How do you keep a rabbit outdoors

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KayT

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What age can you keep them outdoors from?

What do you do to prevent them getting cold?

Is it necessery to provide a rabbit run?

if you have a rabbit that lives outdoors can you tell me exactly all of the details about the housing and how often theyre attended to etc. thanks ;)
 
You can keep rabbits outdoors from any age. They handle the cold pretty well, much better than the heat, just make sure they have lots of bedding to snug up in and youcan throw some old blankets and a peice of water proof sheet over the hutch for insulation. Also youcan cover the mesh front but make sure that air can still circulate in and out the hutch.

Yes they need a run, and they should be in it for as long as possible. Also make sure that if there are predators in your garden that it has a roof. Also be aware of your rabbit escaping, they love to dig, climb and push their way through gaps!:shock:



The RSPCA and RWA recommended housing for 2 small/medium sized rabbits is 5 X 2 X 2 so I wouldn't have any hutch smaller than that, however bigger is better. You can also convert sheds and play houses into big houses for your buns. You should have an attached run to the hutch or move your bun to their run for several hours a day. Even if it is cold/raining etc, as long as they have shelter they will be fine, just keep an eye on them.



Outdoor rabbits need just as much attention as indoor rabbits, they need cleaning out, feeding,playing with, excercising, brushing etc.even if it's freezing/boiling outside!I clean out my buns litter box and feed them twice a day, but I also go out several times a day to give them attention and play with them. My girls have access to a run all day, which they love!:D
 
I house all 3 of mine outdoors and my boys have been outside since they were born. I made this thread for those who house outdoors but I do strongly recommend not keeping them outside. It takes twice as long to do everything and it's twice as much work and probaby 4 times as much worry.

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=14535&forum_id=1

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
 
Bunnys_rule63 wrote:
Even if it is cold/raining etc, as long as they have shelter they will be fine, just keep an eye on them.
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Not true. I never let mine out if it's raining or very cold. Unless the run is completely covered so they cannot get wet, I do not recommend letting them out. The reason I say is because mine tend to sit IN the rain and get soaked and you cannot leave a rabbit outside if it's wet unless it is extremely warm out. Also, the ground tends to be wet if the run is not covered so the rabbit still can get wet.

I know some let them out to run in the rain but it isn't worth the risk to me. I'd prefer a larger cage to make sure that if it is miserable out, they still have roon to run and play.
 
MyBabyBunnies wrote:
Bunnys_rule63 wrote:
Even if it is cold/raining etc, as long as they have shelter they will be fine, just keep an eye on them.
Click to expand...
Not true. I never let mine out if it's raining or very cold. Unless the run is completely covered so they cannot get wet, I do not recommend letting them out. The reason I say is because mine tend to sit IN the rain and get soaked and you cannot leave a rabbit outside if it's wet unless it is extremely warm out. Also, the ground tends to be wet if the run is not covered so the rabbit still can get wet.

I know some let them out to run in the rain but it isn't worth the risk to me. I'd prefer a larger cage to make sure that if it is miserable out, they still have roon to run and play.
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Sorry, I did mean if their run is sheltered of course!:DOn another forum I go to alot of the members keep their rabbits outside and we all agree that our rabbits will sit in the rain even if it there is shelter in their run,:disgust:it's never done any of them any harm though. However, saying this I don't let mine out if it's raining when it's really cold or when it's raining heavily, I also bring them in if they start to get too wet. At the moment though my rabbits hutch is in their run so they can come and go as they please so I just let them out in the rain if they want, they always come inside if it gets too heavy for them!
 
One thing to also keep in mind is a lock of some kind on the cages if there will be any access to either children in the neighborhood, or predators such as raccoons. When I was younger and had outdoor rabbits, I suffered through rabbits being stolen from their cages by kids/adults who managed to get into the backyard. And raccoons, who will go after rabbits, are known for their manual dexterity...they can open latches with their paws quite easily. I don't know if locks are mentioned in the links that were provided, but it's always a good thing to keep in mind. :)
 
Ive always kept my bunnies outside in hutches and runs. And they spend about 5 hours a day out in the garden playing.My bunnies lived to be 12 years old kept outside.

I put lots of straw and hay in their hutches in the winter and put a waterproof cover over the hutch at night to keep them safe from drafts or rain.

To be honest I would prefer to have indoor rabbits as I think they get more attention inside. Its also nicer to be able to be around them 24/7. I have to put my bunnies to bed with a cover down before it gets too dark as predators may wonder. Where as if you had a bunnie inside, it can stay up all night and keep you company.

I only keep mine outside because my mum would no way allow rabbits living in the house. As soon as I get a place of my own, it would be over run with house bunnies:DYAY
 
I don't see the rain as a particular problem - aslong as the rabbit is generally healthy and has access to shelter then a bit of rain won't do them any harm. Rabbits have coats designed to keep them water proof. If you feel the fur of a rabbit that's been sat in the rain then you'll find the surface is wet but the undercoat is warm and dry so the rabbits skin doesn't actually get wet - like a human wearing a waterproof coat. If it bothered them then they probably wouldn't sit out in it.

Rabbits, like angoras, that don't have natural style coats are the exception to this.

I'm in the UK if you're living somewhere that has more extreme weather obviously you have to keep your local conditions in mind. If you get a lot of rain you'll also need to watch out for flooding etc.

Tamsin


 
My girls live outdoors and always have done since I first had bunnies. Their hutch has a cover that stops rain getting in and we roll some old carpet down behind the cover when it is winter time to give a bit of insulation. In the summer I tend to leave the cover UP because it is so hot but when we do get the occassional shower I am there to roll it down again - nothing worse than a soggy hutch! :?

Their run is always around a tree (to give a bit of shade and shelter). Never had any problems with the local cats - my girls tend to chase them off lol :DI can't see why a bit of rain would be a problem though...wild rabbits don't refuse to go out when it's raining lol...I think some people molly coddle their bunnies too much. They have fur coats after all and as long as you provide plenty bedding for them to snuggle up in and maybe a few old blankets/towels in the winter time they should be perfectly happy. After all rabbits were initially WILD animals so can cope with extremities of weather quite well outside. I think as long as you make sure that they don't get too hot or too damp then a hutch with a basic cover over it is all that is needed.

Make sure because they are outside that they don't get forgotten and that love, fusses and attention are given even when blazing hot or freezing cold. I had to dodge the rain showers today to clean out my little girls ;)
 
Sandz, that really depends on where you are. Domestic rabbits (descended from the European rabbit) were meant to spend a fair bit of time in deep underground warrens. This keeps them cool in summer and warm in winter. You don't have as much of a problem in the UK, but there are many places in the US (and pretty much all of Canada) where outdoor rabbits need extreme amounts of care to be kept healthy. Heat kills quickly, and cold can cause problems too. I've heard of a rabbit that was brought to a shelter in my state of Wisconsin with frost bite! I live in a relatively moderate area and our temperatures range from -30 to 100+ Farhenheit in a normal year. Not to mention that in addition to the flystrike maggots that occur in my area and yours, we also have problems with bot flies.

And I can definately see problems with rain here in the cooler times of the year. 30 F and raining is worse than 10 F and dry.

So I think it really, really depends on where you are. It is possible to keep rabbits outside in the more extreme conditions, but you have to spend a lot of time just to keep them comfortable, not to mention socializing and playing with them.
 
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