Rabbit housing

Are these any good for housing rabbits?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Chicken-House...tZUK_Pet_Supplies_Poultry?hash=item3355e27148

I would say no, not for housing. It'd be ok as an outdoor run, but the enclosed area/sleeping quarters is too small for it to be their main 'home'. A shed with an attached aviary would be far better, or if you're on a budget, a smaller child’s playhouse with an adjoined run

They are made from soft wood and they are too small, particuarly their bedroom area. They offer just over 14 square feet of space, most rescues recommend 36 square feet which is best made up of a 6 x 2 foot hutch with a 6 x 4 foot run attatched for a pair of average sized rabbits

I'd have to say no.

We don't rehome to these unless they are panelled in and have a run attached.

are the dimensions for the item displayed? it looks huge in the photo yet those measurements are small, maybe its a tardis or they are trying to fool someone by showing a bigger item.

I know of people on another forum with these who have very happy bunnies although I haven't tried them personally.

I've seen this type of housing in some Garden Centres and I have to say I don't like them at all. They aren't nearly as big as they seem and you lose a lot of space because of the shape of them. Far better to have a decent hutch and run or a cheap shed and run.

We have one of these (it was given us for free by the garden centre involved when we took on an ailing garden centre shop bun). We have placed ours INSIDE an aviary run. and also made different levels steps and ramps which mean the bun can also get on top of the 'hutch' and use that as an extra layer of space. During the day he has all the aviary run plus hutch/top of etc (plus lawn time), However we do shut him inside the hutch at night. At first we let him have the whole run of the hutch areas at night but then we found he actually created little nests in the enclosed bit and stayed in there and now we do put him in the enclosed bit only at night time only.

He is at present without a partner (long story - doesn;t like other rabbits even girlies:shock and I think he is a bit unusual - he was a stray probably for quite a while and so being in a small safe place seems to suit him at nights. He makes a little round nest for himself in the hay and curls up. He doesn't even eat at nights.

On balance however I would say the sleeping area is too small for almost all 'normal' buns.

here it is inside its (small) aviary run. It looks smaller in the piccie than it looks in real life however. As you can see were were very constricted for space when we put it in . . (squeezed between a wall and a set of steps - it really was our LAST bit of space available for bunnies:roll

usually we put buns in there who are on their way to one of the other runs and waiting to be bonded, or only out for the daytime, or some such.

I think with the steps/ramps and access to the top it becomes quite fun and the get quite a bit of exercise - but obviously not good in term of horizontal area.




Here it is being 'modelled' by Comfrey and Milk Thistle who were just using it for being bonded in: (they have moved inside now!)

Parsnipbun - thanks for posting the pictures, they really show it's true size. When I first read the link, I took the dimensions to be of the closed in part only, not the whole thing :shock:

Hope you don't feel we are being 'cruel' to our bun with it - he does have the aviary run and lots of levels with it - as I explained.

We made the mistake of buying one of these. We have put corrolux across the back and open end, made a base from marine ply and made a shelf at the end which we rest the ramp on thus creating almost another level. We might as well have started from scratch! In fact we ended up with 2 of them. One is in the aviary and the other beside, the 2 buns alternate free time in the aviary (as well as in a large run on the grass). Neither bun uses the enclosed bedroom in any way -unless I put a box or some newspapers up there for them to shred! As someone said one of ours is obviously a softer wood as both buns have had a go at devouring it and my husband is always renewing bits! We have had them less than 18 months!

I should also add that they are useless for the advertised purpose as well - they are NOT large enough or secure enough for hens or bantams unless you again set them within a larger enclosure.

We use ours as it was free in the first place . .