Is it safe to keep rabbits outdoors?

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en16649

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Heya
I’ve got 3 buns and spent ages making a nice big outdoor run for them, but now I’m worried about them being outside in the run overnight.

it’s getting to around 5 degrees C at night, their hutch has a coop like section off the ground but I’m still worried they’d freeze or end up getting the snuffles.

Am I just paranoid?
 
Well, cold doesn't cause snuffles, that's an infection. Like, the common cold isn't caused by cold either, it's just us crowding together in sparsly ventilated, heated rooms with sickly people in cold times, spreading the viruses.
Also, rabbits can deal with cold a lot better than with heat, but if your rabbits are indoors now maybe wait some more days until it's warmer through the night.

The real worries aren't those you mentioned, but mostly about predators and infections, all that depends a lot on where you are located and what wildlife is around. A run with just a fence will not stop cats, foxes or marten, all my rabbits get locked up in solid hutches and the house during the night for that reason. Then there is the thing about diseases, vaccinations against Myxo and RHD could make sense, especially with a wild rabbit populsation in the region.

There are always risks, it's a personal decision which risks are worth the benefits.
 
All my bunnies are outside buns, and as mentioned the decision can come down to predators and the area you live in. I would love to have house bunnies but our dog would totally think they were his play toys and that wouldn't end well.
5 degrees shouldn't be to cold but just provide an enclosed box area stuffed with hay so they can warm up if they need and if they are already house buns then they will need time to adjust to the colder weather as Preitler said. Do they all live together? If so then they can cuddle for warmth as well.
Two of my bunnies live in the chicken coop which has roof netting and is cat proof (the only predator in my area) so they can stay out all night. But my Flemish Giants run doesn't have a roof so I shut her in her hutch at night before I go to bed. Cats probably couldn't get her because of her size but it's better to be safe then sorry and I can sleep soundly at night knowing all my animals are safe and sound.
So not only do you have to keep your bunnies in but also other animals out.
You could either predator proof your run or shut them in a safe hutch at night. Or both would be great too.😜
 

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