UPDATE! Cage Free... Can you Teach an Adult?

This may not be exactly colony related, but I can't see where else to ask.
We have an acre, fenced (not rabbit proof fencing but it keeps the biggest baddies out) and I have this vision of having at least one rabbit living cage free ~ I have seen it done, and read about people whose rabbits go out in the day and in at night.
We are building our rabbitry space this summer.

I have a large Flemish Giant buck that I would like to have cage free at least some of the time~ simply because caging him humanely is a HUGE cage!
I'm picturing him having the run of the rabbitry floor with litter box (he is very tidy in his pen) at night/ bad weather, and outdoors when appropriate, and a cage for backup when needed.
Right now he is in a large wire dog crate for safe keeping and when possible, outdoors in a large dog exercise pen.
He is a year old and was not handled in the first year. He is very curious and responsive with me and we are building a nice rapport.
I'm worried mostly that he is too old to adapt... that he would spook and be gone etc. and for both his safety/ well being and my investment that is not cool!

Would it be worth a try?
Or better with a younger animal?
Would you start with him free indoors and gradually extend range and time?
Dumb idea?

If you have does around, he'll probably wanna stick close to home to hang around them. Does were probably only thing keeping my boys from straying. :lol: If he's used to outside sights and sounds, you're away from a busy road, and the biggest gaps in the fence are blocked, I don't see why not. I prefer only do it with expendable bucks, though. They'd also get grouchy if was breeding day, and go biting after chickens, dogs, ankles (mainly my dad's!).

I've had a handful of "yard bucks" that had free range of the rabbit yard (never more than 1 at a time). Most were "let down" at several months old, but my favorite (Draco) was allowed to roam before he even hit puberty. Draco was pretty cool; he'd go into his cage at night for his dinner, even though at first it meant leaping almost 3 feet straight into the air to reach it, and he would throw the biggest fit if I didn't let him back out first thing after breakfast. In his teenage stage, he wound up getting too frustrated by lack of does and bit my dog in the eyeball and kept attacking the chickens. :x My guys all loved rolling in the poop. Didn't mind it one bit. I swear they spent more time under the does than on clean ground. Filthy bucks. :lol:

If I were you, I'd first make sure his cage is in an easily accessible spot so when he IS let out, he can go in/out as he pleases. Make sure he's in a habit of getting his dinner in the evening before dusk, so he knows the cage is where he gets his dinner at and more inclined to go in for the evening. Maybe make his dinner something he'll look forward to a little more than plain pellets, like topped with apple or carrot. A comfortable and spacious cage for a rabbit with a taste of freedom may help encourage him to go in at night too. After a week or so of that, then I'd try letting him out.

He isn't likely to stray if there are females nearby, but, he may attack any caged bucks you may have, if he can get to them.

Awesome!
All the other bucks will be up high (hanging cages). So maybe I'll put his crate on the floor and let him go in and out (in the enclosed area inside) for a while, combined with pen time outside while I establish routines. I am in the habit of feeding now at about 8 pm (after daughter goes to bed) so I'll ramp up his anticipation for the meal.

He hasn't been bred yet, and he his right beside a mature doe (who was flagging him today and he was clueless)... Not sure if he is made of study stuff lol , we'll see if he becomes more inclined to check out the ladies after he gets bred in a few weeks!

(Bigwig is the same size as one of our dogs who has shown me all the holes in the fence --and I have fixed them-- and he would be one heck of a challenge for any of the smaller predators to manage!) <br /><br /> __________ Wed May 20, 2015 10:15 pm __________ <br /><br /> Just updating to say how well this is going!
Bigwig has had his first mating since I posted (and I think I feel something when palpating doe!).
We have moved his cage to the floor with a litter box in the back (I used a bit of his soiled shavings as a base in the box) which he is using exclusively.
For a couple of days I put an ex-pen around his crate and let him explore ~he hopped up and over the 4.5' ex-pen!~ so that is done.
I have been giving him the run of the rabbitry area when I am out there and by day three he was chomping to get out as soon as I came in (pawing and threw his feeder).
I haven't let him free unattended inside yet because the screens on the porch area are easy to push open and he can clearly jump to the ledge, and if he did he'd fall out!

He is unphased by my cleaning (came around bumping my legs) or the dogs trying to get in.

Today we took out some apple slices and my daughter picked him dandelions.
I was shocked at how easily he came to us when we sat on the floor, accepted pets and treats.
(he lived in a barn stall, unhandled for his first year, we have had him about 6 weeks)
When we put the 6 week old kits in the ex-pen, Bigwig began tearing around the outside of it in circles, with the babies following him~ it was amazing to see him playing and so happy!

Getting him back into his crate is becoming the hard part.
We'll keep working on bonding and handfeeding until he is coming reliably before we open the door to the big outside!
But so far, so good!