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Hutch Lay-outs...??

S

smoo

Mama Doe
I'm just wondering how people have their hutches laid out?
I've got an outdoor hutch indoors at the moment and we attach a run to the front.

I put lots of hay in the litter tray to encourage them to wee and poop in the tray. So far we manage all wee's and 50% of poops... but they kick alot of the hay around the hutch. Also having 2 buns if it gets wet they're not going to eat it.... and I feel like i'm wasting quite alot..?? :oops::oops::shock:

Thanks guys :wave::wave:
 
i use the less expensive hay all over the megazorb then i put a big pile in the corner of the expensive hay that way they can eat the good stuff but still doing their poops and wee where they should be, i feel a lot gets wasted too but dont mind when its the cheap stuff i also put expensive hay in them metal hay balls as a treat for instance i would use the oat wheat and barley in that its a challenge for them to get it out and keeps them busyi hang that up above the litter tray :wave: when i give treats like readigrass i put that in a bowl as thats too good to wee on lol:lol: i only pay 99p for a small bag of meadow hay i use that to line the litter trays on top of megazorb it lasts me a week or two depending on how much they are weeing lol i change twice daily though perhaps not necessary but keeps the smells down i have two litter trays
 
hutch size

HELP, ive had a neighbour have a go at me today saying im being cruel and have no conscience. I would be devastated if this is true. My Mini lion head rabbit is in a cage which consist of 2 levels. the top is 3'sq the bottom is the run and is 6'x2.5' by 1.5'deep, is this to small? please help as if it is i need to go and buy some construction materials and get building right away. VERY concerned rabbit lover
 
My rabbits eat hay even if they've wee'd on it :oops: But could you put just megazorb or paper or whatever in the litter tray and then have a hay rack next to it, so the hay doesn't get soiled? x


paulinefinch1 said:
HELP, ive had a neighbour have a go at me today saying im being cruel and have no conscience. I would be devastated if this is true. My Mini lion head rabbit is in a cage which consist of 2 levels. the top is 3'sq the bottom is the run and is 6'x2.5' by 1.5'deep, is this to small? please help as if it is i need to go and buy some construction materials and get building right away. VERY concerned rabbit lover
Click to expand...

Sorry I'm a bit confused about the measurments :oops:

do you mean the top bit is 3ft long?? :?

I think the RSPCA reccomendation is 6ft x 2ft hutch. And a 6ft run. Defiantly a 6ft hutch
 
the top bit is the sleeping part and is 3' x 3' by 2' deep, this sits on top of the run with a ladder to get up and down. The run its self is 6' long by 2.5' wide by about 1.5' tall. Does this mean i have not got a big enough hutch or the whole lot is not big enough ( gutted)
 
Definatley too small, even for one bun. Ideally you need to be aiming for the RSPCA guidelines although anything bigger is a bonus. Is your bun locked in the 3x3x2 at night? Check out some of the other threads on here for people who have built their own, there are also plenty of places to buy decent sized hutches for minimal outlay :wave:
 
Last edited:
Hes not locked in the hutch at night as the whole thing is secure, although he does retire to the hutch and sleep there at night. He can stretch out fully in the hutch and seems quite happy, Thank you for the advice I think I best go make a few extensions to the hutch pretty soonish then, thanks again.
 
The easiest way (I think) to look at it is that they need 36 square feet and a reasonable part of that (about a third) should be under cover.
 
Just asked my husband to work it out, its about 54sq feet of which roughly 16 is enclosed and a further 16 is under cover but not enclosed. Not sure what to do, feel really bad if gizz is not housed properly. :(
 
I make it 21sq feet. 3x2 = 6, 6 x 2.5 = 15. Don't include the vertical measurements, they don't count for floorspace. Maybe you could post a pic?
 
paulinefinch1 said:
Just asked my husband to work it out, its about 54sq feet of which roughly 16 is enclosed and a further 16 is under cover but not enclosed. Not sure what to do, feel really bad if gizz is not housed properly. :(
Click to expand...

36 square feet area, ie the bottom bit, not the volume. ;)

So the 3 by 3 you speak about would be 9 square feet.
 
Now im really confused, will try and post a pic tomorrow. Thankyou so much for all your comments and advice all is taken on board Think i will defo make it all bigger as his well being is up most importance at the end of the day, feel gutted that i may be housing him wrong:cry: Thank you all so much again
 
Hi Pauline, a pic would be brilliant. Don't feel gutted, at the end of the day you were concerned enough to post on here asking for advice and that is all good :)
I think Schuette has the floor space right on 36sq ft, I misread the 3x3 x 2 ft deep as meaning 3ft x 2ft of floor space.
 
paulinefinch1 said:
Now im really confused, will try and post a pic tomorrow. Thankyou so much for all your comments and advice all is taken on board Think i will defo make it all bigger as his well being is up most importance at the end of the day, feel gutted that i may be housing him wrong:cry: Thank you all so much again
Click to expand...

You just multiply the length by the width. So 3 foot long by 2 foot wide is 6 square feet. 6 by 2, the recommended for a hutch with added run, is 12 square feet.

I believe your husband has multiplied length by width and then by height which gives the volume of the space not the area it covers. Any bunny enclosure needs to be at least 2 foot high. Higher with levels is even better as they do quite like to jump up and explore.

This is what I have planned for my pair...

Shed.jpg


The shed part is 6 foot long by 4 foot deep (or wide) so that's 24 square feet and the aviary (or run) part is 6 foot long by 6 foot deep so that's 36 square feet. Altogether it is 60 square feet (blimey didn't realise it was that much!). We're planning on shutting them in the shed late at night and opening it up early in the morning, at least to start with, so we need a biggish shed. Sheds tend to be cheaper than good quality hutches and also offer head height so you can get in with them and spend some time with them (I'm looking forward to that part!)
 
Thats a fantastic idea, I have a 6' shed in the garden already, which is only used for old bikes. I could clean that out, and add a larger run to it. That way he will be warmer through the winter too. Brilliant thank you so much:D
 
paulinefinch1 said:
Thats a fantastic idea, I have a 6' shed in the garden already, which is only used for old bikes. I could clean that out, and add a larger run to it. That way he will be warmer through the winter too. Brilliant thank you so much:D
Click to expand...

Aww that sounds great - sounds like one bunny's gonna have a lovely new big home soon - the shed will be a much happier place with a bunny in it than old bikes :)
 
paulinefinch1 said:
Thats a fantastic idea, I have a 6' shed in the garden already, which is only used for old bikes. I could clean that out, and add a larger run to it. That way he will be warmer through the winter too. Brilliant thank you so much:D
Click to expand...

Excellent! You might want to board the inside to stop them chewing on the wood. They can be little rotters when it comes to wood! I have the nibbles in a door and ottoman to prove it! So they might manage to chew a hole. We're planning on putting insulation in the gaps and then boarding over the top so they have no exposed edges to chew on.
 
OP Do you mean you have something like this:

rabbit-hutch-RS709N.jpg


i.e the hutch part is 3ft by 3ft and the run is about 6ft x 2.5ft? If so the overall size is 24 square feet. Ideally you want a min of 36, so yes its a little small.

The shed idea is much better. :D
 
Amy104 said:
OP Do you mean you have something like this:

rabbit-hutch-RS709N.jpg


i.e the hutch part is 3ft by 3ft and the run is about 6ft x 2.5ft? If so the overall size is 24 square feet. Ideally you want a min of 36, so yes its a little small.

The shed idea is much better. :D
Click to expand...

If you have something like this could you attach THAT to the shed? Maybe just as a temporary solution?
 
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