First time free ranging eek!

I've just let one of my pairs of buns free range in the garden for the first time! Eek, my heart was racing!
I cordoned off all the possible exits but still worried they might squeeze through a 2" gap between the fence, or jump the six foot boundary fence, or go under the hutch and never come out... Or a million other possible/impossible scenarios.
But all went well... Phew! I only let them have half an hour as my other pair were out in their run, and there started to be a lot of chasing up and down, both between my pair in the run, and between the two pairs together, there was no attempted biting through the bars but lots of sniffing etc. Overall, I'm happy and it was easier than I thought to herd them back into their hutch.
I'd like to do it on a regular basis. Do you think they will get used to each other being on the other side of the run, rather than the other side of the garden?

Well done for giving it a go. It's good to let them stretch their legs.

I think the main thing you'll have to watch is them going under the hutch. They tend to seek "cover" or safe home base. (People with sheds can find this a problem.
Also how the 2 pairs interact with each other, epecially the ones in the run. Strangely, although bonded, they can start to fight each other when there are strange buns nearby. It's called referred aggression.
I think I've added to your anxieties, trying to give you some perspective.

My Benjie free ranges, & comes in when called. I'm out every second with him & listen to the birds for alarm calls.

All my group are non free rangers because our (rented) garden is not securely fenced and we have dogs, so if they got into the wrong part of the garden ...

Its great that you can let yours out (not stress free for you, understandably).

Bird calls are really useful. All my flock (!) take notice of them.

tulsi said:

All my group are non free rangers because our (rented) garden is not securely fenced and we have dogs, so if they got into the wrong part of the garden ...

Its great that you can let yours out (not stress free for you, understandably).

Bird calls are really useful. All my flock (!) take notice of them.

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I find blackbirds are particularly useful because they have different calls for different predators - predator in the air, (usually magpies round here) & predator on the ground (probably cos I know them best.) Also I can often tell which direction danger is coming from as the alarm calls go up.
I missed it once when a very low flying hot air balloon came over the roof, & was directly overhead. Thumper was spooked, ran into his one of his hiding places under a bush, & started thumping. I couldn't work out why. When the balloon turned the gas on, I nearly fell over with shock. :lol:

I was fascinated when watching a program about Madagascar, when a bird only found there did an alarm call & Thumper bolted out of the room to his hiding place!

I saw it in reverse once. Thumper was in his run, doing ornate predator escape practice. A flock of goldfinches feeding on nearby Michaelmas daisy seeds all flew off as one - probably when he thumped. Thumper had me in laughter. His whole body language was of surprise & bewilderment as if to say "You should have known I was only practising - I carefully held my tail down.":lol:

thumps_ said:

I find blackbirds are particularly useful because they have different calls for different predators - predator in the air, (usually magpies round here) & predator on the ground (probably cos I know them best.) Also I can often tell which direction danger is coming from as the alarm calls go up.
I missed it once when a very low flying hot air balloon came over the roof, & was directly overhead. Thumper was spooked, ran into his one of his hiding places under a bush, & started thumping. I couldn't work out why. When the balloon turned the gas on, I nearly fell over with shock. :lol:

I was fascinated when watching a program about Madagascar, when a bird only found there did an alarm call & Thumper bolted out of the room to his hiding place!

I saw it in reverse once. Thumper was in his run, doing ornate predator escape practice. A flock of goldfinches feeding on nearby Michaelmas daisy seeds all flew off as one - probably when he thumped. Thumper had me in laughter. His whole body language was of surprise & bewilderment as if to say "You should have known I was only practising - I carefully held my tail down.":lol:

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Wow. I didnt know that. Excellent.

I'm too scared to let mine free range in the garden. OH has offered to bunny proof it - there's only 2 areas that need attention plus the shed, but Im more scared of not being able to round them up. Nancy would be no trouble, she is easily bribed with food, Will's a different matter tho and a lot faster than us humans.

Interesting about the bird calls, even when they're in the secure run connected to the hutch, they're always alert to the blackbirds warning (OH told me whtat this sound was) but I'll be able to impress him now and tell him they have 2 calls:lol::lol:

Mine always thump at magpies and at dusk yesterday when they were on the lawn they went scatty thumping when flocks and flocks of seagulls flew overhead.

Yes there was some referred aggression between the pair in the run. I wonder if that would ease off as they get used to the other pair being closer?
They were quite easy to herd into the hutch so that was one of my main concerns, I imagined I'd be out there hours trying to get them in.
I'm more worried about letting my second pair (the pair in the run) free range, Pippin is a little nethie and he is fast as lightening! He could easily fit under the hutch too. I will try and get up the courage to though as it would be a shame for them to miss out.
They do both have 24/7 access to an enormous run each though, the runs are 4.5m x 1.5m, which is quite generous I think.... Well they take up most of my garden anyway.

Glad it went well I like letting mine have some free range time! I spent 4 hours in the garden on Saturday though making sure everyone had a turn and was watched carefully! :lol: woody can be a little monkey trying to escape or winding Freddie up through the mesh! Lol.

Karen's said:

Yes there was some referred aggression between the pair in the run. I wonder if that would ease off as they get used to the other pair being closer?
They were quite easy to herd into the hutch so that was one of my main concerns, I imagined I'd be out there hours trying to get them in.
I'm more worried about letting my second pair (the pair in the run) free range, Pippin is a little nethie and he is fast as lightening! He could easily fit under the hutch too. I will try and get up the courage to though as it would be a shame for them to miss out.
They do both have 24/7 access to an enormous run each though, the runs are 4.5m x 1.5m, which is quite generous I think.... Well they take up most of my garden anyway.

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Ditto Will. Let me know if you take a chance. He got out of his big run the other day. Wished I'd filmed OH trying to catch him (I was heading him off from the un bunnyproofed bits:lol::lol:

Oh I've got such a picture in my mind of you both trying to catch him! :lol::lol:
Benny Hill music playing... And everything going in fast forward speed.... Hope I'm not showing my age there mentioning Benny Hill!