Outdoor hutches come in all shapes and sizes and should consist of a wire meshed open area, a closed in bedding area, a felted water resistant roof and be constructed with treated wood or of a plastic construction. When choosing your hutch, you need to consider the size that your fully grown rabbit will be. Remember the size your rabbit is when you buy it will not be it's size when fully grown.
For an adult mini-lop I would recommend a hutch of no less than 3 foot. At present I house my bucks, as they are slightly smaller, in 3 foot hutches and my does in 4 foot hutches.
My rabbits get regular exercise in the garden and therefore my use of 3 and 4 foot hutches is adequate.
Due to the sad death of Blue (see mini bucks) I do not recommend the use of two tier hutches.
See 'Hutches for Sale' page.
If you have chosen to keep your rabbit indoors, you can purchase an indoor hutch/cage. These differ greatly from the outdoor hutch and are generally made from a plastic bottom with a wire cage that sits on top. Again these indoor hutches/cages come in a variety of colours and sizes, but again I would recommend a hutch/cage of no less than 3 foot.
Please remember that although an outdoor hutch can quite easily be used as an indoor living area, the indoor hutches/cages are specifically designed to be indoors and would not be suitable for continuous outdoor use, though if you are in the garden, an hour in the fresh air might be enjoyed by your rabbit.
A run will allow your rabbit to exercise in the garden and provide them with fresh air, though supervision should be given to ensure protection from predators .
Again runs come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including triangular and square and are generally made of a wooden outer frame with a mesh covering. Most runs will have a closed in area (three sides) at one end to provide your bunny with some protection from sunlight and light rain and will provide a feeling of security if needed, though be aware that some runs do only provide an overhead cover, so check this when purchasing your run. It should also be noted that some rabbits are very partial to digging, so you may need to also purchase a mesh base for your run to ensure that your rabbit does not escape. Your runs should also be relocated on a regular basis as the run area will quickly become soiled.
Pens, like runs, are a good way of allowing your rabbit fresh air and exercise in the garden. They differ greatly from the traditional run in that they are usually comprised of either 4, 6 or 8 metal side panels which are held together by a metal stakes secured into the ground. A cover is ususally provided with the pen which can be secured over the top of the pen. The cover will sometimes have a netted area and a covered section, again to provide some protection against sunlight and light rain. You should place either a rabbit wigwam or rabbit tunnel into the pen to provide your rabbit with a place to hide if he/she feels the need.