Rabbits - new to them & a few questions

[roundabout1]

We are thinking of getting two rabbits in a month or so. We have kept lots of animals over the years but never had rabbits. A friend has offered to make a hutch & have been looking at different sorts. We want one as big as we can have in our smallish garden. Is a large hutch with an integral run the best so they can have a decent run round whenever they want? It will take up most of our lawn but we never use it for anything else so thats not a problem. Dh suggested having a separate run so that the hutch would stay warmer in the cold weather. Any ideas or advice would be appreciated.

Keeping a rabbit confined to a hutch in winter is cruel. I know you are thinking of having a run separately but that means the rabbit exercises when you want it to rather than when it wants to IYSWIM. They need lots of space to hop and run about. Our rabbits have a shed to live in with sleeping area and constant access to a 6ft by 12 run. If I am around they also have free run of the garden which we have rabbit proofed. The rabbit welfare association has some useful information.
www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/ahutchisnotenough.htm

Thanks I will have a look. We are thinking of a big hutch but I prefer the idea of them getting a run when they like then at least if we are out they can get to have a run like you say. We will be letting them out in the garden too but only when we are around.

We built our run so it could be huge! It was a bit expensive with the wood and the fox proof wire but works well. Rabbits make gorgeous pets. It is so lovely watching them run and jump and enjoy life.

www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/pdfs/AHUTCHISNOTENOUGH-makeitrightfinal.pdf
I was just thinking that this system would work well too if you can't have the run attached to the hutch. It is a tunnel system that links the two. You may need to scroll down a bit to see what I mean.

what a fantastic link!

It's fab isn't it! Rabbits need so much more than sitting in a hutch and that system works for any type of garden.

I've got a runaround tunnel linking a hutch to a run. It's pricy, but very good and means that they can go in and out when it rains. It surprised me how much time they choose to be out in the rain as I would always put them indoors before. At night, I fill their food bowl and they run down the pipe and up into the hutch so no picking up which is another bonus. I close up the pipe at night as my run is not fox-proof. I would definitely recommend one of these!

Thanks for that link, theres some great ideas there.