Building a run...

Gonna build my own bunny run, is there any particular wood to avoid or anything I should be aware of that may be harmful to my furry little friend?

Will be using nails, not glue to hold it together & thought maybe lay some turf & use that plastic coated wire mesh for under neath the turf, to stop burrowing.

avoid usuing chicken wire as buns can chew out and predators can chew in, use sqaure mesh instead

also, some people have mixed veiws on mesh on the bottom, personally i found it hurt my bunnies feet, and jelly got her claw caught in the mesh and i found they didnt enjoy hopping around on it. some people will disagree though!

xxxxx

Be careful if you use nails because they can sometimes cause the wood to split, screws tend to be easier (as long as you've got a drill)

I have made all of my runs and would recommend getting your timber from Wickes. Get the sawn treated timber. They do long enough pieces to make an 8ft long run and it is inexpensive.

They also sell the weld mesh at about £22 for a 5/6m roll. You'll probably need a couple so that you can make a lid too.

I would make up each side using screws for the frame and then u shaped nails to secure the mesh in place. If you only use staples from a staple gun, they get pulled out very easily and a fox will easily rip it off. Then you can screw each side together. This makes it easy to dismantle if you ever need to.

I would avoid nails.

I have also never used mesh on the ground - I use them on hard standing - easier to clean. If of course you are using it as a separate exercise run on grass then I would recommend using some mesh under the turf so that the bunnies don't hurt their feet but so that they are secure. That would mean though that you have to have the run in one place all of the time.

Good luck - let us know how you get on.

Here are a few of mine for some idea....

wow you are clearly quite talented. I love your play house with attached run its great. My OH made a huge run its much cheaper than buying one.

Wow, those runs & hutches are fantastic.

I'll definately use screws, thanks for the tip.

Not sure whether to bother with mesh under the turf, as Zorro doesn't seem to bother with digging.
Also the garden is fully enclosed by 7ft - 10ft fences & walls, so foxes shouldn't be an issue, the only access is through a UPVC door on the side of the house.

Once I get a couple of hidey holes covered & some cables properly encased, I intend to let him have the full garden