Can rabbits be kept outside all year?

Question

can they be kept outside all year? or is a garage a better choice?as long as its nice n warm and gets lots of room to run around and play in? i have a dutch bunny.

Answer 1

I kept my rabbits outside year around in the barn, in hutches. I made sure the does had nesting boxes when they needed them. They did just fine. At night in the winter I made sure the cages were covered up and then I uncovered them in the morning. I have included some links for Dutch Rabbits.
http://www.cbarrabbits.com/Care_information.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_rabbit
http://www.arba.net/
http://www.geocities.com/EnchantedForest/6949/dutch1.html

Answer 2

Rabbits can generate a lot of body heat, and if they've been exposed to cold weather over the fall, they can build up a good winter coat.
Your dutch is a fairly small breed, and is more vulnerable to cold weather.
To keep it warm, give it a box with a floor, a roof, and a small hole for a door, and stuff it with straw or hay. The rabbit can use the straw to burrow in.
Make sure the rabbit's water never freezes. If you can't figure out a way to keep water available at all times, you need to move the rabbit somewhere warmer.
The garage might work. My family used to breed rabbits in the garage; none of them died from the fumes. Just make sure your parents don't let the engine run there to warm up the car.
Your real problem will be in the summer. Rabbits need shade. If it gets up to the high nineties, your rabbit is in danger of heat stroke; if it tops the hundreds, unless you have some sort of cooling system on the hutch, it will die, one day or the next.
Another note on keeping rabbits outdoors: when I raised meat rabbits, I kept them all outside all year. Their lifespan was about five years. The stress of weather changes is probably very hard on rabbits, which is one reason mine grew old so quickly. Keeping your rabbit indoors is worth the trouble.

Answer 3

Of course they can be left outside. After all wild bunnies do it all the time. As long as she has adequate shelter and make sure to give her fresh water everyday, if the water gets frozen.
We have a female rabbit that we have kept outside since she was a baby. She will be 8 years old in the spring. Our other 7 y/o rabbit passed away this summer. = (
People can sometimes be a little ridiculous about their pets. Do you think your rabbit would want to be cooped up in a garage, and not be able to have the fresh air and interaction with nature?

Answer 4

I guess it depends on where you live and how much you love your bunny!
We had our dwarf lop for 13 years- yes 13 years- she was the oldest bunny the vet had ever seen and had she not been registered with him all those years he would never have believed us! She was a very grand old lady and we loved her so much.

However, I think she survived that long because she was kept indoors.
She did go outside in the garden during summer, but she was always brought in at nightime.

She had the freedom of the house and was trained to use a litter tray. She had her own large plastic home and she slept in there and sometimes if she'd had enough of bounding around, she would hop in there for a rest.
She was very very tame, and whenever anyone sat down, she would jump up to sit in your lap & be stroked, just like a little puppy. She would also nuzzle into my neck and put her paws either side of my face as if she was hugging me- she was just the cutest little thing you can imagine.
If she was sitting on our lap and we stopped stroking her, she'd gently nudge our arm with her nose as if to say "hey I'm here- keep stroking me!"

There we go.. perhaps a little unusual, but bunnies can be excellent pets if you love them and treat them properley. They don't need walking, they don't make a noise and they can be trained so they don't mess either.

Good luck.

Answer 5

ABSOLUTELY!
Rabbits can be just as happy outside or inside a building--no matter what city, state or country you live in!
An outside hutch needs to be set up to keep out drafts and ensure that bunny does not get wet. During the summer, Shade and good air circulation to prevent heat prostration is a must.
During the winter, proper bedding material changed regularly as well kept out of drafts and away from getting snow into the cage.

Advantages to keeping outside during the warm summer months is no need for a collection pan under than cage, potty can fall to the ground and be turned under once in a while.
Disadvantages to keeping outside during the cold winter months is water will freeze and need to be supplied more often, as well as the need for changing to clean dry bedding routinely. AS WELL as the inconveince to YOU the caregiver having to deal with the weather elements to care for bunny.

Keeping inside a building during winter would certainly be easier on the caregiver for feed/watering. Bedding wouldn't be needed then if the cage is inside a shed of sorts. During the warm summer months, being inside a building needs to have precautions of not overheating, good air circulation would be a must.

Answer 6

well you should probably have them inside during the winter it is to cold for them this time of year. Or if your parents don't let you try putting the rabbit in the garage like you said but by the warmest part of the garage like in a corner. And just make sure your parents don't get close to the rabbit with the car.

Answer 7

If you get cold winters bring the bunnie inside but NOT the garage bunnies can die from car fumes. Its great to have bunnies inside cuz you bond with them better. truthfully i would keep your bunnie in all year wrong so you can check on it and see if anythings wrong. My naighbors rabbit died because we had a cold winter and the water froze. If you get winters like that bring you bunnie inside but remember NOT in the garage...

Answer 8

depends. My bunnies do but the garage might not be such a good idea. Mine gets way past 100*f

Answer 9

Aww might want to you save them outdoors? Rabbits love being cuddled up interior. I really have had many rabbits over the years; they don't look to be severe priced what so ever. in case you purchase a male or woman, they'll opt to be neutured at round 5 months, highly adult males. in case you save them outdoors i'd advise a spouse in the different case they receives lonely and its so unhappy to work out them on my own. by no skill positioned 2 adult males at the same time. in case you save your rabbit interior, they're advantageous on my own as you may enable them run round the living room; yet do no longer positioned them outdoors on my own. in the journey that they are going to be outdoors, grant a tremendous number of hay and warmth bedding. Rabbits won't be able to stay outdoors interior the wintry climate. And at the same time as they arrive interior, they by no skill opt to bypass decrease back out! heavily, rabbits are wonderful, very pleasant and quite humorous animals. earnings from them and love them. in the journey that your fortunate sufficient, your bunny will manage you to bunny kisses. Very sweet! better of luck x

Answer 10

Austria?? Argentina?? Australia??

depends where you live.. really...

and a big hutch needs to have a smaller shelter within..

if the water freezes then its too cold for your bunny..
frost bit ears are painful and dehydration can occur when water freezes..

garages are TERRIBLE because car fumes can kill