Whose bunnies free-range in the garden?

We've always used runs for our bunsters as we used to live in a flat with a communal garden, and then when we moved to our house the garden was open into the front and down one side. Last year we had a fence and new gate put on to fully enclose the garden and this year we have been working to tidy and landscape it. Apart from a few bushes and 3 tree's all our plants are in hanging baskets. It recently occurred to me that if we ran kick boards along the back fence and under both gates out garden would actually be bunny escape proof, and I have always loved the idea of free-ranging garden bunnies.

So, who does this and how practical is it? Do you just let them out in the morning and leave the hutch door open? Do you only do it when you're home or actually sat outside supervising? What about cats coming into the garden? How does it work with multiple rabbits who're not housed as one bonded group?

Mine used to be semi-free in a huge compound (I know it amuses you!). I would let them out in the morning and put them in their hutch at night. During the day they just did their own thing. I had absolutely no problem from cats, buzzards or stray dogs - but Dave got killed by a stoat and I didn't expect that.

Ours were free-range, then took to escaping from a garden which we were sure was escape proof. We still don't know how they did it.

Until recently they have been in pens, but not roofed so not totally predator proof. They had free access 24 hours a day but we weren't entirely comfortable with the risk.

We're renovating the garden to give them large, completely enclosed pens. As there will be three pairs and a quad out there, it's what will work best for us.

They do adore completely free-range time and love being in a new area of the garden, but I wouldn't give them that much freedom completely unsupervised any more.

I have a section of the garden cornered off from when I was a child, it was "my garden", because my dad was a bricklayer he built a little wall inside so I had my own space for my wendy house

Anyway, now I let the buns free range, I only do it when I am in there with them as the wall is short, and i dont want them getting into the main garden. if our garden was 100% secure as in all over then I would let them free range when I was in, but i wouldnt personally do it when I was out.

i use runs mostly but when i'm up to it i cordon off the garden so its safe for them to do some free roam bluebell of course just finds a nice spot to lounge either way

Mine free range, but in a small garden. I have chicken wired the borders by the fences to prevent digging out. We are on the edge of a small town and don't really get bothered by buzzards The only birds that will share a garden with Flo are the sparrows - she chases everything else off. I have twice seen a cat in the garden and that was when we first moved in about 3 years ago so she has obviously put them off as well. They are only allowed out when I am home - not constantly supervised but within earshot most of the time. I have become quite attuned to the norty noises.

It's concrete on three sides so the one weak point would be if they dug into next doors garden, but we could put some slabs down if that looked like becoming an issue. For the most part the duo are not diggy rabbits and Juno I wouldn't allow to free range anyway because her disability makes her too tempting to cats.

I think as long as I can add kick plates that still allow both gates to open we'll give it a whirl. I'm actually quite excited!

Binky on dude!

I let my buns free range sometimes. They have attached runs but I think it's a nice change for them. I have badgers and foxes constantly digging holes under my perimeter fences so have to check daily for new holes before I let them out. When they are out, I sit with them incase they manage to get out of somewhere I have missed. They are all trained to return to their homes on command which makes it easy to put them back.

The only issue I have is that with 2 trios, only one trio can be let out at a time and even though I cover the runs, the trio that aren't out go mental at the sight of the other free ranging buns. Vince in particular gets very aggitated when Boo, the other buck, is around and my two rex sisters fight also, the dominate female really rips into her sister, so this has to be monitered.

The kids love it when the buns are out though and run around do binkies like the rabbits do

Pud use to free range most days and now and then we would give some of our other buns the whole of the garden to run round in, even Lucy Rose has been free range but didn't move far Bless her.
We only put the buns out that we know will be easy to catch and we can trust. We have kick boards all around the bottom of the fence and we had chicken wire buried under the fence in the soil and attached to the fence and covered so that nothing can dig in or out ( hopefully) but Mike or I usually sit out and watch them, it's usually me as I love sitting and watching the bunnies running around the garden and doing binky's.
Pud was the funniest as he use to hide and when the wood pigeons use to land at the bottom of the bird feeding station he would run out and chase them he use to have us in fit's of laughter and he knew it made us laugh as he'd coming running up to us and stop as if to say "did you see that wasn't it funny"....God I miss him so much

We don't let Thumper outside EVER but that is because we have too many predators. We would have to have a strong steel enclosure. The cougar that was spotted several years ago has been spotted again and the drought has brought the coyotes too close for comfort. I would love to be able to take him out in the early Spring and late Fall when it is temperate. He's a big guy and even though our living room provides a good area for a binky I'd love to see him be able to binky with abandon!

mine are free range about 95% of the time,i only let them out when iam in which is pretty much all the time,i open the cage and just leave the cage open till its time for bed or i need to go out,they pretty much come out at the same time every day,so i can go and watch them,there is a solid fence all the way around our garden and i just keep an eye out if they start to dig,they is hardly any cats around were i live,i would see one about 1-2 every month and they just use the fence to jump over and when i do see them,the buns are in the cage,we do only have a small garden though.

i do love watching them binky and bunny 500's it always makes me smile,when hubbie see's me smile he looks at me like iam crazy but it makes him smile too and 2 of our neighbours likes to watch them as well,also love watching them graze on everything in our garden

Wow Hollie, a cougar!! Now that's what I call a predator. No wonder you don't let Thumper out!

NickieM wrote:Wow Hollie, a cougar!! Now that's what I call a predator. No wonder you don't let Thumper out!

That's what I thought too! I'd love to see the predators (but not at the expense of my buns obviously) How exciting!

My outdoor guys free range all the time one of us is at home apart from bed time. I love seeing them out there being - well - rabbits if you know what I mean. We have put tiles under the fence, then weed control matting and then Cotswold stone on top around all the boarders....... We have 7ft fencing too so I feel they are safe.

We let Myrtle free range in the garden most days. As she is free range in the house, we just open the patio doors and she can come and go as she pleases.

Most of the time she just goes to the edge of the door and just sniffs the air, staring out for a bit - she will go out if we are out though, but when she is out by herself she will quickly try to follow us in.

She won't go out unless we are there!

Well as if to prove a point Juno has started trying to dig out of her run today, first time this year. I swear she actually eats the soil as I can definitely not find enough to scrape back in to fill the hole!

We've been and purchased quite a lot of stuff for the garden today so hopefully in the next couple of weeks it'll be fine for them to come out every now and then.

I think Paige will enjoy it too as I often have to put her in the run with the rabbits so she can pet them, but both parties have a bit of an issue when they decide they've had enough that way. At least free ranging the buns can run off and Paige likewise!