Argente de Champagne rabbit housing setup

You've got an Argente de Champagne — a genuinely rare breed, and one that's more active and curious than most people expect. Before we get into specifics: most hutches sold in pet shops are far too small. Rabbits need room for at least three full hops, the ability to stand completely upright, and separate zones for sleeping and toileting — the Argente de Champagne needs all of that and then some, given their size and energy levels. Are you planning indoor or outdoor, how many rabbits do you have, and what sort of space are you working with?

Good — 4kg is about right for the breed, and they carry that weight actively. Argente de Champagnes are a medium-to-large French breed with a lot of investigative behaviour. They forage, they patrol, they like to cover ground. A standard two-storey hutch will frustrate him. What you want is a hutch with a large attached run so he has constant access to space, not just when you let him out. Is he neutered, and do you have predator pressure in your garden — foxes, cats?

That's the right thing to prioritise — fox-proof construction is non-negotiable for outdoor rabbits. Flimsy staple-gun mesh won't hold. You want welded or heavy gauge wire, a solid bolt on every door, and ideally a skirt or apron around the base so nothing can dig under. Does he currently have any setup at all, or are you starting from scratch?

Then I'd point you toward the Eglu Go Hutch with a 2m or 3m run extension from Omlet. It's the closest thing to a genuinely well-engineered outdoor rabbit setup available in the UK. The hutch section is insulated, easy to clean, and secure — the run uses proper welded steel mesh that a fox cannot tear through, and it has a skirt system to prevent digging. For an Argente de Champagne the 2m run alone isn't enough day-to-day; buy the hutch with the 3m run or add the run extension immediately — it brings his roaming corridor to a length that actually suits the breed. The Eglu Go is on Amazon UK and through Omlet direct. It's not cheap, but it's the one setup I'd genuinely trust for a fox-prone garden with an active medium rabbit. One addition: give him a cardboard tube or wooden toy inside the run — Argentes are nosy and need something to interact with, or they pace.

Two things worth getting right from the start. First, position the run so part of it is in shade at all times — Argentes have a medium-length coat but all rabbits overheat quickly in direct summer sun, and a dark silver-grey coat absorbs heat faster than white. Second, add a hiding spot inside the run itself, not just the hutch — a simple wooden hide or upturned crate. Argentes are curious but they also need to feel they can retreat quickly. That balance between exploring and hiding is characteristic of the breed and worth designing for.