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Best outdoor housing?

isla

Mama Doe
As I am moving soon, the bunnies will have to live outside again, they really can't live in the caravan with me!

S I need idead of the best outdoor housing. I have seen a bike shed thats 7foot by 4foot, I thought with some levels added it would be plenty big enough, as they wont be able to have much in the way of a run, due to dogs and foxes and Abbey being able to dig out.

I can spend about £200 max, including all the stuff I'd have to add to make it perfect.
 
I have just got a 6x4 and doen it up with a catflap and run on the side, i love it, b and q were doing a 90 pound shed the other day!
 
I have just got a 6x4 and doen it up with a catflap and run on the side, i love it, b and q were doing a 90 pound shed the other day!

£90 would be cool! Off to look at their site. Any idea of the quality, as it has to also be pretty much bomb proof!
 
thats the problem i found, all the cheap shed are ship lap and not the best quality, if you want somehthing better quality really you need a tongue and groove shed wihich will cost more like 200:shock:
 
thats the problem i found, all the cheap shed are ship lap and not the best quality, if you want somehthing better quality really you need a tongue and groove shed wihich will cost more like 200:shock:

The bike shed was toung and groove I think, and was somewhere around 200, problem is it had no windows but it had double doors at the front which could be changed to mesh on one side and that could do for ventalation. Suppost I could keep the door on the shed too so I can close it at night time.
 
Are you any good with wood yourself? If you are and you buy a shed I'll be happy to send some details on how to make an attaching run that foxes or dogs couldn't get into.
 
Are you any good with wood yourself? If you are and you buy a shed I'll be happy to send some details on how to make an attaching run that foxes or dogs couldn't get into.

Im not good with wood myself, but I'm moving to a field where there are lots of nice lads that work with wood all the time. So I might take you up on that offer if you don't mind. Thank you!
 
Im not good with wood myself, but I'm moving to a field where there are lots of nice lads that work with wood all the time. So I might take you up on that offer if you don't mind. Thank you!

no problem, It's harder to make a good huch than it is a good run. If you can get a cheap shed for less than 100 you could always line the inside with 6mm ply to keep the wind whistle out and stop the rabbits chewing the shinlap.
 
Shiplap IS tongue and groove. It comes in different thicknesses. The cladding you want to steer clear of is 'overlap'. That's the really thin, cheap stuff that offers little protection.
 

That is pretty much exactly what I want. Do you find the rabbits have enough room? It will have 2 rabbits in. And, if you don't mind me asking what was the total cost of the entire thing, including wood and mesh?
 

that's really good timboh. I saw the shed with the framing up but this is the first time I've seen it completed. Is that lino down? I've just been given some lamate flooring but I wasn't sure about using it in hutches. it would be easy to clean but don't know weather it'll hurt the buns if chewed.
 
That is pretty much exactly what I want. Do you find the rabbits have enough room? It will have 2 rabbits in. And, if you don't mind me asking what was the total cost of the entire thing, including wood and mesh?

I don't want to jump in on timbOh's question but you could keep 4 in there easily.
 
I don't want to jump in on timbOh's question but you could keep 4 in there easily.

Hahaha is that your way of telling me I should get two more bunnies? :lol:

My 2 are used to having their own bedroom, so would probably feel cramped if they had to share with 2 more friends, when I get a run attached to the hutch/ shed/ whatever I get, then I might get another bun or 2. But at the moment I wouldn't want to over crowd.
 
Hahaha is that your way of telling me I should get two more bunnies? :lol:

My 2 are used to having their own bedroom, so would probably feel cramped if they had to share with 2 more friends, when I get a run attached to the hutch/ shed/ whatever I get, then I might get another bun or 2. But at the moment I wouldn't want to over crowd.

I wasn't trying to say get 2 more:) I was just saying its big enough for 2.:)
 
That is pretty much exactly what I want. Do you find the rabbits have enough room? It will have 2 rabbits in. And, if you don't mind me asking what was the total cost of the entire thing, including wood and mesh?
Yes they have plenty of room in there, it's about 6 1/2ft long and 2.5ft deep and as you can see has two levels. They don't spend much time in there though, they prefer the run most of the time. I wouldn't worry about locking them in the hutch over night though if I had to, with a few toys they should be happy. But normally I just let them in the run 24/7 as it's secure.

I'm afraid I don't know the total cost, I daren't add it all up :?
I used quite a lot of timber, you could get this a lot cheaper from a local timber yard, I think I used about two packs of timber from wickes with about 8 or so pieces in each pack. I just used bits of mesh that were lying around, as you can see I didn't use much of it at all, just for the two doors. You could get this cheaply in wickes. The most expensive part would be the plywood that I used for the flooring because I bought 4ft x 2ft pieces and the hutch is 2.5ft deep, so had to mount it in an awkward way and use loads of it :?

The run I added one cost about £200 but is 6ft tall so that I can get in there and get to the hutch. I would probably get a smaller 3ft run next time and mount it on to the back of the hutch instead with a little door. You can make runs a lot cheaper using bulk timber and bulk mesh but I didn't have time when I needed it.


It's actually sticky back plastic that I've put on top of the floor. I don't think I would use this again, it's too slippery for the buns. I'm probably going to try lino instead, but obviously would have to remove it if they start eating it. I hope they don't :)
 
Sounds good, I do worry about the size of the hutch as mine would not be getting a run for maybe 6months (well they might have a small one attached for a few hours a day). So I would probably need a bigger hutch, I probably will go fo the 7 by 4 foot one I saw, and put an extra floor in.

Or I can get a shed, and put levels in there along with their hutch. I can probably make a shed warner, as cold weather is something I really have to think about too, last year the snow on the fiels was very very deep, and very cold!

The floor of whatever I get will be carpeted, and the walls in the bed area will be also (not that they will sleep there, of course).

I wish someone would just decide for me!
 
2x2" timber is roughly £1 per meter and you can get a 30mx120mm roll of 19g mesh for £55 from amazon. you'll make a pretty big run for around £100-£120.
 

I have just emailed a bike shed company and asked them if they do custom made stuff and if a rabbit hutch would be possiable, and I asked for a quote too. Would it be ok to send them your pictures, as its pretty much what I want?
 
I have just emailed a bike shed company and asked them if they do custom made stuff and if a rabbit hutch would be possiable, and I asked for a quote too. Would it be ok to send them your pictures, as its pretty much what I want?

Of course :)
 
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