Is it okay to keep bunnys outside in a hutch??

Question

I have a 6x3 hutch, my mom wants them outside. They would stay in the deck. The deck is screened and shelters them from wind rain a nd snow but im really worried they could get hurt or die. I love my two bunnies and want to make their hutch as suitable as possible.

Answer 1

No, it is not. Hutch rabbits usually have bad lives and they do not live as long.

Read http://www.rabbit.org  

Answer 2

there hutch will be absolutely fine outside, they will prefer having access to fresh air all the time. and as you have said yourself, they are sheltered from wind and rain and all other nasty weathers. and it sounds like no predators can get in either! which is great. my rabbit is kept outside and he's got a plastic coverings pulled over his hutch every night to keep everything out, and even just being covered can prevent any predators getting in. hope that helped.  

Answer 3

Having them outside is recomended. fresh air!

Answer 4

Outdoor hutches are perfectly suitable for rabbits.  Our rabbitry is kept in an outbuilding (unheated), some in wooden hutches and most in stacking wire cages.

Rabbits tolerate cold much better than they tolerate hot temperatures.  In the summer, you can use fans and frozen water bottles to help keep them from overheating.  In winter, if the weather is very bad, you can tarp part of the hutch, add extra straw or hay for bedding material, or even hang a brood lamp for extra warmth.  

I also switch to water crocks instead of bottles for watering in the winter, as bottles tend to freeze quicker or crack.  Always make sure a rabbit has access to fresh water, particularly in winter.  They actually drink more during cold weather than hot.

If the deck is screened, I don't think you have anything to worry about as far as predators being able to get at them.  Hutches are secure, usually made out of hardware mesh and wood.  

Your rabbits should be just fine - just make sure they're protected against extreme weather conditions, and make sure you spend plenty of time holding, grooming and playing with them so they remain friendly and easy to handle.