# How much "free time" does your outdoor rabbit get?



## bhoffman (Oct 16, 2012)

I currently have 6 rabbits. 2 females and 4 males (I know I need to change that!). Anyways, They are currently housed out doors in hutches with a large running area surrounded by a fence. If I let any of the males out together, they end up fighting of course. So, my question for all of you is, how much free run time do you give your outdoor rabbits? I currently have them scheduled for their times. I let the older buck out first thing in the morning for a couple hours, then I let my oldest doe out for a couple hours. Then I let my two youngest males out together, they are between ages 8 weeks and 10 weeks old, they dont get as much time as the two older ones yet. My other two which are a male and female pair (fixed) get a couple hours as well. I do not let them out after dark or while we are away. My goal is to rehome a couple of my males, preferably the two mix breed ones and keep my male mini rex. Then, I am hoping to purchase a couple more mini rex does. I have had quite the demand for mini rex bunnies. Our area doesnt have many breeders for mini rex. We have one breeder down in the valley and then another about 2.5 hours away.


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## Imbrium (Oct 16, 2012)

I take it you're breeding? if so, that rules out spaying/neutering and bonding more than of them so that they can exercise together. 4-5h a day outside of the cage is generally recommended, but that's not really doable with four shifts... I'm glad to hear that your breeding rabbits are still getting run time daily, though! a couple hours for each rabbit (or pair) is pretty good.

how big is the yard? if it's big enough, maybe it's possible to divide it in half so that you can have two bunnies/sets out at once and double their yard time?


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## bhoffman (Oct 16, 2012)

Imbrium wrote:


> I take it you're breeding? if so, that rules out spaying/neutering and bonding more than of them so that they can exercise together. 4-5h a day outside of the cage is generally recommended, but that's not really doable with four shifts... I'm glad to hear that your breeding rabbits are still getting run time daily, though! a couple hours for each rabbit (or pair) is pretty good.
> 
> how big is the yard? if it's big enough, maybe it's possible to divide it in half so that you can have two bunnies/sets out at once and double their yard time?



I am breeding. Very new to it still. I do have a male and a female pair that are fixed and bonded. And yes, my breeding rabbits still get their excersise! Even though they are breeding rabbits.. I still consider them my pets! I personally couldnt imagine leaving them locked up in the cage all day every day! There has been the odd day where they havent gotten their run time.. and I feel bad about it! My goal is to be able to leave them out for a full day together. My females get along really well and I plan on getting a couple more when the time is right. I am hoping to have them able to run around the space all day and have my males do the same, in a seperate area. The area is large enough it could probably be divided into 4 areas! WE will be in the city this weekend, so I am planning to buy the supplies to let them out all day so they have enough excercise!


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## ldoerr (Oct 16, 2012)

I know that this is going to sound bad BUT my girls get out for only 1.5-2 hrs a couple of times a week. I just have not had the time to do it lately. Also when they are out to run in my kitchen they do not do anything. They just sit there. They do like to run around my bedroom at my parents house though. I try to let them run around there when I am down for the weekend.


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## Imbrium (Oct 16, 2012)

the recommended amount of space for a bunny or bonded pair that doesn't get "out of the cage" time is a minimum of 60 square feet, btw so I imagine 60-80 square feet is plenty for a run area for daily out-of-the-cage time. if you're talking about an entire yard, I imagine it wouldn't be hard at all to divide up to have 3-4+ bunnies/groups exercising at the same time.

I love that you treat your breeding rabbits as pets... I'm sure they do as well. it sounds like you're a great owner


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## bhoffman (Oct 17, 2012)

Imbrium wrote:


> the recommended amount of space for a bunny or bonded pair that doesn't get "out of the cage" time is a minimum of 60 square feet, btw so I imagine 60-80 square feet is plenty for a run area for daily out-of-the-cage time. if you're talking about an entire yard, I imagine it wouldn't be hard at all to divide up to have 3-4+ bunnies/groups exercising at the same time.
> 
> I love that you treat your breeding rabbits as pets... I'm sure they do as well. it sounds like you're a great owner



The space is about 1/4 of the yard. My husband sometimes gets a little upset because he thinks I spend TOO much time out with the bunnies! But really I dont think its too much time. THe kids are gone during the day except my youngest, and he works all day and the house work is always done. 

And Idoer.... No big deal about the times. You do what you can. As long as they arent spending their entire life locked in a cage! I know you love your buns and I a sure they are happy. When I let them out.. they still have access to their cage.. I leave their door open so they can ccome and go as they please. I dont even lift them out of the cage.. I just let them come out on their own. Well Scruffy my little lion head/lop eared cross doesnt even come out of his cage. He is quite content in there.


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## Imbrium (Oct 17, 2012)

no such thing as spending too much time with bunnies!


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## ajohal (Oct 26, 2012)

I have outdoor rabbits but in the winter they live in my garage. If I'm not working I will put them out at around 10 am and put them away around 6/7 pm. If I'm going out or need to do things I put them back in their hutches and put them back out when I'm back. When they are in the garage, I put the pen around the hutch and open it in the morning before I go to work and then one of us will close it at around 7pm. So they are pretty much out the whole day!


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## 1357bunnylover (Nov 6, 2012)

All my bunnies live outdoors but they all have their own runs, 3 share a shed attached to a 12ft run that they are in 24/7 because its securely enclosed, then my other 2 have separate runs that they go into at about 7.00-7.30 in the morning then come back in at 8.45 when I go to college then go back out from 1.30-3.30pm (depends what time I finish college) till 10-11pm at night when I go to bed


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## Nancy McClelland (Nov 6, 2012)

Ours are all indoors, but they all get 4 hours out each day.


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## Hkok (Nov 7, 2012)

Erslev have the last 4 mounth been free hopping 24 hours a day. Our flat is bunny safe. He have 2 sleeping places and a radiator grave that is acting like a 5,5 meter long trench.

I guess he could be the most spoiled rabbit in northen Europe.


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## Stone_family3 (Nov 10, 2012)

I have two girls and as long as the weather is good they get to get out all day. 

When I had a whole mess of rabbits, the males all got along (same litter) so they hung out all the time together and the females mostly got run of the coop and chicken run. 

I made a run out of dog kennel panels. Found tons of them for free on CL and just zip tied them together. I recommend doing that so they can all have their free roam time.


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