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Do you follow RWAF's housing guidelines?

M

Mischief and Tinker's Mum

Wise Old Thumper
I'm thinking of getting a hutch that is 6ft x 2ft x 2ft with an attached run of 6ft x 4ft x 2ft which I thought was perfect for 2 rabbits but RWAF says the run must be at least 8ft x 4ft? :shock:

Just wondering how many of you with hutches have runs this big, I always thought 6 x 4ft was the minimum? :?

(I can't have a wendy house as no room with 2 garages and a shed, that's why I have gone for the hutch option)
 
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I'm afraid I don't. :( If I had held out for this I might not have been able to have a bunny at all! Spenser has a 5 feet hutch with under-run. In the summer he has his Trixie playpen on the grass (not attached) and in the winter this is set up on slabs in front of his hutch.
 
susie bun said:
I'm afraid I don't. :( If I had held out for this I might not have been able to have a bunny at all! Spenser has a 5 feet hutch with under-run. In the summer he has his Trixie playpen on the grass (not attached) and in the winter this is set up on slabs in front of his hutch.
Click to expand...

thanks for being honest. :) I'm sure lots of people don't as I honestly thought that a 6ft x 4ft run was what was required as that's what most rescues require.
 
I'm sure lots of people don't as I honestly thought that a 6ft x 4ft run was what was required as that's what most rescues require.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I think a 6x4 run is the size most on here have. From what I've seen anyway.
 
Mischief and Tinker's Mum said:
thanks for being honest. :) I'm sure lots of people don't as I honestly thought that a 6ft x 4ft run was what was required as that's what most rescues require.
Click to expand...

I think rescues are right to set a standard, but there's no way I could have met it when I was starting out. Although Spenser has a bigger hutch than the two people I know locally with rabbits, I look at him in it and think it's just about OK, but wouldn't take another bun if I ever wanted him to have a wife. Here it is - as you can see the pen has been folded back so that I could fit the hutch cover.

P1090373.jpg
 
Mischief and Tinker's Mum said:
I'm thinking of getting a hutch that is 6ft x 2ft x 2ft with an attached run of 6ft x 4ft x 2ft which I thought was perfect for 2 rabbits but RWAF says the run must be at least 8ft x 4ft? :shock:

Just wondering how many of you with hutches have runs this big, I always thought 6 x 4ft was the minimum? :?

(I can't have a wendy house as no room with 2 garages and a shed, that's why I have gone for the hutch option)
Click to expand...

It could depend on which breed, what size they are/will grow to be.
 
IMO your set up is great for Spenser, he is very lucky. :love:

I was worse when I got my 2... I had a 4ft hutch for 2 and a 4ft x 3ft run not attached but they did go out everyday. :oops: I feel awful when I think about the small amount of room I gave them but knowing they were tiny tiny babies reassures me a little and the fact they have free run of the shed makes up for it now. ;)
 
Mischief and Tinker's Mum said:
I'm thinking of getting a hutch that is 6ft x 2ft x 2ft with an attached run of 6ft x 4ft x 2ft which I thought was perfect for 2 rabbits but RWAF says the run must be at least 8ft x 4ft? :shock:

Just wondering how many of you with hutches have runs this big, I always thought 6 x 4ft was the minimum? :?

(I can't have a wendy house as no room with 2 garages and a shed, that's why I have gone for the hutch option)
Click to expand...

I have a 6x4 shed and an attached 6x4 aviary - i think you have to factor in common sense regarding 'free range' - I often if not possible to allow complete free range will extend the aviary with playpens when i'm in the garden - when it's safe they can have a run about aswell, the guidelines are indicating that if a rabbit is in there 24/7 that those recommendations are appropriate I think as a minimum.:wave:
 
VickiP said:
I have a 6x4 shed and an attached 6x4 aviary - i think you have to factor in common sense regarding 'free range' - I often if not possible to allow complete free range will extend the aviary with playpens when i'm in the garden - when it's safe they can have a run about aswell, the guidelines are indicating that if a rabbit is in there 24/7 that those recommendations are appropriate I think as a minimum.:wave:
Click to expand...

Ok thanks :D Well my rabbits wouldn't be in there all the time, they would come out for a run around the garden and get to play out in my larger run. :D Your set up sounds great. :)
 
I suspect the reason the RWAF make those guidelines is because they don't know for sure how much free range time a bun will have?

I have been fortunate to be able to comply with the larger run area for many years and being a housewife have been able to allow buns almost all day free-range.

However my hutches are technically 2" short of the 2ft depth due to an error in making them(my husband said "Is that deep enough for them?"and I said "yes"). (though we now also have a rabbit room too)

I do think it depends how much free-range time they get and personally feel for example-a bun in a 6 x 4 run with 6 hrs free range is better off than one in an 8 x6 run with 1 hour free range.

I do think you have to weigh it up-
at the end of the day,its all about them getting enough exercise isn't it?
sue:wave:
 
I have a 6ft hutch with a 5ft x 5ft run unattached. They get no free range (my garden isn't safe, got foxes living next door). They are happy with this setup, they get to go into their run during daylight hours and they have got enough space to run around in. :)
 
Even an 8ft x 4ft run doesn't allow them enough space to actually "be" rabbits, although I think this size would be fine alongside several hours of freerange time.
 
No because I couldn't fit it in my yard. Though I do have hutches with runs and separate runs on grass. But my buns are fed properly, vacc'd, have toys etc so I don't feel like i am a 'bad owner'. I do the best I can with the facilities I have.
 
For house bunnies, its actually really difficult to know without getting out a tape measure and then calcuting twists, turns etc.

I know my two have more approximate sq footage than the RWAF guidelines recommend however for a pair.
 
GrahamL said:
For house bunnies, its actually really difficult to know without getting out a tape measure and then calcuting twists, turns etc.

I know my two have more approximate sq footage than the RWAF guidelines recommend however for a pair.
Click to expand...

This :lol: I don't even attempt to measure my C&C cages.
Izzy had a 12ftx10ft room that he free ranged. My current 3 will soon free range 12x6ft bathroom and 15x5ft hallway (approx, I need to measure)
 
William said:
This :lol: I don't even attempt to measure my C&C cages.
Izzy had a 12ftx10ft room that he free ranged. My current 3 will soon free range 12x6ft bathroom and 15x5ft hallway (approx, I need to measure)
Click to expand...

B&G have a dog crate base, 14x3ft hallway + a 6x6 puppy pen attached.

But in odd shapes!
 
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