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Rabbits have been loose in the garden

zarathustra

Warren Scout
Morning all.

My other half has just messaged me to say that the boys have escaped from their cage, she saw them running around the garden through the window.

The problem is she doesn’t know what, if anything they may have eaten.

We don’t have flower bed etc, although there are a few weeds popping up at the side of the fence. However, there are some dead plants in plant pots, and our failed attempts at growing some vegetables in some planters, however, these aren’t near the hutch, so it’s possible they never went near them.

She is obviously upset and worried. What should I tell her to look out for, in terms of behaviour etc so we can make sure the boys are ok?


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So, she fed them at 9, didn’t seem them while she was having breakfast at 9.50, but potentially she thinks they could have been out for about 2 hours 9-11.

She’s most concerned about whether they’ve nibbled the fake grass and/or some pegs that had been scattered by the wind.

She is obviously concerned as she didn’t lock the hutch properly. I’ve told here that we need to keep a very close eye to make sure they are eating, drinking, and pooing as normal. Is there anything else she should look for?

However, she has said there’s no poo in the garden, so hopefully they’ve not been out too long, as they do like to poo everywhere


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Morning all.

My other half has just messaged me to say that the boys have escaped from their cage, she saw them running around the garden through the window.

The problem is she doesn’t know what, if anything they may have eaten.

We don’t have flower bed etc, although there are a few weeds popping up at the side of the fence. However, there are some dead plants in plant pots, and our failed attempts at growing some vegetables in some planters, however, these aren’t near the hutch, so it’s possible they never went near them.

She is obviously upset and worried. What should I tell her to look out for, in terms of behaviour etc so we can make sure the boys are ok?


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My guess is that they will probably be OK. There's a lot of controversy about 'toxic' plant lists:

https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/articles/free-food-for-rabbits/lant-toxicity-the-problem-with-lists


If their behaviour seems off, or if you're worried, then take to the vet asap to get some fluids and treatment.
 
Thanks, she said they seem absolutely fine, and there was some spilled hay from when she topped up the hay dispenser, so hopefully they just went for that.

It sounds like the hutch may have come unlocked by they rattling the doors. As she is positive that she locked it.

Seems that they fancy themselves as little furry Houdini s



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Thanks, she said they seem absolutely fine, and there was some spilled hay from when she topped up the hay dispenser, so hopefully they just went for that.

It sounds like the hutch may have come unlocked by they rattling the doors. As she is positive that she locked it.

Seems that they fancy themselves as little furry Houdini s



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Yes, they can be quite Houdinis when they want to be!

I don't know your set up, but if they can get out of the hutch, then surely a predator would easily be able to get at them? I have known a fox to rip the front off a conventional hutch ...
 
I would not be too concerned about what they may have eaten, although obviously keep an eye on them. I would be concerned that they were able to get out though, if the enclosure had been properly secured. And of course if they have done it once, it will become much more easy for them to do it again.
 
Yes, it is a concern, this is the first time they’ve done it. I’m at work so I can’t say the hutch was definitely secured after they were fed.

We have a temporary solution as we have some brinks which we can stack up to block the door from being pushed open if the manage it again, or they are left unlocked again.

We don’t seem to get any foxes or cats in the garden, we are mid terrace with dogs either side and high fences with no gaps.

At night the have a thermal cover with is secured with straps over the front of the hutch which would keep the doors closed but no necessarily help against a determined predator.

The hutch was a birthday present to my other half from her dad, so she could get the bunnies. It seems sturdy enough, but I don’t expect it to survive much longer than a year or so.

I have already started saving for a better larger hutch for them


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Thanks, yes I have looked at something similar. Luckily my gym is right next door to b&q so can have a quick look tonight.


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Yes, it is a concern, this is the first time they’ve done it. I’m at work so I can’t say the hutch was definitely secured after they were fed.

We have a temporary solution as we have some brinks which we can stack up to block the door from being pushed open if the manage it again, or they are left unlocked again.

We don’t seem to get any foxes or cats in the garden, we are mid terrace with dogs either side and high fences with no gaps.

At night the have a thermal cover with is secured with straps over the front of the hutch which would keep the doors closed but no necessarily help against a determined predator.

The hutch was a birthday present to my other half from her dad, so she could get the bunnies. It seems sturdy enough, but I don’t expect it to survive much longer than a year or so.

I have already started saving for a better larger hutch for them


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I think you're onto the case :)

You can't be to careful, as foxes will stop at nothing. I am investigating electric fencing ...
 
I've seen mine eating rhubarb leaves which are definitely on the toxic list, but they've always been fine :) Them getting out is definitely the greater concern! Good luck finding a solution :)
 
So I did a bit of observation on the little tinkers last night.

It seems that if frank wants to go somewhere that he can get to he will either nudge or rattle whatever is in his way.

It is possible that is the latch on the door wasn’t closed correctly then he may have been able to rattle the door open.

A temporary solution is that we have leant a couple of bricks against the bottom edge of the doors, so that even if they managed to get the latch open then the door won’t swing open and would be to heavy for him to nudge open.

There will be a trip to B&Q on the cards after payday for a lockable latch, and I’m also going to look at adding better quality wire to the doors, perhaps stapling some weldmesh to the outside of the doors etc.

I have also decided that there hutch is going to get upgraded next year, and I’m aiming for one of the manor pet homes ones


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I would not be too concerned about what they may have eaten, although obviously keep an eye on them.
Same here. When it comes to our rabbits, I worry about a lot of things: foxes, escaping, getting bored but I have more-or-less stopped worrying about what they might have eaten. I give them a lot of free range time and over the months they have nibbled, chewed and tasted pretty much all the vegetation in the garden. Some of the things they have nibbled are on the list of plants that rabbits should not have but they have not shown the slightest problem. They have eaten some daffodils and they fished out some gladioli from the garden waste bag, that's just in addition to a pine, horse chestnut, elder, buddleia bush and unidentifiable weeds.

This article by Frances Harcourt-Brown comes to the same conclusion:

https://www.harcourt-brown.co.uk/articles/free-food-for-rabbits/lant-toxicity-the-problem-with-lists

"As a vet who specialised in treating pet rabbits, I have never seen a case of plant toxicity."

And they don't eat these plants it because they starve, they have 24/7 access to fresh hay (replenished twice a day), vegetables and good quality pellets...
 
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