How to Take Care of Rabbits Kept in Outdoor Hutches

It is very important that rabbits kept in outdoor hutches are properly taken care of to ensure their survival. Rabbits kept outdoors are exposed to a much greater degree of temperature and weather changes than rabbits that are kept indoors. If you are considering keeping a pet rabbit outside, make sure you know how to take care of a rabbit kept in an outdoor hutch first. I used to raise dwarf rabbits in outdoor hutches and will share some tips for taking good care of rabbits that are kept outside.

The Rabbit Hutch. A good outdoor rabbit hutch should consist of two sections, a wooden inside "house" section that has a wooden floor and an outside section usually consisting of one or two wire walls, one or two wooden walls, and a wire floor with a catch tray underneath that can be pulled out to be cleaned. There should be a door in both the inside and outside sections for easy cleaning and access to your bunny. The entire hutch usually has a shingled, wooden roof to keep your bunny well protected from the weather. Often, the roof is hinged and can be opened for easy access to the entire hutch.

Where to Put the Outdoor Rabbit Hutch. There are a couple of important things to remember when choosing a place to put your bunny's hutch. First, is shade during the heat of summer days and the second is protection from wind and weather during the cold winter months. Where you put the hutch is very important. A bunny left outside in a hutch that is not protected from extreme temperatures and weather can easily die from overheating or freezing to death. Providing adequate protection may require relocating the hutch for different seasons. In the summer place the hutch where it will receive plenty of shade during the hottest hours of the day. For the winter, put the hutch where the wind and weather will be blocked from at least a couple of sides, or you can create protection by stacking up bales of hay or straw on two to three sides of the hutch.

Keep in mind, that even with shade, summer heat can still be dangerous to your rabbit if temperatures are high. On days when temperatures were going to be in the upper eighties or higher, I would give my rabbits frozen water bottles or blocks of ice to lie against so they could cool down. They loved frozen water bottles and would run right over to them and start to lick them as soon as I placed them in the cage. Just make sure your bunny doesn't chew the plastic. Most don't, but if yours does, only give your rabbit a block of ice instead of a frozen water bottle.

What Bedding to Use. As with many other exotic pets, cedar and pine beddings are not safe to use for rabbits. The aromatic oils are toxic to rabbits, raising their liver enzymes, and can cause death. Aspen bedding is safe to use and is my preferred choice. Straw is also safe but will mold quickly so it must be changed often as moldy bedding can make your bunny sick. Put plenty of bedding in the indoor house section of the hutch so your bunny doesn't have to lie on the hard wood floor. Use extra bedding in the winter so your bunny can have a place to burrow in and keep warm. You should also put some aspen bedding in the catch tray under the outside section to absorb urine and control odors.

Cleaning the Hutch. Be sure to clean out and replace soiled bedding in the house section of the hutch as needed. Most rabbits will go to the bathroom in the outside section and keep their house section pretty clean. Clean out the catch tray as needed also, which is usually at least once a week. I always thoroughly rinsed the tray before adding fresh bedding. If the wire floor is getting dirty, you can wash it off with a hose.

What to Feed Your Rabbit. The most important part of your rabbit's diet is unlimited hay available at all times such as timothy, oat, or grass hays. The next is raw vegetables such as carrots, celery, brussel sprouts, green peppers, collard and mustard greens, pea pods, and romaine (not iceberg) lettuce. The third part of your rabbit's daily diet is pellets. It is recommended that you only feed about 1/2 cup of pellets a day for every six pounds that your rabbit weighs. Quality pellets should have at least 18% fiber.

This diet varies, especially for young rabbits, according to age. For detailed information on what to feed a rabbit according to age, I suggest you visit House Rabbit Society. They also have lists of vegetables and fruits you can feed your rabbit as well as a list of plants that are poisonous to rabbits.

Fruit is considered a treat, not a part of a rabbit's daily diet. You should only give your bunny very little fruit, especially of very sugary fruits such as grapes. Any other rabbit treats should also be given sparingly.

It is important that you give your rabbit fresh, cool water every day and twice a day in warm or hot weather. In the winter, I gave my rabbits fresh, warm water twice a day because their water would freeze.

Since rabbits' teeth grow their entire lives, make sure your bunny has a rabbit safe chew block or toy to gnaw on. You can easily pick up a safe chew block or toy at your local pet store. It's not safe to give your rabbit any old piece of wood or twig to chew on as it may contain chemical treatments or pesticides that can be poisonous to rabbits.

Enjoy your pet rabbit or and take good care of him so he can enjoy a healthy, happy life!

Related Content:

Can You Keep Rabbits Together in the Same Cage or Hutch?

Sources:

House Rabbit Society