Does anyone let their rabbit free range in the garden supervised?

Does anyone let their rabbit free range supervised in a garden as the only form of exercise? Like no run or anything, just a couple of hours in the garden? I am hoping to do this because at the moment my Mum won't let me buy a new run because we already have 2 guinea-pig runs (which are not tall enough for rabbits) and she has said we can rabbit-proof the garden and I've found a rescue that doesn't mind me exercising them like that. I was just interested to see if anyone else does this. Although I know they wouldn't be able to get out of the garden I'm still really worried I'm going to lose them :? Also, I am getting a 6 x 2 x 2 hutch for them to live in (either that or they will live in my shed but it's got some holes in it so needs fixing a bit first) and I'd only be able to have them in the garden supervised (or indoors supervised in an unheated room if the weather's really bad or something) after school and I don't know if keeping them in their hutch all day wouldn't be fair on them, what do you think?

I do. Only when its not too wet though. If not they get to come inside. :wave:

I do.

No, mine are house buns and I'd never let them outside unless they were in a secure run (LOADS of predatory birds, theres always a hawk in the yard or flying over)

No, too many hawks, buzzards and eagle's around here.

No I don't. Too many people I know have done this and lost their rabbits - learning the lesson the gruesome and hard way.

I do not rehome to people that free range either. Can't have a dead rabbit on my head.

:wave: Mine have free range time.

Mine free range in the garden but only when me or OH are home, more often than not that's everyday, when we go out their put in their kennel with attached run

Is that instead of a run? Or as well as? At the moment my Mum won't let me get another run but she has started saying that We'll try letting them free range supervised in the garden for a couple of hours a day and if we don't think that it's really working then I can buy a run.

They have a dog kennel with a run (all one enclosure) 8ft...they also have shelves to add extra floor space for them, when I'm home their door to the kennel is ajar for them to come and go as they please to the garden, when I go out I lock them securely in the kennel.

Mine do and always have done, it is bunny proofed. I have runs aswell, and obv when I first get them until I know they will let me catch them have always gone in runs, and my girl wll go in the run if boys are out in the whole garden, I love watching them explore out there They are only ever out there when me or my sister are in though, and are kept on an eye on

Mine always have access to their runs. Two or three times a day I will let them out, but only whilst I am standing there with them. It's also a well enclosed garden and pretty small. I would never let them out and go into the house etc

Mine do go out when I'm there but otherwise they always have their run attached to their shed.

In all honesty I personally wouldn't get rabbits until I could give them 24 hour access (or at least access for the majority of the day) to a run.
If it's a short term problem then the wait won't be too hard, if it's a long term problem then it's not fair on the rabbits imo.

If you can fix the shed up that would be perfect
Otherwise you could save up for a larger, taller run to replace one of the guinea runs, or sell one of the guinea runs to help pay for a rabbit run.

No Not anymore, I used to at my old house which I thought was secure and once Sooty got chased by a cat and then I lost Oreo which was terrifying and scared the out of me (I did eventually find him) - never again!!

They have a nice big shed and avairy now but im starting to feel guilty they never get on the grass so im planning on buying the drop pin metal pens that you can fit as many panals as you like on and making a really big one and then covering it with net so they can safety run about - I will still stay out there with them though.

kaths101 said:

No Not anymore, I used to at my old house which I thought was secure and once Sooty got chased by a cat and then I lost Oreo which was terrifying and scared the out of me (I did eventually find him) - never again!!

They have a nice big shed and avairy now but im starting to feel guilty they never get on the grass so im planning on buying the drop pin metal pens that you can fit as many panals as you like on and making a really big one and then covering it with net so they can safety run about - I will still stay out there with them though.

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Yeah, everyone always thinks its secure until there's an accident. If it doesn't have a top and if theres nothing underneath to prevent digging under then it isnt "secure".

I also feel kinda guilty so i plan on getting them a dog kennel (something like 12x10) with a top so that they can have free range time while I'm out there. I'd love to get a playhouse too and connect it to the kennel.

Last year, Wendy who runs another local rescue near me told me of a hutch and accessories she picked up locally from a woman whos bun had died.

It was killed by a fox.
The bun had been free range while she was in the garden.

Fox came in and chased the bun, who ran to his/her owner, weaving around her legs with the fox in persuit. There was her and the fox both trying to catch this poor bun before the other.

The fox won

Don't believe your animals are safe just because you are there, foxes are far too tame now.

I might exercise them indoors then temporarily until I can get a bigger run for them. Thank you for the help

The Duchess said:

No I don't. Too many people I know have done this and lost their rabbits - learning the lesson the gruesome and hard way.

I do not rehome to people that free range either. Can't have a dead rabbit on my head.

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This.

Jacob and Bella live indoors at the moment,but they use the bunny flap to come and go as they please when one of us is home. We have a big two story hutch outside with a run that they will live in during the summer. that way they will have outside space when we are not in.

Alicia said:

I might exercise them indoors then temporarily until I can get a bigger run for them. Thank you for the help

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Hi Alicia.

I really would do that - it sounds like a good temporary plan.

I am afraid it's just not worth the risk and I think that people who say that they have bunny proofed gardens and that they have never had a problem are very lucky. The only way to bunny proof a free range garden is to put mesh under the whole grass area and put a lid on the whole garden!

I have heard so many, many stories of people who thought that it would never happen to them but it has.

One woman who tried to rehome a rabbit from me had lost hers to a fox. She was in the ktchen, saw the fox jumping over the 6ft fence with her female rabbit in it's mouth - the fox dropped the rabbit who was taken to the vets but died in the car. She still refused to change anything to be able to rehome from me and coudln't see or rather wouldn't do anything to make her existing bunny safe. Needless to say she just went out and bought a new rabbit!

A boarding client of mine had two 6kg frenchies who I kept on trying to persuade her take better care of. She free ranged. She came home to find one torn to shreds and then wanted to adopt another from me and didn't take kindly to me explaining what was wrong with the picture.

I also hear nearly every shift that I am at work (at the vets) of someone or other who lost a bunny to a fox and wanted another. We have a group of 6 practices so we cover a lot of area and it breaks my heart to hear this so often.

I just can't do free ranging unsupervised - it is totally bonkers.