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Leaving rabbits in run over night

Hi,

This is really 2 questions in 1.

We have just put an extension on our hutch/run so the rabbits have more space to run.

My first question is should I leave my rabbits to hand free run of the run at night or put them back in their hutch (the hutch has pad locked doors, but the extension is just rabbit play pen panels)?

Secondly, with the weather turning so cold wouldn’t it be better for them to be in their hutch which had a metal roof and a cover, at the moment the extension has a make shift roof and I’m going to try and work out how to cover it with tarpaulin.

Thanks.
 
Hi, unless the run is totally predator proof and rabbit escape proof (with a roof and a floor of either concrete, flags or weldmesh under grass) then I wouldn't let them go in it unattended at all, day or night. That's because the rabbits can dig out, or predators can dig in, or climb over the top, and tarp wouldn't stop a fox, dog or cat getting in.

It's great that you are giving them more space, they do need a lot of space permanently available to them as they are active day and night. Wooden framed runs are more secure, we ended up building our own aviary style run with fence posts and wooden framework with weldmesh. To give an example of how determined they were to get out of the 10ft x17ft run they had, they dug out through a 6 inch depth of crushed brick and hardcore topped with playbark :shock: after that we meshed the floor with weldmesh before play bark on top!
 
Is it possible to put a photo on here which will give us a better idea as to it's safety. Do you know if foxes come into your garden?
 
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Here’s a picture. Ignore the top, it now has a single solid wooden board over the top. I don’t think foxes can get in as the garden is blocked in by high fences. We do have a pet coat though. X
 
Personally I don't think that is safe enough if a fox gets in. 6' fencing is no problem to them so I would make sure they are in their hutch for the night-time. Are they left in that run during the day? It won't be strong enough to keep a predator out. You need to make it more secure for them.
 
Thanks tonibun,

Today is the first day they’ve been out on it all day, I am hoping they’ll be ok in it while I’m at work on Monday. How can I make it more secure. X
 
Morning, it's great you've added a run, but I don't think I would be comfortable leaving them when I was out, that's not very solid mesh and easily pushed. if it were me, I would put bricks round the bottom all round at least to help keep it secure. I did that even with my wooden run to stop foxes/large cats. I lost a rabbit once to a cat bite, she was free range in the garden, and I was in, by the window checking them, but it's not an experience I want to go through again so I'm ultra careful now. Not that anyone wants to go outside in this snow today!
 
Forgive what seems like a stupid question but do you have any bike locks?

We had to make a temporary shelter for an injured hen, I fastened the puppy pen to the coop via D shaped lockable bike locks - they were about £6 in Halfords but as Mr Fox has not the keys I was happy that she was safe.
 
I'm afraid that it wouldn't be fox or dog proof, if a predator was determined enough then it could push or lift the run fairly easily. puppy pens are easily pushed out of shape and many of them including the metal runs have flexible bars that rabbits can push their heads through, getting stuck, or predators paws inserted :cry: personally I would make or buy a wooden framed and weldmesh run with wooden framed lid that can be bolted down to the slabs.
 
I agree with others that it doesn't look secure enough to stop a determined predator unfortunately.

If possible, you could have a wooden run made, maybe one that the existing hutch sits inside? I think that would be the safest option :)
 
Thanks all,

They have been out in it all day today, even when we were out and seemed to really enjoy it. I’ve realised that what you can’t tell from the photo is that it is attached to the hutch in 6 places. X
 
Its good that you are trying to give them extra space - but actually they could do with even more. Lots of ideas in the housing section. Minimum recommended hutch is 6ft x 2ft x 2ft, with a permanently attached run of at least L8ft xW6ft x H3ft.

The only safe run is a wooden one with a top on it. Foxes can scale garden fences with no problem and are very determined.
 
I find puppy panels very flexible: they're not suitable as a permanent outdoor enclosure because they move too much, the sides are easily crushed. I'd also be worried about them getting on to the roof of the hutch therough that gap (bottom right of the picture) and out, or of neighbourhood cats getting in, or foxes, badgers, hedgehogs, crows... :S We had a similar issue with our new dog crate attachment: we (well, the OH) piled bricks all over the side of it to block any gaps they could jump on to (we have a couple of buns who don't look very adventurous 99% of the time and then WHOOM they're off on an unsupervised high-level adventure! :roll:).
 
As others have said I would take extra precautions. Don’t want any predators getting in and with the winter I assume they would be even more determined to get into the run...
 
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