Is free range really better?

I find that my rabbit binkies less and runs around less when she is free range then when she is in an x-pen and I let her out.
I get that the x-pen is like jail and when she's free she's happy and excited and wants to run.
My rabbit is free range in a large room now for a couple weeks and she seems more lazy. I've made all sorts of toys and things to climb on and she does get curious and active at night but during the day she is usually laying aroun or in her hidi house. I haven't seen her binky since she has been free roam and I'm not working right now so I spend a lot of time with her.
Any thoughts?

Is the x-pen still set up and accessible when she is free range? Or was the x-pen removed so that she could be free range?

I think each rabbit can be very different in what is their comfort zone. My current rabbit behaves quite differently than any other I've had. His cage door is open all day long. However he rarely, if ever, comes out of that cage until after 10pm. He lounges inside his cage all day. BUT, if I am too slow to open the cage door in the morning, he bumps the door and tosses things in his cage to get my attention. Once I open it (and refill his water and hay) then he's good. He doesn't want to come out, but he does want the door open.

I removed the x-pen completely.

It's a good idea to maintain a cage area even for a free range bunny. I believe that they like to have a space of their own. This can be a small area that is kept open (if it has a door) all of the time -- just a space that is fairly secluded to give bunny a sense of her own space.

To establish that space (if you use something other than the x-pen) you may need to first confine her to that new space for a couple days. This would just be so that she recognizes it as her space and 'takes ownership' of it. After the two days, the door would be open and she would be free range again -- but this time with a place of her own.

Here's a "cage" I made awhile back that just sat under that buffet table. It served as a home base for these bunnies.

I tend to think of my rabbits' cages as a bedroom. Think about yourself growing up- I'm sure you HATED being forced to go to your room (it's like a cage! ) but you also probably spent time in there because you felt comfortable there away from family/chaos/whatever. Her X-pen was probably her 'bedroom'. My rabbits always binky when we let them out, and get offended if we don't let them out enough, but they also get offended if we block off their cages (e.g. when we clean them).

I keep mine free range upstairs, but, for me personally, it's really important that my rabbits have a choice -- relax under the desk, hang out in the doorless xpen area, run through the hallway, etc. I feel that giving them some degree of freedom of choice (xpen or not xpen) is one of the biggest thing I can give to these captive animals who were bred for human companionship and entertainment. That's just my personal opinion, though, and not an option for everyone

But yeah, I've noticed the same thing: when they have lots of space (relatively speaking), I see less of the hyperactive behavior that was present when they were going from a small area to a larger one. I think part of that is that they're done 'mapping' their new environment and have their escape routes memorized (even if they don't need them) and can now relax more. They also don't have pent-up energy from being caged for x hours.

Then again, have you ever looked at cottontails in your yard? They're usually just relaxing and grazing, and don't binky or run around a lot once they're adults (excluding mating games and running in response to fear)... and not really all that much as juveniles, either.

This is the room my bunny is free range in. I keep the door open but she doesn't like the hardwood flooring in the other room so she never goes on it. I'll try to make a little more of a designated bunny space.

katiecrna, I love your setup! Does your bun use the little 2x4 bridge thingy?

How about the golf ball, does s/he play with it? I will try a golf ball with our bun, I bet he'd play with it at least a little bit.

I also agree - in my very limited experience with our one rabbit so far, he binkies less once he's been out a while, but definitely does (generally) when we first free him from his X-pen.

Also, if he's been inside and we let him out onto the patio (we have a second floor unit, including the patio), he ALWAYS pops a binky or two, we think it's the sheer joy of being outside (which my wife and I can relate to ).

Katiecrna and Blueyes I like both your set ups. They look great.