Can an indoor rabbit adapt to outdoor living?

Question
Today my mother-in-law brought home a rabbit who has previously lived indoors exclusivly, with the exception of an occasional hour or two outdoors.  She did so against my advice, because when she told me about the rabbit, I told her that I had concerns about the rabbit not being able to adapt to the changes in weather and temperature.  (She refuses to allow animals in her house.)  We live in Iowa, where the temp can go from 50 one day to 85 the next.  This rabbit does not have an outdoor cage either, just a small one from its previous home.  So, they have put it out in an old chicken coop they have, which is not off the ground.  It has an enclosed roosting area and an outdoor part that just sits on the grass.  She seems to think that we can keep this rabbit with the rabbit we have, who has always been outside and lives in a hutch that is approx 24 by 36 inches with a small box for sleeping (She gets alot of yard time!  =-).  I used to have several rabbits, when I was a teenager, and I remember vaugely that when I first started getting into them, someone advised me that rabbits that are not littermates should not be kept together as they will fight and really hurt each other or, of course, make babies.  Our rabbit is a female and I'm not sure what this new one is yet, since they can't sex a rabbit.  I am just really concerned and I wonder if you can give me some advice (that I can print off to show my MIL!)  Thanks in advance....

Cody

Answer
The most important reason not to keep the rabbit outdoors is found in the article - http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/hazards.html  I have known rabbits who were not well protected have ears and toes torn off by predators (if not outright killed).

There are also fleas, ticks, worms, and other parasites that could decide this rabbit is a good home.

To sex the rabbit, follow these instructions - http://www.rabbit.org/chapters/san-diego/health/sex.html

Rabbits that are not littermates can be paired, if both rabbits are agreeable.  You can find information on pairing at http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/introductions.html

I used to live in Iowa City, and I kept 3 rabbits in the house with me.  I would not even try to subject any rabbit to temperatures below 0, no matter how well you protect the hutch.

Good luck.

Kim