Free Ranging bunnies

[William]

I do wonder tho, if they saw a fox, surely they would head for cover?

probably, but foxes are very quick and there's always the chance the rabbits could be asleep or just not notice or freeze up out of fright. foxes can be very sneaky and quiet and dig very well. plus even if the fox didnt manage to get them they could accidentally hurt themselves or have a heart attack.

I agree with the others that you need to weigh the pros and cons. I wouldn't wouldn't personally but maybe if i lived somewhere different I would, I have about a million different risks here. I wouldnt even let mine out supervised.

Another thought is, I wonder how likely it would be that the burrow could collapse in on them? i keep thinking of this recent news story about a boy that was digging a hole and it collapsed in on him. Luckily his brother was there and got help and a small pocket of air was trapped around his mouth. But even still he wasn't breathing when they found him, I think they had to do cpr. He did live though

 

[Chopster]

Another thought is, I wonder how likely it would be that the burrow could collapse in on them?

It is something I wondered, and googling around, people have said how amazing (even domestic) buns are at borrowing and how solid the burrows are, though I'd love to hear others thoughts or experiences on this?

I could block the burrow off, but at the moment at least they are digging well away from any fences, and I do like the fact they are doing natural bunny things! One is a supreme digger and I know if I block this one off she will just start elsewhere! Next door has piggies and they keep sniffing the fence around there, but seem content to dig where their burrow is. I am keeping an eye on it, though it is difficult as I can no longer see the back of it! :lol: I need one of those cameras on a wire type things!

keep thinking of this recent news story about a boy that was digging a hole and it collapsed in on him.

I thought you were talking about a rabbit for a min, and had visions of buns doing CPR on each other!

RE the fox, I do think the risk is minimal here, like someone else mentioned, we are also in the middle of a housing estate, where the gardens all back on to each other. A fox would have to go through a lot of gardens to get to ours, most of which have 6 ft fencing. So we are talking about a fox having to scale at least 6-8 fences to reach our garden. I'd def be more worried if we backed on to open land.

 

[Elena]

There many reasons why I don't/can't free range mine, even under supervision...

• There are a lot of foxes round here. I've even seen one a few yards from our garden in the day.
• Our garden opens out onto a driveway and then onto the road. It would take them seconds to get there.
• There are a lot of hidden dangers. We have lots of bits of wood around, rusty water butts, etc. and my Dad's a bit of a hoarder.
• We grow a lot of things at home, including potatoes which are poisonous I think, and we have a lot of bulb plants like daffs and tulips. We'd never get ANY peas or strawberries!!! :lol:
• I'd never catch Smudge. :roll: In fact the only one I'd probably be able to catch again would be Mischa. :lol: There are plenty of places for them to hide from me!

Even in their pen I (or my dad) will constantly supervise them as it has no roof. A fox or cat could easily jump in or a bird of prey could snatch them.

 

[Elena]

As for the burrows, my friend's rabbit burrowed and it caved in on him and he died.

 

[prettylupin]

Hi Chopster

I have a rabbit that free-ranges during the day. Billy is six years old and has always been free-range. He has a shed where he sleeps at night and has access to it at all times during the day.

You are right, free-ranging is a contentious subject and the fact he free ranges (yes, unsupervised at times) has raised some "disapproving eyebrows" but this is completely understandable because there are risks. Free-ranging has worked for us because Billy never digs, shows no interest in escaping the garden, I have no dangerous/poisoness plants in my garden. He is as big, or bigger, than most of the cats in our neighbourhood and they tend to avoid him. He has become accustomed to noises such as loud motorcycles, helicopters, lawnmowers etc and it doesnt bother him. However, this will not be true of all rabbits and all neighbourhood cats and you may need to make an "assessment" of your own rabbits and other pets in the neighbourhood.

There is, of course, the risk of foxes. All I can say is that you need to make your own informed decision about this.

I also have pair of rabbits that have 24/7 access to a run and only free-range when supervised. This is mainly because Domino is disabled and Cookie is super-naughty. But, if Im entirely honest with you, I will think carefully about whether any future rabbits I have will live the lifestyle that Billy has. This is because I have become more informed over the years since I first got Billy. However, I dont think it would be fair on him to change things now. Also another downside to Billy free-ranging is that Ive been unable to adopt a new friend for him since his brother died last year because Rescues wont rehome to a free-ranging scenario.

My advice would be to make an informed decision when having all the facts in front of you. You may decide to let your's free-range unrestricted or you may decide to let them free-range when supervised. At the end of the day, its your decision, you dont need anyone elses approval, just do what you feel is best for you buns.

I like this post and agree. :thumb:

 

[Jack's-Jane]

Having witnessed first hand the horrific consequences of a Fox attack (Indoors in a house on an estate in SW LONDON..........) I would never ever put my Rabbits at so much risk as to leave them unsupervised outdoors. I could not live through a repeat of what a Fox can do to a defenceless Rabbit who's welfare and safety is my responsibility.