hutches how do u make them so that they dont get broken into?

hi everyone :wave:

dont mean to be a pain but ive been thinking about getting scooter a hutch and a run for outside for this summer. But my only problem and something that im quite concerned about is making it so that nobody can take him out of the cage or nick the cage when hes not in. so i was wondering how would u go around making it so that nobody could break in? :?

i know ive not got the money yet but it is something that i am really looking into. i think it would be mean to keep inside all day while im at college when he could be outside enjoying the weather and hoping around. im not really scared of foxs as we dont see many around here except at night and scooter would be coming inside at this time. i dont think anybody would harm him as the house a couple of doors up have rabbits and gpigs outside but havent had much trouble at all but there house is a bit more closed off.

shadow05 said:

hi everyone :wave:

dont mean to be a pain but ive been thinking about getting scooter a hutch and a run for outside for this summer. But my only problem and something that im quite concerned about is making it so that nobody can take him out of the cage or nick the cage when hes not in. so i was wondering how would u go around making it so that nobody could break in? :?

i know ive not got the money yet but it is something that i am really looking into. i think it would be mean to keep inside all day while im at college when he could be outside enjoying the weather and hoping around. im not really scared of foxs as we dont see many around here except at night and scooter would be coming inside at this time. i dont think anybody would harm him as the house a couple of doors up have rabbits and gpigs outside but havent had much trouble at all but there house is a bit more closed off.

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before even considering putting him outside, i would have him vaccinated.

are you any closer to having his vaccinations done? a date or idea of when? :wave:

You would need to fit strong bolts with padlocks - although I suppose if someone was really determined they would just use bolt cutters on padlocks

He definitely needs vaccinating for both myxi & VHD.

Both previous posts raise good points and i'd recommend following them

Re the security, theres no way you can 100% make it secure. Wood is wood, metal is metal. Nothing is indestructible with the correct tools and enough willing.

Why people want to do it is beyond me (take animals, etc etc) that said, they do.

If you are just wanting to get him outside for some fresh air, and a run around, a run with a carrier in it could suffice?

I agree with other vaccinations essential its just not worth the risk.

I am still learning so the more experienced on here will be able to advise you but maybe a run with some worth of shelter from the sun or should the weather turn bad when your out maybe a btter and cheaper option.

Sadly as others have said if someone really wants to get into something they will

Foxes are a worry day and night. They do attack during the day and can cause heart attacks too for bunnies. I had one bunny of 9 years die of a heart attack and one lost her ear even in a fox proof hutch. She needed 2 major operations but survived. After that my bunnies were indoor bunnies.

Just wanted to let you know that foxes are something to think about.

xx-snowball-xx said:

before even considering putting him outside, i would have him vaccinated.

are you any closer to having his vaccinations done? a date or idea of when? :wave:

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i dont know i still owe money at the moment but if im right i should have the money for a hutch and a run in about 3 month around then so ill probs get him vaccinated before i buy his hutch and that.

Barn Yard Bunnies said:

Foxes are a worry day and night. They do attack during the day and can cause heart attacks too for bunnies. I had one bunny of 9 years die of a heart attack and one lost her ear even in a fox proof hutch. She needed 2 major operations but survived. After that my bunnies were indoor bunnies.

Just wanted to let you know that foxes are something to think about.

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i know that a lot of bunnies each year do get eaten by them but there is only one in this area and she is very rarely seen she has come through the back garden BUT she is only ever seen at night its too busy during the day here i live on a main road. thats why i am not too worried about here if i planned on keeping him out during the night then id worry a lot.

shadow05 said:

i dont know i still owe money at the moment but if im right i should have the money for a hutch and a run in about 3 month around then so ill probs get him vaccinated before i buy his hutch and that.

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instead of focusing on that, perhaps focus on the vaccinations first instead

did you know you can make a deal with your vet? i went in each friday when i got paid and gave them a few pounds so that my account built up "credit" this meant that after a few weeks, i had enough there to afford snowballs injections
you could do this with your vet for scooter if it makes it easier, because it also means that you can't spend it
how much have you saved for his vacc's so far?

I don't understand. You don't have money for hay but do for a hutch?

Also I don't think it's a good idea to be taking him outside during the day and inside at night. Is this just for summer or for winter too? If just for summer I don't understand why you are buying a hutch just for the summer days. Why not buy a run?

GrahamL said:

Both previous posts raise good points and i'd recommend following them

Re the security, theres no way you can 100% make it secure. Wood is wood, metal is metal. Nothing is indestructible with the correct tools and enough willing.

Why people want to do it is beyond me (take animals, etc etc) that said, they do.

If you are just wanting to get him outside for some fresh air, and a run around, a run with a carrier in it could suffice?

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i was thinking of getting a metal storage container outside a big one but then i though hed melt in summer so thats out of the question plus i can really renovate it either. so i started looking into wood sheds and i found on in argos for 159 which i could probably afford but it will take some time. ive looked into many things that i could do like thick bolts and pad locks. one of my friends said i might be able to bolt the shed into the floor so nobody could nick it? which i thought was taking it to far and it probs wouldnt work well. while i was looking on ebay i found this like metal bar thing that u can put on the shed but i suppose it would be easy to get around that too.

i am just wanting to get him out in fresh air and that but i wouldnt be able to watch and nobody else would but my mom would be in house and we have our dog too who lets us know if anybody has come through the gate or is messing around but she doesnt always tell us, some watch dog the first time the shed got broken into and she was fast asleep on her back :roll:.

if i let him out while im at college i would rather he had a hutch with a pen attached u know so he has proper cover to go incase it rains.

Schuette said:

I don't understand. You don't have money for hay but do for a hutch?

Also I don't think it's a good idea to be taking him outside during the day and inside at night. Is this just for summer or for winter too? If just for summer I don't understand why you are buying a hutch just for the summer days. Why not buy a run?

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:thumb: excellent post

A big, heavy, solid hutch, with bolts and perhaps a padlock. Are you in an area prone to theft?

shadow05 said:

i was thinking of getting a metal storage container outside a big one but then i though hed melt in summer so thats out of the question plus i can really renovate it either. so i started looking into wood sheds and i found on in argos for 159 which i could probably af

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ooh, excellent, numbers. i like numbers

you say you can have 159 for the shed in 3 months??
so, working that out, you plan to save just over £13 a week for this shed

a myxi jab is around £15. so in theory, you would be able to afford his myxi vac in 2 weeks :wave:

shadow05 said:

i was thinking of getting a metal storage container outside a big one but then i though hed melt in summer so thats out of the question plus i can really renovate it either. so i started looking into wood sheds and i found on in argos for 159 which i could probably af

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If you can afford £159 for a shed, surely you can afford £30 for vaccinations? :?

I dont fully understand why you would get a shed for summer day use? He may as well be in the house?

Guys, I don't see why you are harping on about vaccs, the OP knows they need to do it, but at the end of the day, it isn't up to us what shadow05 spends their money on. Some users on here admit they don't vacc their buns.

B&Q do sheds for £135 (6x4).

You may even get help with cost of vaccinations if your on a low income etc via PDSA etc if you do want to get them done.

shadow05 said:

i was thinking of getting a metal storage container outside a big one but then i though hed melt in summer so thats out of the question plus i can really renovate it either. so i started looking into wood sheds and i found on in argos for 159 which i could probably af

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Note:I'm in no way meaning this to sound aggressive before i start.

£159 for a shed
£~50 for vaccinations (half of this again for the bi-annual booster for myxi)
£~3 for a bag of hay

I think you need to seriously, sit down, right down or use a computer to work out your money shadow.

I dont know you from bob, but you don't seem very organised or have the common sense to prioritise things?

I can send you my spreadsheet via email that i use for my monthly income and expenditure if it would help.

You need to change the way you think, in my opinion (and i state opinion, because thats waht it is).

A hutch/run is useless to you, unless Scooter is vaccinated, against BOTH Myxi and VHD.

So, the following is how i'd be thinking to myself if i was in your situation;

Forget about hutch/run - you can't afford it.
Think about improving what you have.

Hay: £~3 per bag, ~4-5 bags a month perhaps? (i dont know the size, im going on Morrisons stuff)

So thats £12-£15/mo

Vaccinations: put say £5 in a tin or box and do NOT touch it per week. This is Scooters vaccinations tin. Think of it as if Scooters life depended on it - that way, you may remove the temptation to spend that money.

You can think about outside accomodation/runs once you can afford it. Right now you can't, so put it to the back of your mind.

Once vaccinations are done, that £5 per week extra you have, to put towards the hutch/run - then other extra money can go into a 'bun fund' for hutches, etc. Perhaps even towards an emergency fund for Scooter - if you take him outside, there are even more likelyhoods of him getting ill as a housebun, in my opinion.

Please take this into account also. Scooter will be more lonely outside, than if you kept him indoors. An outdoor bun on his own will get VERY depressed. So having a friend is even more important. You can't afford this either - so if you want him to go outside occasionally, you'll need a run you can use, not a hutch.

I really hope you take this post as it was meant and not the wrong way.

TeflonsShadow said:

Guys, I don't see why you are harping on about vaccs, the OP knows they need to do it, but at the end of the day, it isn't up to us what shadow05 spends their money on. Some users on here admit they don't vacc their buns.

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the only reason i mention it is because she keeps saying that she will get scooter vaccinated and keeps on saying she is saving for his vaccs then it doesn't happen.
if she said that she had no plans to, i wouldn't mention it. i don't say anything about vaccs to people that choose not to :wave:
i won't mention it again though

xx-snowball-xx said:

instead of focusing on that, perhaps focus on the vaccinations first instead

did you know you can make a deal with your vet? i went in each friday when i got paid and gave them a few pounds so that my account built up "credit" this meant that after a few weeks, i had enough there to afford snowballs injections
you could do this with your vet for scooter if it makes it easier, because it also means that you can't spend it
how much have you saved for his vacc's so far?

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i am going to get him done but i still owe money to people so have not been able to save any money. each time ive had some money to myself its been for my college pack lunchs or loads of hay for scooter which he still has loads of my the way and im getting some more tmmorow to stock up as im not going to have any money for 2 weeks after this friday.

but i am getting him vaccinated i have decided on that just when ive got the money too. i do know that u can do a deal with ur vets im gonna phone up and ask about vaccination cost when ive got the money or when i start saving up and if i can get a deal for scooter.