More space for a bun

I have this hucth.
http://www.petsathome.com/webapp/wc...-store-only)?gclid=CLrJo_6MksQCFQITwwodJJEABg

Housing my one year old female mini lop.
I always try to put her on the run before I go to school, as the hutch and run are not connected. But when it is bad weather I am unable to do this as the toys I have in the run are not waterproof (I do have tarpaulin but its not big enought etc.)

Whenever she is unable to go in her run I always put her in a place to run for at least and hour (although that's not very long), I want to get some type of runaround system so that they are always connected. I was wondering if you can attach the runaround all night and let your rabbit go into its run whenever you want without locking it in its hutch? If I just take the toys out at night so they do t get wet.

Another point I want to make is that I would like to free range my rabbit every now and then but my garden is not secure and one side had holes in the fence and the other side many dog walkers walk as it is quite open and so my rabbit may get scared easily. Do you guys free range your rabbits outdoors? If you do what do you use to corner off the unwanted bunny areas and what would you do to stop your bunny from jumping over?

Hi there, my hutch is within an aviary on cement base so they have 24/7 access, but I plan to attach runaround tunnel to a grass run for supervised playing only, as I won't be meshing under the grass or laying slabs to stop them digging out or predators digging in. I think that's the risk with full time grass run access. Could you do buried mesh or slabs? I feel that connected housing to exercise area is best for the rabbit as they exercise dawn and dusk as I understand it so the times when they are transferred to their runs aren't usually the times they like.

Unfortunately I can't allow free range for similar reasons. Why I'm sure I'll switch to indoor free ranging buns when they're older

Another idea for rain proofing the run is plastic corrugated sheet over the top, weighed down, or heavy duty tarp weighted down and covering one side.

Meant to say heavy duty polythene, not tarp, soz.

I do let my rabbits run free range in my garden and only lock them back to their hutch when it is too cold. My garden has quite tall fences on 3 sides and the other side is our house, make it completely sealed. Behind my garden is a big open field and no woods near so is a popular dog walking area. I see it as a plus side as these dogs leave their smell so no fox would like to get close. My rabbits never feel scare of dogs behind the fence.

I think you can get run with a "top" then they won't be able to escape.

http://www.runaround.co.uk/

AMAZING!

hyic said:

I do let my rabbits run free range in my garden and only lock them back to their hutch when it is too cold. My garden has quite tall fences on 3 sides and the other side is our house, make it completely sealed. Behind my garden is a big open field and no woods near so is a popular dog walking area. I see it as a plus side as these dogs leave their smell so no fox would like to get close. My rabbits never feel scare of dogs behind the fence.

I think you can get run with a "top" then they won't be able to escape.

Click to expand...

I have 2 dogs who leave their scent all over my garden but we have still had a fox in the garden, I'm afraid that free ranging without supervision is very risky.

Freakinfreak said:

http://www.runaround.co.uk/

AMAZING!

Click to expand...

Runaround is amazing, I have some :thumb:

Zoobec said:

I have 2 dogs who leave their scent all over my garden but we have still had a fox in the garden, I'm afraid that free ranging without supervision is very risky.

Click to expand...

Thanks for your advice but I don't see any danger. My house is newly built and the back of garden is a big field use for football, playground, path to school, jogging path and dog walking area. Always have someone there even middle of night. Also many different type of dogs (Def more than 20 dogs using that park) so with this number I really don't think fox will like to get close to that park. They will choose to stay inside the wood for hunting.

I have no idea where do you live but I believe the most important is if there is any wood area too close to the house and it close to a public area (not count other garden cos won't have people round the clock) or not. Unfortunately I am going to move out soon so will have to do what everyone doing to lock them in the run soon cos the new house does not have these advantages. .

Thanks for your advice but I don't see any danger.

Please don't disregard the experience and advice of rabbit-keepers. I live in a built up area, with dogs all around, and a fox regularly comes to my back door because she can smell the rabbits that live in the house. Jane had a fox walk straight into her house, in the past. In the dark and distant past, I lost rabbits to dogs and foxes because I let them free range. Its worth remembering that a dog is as much a danger to a rabbit as is a fox. Even dogs that grow up with rabbits can revert to wild behaviour and kill them - we've had that on RU, with people distraught that their dogs who were 'friends' of their rabbits have now killed them.

I don't have a dog at home but my neighbour has. My garden fences are all 6 foot tall and no holes in the ground. Although I know fox can climb but really I don't worry in the area I'm living (not in London cos I know a lot of foxes there).

At the end, all place is different. If i live a street down the road then i will not let my bunnies run free range. Like I said after I move in few months time than I will do what other bunny owners doing to get a run for them cos I don't feel the new garden is safe without a rabbit run. At the moment, I will carry on letting my pair hopping freely in my garden and they really enjoy it. (My brother was the previous owner of my rabbit and we could sense the rabbit did not enjoy the free range garden in his house cos he knew there was foxes area. We knew that cos he was always hiding in tiny gaps and not willing to come out.)

Trust me, if there isn't a fox hunting around there will be plenty of other predators! I would not recommend unsupervised free range. I would get a run now for your bun
I let my three rabbits free range, and unfortunately Blossom, the mother, was killed by a predator. Don't know what it was, possibly a cat or bird of prey (buzzard, owl etc.) Thought they were safe - now feel incredibly guilty because at the end of the day it was us who let them free range like that...
Now they are in lovely secure runs.

I have rabbits, but they have a big place to run and I always make sure that it is safe from any intruders especially dogs and foxes. Good thing I used a wire in the floor to prevent them from digging.

Puppy panels are a great way to section off part of the garden for safe, supervised free range time. I always supervise mine, once came in to go to the loo - came out of the loo to see somebun heading down the garden full pelt. It only takes a few seconds for something to go wrong.

Runaround and some waterproof toys seem like a good idea for your bunny as long as her run is on paving then she could have 24 hour access. You can make lots of toys yourself very cheaply or forage for your rabbit to make her diet more varied.