Two weeks til they arrive - the run is being built!

Well its just two weeks until we get our bunnies ....

The hutch is coming this wed or thurs ... check!

The run is currently being built by my hubbie ... 9 x 6 ft, and 6 ft tall. He has built sections of the wooden frame, parts of which have been treated with rabbit friendly wood treatment (and painted by the kids!). Hubbie works away mon to fri so thats it now til next weekend, the mesh is on order and will arrive midweek. Thanks to this site I have learned a lot about what we need! The frame will have undermesh, and we are going to turf inside the run, with the hutch set on slabs. Can anyone advise on the roof? Its out to jury ... hubbie thought a proper felt roof, then I read on here about corrugated plastic and then hubbie wondered about just a mesh roof so that the grass gets watered :lol: Any one's advice welcome.

Meanwhile, the kids and I need to go out and get our starter kit and have listed what we think;

• 
  Hay
  Straw
  Drinking Bottle
  Food bowl
  Food Nuggets
  Litter tray
  Littler pellets
  Pet carrier for bringing home /vet transport
  A few toys / wooden chew sticks
  We were thinking NO rabbit treats?? thoughts?
  brush?
  special hutch cleaning fluid?

Please please feel free to guide us!

Many thanks

Very exciting! Iwould go with water bowl rather than bottle as rabbits tend to prefer them and it is more natural - nice big chunky ceramic one so they can't knock it over (dog type). Treats - only natural ones, watch out for loads of sugar. Hutch cleaning fluid is called Milton or the Tesco equivalent at my house (big bottle costs about 65p).

Treat balls are very popular with my buns as are the wire veg ball hangy up things.

Hope all goes well.

Are they rescue buns?

A few treats a good, Oscar recommends fenugreek crunchies :wave:

You could get some Apple sticks....they raising funds for a rescue on RU here!
Also maybe some fresh herbs to plant in the garden for the buns to have bits off....Id also maybe get some dried herbs!
Cant wait for pics! Lets see the run progress! sounds great!
Are the buns rescue ones?:wave:

ooh just editing to add....I'd have the bottle but def. get a water bowl...mine use thier bowls loads...I use a heavy pyrex cooking dish - works really well & helps keep the water cool in gthe summer months.
Id also add a tunnel to your toys...
Grass hidey tunnels are great too...
Hayrack
Cardboard boxes...mine adore these - will renovate them loads and play under them & on top of them! Cant get more loved cheaper toy!:lol:

Id use aubiose for their litter trays...last ages & keep them dry - easy to clean & can be composted...
Other use megazorb - just depends if the buns are keen on eatibg it which is not good.


I use hot water & white vinigar to clean my hutches & litter trays....it lifts the clacium stains from their wee - so keep it all looking really nice. I'd line the hutch with lino - a non-slip lino....will be easy to wipe clean too. White viniga is a mild dis-infectant.....but obviously if you want rid of disease etc I think people use something stronger.:wave:

deffo fenugreek crunchies

hayrack or ball thingie as well

How exciting!I don't feed mine any so-called treats at all (meanie mummy) as personally I don't think they are good for buns. They have plenty of veg, though, and I suppose I regard treats as green pepper, herbs, v finely chopped celery, and count spring greens etc as 'proper food'. I don't use straw at all: just line everything with thick layer of newspaper and then hay. Same in their litter trays (they love to sit/dig in litter trays & eat at same time) so I don't use litter You may be better going on-line for good hay. Lots of posts on here about good hay/suppliers. Mine prefer a big bowl of water - so they can have a good slurp. Make sure you continue with pellets they are having at the moment and you can very gradually change if necessary.

Hope that was some help - have to go now as time for Dancing on Ice results/skate-off!

ooooh thank you for the responses!

Ok def a water bowl to go with the bottle i think.

I have already got a hay wheel thingy which I couldnt resist getting

Lino for the hutch .. try and get some off cuts methinks

Treats im still out to jury on :?

I have already saved some cardboard tubes and boxes

Now im wondering whether to bother with the straw or not so food for thought there.

Anyone have an opinion on the roof of the run??????

Bunnies are babies (not rescue unfortunately) but these are our first ever bunnies and we are sooooo excited, the kids have the days/hours/minutes waiting, to hand at any given time, one daughter is 10 and the other 13 and I have been saying no for years to their pleas of 'pets' but now I think they are old enough and given in and now cannot believe how excited I am! My Hubbie is playing Mr Grumpy on the subject yet has spent all weekend building the run (he works away mon-fri so this is all his spare time) and he is really putting his all into it! hmmmm ... maybe he is looking forward to this too!

Thanks again for your help and guidance!

mesh roof with a sun shade...

I've got a corrugated plastic roof - let's the light in well, but keeps the rain off, but the 'garden' part is left open, so they can choose whether to sit in the open or under shelter.

The roof is made of aviary panels, so mesh, with the plastic on top.

and angle the roof to - so any rain etc drops off and the snow wont weigh it down in the winter months.....The Range also sell that see through PVC...you could make drop down blinds for some of the sides - then they can still see out - for when its really raining etc....but be aware any plastics can also enhance the suns rays!
Ooooh - you could buy a big slab of marble from tile shops...great for when the summer months come - it keeps cool & helps buns to keep abit cooler too!

I dont use straw either but then I buy hay bales so extra hay for bedding in the winter is not an issue...plus they seem to munch more of it too whislt they snuggle down.....

To help the litter training....place any wee's done outside the tray that are wiped up i newspaper etc in the tray itself...then wipe wee area with white vinigar and water and dry. Will help take the smell of the wee areas away .....its hard to change the wee area if chosen so get that tray ready!

I would keep treats as just variation of wild foods...buns do best as close to a wild diet as possible...it makes sense...as much as we like to give the sho bought coloured treats - its not very healthy for them and best avoided...especially when they so young.....mine have herbs, dried apple leaves , rose petals & leaves, brambles leaves, lemon balm...rosemary.....there is so much choice for them and its much healthier for them too...they get just as excited for these treats too! Ive found that if they like a commercial treat too much....its high in sugars etc which is not good....I find it hard to encourgae a normal wild diet as they crave the sugars etc....Id take the kids out and get them educated on a natural diet....its for the buns best interest and help their digestive systems & teeth too....remember that you need to introduce all new foods....esp. spring grass over a 2 week period and little at a time....if there is any un eaten ceacels...just hay hay and more hay is needed....esp.in yougn buns...they can go down hilll quite fast! Lets see pics of the run!

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=274136

Have a read through this thread....great ideas for the bunnnies!:wave: