaice

sailaice

Young Bun
We are going to let Rhubarb "free range" while we are gardening this weekend... this will be his first time free ranging with us.

He's not overly tame, so I was hoping for some hints and tips about how to get him back in his hutch when free range time is over?

We got him a few month ago and progress has been made he eats food while we are holding it and isn't completely frozen with fear when we stroke him. He's not overly cuddly.. but we respect that and try not to over handle him

Sometimes when he is in the run he just sits there, so I am hoping he will feel better free ranging.

The garden is completely secure and there is nowhere to escape this has all been checked before we considered giving him some free range time
 
Food ... plain and simple :lol::lol: Does he have a favourite munch you could use? Ours wonder to and from their house - and go in when they get bored! They also know dusk = veg!

Bet he will love the garden.. don't forget to get some piccies :D
 
I will definately take lots of piccies! He is very very partial to carrots chantenay ones in particular so I am all stocked up!

He has two hutches! A small green one (he came in it) and the double decker one we got him so I was debating putting him in smaller green one for an hour or so and then letting him out so he kind of has a "base" in the garden?

I don't want him to be frozen with fear or anything. Providing how well he takes to the whole garden free ranging we are hoping the next step will be to add a little friend to the mix, I do get the impression he's maybe lonely!
 
Oh photos please :D :D

Do you have a tub that you hold the food in or something like that?
I shake Oggie's food in the tub, and he instantly knows what it means. He should get used to that sound meaning food and run over :D

ETA - the base idea sounds very good :D If he hasnt been in the garden before he may like somewhere where he can just go to feel safe. Also to put the water bottle on :)
 
Yea a den sounds great.. you could put some different toys in and a drinky poo! A bit like a service station come holiday home but for bunnies :D

Rattling food tubs definitely gets all 9 of our buns going home!
 
If there are two of you the best way is to 'heard' him back indoors by just approaching him from the other direction and hopefully he hops away in the direction you want him to go.
 
rattle the food tin :) mine seem to quite enjoy being herded back in too......they run ahead of me & sit and wait for me to catch up, then they do a binkie, then run ahead again & wait :roll::roll:
 
timb0h said:
If there are two of you the best way is to 'heard' him back indoors by just approaching him from the other direction and hopefully he hops away in the direction you want him to go.
Click to expand...

Hehe... have you tried this! Buns think it's a challenge and take great delight in running between you and can escape through the tiniest of gaps.:roll:

If it is the first time a bun has free ranged, the big outside world can be quite scary. It might be an idea to partition off a smaller section of garden with a place in it to hide if bun needs a place to dart for safety. This will also make him easier to corner, and maybe steer into a carrier to take back home if he doesn't like being picked up.
Once he gets used to the sound of his favourite pellets being rattled in a pot, he will follow you anywhere for them!
 
The garden isn't that big for him to feel completely out of his depth, plus he has been in different areas quite frequently in his run.

I am working Saturday morning so think when I get in about 2ish weather providing we are going to let him out into the big wide work :D He will spend saturday morning in his little hutch first ;)
 
He might take quite a few sessions free ranging to get used to it. I used to have two pairs and would always let the giants free range and the dwarfies just had the run. Since one of each died and I bonded the other two together, my dwarf boy took a while to get used to the bigger area - at first he'd just find a little spot under a bush to sit and hide. Now he absolutely loves it and bounces about all over! It's so rewarding to see freeranging bunnies I love it!

Hope he has fun :D
 
sailaice said:
We are going to let Rhubarb "free range" while we are gardening this weekend... this will be his first time free ranging with us.

He's not overly tame, so I was hoping for some hints and tips about how to get him back in his hutch when free range time is over?

We got him a few month ago and progress has been made he eats food while we are holding it and isn't completely frozen with fear when we stroke him. He's not overly cuddly.. but we respect that and try not to over handle him

Sometimes when he is in the run he just sits there, so I am hoping he will feel better free ranging.

The garden is completely secure and there is nowhere to escape this has all been checked before we considered giving him some free range time
Click to expand...



Hi, if you are planning free range as a perm arrangement when your bun will get used to it. I have two free range buns and like yours they are not over handled (they dont like being picked up but do like a stroke on thier terms!) but they seem to prefer their hutch during the day (although they do come and go as they please) and being out at dusk time! It is normally dark when I go out and close the hutch up for the night. I make sure that I have some veggies with me as this always does the trick! It never takes me that long to get them both back in the hutch.
 
I hope he does too, he's quite a quiet little bun, reserved etc. I am hoping a friend may bring him out of his shell a bit.

We are getting a large run from Zooplus as we treat our lawns in Spring so he will need to be in a run from this and out the front while the back is done.

Plus the run will come in handy when we get another bun and they are bonding :D
 
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