The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund have identified that rabbits require a majority grass or grass-hay based diet, with these substrates making up 85% of their food intake. Grass is particularly important to rabbits as it forces them to use their teeth in a particular way to chew and grind the grass to allow them to break it down and digest it. This chewing action is critical for wearing their molar teeth which continually grow. Grass, and hay made of grass (grass hay), are the only substrates that rabbits can use to achieve this molar wear, so it is very important they make up the majority of their diet.
The easiest way to give our rabbits access to this is to allow them to graze in a safe garden that is full of grass. In this article we are going to discuss how to create a rabbit safe garden to allow your bunny unlimited access to grass.
Options for garden access
First things first we should discuss the three options we are going to discuss in this article that allow rabbits to have garden access. You may find that a hybrid model to any of these options is better for you and that is not a problem, just ensure the basic principles of safety are stuck to whatever you choose.
Option 1 – 24/7 access to a fully enclosed safe and protected garden.
Of the three options this is the most time-consuming to put together but in the long term will be very beneficial for your pet who can choose when they want to graze just as they would in the wild.
- The whole garden needs to be enclosed to ensure your rabbit cannot escape through holes in the fence, or dig down and burrow under the fence. With this in mind fence panels will need to be reinforced at the base to ensure this is not an area your pet could potentially use to dig out of the garden. It is also essential to ensure there are no holes in the fence or holes that lead out of your garden perimeter so your rabbit cannot escape and predators cannot enter.
- Netting or a structured roof over the top of your garden is recommended to prevent other animals including crows, birds-of-prey, cats and foxes being able to attack your rabbit whilst they are in the garden.
- Care needs to be taken to ensure the plants in your garden are safe for your rabbit to consume. A lot of common garden plants are actually toxic to rabbits so you must ensure these are not in your garden if you intend to let your rabbit have full access to the garden. The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund have written a great article on this.
Some of the common toxic plants include:
- all bulbs – such as daffodils, snowdrops, tulips and anything that grows from a bulb
- foxgloves
- buttercups
- primrose
- poppy
- periwinkle
- ivy
- privet
- holly
- yew
- nightshade
And unfortunately many more. Ensure you read up on the plants you have in your garden thoroughly before giving your rabbit access. If you are concerned your rabbit may have ingested part of a plant which is toxic to them, please call your veterinary surgeon immediately for advice.
- The majority of the garden should be lawn and areas of non-toxic plants which are safe for your rabbit to graze.
- There should be areas of your garden that are shaded to allow your rabbit to get out of the sun on hot days and out of the rain/wind on miserable days.
- The access for your rabbit from their indoor environment to the garden should be clear and free of any obstruction or obstacle which is likely to make them reluctant to use it.
- Water should be provided and cleaned and topped up daily. This should ideally be available in multiple locations within the garden and you should make a point of showing your rabbit where these water locations are.
- Cover up any ponds, ditches or areas of your garden which are potentially dangerous for your rabbit to explore before giving them access. Rabbits are not generally good swimmers!
The first time you give your rabbit access to your new enclosed garden it is important to supervise them and watch how they explore. There are many potential hazards for our pets and often we do not foresee them all, so watching your pet in the environment is a good way of checking you have covered all bases. Once you are confident your rabbit is exploring the space safely and has been navigating the garden well for a period of time, you can then give them 24/7 access to the space.
Option 2 – supervised access to the whole garden
This option is great if you still want your rabbit to be able to roam freely throughout your whole garden but have the time to carefully supervise them at all times whilst they are in it.
Most of the same principles as in option 1 apply, however there is no need to provide netting or a structured roof over the entire garden or access to the inside if you are going to be supervising them the whole time.
A handy add on to this option are ‘runaround systems’ which are tunnels that allow your rabbit to explore different parts of the garden without having full access to those areas. You can read more about rabbit safe gardens and runaround systems on the RWAF website.
Option 3 – restricted access to an area/enclosure within the garden at specified times
This option is great for those of us that have other pets which will not interact well with the rabbit, do not have the finances required to fully enclose a garden to make it rabbit proof or do not want to limit the amount of plants that are in the garden and would rather keep a dedicated space that’s safe for rabbit grazing. Whatever your reason, this can be a great option for your rabbit.
1) Identify a suitable area of the garden – this should be an area with both shaded and sunny spots and adequate grass that your rabbit can graze well all year round.
2) Ensure there is a sheltered area within this area so your rabbit can hide or get out of inclement weather – if there is no direct shelter in the area you can create this by building a small wooden shelter, just ensure whatever structures you add are well secured and will be safe if chewed on by your rabbit – always use non-toxic wood and products which are safe for animals.
3) Fence or mesh the area so your rabbit cannot get access outside of the area. You can buy purpose-built rabbit runs or build something yourself. Ensure the structure is tall enough to allow your rabbit to stand up on its hind limbs and still have adequate space above its head. Enclosures which do not allow your rabbit to stand up are unsuitable spaces for rabbits to be in. The blue cross states that this space needs to be a minimum of 3 meters X 2 meters in floor space and a minimum of 1 meter high. This space needs to be deep enough into the ground to ensure your rabbit cannot dig their way out of it and predators such as foxes cannot get underneath it to access your rabbit.
4) Water should be provided and cleaned and topped up daily. Ensure your rabbit knows where the water source in the space is, and consider having multiple sources especially in a larger space shared by several individuals.
5) Ensure there are no toxic plants in the area that has been chosen for your rabbit to graze, and that the majority of the area is lawn and grass available for grazing.
Summary:
– There are many benefits to giving your rabbit as much access to a garden space as possible.
– The type of access your rabbit has depends on your personal circumstances and needs to be well considered and planned before giving your rabbit access to the garden.
– It is essential that you ensure there are no toxic plants in the space and that you have secured the area from potential predators and threats to your rabbits’ safety.
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