Shed with run open all night?

I am planning a shed with acess to run through cat flap that can be locked.Do i allow then outside during night or is it best to keep them locked in? What do you do?We live in the country so i guess lots of foxes.

I leave mine open at night. i too live in the country...but am yet to see/ hear a fox:lol:
even if there is one running about, it couldnt get in my run

I guess much would depend on how fox proof and secure your run is, is it on the pavements or grass? as you probably know buns will dig if it's on grass

If you think there might be foxes about then I would lock them in, definately. They can scare rabbits to death

Also if it's not 100% secure on all sides (including roof and floor) then definately lock them in.

I've had foxes tear up my rabbit run in the garden when i was younger and kill all my kits that my doe had had. Fortunately my doe got away, but it wasn't pretty at all and i'd never make the mistake of leaving a run out in the countryside. I'm in a built up area now, so i'm not as concerned, but still get them all in before midnight.

Going to put run on slabs and work out a way to bolt it down.I have never seen a fox in the garden but i don`t walk around outside at night so would not know.Think i will let them have some of the night then put them in just before i go to bed.

We don't live in the countryside. Well, we kinda live on the outskirts of London. So there is fields behind our house but not miles and miles of them. We have foxes round here and we've seen them. We've had one die on our driveway - we think it got hit by a train. But we've seen them from the window before and also when my bunns used to be outside you could sometimes see the torchlight glinting off their eyes when putting them away for the night. Scary.

I always lock mine in the shed overnight. It's just not worth the risk imo.

I personally find that there are more foxes in urban area than in the country, foxes in towns scavange more and are to me much more clever at getting what they want,

I'd also be aware of stoats weasels ferrets and mink they are on the increase too,

id bury some bricks or concrete at least a foot down round where the run rests and sit on paving slabs to prevent burrowing, a smaller mesh helps. and covering at night. only by doing this id feel safer at leaving my buns like this

We laid a patio then turfed over it and made sure the patio area was beyond the perimeter of the run, so foxes couldn't dig in.. The run was made of heavy timber peices and mesh with roof meshed then half corrugated plastic.
The run was screwed top and bottom into the shed.
My husband made a wooden door just over 2ft high and the width of my backside(not telling you what measurement that was!:lol::lol::lol so I could crawl in there when necessary. The door can be bolted shut and small key operated locks put on the run at night.
Unfortunately rabbits do sometimes get stolen so I prefer to be on the safe side with locks.
I am happy to let buns have access into my run though open rabbit-sized door at night and day in summer, though daytime only in cold weather.

It really depends on how secure the run is?
sue:wave:

Not sure what part of Norfolk you live in, I'm on the outskirts of Gt Yarmouth and I've seen and heard foxes outside my house. Personally, I wouldn't risk it, fox or no fox. My bun's have always been locked away at night as I've had cats pestering them in the past too.

As Pebbles isn't very old, I keep my window open in case she thumps. I was out at 4am the other morning, just checking she was ok

Well my four have 24/7 access to their sheds and runs. The runs are about as fox proof as I can make them and I'm happy to leave them to choose where they want to be at night. I can pretty much guarantee that they'll be outside unless it's absolutely hammering down with rain. We've done this for nearly 20 years and have yet to encounter a fox or other predator. Yes, there's a risk but I prefer to give my bunnies as much freedom as possible whilst taking every precaution to avoid problems. But I totally understand people who want to lock them in safe and sound at night - it's just personal choice.

Mine have 24 access to their run. It is built on a patio and drilled into it and its safe for day or night. There are foxes about but I have never had a problem.

My other reason is that my bunnies seem to be quite active at night and especially early morning and it would be a great shame for them to miss out.