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Outdoor buns - sleeping in the run instead of the bedroom!

Bitzy

Mama Doe
Does anyone else's outdoor buns sleep outside in their aviary/run?

My two have 24 hr access to their hutch/run but never go indoors at night. They sleep in the middle of the run huddled up together ... they have a perfectly warm/dry hay filled bedroom to retreat to but never do!

I'm getting a little worried about them as the weather's turning ..... they've always had the 24 hr access so I'd feel a bit mean shutting them in their hutch at night but I'm worried they'll get cold sat out all the time!

Do you think they'll have the sense to go into the hutch if they get cold?? Or are they likely to just sit and grin n bear it?

OH is making them a box for the run (they currently have cardboard boxes but he's going to make one of out wood for them) which I can fill with hay but I'm not even convinced they'd use this.

Does anyone else's buns do this? Do they ever go indoors or do they just sit out in all weathers? Should I be worried and lock them in at night (although don't fancy my chances of actually getting them in!)!

Cheers, Jo
 
Mine have 24 hour access to their run and do seem to enjoy frolicking out there in the dark. I have put some blankets/towels down for them and they seem to enjoy pulling all their hay out the basket and throwing it everywhere. But as I have the run covered with a shower curtain at the moment to keep the wind/drizzle off I can't see if they're actually sleeping out there.

They do the majority of their sleeping after breakfast, around 11-2pm, then they do use their hutch and snuggle down in the straw there. That leaves the night time to PARTY!
 
Mine also generally prefer to stay outside but last year they did go up into their hutches when it was super cold.
 
iv always "put mine to bed" at night thinking they will be too cold :oops: feel bad now because poppy doesnt like just being in her hutch, maybe when i should start leaving them to make there own choice? do you think i should leave it till the warmer whether now thou? and do you cover the run up at night?
 
Yes Mine are always out in the avairy when I go to bed and when I wake up - but I find they retreat to the shed in the daytime... I dont know if they will have the common sense to go in if its too cold - I hope so!
Im thinking of doing some sort of cover for the avairy - somehow with shower curtains / tarpaulin but I dunno - sometimes I think we worry too much!!
Today I have been adding extra padlocks as Im paranoid someone is going to come along and let them out :? I think im becoming obsessive! :lol:
 
Yes Mine are always out in the avairy when I go to bed and when I wake up - but I find they retreat to the shed in the daytime... I dont know if they will have the common sense to go in if its too cold - I hope so!
Im thinking of doing some sort of cover for the avairy - somehow with shower curtains / tarpaulin but I dunno - sometimes I think we worry too much!!
Today I have been adding extra padlocks as Im paranoid someone is going to come along and let them out :? I think im becoming obsessive! :lol:

:lol: i think we fo worry too much but its only because we care! i cover them up with a hutch hugger, then a ground sheet then and blanket at night :lol: and then i check that everything is locked twice :lol:
 
Mine come and go as they please, and have a nice warm hutch they can go in if they like....and I have seen them choose to sit in 3" of snow!
The weather they don't seem to like is high winds, but they are often sitting out in what I think is too cold. I guess they will go in if it gets really nasty, but they choose not to most of the time.
 
When mine go outside next year I am planning on, at least initially, shutting them in the shed late at night and getting Dad to open them up early in the morning before he goes to work about 6am or Mum when she gets up at about 7am. Once I'm happy they're settled I might not bother and leave it open all night.
 
My 2 have a huge hutch with a sleeping compartment stuffed with straw and hay so it's nice and cozy but I worry the same as you coz they sit out in the run no matter what the weather.....they particularly like the snow!
The hutch is covered with blankets then tarpaulin, and the run also is covered with tarpaulin so maybe that keeps the wind off so the bunnies cant feel it.
Bless them though, they do like to make us worry!
 
started leaving Tif and Bo out in there run (with hutch attached) and they spend most of there time in there, from what i see anyways, they seem happier out there :)
 
This is our current set up (still needs a few bits doing to it - like the panels above the wall etc etc)

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They do insist on sitting in that corner you can see them in there ....... that's the most exposed part of the aviary!!!

Last night they sat there getting soaked, whereas if they'd just moved in a couple of feet, they'd have been dry and toasty!

We bought a big party tent not long back but it collapsed during high winds, so I was thinking about using the plastic side of that and somehow putting it on a roller so I could roll it down and secure it at the bottom so any wind/rain coming in from the sea won't get to them!?!
 
Spenser spends a lot of time sitting in what is probably the coldest and draughtiest spot in his under-run. I've put a chill and chew mat there, which he is steadily eating his way through. Sometimes wonder why they design hutches with bedrooms. Spenser uses his as his toilet, and as private space when he doesn't want attention - I suppose that answers my question.
 
mine have 24hr access and did the exact same thing streched out in the middle of the run in the cold and rain rather than go in and i got worried, but last week they changed now they wont go in the run they just stay indoors so now im worried they arnt getting their exercise! but i suppose thats what rabbits do, worry there mummies and daddies!!!!!:love:
 
hardy creatures

Sausage sleeps in the bedroom at night, but his wifeybun Buffy doesn't, and none of their predecessors ever did, either - they seem to prefer to be able to see what's going on and stay in the open. Sausage and Buffy are closely bonded, and stay either side of the bedroom door, heads close. She sticks her head into the bedroom to collect any hay she wants to eat.

In REALLY cold weather we drape the hutch in tarpauline overnight, but they don't really like to be covered and they do thump about it.

I hope this helps.
 
aww love your set up!!!

Well tonight is FREEZING brrrr so I put my fleece, hat and gloves on and went and sat in the run with them tonight (as I do every night)... after a while i was actually really quite warm, so I gathered they must be too - they do have a furry coat on after all! I think as long as it has a roof and has a few sheltered sides its not too bad... Mine are in a corner so dont think they get the draught so much.

I am going to buy a few fleece blankets tomorrow but Im going to hold off the snugglesafes until it is REALLY cold!
 
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