New to the rabbit world

[SharpTJ]

So we have a little farm and have acquired a couple rabbits for my 6 year old to tend. We have been keeping them inside with a play fence about 20 Sq ft. and a hutch.

To be honest, they stink to high heavens lol

I'm going to move them outside and have built a hutch and run for them, but I am worried about hawks and eagles snatching them up. We have hundreds of wild rabbits as well... So the picking is easy for the birds of prey.

My question is basically which is best..

1. A rabbit tractor, maybe 10' x 5' that has a small enclosed hutch

2. A large area about 20' x 20' with a secure hutch and bird netting over the top.

I have a small electric fence charger that might deter digging under the fence, but I'm afraid the "shock of the shock" might kill El Rabbito though...

 

[helena]

I would NEVER EVER use a electric fence. We have one for cows, but even a weak one could be dangerous for a bunny. It could easily go into shock! The bigger hutch would be better! I would say the large area with a warm hutch. Also, bunnies really don't stink much..... are they litterbox trained? Are you using absorbent litter? I use pine pellets from Thiesens. They are only 5 dollars for a 40 pound bag. As long as you change the litterbox every few days to a week, it shouldn't smell. It's great to include kids in work, but be sure you supervise! It is very easy for young ones to forget and the rabbit will have dirty water, no food, or have a dirty hutch. If it has to live outside, be sure it is warm enough or cool enough. But, they could easily live inside if smell is your only concern. Rabbits are NOT smelly animals. I would love to see some pictures of your cute bunnies!

 

[SharpTJ]

I would NEVER EVER use a electric fence. We have one for cows, but even a weak one could be dangerous for a bunny. It could easily go into shock! The bigger hutch would be better! I would say the large area with a warm hutch. Also, bunnies really don't stink much..... are they litterbox trained? Are you using absorbent litter? I use pine pellets from Thiesens. They are only 5 dollars for a 40 pound bag. As long as you change the litterbox every few days to a week, it shouldn't smell. It's great to include kids in work, but be sure you supervise! It is very easy for young ones to forget and the rabbit will have dirty water, no food, or have a dirty hutch. If it has to live outside, be sure it is warm enough or cool enough. But, they could easily live inside if smell is your only concern. Rabbits are NOT smelly animals. I would love to see some pictures of your cute bunnies!

Yeah, the zapper was just kind of spitballing. He is litter trained; we use carefresh absorbant litter... He just poops SOOOO much. I have always heard pine products are bad for rabbits.

 

[helena]

Yeah, the zapper was just kind of spitballing. He is litter trained; we use carefresh absorbant litter... He just poops SOOOO much. I have always heard pine products are bad for rabbits.

Pine shavings are bad, not pellets. The shavings emit a chemical when mixed with pee, but pellets don't. Rabbit poo doesn't smell......... it could be the pee, but to prevent the smell, change the litterbox every few days to a week. Whenever it starts to smell, just change it.

 

[Butterscotch]

Yeah, the zapper was just kind of spitballing. He is litter trained; we use carefresh absorbant litter... He just poops SOOOO much. I have always heard pine products are bad for rabbits.

I couldn't stand that litter, it smelled so bad when soiled. I switched to pine horse stall pellets and it's been a lifesaver! Not only are the pine pellets much more effective but they are quite a bit cheaper. The pellets are kiln treated so there is no chemical residue such as you would find in the pine shavings.

 

[SableSteel]

I would go with the tractor, out of those two. Bird netting might deter some birds, but it's not going to do much against bobcats, coyotes, wild dogs and the like.

 

[Blue eyes]

Honestly, if one has the right setup, there should be no reason for indoor rabbits (or their litter boxes) to emit odor. (I'm an adult with grown kids -- just so you know.)
We've kept our rabbits in the main living area of our home. Guests come over and are shocked when they see a couple rabbits come out of hiding. "I had no idea you had rabbits! I never noticed any odor at all!" would be a common response.

It truly is possible, with little effort, to have no odor indoors. Those wood pellets (not shavings) that have been mentioned are amazing. Carefresh does little to nothing for odor (imo). The wood pellets are also very cheap (around $6 for 40lb). A bag would last me about 2+ months with 2 rabbits.

The wood pellets topped with hay daily, can go 3 or 4 days between cleaning with 2 rabbits. No odor whatsoever. When that litter is dumped, you can be sure you'll smell what that litter had absorbed!!
Rabbits sure do poo alot, but it is the urine that has the odor.

If you are willing to try out the pellets to give the rabbits another chance to be indoors (they tend to get less interaction/attention when housed outdoors) then be sure to review my more detailed explanation of how to set things up to your advantage and ease:
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/odor-free-home.html

 

[Mehidk]

How often are you cleaning the litter? I clean Trixie's every 3 days and the only time there's an odor is when I'm dumping the soiled litter into a garbage bag. Otherwise, a rabbit's poop should not smell, nor should the rabbit itself.

 

[Toffee and Valentina]

I noticed my niece's unaltered rabbit has stinky pee. Both my buns are altered so pee smell is not an issue. I hope your buns are altered. We don't need more buns produced when there are so many in shelters. Enjoy your buns and make sure the kids know how fragile they are.

 

[SharpTJ]

I'm going to get them neutered and give the pine pellets a go... Is it OK to put them outside, them seem to enjoy the grass and larger area

 

[Toffee and Valentina]

Personally, I wouldn't, due to predators, but perhaps some other members can give you some practical advice.

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

I'm going to get them neutered and give the pine pellets a go... Is it OK to put them outside, them seem to enjoy the grass and larger area

Yeah, it generally is okay. In England we have our rabbits vaccinated yearly, but because of the spread of RHDV2 in the US, I’ve seen many rabbit articles about keeping your rabbits inside. There are many other factors when allowing your rabbits to go outside that we discussed recently in this thread: Is it safe for buns to play outside?