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Housing

dayle_x

dayle_x

Mama Doe
Hi, I am thinking of buying this hutch once my two bunnies are bonded.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/6ft-MASIVE-Ra...photoQQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp1742.m153.l1262

It would be going in my garage, and they will also have free range in the garden whenever possible
My only concern is cleaning out the run area.
One of my rabbits refuses to use a litter tray no matter what i tried, so would it be hard to clean out the run area?
I was thinking of putting lino down instead

Also how do you all keep your runs clean when they are outside on paving stones?
Dayle
 
This is what i'd do:

In the run place puppy training pads and then put a fleece/blanket over the top.
This means you can hoover poops daily and wash fleeces and replace pads weekly :D
 
The problem with that is the expense of puppy pads (we've just gone through this with our pup), and my giant would wee on the fleeces, so they would need to be washed like 4 times a day at least for it to be hygenic...

When i was younger i had a rabbit outside with an attatched run and it was horrendus to clean daily. it used to take me almost an hour. Don't know what to do!!
 
My run isn't on paving stones, it's on hay. And they poo in the hay. So every day, I have to get in on my hands and knees and pick all the poo out of the hay. Now, it only takes about 10-15 minutes.
 
Will your buns go toilet in the same place? If they do then what you can do is to put a litter tray in the place that they go toilet and then build up the area around it so you can only see the lip of the litter tray. I've done this a few times with the bark I use in their run. They refuse to go toilet in their hutch (they only go in there to get their food these days :roll:) so I had to start putting their litter tray in the run where they were going toilet. You can also use a hand trowel type thing to get rid of the bark every so often and replace it.
 
Mine have sheds and runs, in the sheds i have put lino down so i just sweep all hay etc out and mop it, in the run its on paving slabs and i sweep that out daily and clean litter trays, and at weekend if the runs quite dirty i spray and hose it all down.:) xx
 
dayle_x said:
The problem with that is the expense of puppy pads (we've just gone through this with our pup), and my giant would wee on the fleeces, so they would need to be washed like 4 times a day at least for it to be hygenic...

When i was younger i had a rabbit outside with an attatched run and it was horrendus to clean daily. it used to take me almost an hour. Don't know what to do!!
Click to expand...

Sorry, i thought you meant a little rabbit. Ours wee in the same place so you'd only need to replace that one pad. Lino sounds like a good idea though
 
im probly going to go against the grain here but if your rabbit is a giant i think the hutch is too small ..... i think you should get a shed instead as not sure he will have the amount of room in that one at all...amys amber has ginats free range in house i believe.... and other people seme to have sheds or indoors free ranging. but never having had a giant maybe im wrong .sorry
 
bunlover said:
im probly going to go against the grain here but if your rabbit is a giant i think the hutch is too small ..... i think you should get a shed instead as not sure he will have the amount of room in that one at all...amys amber has ginats free range in house i believe.... and other people seme to have sheds or indoors free ranging. but never having had a giant maybe im wrong .sorry
Click to expand...

I agree with this. A medium-sized bun looks big in a 6ft hutch, so a giant would have no room.
 
dayle_x said:
he will only be in that from around 11pm to 7am, otherwise he has free run of the garage, and on dry days the garden too
I think I will go with lino
Click to expand...

but when he is in it he wont be able to stand up fully? or do three hops if its a giant bun? which is essential really. sorry but i still disagree x
 
timbOh

sorry for stealing this thread but you raised a point i was curious about ie putting bark down in runs what kind do you use and do you feel they use it more as a toilet or is it fine i know some people have said bark can be poisenous but i was wanting to put down bark in places in my run so am interested in opinions about it if poss
thanks
gill:wave:
 
I have the hutch/run combo you're interested in and, sadly, I don't think it would be big enough for a giant bunny, even just for overnight use.

My two are mini lops, so small bunnies, and it's the minimum size I would be willing to house them in. The ramp opening down to the run is quite small and I honestly don't think a giant would even fit down it. I would hate for you to spend all that money to find that out.

Maybe you would be better off with a bigger hutch (at least 6x3x3 but those with giants could advise better) that is on floor level, with a run that attaches to the front of the hutch. That way, the bunnies can just hop out into the run and you don't need to worry about the giant getting stuck in the opening to donwstairs. It would make cleaning easier too. :)
 
As the others have said a hutch of anysize really isnt suitable for a giant. If he is in an unused garage can you not section a large section of and have a hutch as a sleep place only that he can go in and out of as he pleases, better for him and cheaper for you:D. Also to point out that having a single bun isnt ideal unless they are in the house and get lots of human interaction as life alone in a garage will be lonely for an animal that naturaly lives in groups of there own kind. And on a final note do ou have any photos of him we can see? I love giants:love: :love:
 
gill shirlaw said:
timbOh

sorry for stealing this thread but you raised a point i was curious about ie putting bark down in runs what kind do you use and do you feel they use it more as a toilet or is it fine i know some people have said bark can be poisenous but i was wanting to put down bark in places in my run so am interested in opinions about it if poss
thanks
gill:wave:
Click to expand...

I think the bark chips from Wickes is good and hasn't caused me any problems. They mostly go in their litter tray but sometimes I have to change handfuls of bark :roll:
If you're worried about chemicals they might add you could always contact wickes and ask.
 
Milo+Fizz said:
As the others have said a hutch of anysize really isnt suitable for a giant. If he is in an unused garage can you not section a large section of and have a hutch as a sleep place only that he can go in and out of as he pleases, better for him and cheaper for you:D. Also to point out that having a single bun isnt ideal unless they are in the house and get lots of human interaction as life alone in a garage will be lonely for an animal that naturaly lives in groups of there own kind. And on a final note do ou have any photos of him we can see? I love giants:love: :love:
Click to expand...

I agree with this.
 
Milo+Fizz said:
As the others have said a hutch of anysize really isnt suitable for a giant. If he is in an unused garage can you not section a large section of and have a hutch as a sleep place only that he can go in and out of as he pleases, better for him and cheaper for you:D. Also to point out that having a single bun isnt ideal unless they are in the house and get lots of human interaction as life alone in a garage will be lonely for an animal that naturaly lives in groups of there own kind. And on a final note do ou have any photos of him we can see? I love giants:love: :love:
Click to expand...

Actually yeah this is a very good idea. I never thought about him fitting down the hole into the run. I think I will do this. also he will be bonded with my dutch female once he is neutered. Think that will be soon as hes just starting spraying - the mucky so and so!

here is a picture of him; (if it works!)
phoenix.jpg

His name is Phoenix. Hes my baby and i love him to bits. Hes just like a puppy and when hes out having a play while i feed my other pets hes always trying to climb up to my leg for a cuddle. he gives kisses too!
 
if the hutch is going in the garage, why not just give them the run of the whole garage? Is it not rabbit proofed?
 
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