Transition from and indoor bunny to an outdoor one?

[naturemom]

I've had Jersey Wooly rabbits in the past and have been thinking about getting 1 or 2 again. We had indoor rabbits, but now we are sharing a house with my in-laws and they are adamantly opposed to having a rabbit in the house, so I've been thinking about making a rabbit tractor. My dh just found out that someone who works where he does is looking for a new home for her bunny. I'd love to take him, but he has been kept indoors and I'm wondering if it would be too stressful to move him to an outdoor home. He's 8 years old. Any thoughts on this?

 

[citrusdreams]

I would never have a rabbit in the house either. Mine are strictly outdoor rabbits.

*I* would think it would be too stressful for an eight year old rabbit used to living inside. Illinois gets pretty hot in the summer and pretty cold in the winter.

If you do get this rabbit IMOHO, you would need to keep a careful eye on him and make sure he doesn't get too hot or too cold. You'll need to be diligent about keeping out cold water and maybe containers of ice, and maybe a fan. It's hard enough for me to keep my outdoor rabbits cool in the summer. Summers are hard on rabbits.

In the winter, you'll need to make sure he has someplace to get warm if he needs to. Rabbits are pretty cold hearty, but Illinois gets pretty cold in the winter. I'd research how much cold they can actually take. At some point (I don't know what point) you might have to be able to put out a heat lamp or provide extra bedding. Better to be prepared and not have to need it, rather than need it and be without and be sorry later.

Just my own $0.02 about that. Maybe someone else who has rabbits can offer better advice.

If I were you, I'd start out with younger (kits) rabbits that way they can get used to the extreme weather spikes.

 

[PitterPaws]

I also think it would be Very stressful on an 8 year old rabbit to be moved to the outdoors.
Start with a young rabbit and he/she will grow up being outside and not know any thing else so it wouldn't be stressed.
I recommend a Rabbit cage with a closed in House area with a small door so he/she can run in if scared etc. As well as a run made with wire, chicken wire or.
In winter fill the House area full of straw, I do that in winter and my rabbit stays nice and warm even here in Cold Wisconsin!
In the very hot days of summer put Frozen Water bottles in his/her run so he/she can lay by them to stay cool.

 

[mekasmom]

My only comment would be that rabbits do better in cold weather than in hot. It would be harder to put a rabbit from AC into 100degree weather than it would to put it from 70degree house to 30degree weather.

Personally, I would take the rabbits and put them out slowly. They should do fine as long as they don't immediately go into really hot weather that would overheat them.