• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Right RU, help me make a bunny housing decision!

What housing option do you think I should go for?

  • 8x6 shed with a 10x8 aviary attached

    Votes: 24 57.1%
  • 16x8 aviary with a hutch/shelter of some kind inside

    Votes: 7 16.7%
  • 14x6 dog kennel/run

    Votes: 10 23.8%
  • Something else

    Votes: 1 2.4%

  • Total voters
    42

sacol4940

Warren Veteran
I know I've asked this before but I still have no idea what to do! It's for Paddy and Peaches and I cant make up my mind :roll: I've narrowed it down to 3 choices - Which option do I go for?

There are pros and cons about all of them:

Shed/aviary - I'm guessing a shed will be warmer, but there's not as much room to run around in

Full aviary - Loads of room but not as much shelter

Dog kennel - Looks neater in the garden, but smaller
 
Last edited:
personally I'd go for shed.Its warmer in the winter than an aviary would be and if you put shelves in, you can store hay and bunny stuff in there.A kennel is smaller and "neat" but you still have to have somewhere to store stuff.
Lesley :D
 
Dog kennel or the shed, whichever you have the space for. Both will give warmth in the winter with the option of the attached run if they want to be out. One of my requirements would also be the strength of any mesh if you were intending to leave your buns in it all of the time.
 
Dog kennel or the shed, whichever you have the space for. Both will give warmth in the winter with the option of the attached run if they want to be out. One of my requirements would also be the strength of any mesh if you were intending to leave your buns in it all of the time.

the mesh on the aviary 19G 1 x 1/2, will that be ok do you think?
 
I actually don't think a shed is warmer in winter, I think there's too much space for it to be easy to keep well insulated. Sure, it has more actual shelter but it's still a large, airy space so for warmth you'd need to put something smaller in anyway for the buns to snuggle into. A shelter in an aviary or a kennel would allow you to insulate it really well and keep it much warmer than I think you'd be able to get an entire shed, plus as long as some or all of it has a roof, it will keep it drier.
 
Paddy and Peaches are lucky bunnies which ever set up you go for :)

I'd go for the shed or if not the dog kennel. I keep the foster bunnies in a shed with a run attached. The fosters seem happy in there, it's is easier to spend time with them for give nose rubs no matter what the weather and less hassle to clean :)
 
Paddy and Peaches are lucky bunnies which ever set up you go for :)

I'd go for the shed or if not the dog kennel. I keep the foster bunnies in a shed with a run attached. The fosters seem happy in there, it's is easier to spend time with them for give nose rubs no matter what the weather and less hassle to clean :)

Thank you, I just want my babies to be happy, and they are not happy as housebuns :( They get let out in the kitchen/diner every night and all the noises of the kitchen (washing machine, oven, washing the dishes etc) scares them, they just hide in the corner :(

I can't let them out in the living room as they wee everywhere, so they have to go in the kitchen as its tiled and easy to clean up any accidents

The sooner I get them outside the better
 
we are currently building an avairy (not for buns) but we have decided to do 2 walls of it in cladding for weather proofing, and 2 walls meshed for breeze/ veiws if that makes sense, also with a felted roof

is this something you could also do?

i dont see the harm if it has a hutch in it aswell, very happy buns!
 
I voted for the dog kennel/run - 14x6 is mahoosive.

With the shed/attached run or aviary options I think you'll still find a lot of rain enters the run part and so you will need plenty of weatherproofing.

My kennel/run is only meshed on 2 sides, but I still needed to put up a tarpaulin across the front, otherwise the whole run gets wet in heavy rain. With something that's open on 4 sides, it'll be even wetter (if possible :lol:).
 
I chose the first option as that's what I've got, except the aviary is 8ftx6ft on mine. G + P are perfectly happy though, so there's no reason why your 2 shouldn't be! :D
 
I would go for the shed option, this is what i would like.
Just think of in the winter when the weather is cold, it will be better for cleaning as you will be sheltered from the cold and rain, and you could insulate it so that the buns will be nice and cosy in cold weather, and also you could build shelves with ramps for the buns, so that they have extra space. :D
 
I voted for the dog kennel/run - 14x6 is mahoosive.

With the shed/attached run or aviary options I think you'll still find a lot of rain enters the run part and so you will need plenty of weatherproofing.

My kennel/run is only meshed on 2 sides, but I still needed to put up a tarpaulin across the front, otherwise the whole run gets wet in heavy rain. With something that's open on 4 sides, it'll be even wetter (if possible :lol:).

The Aviary would be quite sheltered I think as it's taking up practically the whole of the bottom of the garden, there'll only be a gap of about 12-18inches between the whole thing and the fence. I'd still have to invest in some tarps if I went for that option though just in case!!
 
The Aviary would be quite sheltered I think as it's taking up practically the whole of the bottom of the garden, there'll only be a gap of about 12-18inches between the whole thing and the fence. I'd still have to invest in some tarps if I went for that option though just in case!!

You might be ok if you ran guttering all the way along - I thought the back of my kennel would be ok as it's about a foot away from the fence but rain ran off the roof and into the inside. :roll: :lol: With guttering along the back, it's now fine.
 
You might be ok if you ran guttering all the way along - I thought the back of my kennel would be ok as it's about a foot away from the fence but rain ran off the roof and into the inside. :roll: :lol: With guttering along the back, it's now fine.

Ah right ok :D Will also invest in guttering too then :lol:

What type of roof would be best to go for on the aviary do you think?
 
I like dog kennels but i have a 8ftx6ft shed and have built a 8ftx6ft covered run onto it and it looks great, theres loads of room, although mine get free range time too.
 
I voted for the shed option. You'll be able to spend time with them regardless of the weather, and it gives them a choice of being inside or out... and they'll have plenty of space either way. I'd say you would have to put some sort of small hutch/shelter inside the shed that you can stuff with bedding in the winter so they have somewhere to snuggle if they want to... none of mine seem to bother with their's but I like knowing they have the option.
You can put shelves etc in the shed for the bunnies to use... mine all love the shelves, and then you can put shelving in higher up to use for storage.
 
Back
Top