Polski
Rabbits outside
The summer is coming! That means the rabbits can go outside again! What could be nicer than sitting in the garden, enjoying the sun, while the bunnies happily hop around you. However, you can't just bring your rabbits out from the inside. Rabbits are very bad at dealing with too large temperature changes. In this blog we explain how you can approach this wisely.
Temporarily out
Do you always keep your rabbits indoors and do you want to keep doing this, but do you like to let them enjoy the outdoors on a nice day? Of course you can! You can use a rabbit run for this. The rabbits are allowed outside in the run when the outside temperature is equal to the inside temperature. This is usually the case when you no longer have heating on indoors. Is it even warmer outside than inside? Then you better let the rabbits inside. They soon get too hot and would rather stay cool and comfortable inside. You can place the run on tiles or pavement, but you can also place it on the grass. If you place the run on the grass, you have to pay attention to a number of things. The rabbits can then of course eat tasty grass. They will love this, but if they are not used to it, the time they spend on the grass should be limited. Their digestive system really needs to get used to the moisture-rich grass. If the rabbits stand on the grass for too long and if they have eaten too much, they can get diarrhoea. Rabbits have a very sensitive digestive system, so we want to avoid diarrhea at all times. Rabbits are also very good diggers. So make sure they don't dig themselves out of the run. Before you know it you've lost a rabbit! The easiest way is to place the run on the paving stones. But sitting on the grass for a while while sitting next to it is also very nice! Make sure that the run is never in full sun and if the run is on paving stones, that the rabbits always have fresh drinking water available. Do you place the run on the grass for a short period of time? Then drinking water is not necessarily immediately necessary. Grass already contains a lot of moisture.
Moving out permanently
Rabbits can of course always live outside. In the winter they will create a thick winter coat and snuggle up together. Spring is a good time to move. You can move the rabbits outside when the outside temperature is approximately equal to the inside temperature. At night it should stay above 8 degrees. This is also the moment when you no longer have the stove on. The rabbits always need a dry and draft-free night hutch/shelter. The rabbits also need a large amount of straw. Straw is hollow inside and therefore insulates. So a straw bed is nice and warm! Of course, a rabbit always needs a congener. This is even more important for rabbits that are kept outside, because the rabbits huddle together to keep warm. In the summer it stays warm and by the time the days get shorter again and the nights get colder, the rabbits will start to put on a winter coat. From that moment on they can also stay outside when it gets colder, they adapt very well to that. Please note that you should not bring your rabbits indoors at this time, where the stove is burning!
A suitable outdoor enclosure for rabbits is quite a challenge! Rabbits need a lot of space, of course, even at night. Unfortunately, rabbits don't sleep all night like us. They are especially active at dusk. At night and during the day they are active alternately and take naps in between. We prefer not to lock the rabbits in a smaller space at night, especially during twilight. However, security is often a challenge in a country house. Of course, the enclosure should keep the rabbits inside. There should be no possibility of escape. But it is also very important that predators are kept outside. In connection with birds of prey, the enclosure must also be shielded from above. A very annoying enemy for rabbits is the marten. Martens are very good climbers and rodents and can squeeze through very small openings. To keep martens out, you must use sturdy material and the enclosure must be closed on all sides, without too large openings / cracks.
So it takes some time and attention, but then the rabbits can enjoy the outdoors!
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