Big Hutch - Set Up & Questions

Hi,
I'm still waiting to get my 2 rescue rabbits but am just setting my new hutch up ready for my homecheck. It's pretty big, 6ft x 3ft over a 6ft by 5ft run.

So, I am putting the lino squares on the bottom of the hutch and then covering that with some newspaper. I've got Carefresh and I was going to put that in the litter trays with some hay. Do I then just leave the rest of the hutch bare except for the newspaper (will also have toys and food/water bowls etc)?

Then there's the bedroom compartment which is also huge (probably about 3ft x 2ft), even the doorway is massive. I'm a bit confused about litter and bedding and how to make this bit cosy for them if i gets a bit cool. If I've got hay in the litter trays and I also put it in the sleeping compartment, will they just eat it and poo in there as it will seem the same as the litter trays? As it's so big, should I put loads and loads of hay/shredded paper/straw in there so they can burrow down into it? Should I put the carrier in there instead to make that cosy?

For any buns i have i put down newspaper on the floor of their hutch and cover it over with straw. then i put hay in the bedroom compartment in the summer... In the winter i put hay everywhere! They get cleaned out once a week or twice a week depending on the carnage they have created (see below)!
Unfortunately since the weather has got warmer my buns will rip up al the newspaper and shove most of the hay and straw into their run :roll: Laving the hutch almost bare...and they cannot abide anything in their sleeping compartment!
I think it really depends on what the buns are used to... I do find that my two like to lie down and nibble hay wherever they are in the hutch so i dont put it in one specific place...

Good luck in your homecheck! (im having one in 2weeks aswell! )

i use vetbed on the floor of my hutches so the buns have something soft to sit on....i was using newspaper but i just end up throwing it away and found it a bit pointless. i use a piece of vet bed each end of the hutch and on both levels, big enough for them to stretch out on but small enough to fit in the washing machine.

before i bought vetbed i used an old towel folded up and Maisie would lay on it happily when she was chilling out.

with the bedroom area i used a covered cat litter tray and filled it full of hay, they can nest in it to keep warm and if they poo in it it's easy enough to empty every other day.

hth

I find my bunnies will adopt any hay as their litter area, so hay is confined to a litter tray in the bedroom compartment, and a litter tray in the run. I also have a 'half' hanging basket attached to the run with hay in there. In the hutch I have newspaper and shavings and most ends up in the run anyway!

In not so good weather, one rabbit sits on the litter tray in the bedroom (I think she's the clever bun) and the other stays in the run. If the weather is ok, they both sit in the litter tray in the run. I bought a big cat litter tray from P@H so they both fit in

If you've put tiles down then there's no need for any newspaper really. Just put something soft down i.e towel or vetbed for them to sit on if they choose. I put their hay straight on to the tiles in a big clump for them to nibble at, rather than on the vetbed as it sticks to it and makes a mess of the washing machine!:lol:

Thanks everyone, I'll try and do whatever they're used to and adapt as we go along.

Funnily enough - your idea of what is 'nice to sit on' and your buns will be two different things. - You give them a nice comfy place to live, and they either totally rearrange it, chuck out all the soft stuff and sit on a bare floor, or prefer to sit out in the rain instead.
There's no pleasing some buns !!! :roll:

in the bedroom compartment we have a big deep plastic box, with a lowered lip at the front. we fill this with hay and they love to dig in here. we got a deep box as we found a normal litter tray didn't contain their wee as they'd go right in the back corner and it would run down the side of the hutch :roll:. we have added a second litter tray in the other side of the hutch and haven't had too many problems with this so long as its changed every other day