Outdoor rabbit hutches offer many advantages over indoor hutches, however, there are some important considerations when choosing an outdoor hutch for your rabbit. First off, here are some advantages. You can see some of our outdoor rabbit hutches here.
Advantages of Outdoor Rabbit Hutches
- An outdoor hutch offers a more natural environment for the rabbit.
- An outdoor rabbit hutch is very likely to have an area where the rabbits can access the grass that is growing in your garden. This means that you don’t need to buy as much hay, well at least in the summertime.
- There may also be more room outside for a larger rabbit hutch than an indoor rabbit hutch.
- Odours and mess are outside rather than in the house. The hutch still needs to be cleaned regularly, but cleaning is that little bit easier. All of the droppings and bedding can just be put onto the compost heap (or brown bin). Most of our hutches have sliding floors which make is easier to do this.
Some Considerations for an Outdoor Hutch
The hutch should be secure and safe from predators, this is the single biggest consideration. As well as wire mesh all around, many of our hutches have a sliding door which can be closed each evening, which helps to make it extra secure. If the hutch is going to be in one place, then we recommend to put a surround of paving slabs around the outside of the hutch. This prevents a fox burrowing in. A rabbit hutch should always be placed in an area that is as safe as possible from predators, including dogs that are not socialised to your rabbits.
While rabbits do perfectly well outdoors, it is important that in winter-time your pet rabbit is good and cosy. Adding in extra bedding or a blanket is a good thing to do at this time of year. If the rabbit has not been outdoors already, it would be important to not suddenly put it outdoors in very cold weather.