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Runs vs supervised time in the garden

vanessa

Warren Scout
I am starting to feel like I keep my new bunnies prisoners. They have an 8x4 dog kennel and run and a separate run that is bigger, but I would really like them to have supervised runs around the garden but I'm too scared that they will escape! Is anybody else a worrier like me or do most people just put them in a run?
 
I put mine in a run as i have 2 dogs and a cat, but its mainly because i would prob never catch him or he would escape, i couldnt bear to loose my bun so i have a run attached to his hutch and have attached another big one at the side to allow him access to the grass each day, i just bring him in the house for cuddles n a wee play etc, wouldnt ever let him in the garden..for his own safety really :) x
You could always get a harness and lead if you want him access to the full garden, ive done that to :D he loves it
 
I used to worry about giving my buns free time in the garden.
I have no bunny proofed it though so theres no chance of escape, my buns love being able to run wild around the garden they have great fun :lol: ...
My husband made me a huge run a couple of months ago but I haven't used it since they've been allowed to use all the garden...
 
mine have full run of the garden - b ut then it is only a small garden so a run would engulf it anyway. I have a wall around 2/3rds of it and a fence on the other 1/3 rd that i keep an eye on in case of digging, and i have fenced off a flower bed - for adults only! Lots of lovely uneaten plants there :lol:
 
Mine have a hutch and run while I am at work. - but when I am home the havee free range in garden and house....
I did try and put snowflake in a run when I got her - but there was no way she was liking it - So I bunny proofed the garden instead and I know both her and Isaac prefer that.
 
mine have free run time in garden and i follow them about to make sure they are ok. i covered any gaps i thought they could get thro with mesh and put a line of bricks alongside the fence which attaches to neighbour. when im not at home or am going to be busy they are in the hutch with an attached run and when im home pottering about they come inside with me or when i get my pen they will be able to go in there on the grass
 
my garden is a postage stamp garden so they have supervised access to it. You can't beat seeing them belt around and binky in ways that they could not do in a run. Also when they're relaxing, they choose everywhere but the grass :roll:
 
I've got quite a big garden but about 1/3 of it is fenced off for the children to play in (no dog poo allowed!) I let my 2 have a run at the end of most days in there, they love to run full speed and leap in the air, chasing each other like loonies and doing mid-air binkies, something they cant do fully in the run, well not my 6 ft one anyway.
 
I feel a bit like you too! Mine used to be free range in my old garden when I was around, but since I moved house in September my new garden is not rabbit proof at all and won't be until next year when we do it out (currently doing inside!) Even though they live in the garage with access to a large run, plus free range in garage when I'm in, I still feel guilty!

I have recently fenced off the patio of the new garden so that they can run about the garden a little, is that an option for you? I only let them in this when I am outside though as I'm sure they could escape if they worked hard enough!

Lian xx
 
I have a house rabbit who goes out for a run in the garden- mine isn't totally secure and she could get out if she really wanted to. However we only go out together so this isn't a problem.
 
we have a 40ft garden but even with 5 (single) bunnies its not possible for them to all have free range time in the garden every day

we have a 10ftx10ft pen made from panels (and using the house wall and part of the fence for some of the sides) and we put one bunny in this and let another bunny free range. we then change over after 1 hour or so and bring 2 more bunnies down. then Zeb gets free range by himself later on. but we are building a new pen so Zeb can go out at the same time as the others.

i try to do it so they all get free range time every other day.

the garden is bunny proofed - i've only grown bunny friendly plants and theres mesh along the bottom of the fence as there are gaps that the smaller ones could escape through.

i dont leave them unsupervised though as i'm always worried about a cat coming along

i think runs are quite sufficient if you're not able to give them run time - except if you have a very large bunny. I know it takes our frenchie most of the garden to perform her hysterical binkying routines but i must admit, they all enjoy it more when they have free run of the garden :)
 
I'd love to give mine free run of the garden, but the house is on a third on a acre plot (my parents house this is not mine), it's not at all secure (and would cost a fortune to re-fence), there's lots of trees / bushes at one side and a thick hedge at the end. If you could secrue the garden you would have a hard job keeping an eye on them with all that amount of space and vegetation going on - I think I would be chasing Barley around the garden for ever trying to catch him! :lol:

Hannah
 
Mine go out free in the garden but I always watch them and they couldnt get out unless they spent a whole day digging which just wouldnt happen :lol: I dont have a run :)
 
I have a small garden and extremely bunny proofed so they have free range of it if one of us is outside supervising and its hilarious watching them binky about but if we need to go inside and cook or do stuff around the house then they go in the run but they don't like it as much as being free!!!

They have a big Forsham Cottage Arks run which is quite posh and rather engulfs the garden! Its good for grazing times and snoozing during the day but they like to run about in the evenings free range!

Being house buns they I think they prefer carpet to grass :lol:
 
My current garden is bunny escape proof, so they have free run while I supervise, they go in and out of the house as they please too. However, if I am indoors and not able to watch, I keep them in a run.

This is all going to change in a few days as I am moving home and the garden has lots of bushes/shrubs so they will not be allowed free run until I have it sorted. I will have to use their runs outside but they will have free run of the house. It is a shame they are prone to escaping or predators and that sometimes we have to restrict them to keep them safe, but at times there's no other option.
 
I wish I could let my bunnies out in the garden rather than the run, but they are always finding strange plants to nibble on, and also dig like crazy (the main reason why their last owners wanted rid of them was because they used to regularly dig their way into the neighbours' gardens).
 
Mine are free range dawn til dusk. Vinnie never would venture out of the garden but Lovage on the other hand would love to explore further if she finds/makes a hole(altho when this has happened she has always come back shortly after) so I just do a daily check of the boundary to ensure no broken fence has occured or holes dug!
It is lovely to see them floped out in a spot they like or binkying around!

The main thing is to ensure any plants that are potentially poisonous are removed or fenced of. My gardens have always had to be designed with them in mind! But to be honest I like the cottage garden look :)
 
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