• 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.

Yesterday I started building a 5" x 3" hutch (from scratch!).... Pics P9

Bunny Buddy

Wise Old Thumper
Today I'm in so much pain! I hadn't realised just how heavy it would be!!

The floor itself was very heavy, as I got a thick piece of plywood so hopefully thumping feets wouldn't make too much noise.

When I bought the bits of wood from the timber merchant I explained I didn't know what thickness of plywood I wanted - it was for a bunny hutch, the chap showed me various different thicknesses and I chose the 12mm for the floor. When he cut it he put it down on a trolley and said, "How big are these rabbits??" I'm sure he thought I'd got the dimensions wrong. So, not fazed of course because I knew how big it would be .... Had I thought about getting it in the car though? No :oops::oops: I managed the mile home kind of ducking under the floor and roof pieces.

So, I've put most of it together now, just need to do the doors and roof, then stain it. I have some foster bunnies coming on Tuesday to try it out so I have to get on with the job today/tomorrow.
 
Last edited:
Did you say foster bunnies? Are these real fosters or those pretend ones that you end up keeping? ;) :lol:

You're very clever; I wouldn't dream of even trying something like that.
 
Ooh i'd love to build a hutch, how much was it in comparison to buying a ready made one?
 
Did you say foster bunnies? Are these real fosters or those pretend ones that you end up keeping? ;) :lol:

You're very clever; I wouldn't dream of even trying something like that.

Real foster bunnies :p:p 4 of them :shock::shock: For a couple of weeks while Mick and Sue from Sue's Rabbit Rescue have a much earned holiday. Six is very definately my limit :no:

Re 'clever' - sustitute 'tight'. I've put together a few hutch kits now and realised it wouldn't be that much harder to do it from scratch, to the dimensions I wanted. The wood has cost £53, there's a few other bits like mesh, screws, hinges etc but I doubt it will top £60 and it's one STURDY hutch.
 
Ooh i'd love to build a hutch, how much was it in comparison to buying a ready made one?

I accidentally answered your question before I saw it :D For me it's more about getting it how I want it. Most hutches I've come across the dark bit of the hutch isn't wind proof as there are gaps round the sides of the doors etc. I wanted to try and improve all the things I didn't like about the hutches I already have. I'll probably find the doors are so small I can't reach the back wall or something :lol: but nothing ventured and all that :)
 
Sounds brilliant....look forward to pics....I built one of my hutches using bits from a scrapped shed and 12mm ply for floors....its great doing it so that its how you want it and theres a feeling of satisfaction and acheivement once its done!
 
I can't get at any better angles to take the pictures because of the framework for the aviary and other hutches and general clutter, and if I go back further I'll be in the pond!

But these give an idea:

PICT3584.jpg


PICT3586.jpg


PICT3585.jpg
 
Good on you for building one, takes a lot of planning. I built mine, its 12mm exterior ply, doubled on the doors. The wood is 4x2 for the frame because thats what we had. Its not very liftable, heavy even with 2 people and only 5ft6x2ftx2ft3. I put massive hinges on the doors so they wont move anywhere at all. Now I know my bunster is safe from a fox or anything that tried to break in at night and it stays a nice temperature once its covered. I made mine 2ft "bed area" and the rest normal because I wanted plenty of space out of the elements, and hoped there would be 2 bunnies snuggled in there one day.
 
That's looking brilliant, Alison, and very cheap too. :D:D By the sounds of it, you'd better make sure it's built in situ as there'll be no moving it once it's finished. :shock: :lol:

I can't believe you're having real foster bunnies; Mick and Sue no dobut deserve a break.
 
Good on you for building one, takes a lot of planning. I built mine, its 12mm exterior ply, doubled on the doors. The wood is 4x2 for the frame because thats what we had. Its not very liftable, heavy even with 2 people and only 5ft6x2ftx2ft3. I put massive hinges on the doors so they wont move anywhere at all. Now I know my bunster is safe from a fox or anything that tried to break in at night and it stays a nice temperature once its covered. I made mine 2ft "bed area" and the rest normal because I wanted plenty of space out of the elements, and hoped there would be 2 bunnies snuggled in there one day.

That sounds really sturdy. I hadn't really set about with that intention with mine but I'm glad it's worked out that way.

Thanks everybody. :D

He He, Karen, it is in situ thank goodness, though ideally it needs turning 90 degrees when it's finished :?

Looks good and really sturdy. I love the lilac colour wood. :)

I'm having a debate at the moment what colour to paint it the Cuprinol 'Lavender is one of the ones on the list. I wish I didn't have to colour it really as I like the sort of pinkiness of the plywood.
 
Looking really good. I am hoping my OH is going to make something for Bramble with some fence panels we have just taken down. They weigh a lot too!
 
Real foster bunnies :p:p 4 of them :shock::shock: For a couple of weeks while Mick and Sue from Sue's Rabbit Rescue have a much earned holiday. Six is very definately my limit :no:

Re 'clever' - sustitute 'tight'. I've put together a few hutch kits now and realised it wouldn't be that much harder to do it from scratch, to the dimensions I wanted. The wood has cost £53, there's a few other bits like mesh, screws, hinges etc but I doubt it will top £60 and it's one STURDY hutch.

I remember the days when 4 was my limit and Fudge was a foster bun *sigh*
 
I applaud anyone making their own hutch.. .I tried to make a plywood door this morning which involved cutting ONE line with a jigsaw... you ought to see the state of my "door" :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:
 
I remember the days when 4 was my limit and Fudge was a foster bun *sigh*
:lol::lol:
I keep seeing threads every few months asking "how many bunnies have you got?", and I think 'again?' then I realise I said 4/5 last time :oops::oops: 6 is definitely the limit though ;)
 
I applaud anyone making their own hutch.. .I tried to make a plywood door this morning which involved cutting ONE line with a jigsaw... you ought to see the state of my "door" :lol::lol::lol::lol::lol:

It saves the bunnies from 'personalising' it though :lol::lol:

The blade fell out of my saw yesterday and I picked it up and burnt my fingers :evil:
 
Well, I had to admit defeat. I didn't finish the hutch. I still need to put the divide in, catches, bolts etc on the doors and make and fit the roof. About 1/2 a days work I reckon.

The foster bunnies arrived last night and two are in my six foot hutch and the two single bunnies are each in 5ft smaller hutches (for now). The two girls together are timid but a little nosey, the two REW single males are very scared :cry::cry: I'm guessing eyesight problems might be adding to this? Poor boys aren't moving about much, they've just stayed in the dark part of the hutch almost all the time. There's poop all over one of the hutches so he's been out when I'm not around, the other seems to just haved stayed in the dark bit and if I go near he gets very frightened :cry: All green food has disappeared though and there's some cannonball poops :love:
 
Back
Top