Outdoor walk in bunny enclosure with green grass possible?

[bridgetchicken]

After watching this video on YouTube, I want to build a walk-in enclosure for my bunny. In the video, they placed grass sod on the ground. Will this be okay for my enclosure? Will my bunny try to tear the grass up? I plan to have hardware cloth beneath the ground soil so that they can't dig out of their enclosure.

 

[EverythingDucks]

That looks pretty nice.
A rabbit might try to dig up the grass but it really depends on the individual. If you provide plenty of toys, hides, and things to do it will be less likely.
I would use hardware cloth instead of the chicken wire so predators can't get through. And instead of buying a hutch I'd probably put up walls so they have shelter they feel safe in, but still with open space.

Nice outdoor enclosures like this are much more expensive than indoor housing though.
If you must keep your rabbit outdoors, I recommend adopting a bonded pair so they won't be lonely. By a bonded pair, I mean two adult rabbits who have already been fixed and have gone through the bonding process (which isn't always simple). Buying two rabbits as babies will often be a completely different outcome.
I see so many people end up with at least two litters because they were incorrectly sexed, and/or not separated and fixed soon enough. In this situation, it may be difficult to bond the two after they reach 6 months, even if they're the same gender and you don't separate them. They become pretty hormonal at this age when not fixed. So adopting a pair saves you the hassle of dealing with any of that, and the adoption fee will usually be much less than the cost to get them fixed yourself.

 

[bridgetchicken]

If I wanted the bunny enclosure to have grass, how would I water the grass? If I spray water through the hardware cloth, the hardware cloth will get rusty. Most likely I would have to install underground irrigation. Any advice?

How about if I use artificial grass? Would that be harmful to the bunnies? At least I don't have to fertilize or water real grass.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

If I wanted the bunny enclosure to have grass, how would I water the grass? If I spray water through the hardware cloth, the hardware cloth will get rusty. Most likely I would have to install underground irrigation. Any advice?

How about if I use artificial grass? Would that be harmful to the bunnies? At least I don't have to fertilize or water real grass.

No artificial grass. They'll eat it. If you don't want to just water it through the wall, go insider and water it

 

[FunClucks]

If I wanted the bunny enclosure to have grass, how would I water the grass? If I spray water through the hardware cloth, the hardware cloth will get rusty. Most likely I would have to install underground irrigation. Any advice?

The hardware cloth that you want to use is hot dip galvanized. A zinc coating is applied that will prevent rusting for a number of years. It will develop a grayish sort of film, but it will be several years before it starts to rust (5-10?). Once it starts to rust, you should consider replacing it, as eventually it will weaken and allow predators to break through.

For hardware cloth buried in the ground, you'll have to check that every year or so and replace it as it loses its structural integrity.

 

[_-Captain BRM-_]

Addressing your question regarding a digging rabbit- what gender isn't your bunny? Typically only does will dig, but I have had bucks dig very shallow holes before, most likely out of boredom. Pregnant does will dig out entire burrows- but usually if they have not been near a buck, they won't have those instinctual thoughts.

 

[bridgetchicken]

No artificial grass. They'll eat it. If you don't want to just water it through the wall, go insider and water it

If I have to fertilize the grass, how do I do this without the rabbits being poisoned by the fertilizer?

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I guess just don't fertilize it

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

If I have to fertilize the grass, how do I do this without the rabbits being poisoned by the fertilizer?

Don't use chemical fertilizer. Just use poo

Edit: now that I think about rabbit feces is great fertilizer. Just let your little guy do his or her thing

 

[dripbabygirl]