advice please

Hi we bought our rabbit flump a new hutch when we got her nearly 2 weeks ago but ive been looking for something a little bit bigger, she is in a 4ft hutch at the minute with a bigish run but i was looking at this...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chicken-Coo...UKFI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1304635895&sr=8-2

i know its a chicken coop but ive seen people selling them on ebay after using them for rabbits do u think it would be big enough for her?

thanks

Hi Emmalou, welcome to the forum. :wave:

The best thing is to look for the biggest size possible, and most secure & safe. The RWAF recommend a hutch that is 6'x2'x2' with an 8'x4' run attached, that is secure and safe from predators. http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/ahutchisnotenough.htm

I'm not sure what size the chicken coop is - were you going to replace your hutch and run with that? You may find it works better to get a bigger run and/or hutch or even upgrade to a wendy house/shed and run or dog kennel - you can find some good ones for a reasonable price on Ebay.

Chicken coops can be difficult to get in to clean I think, and dont always offer as much floor space/binky space as you think. Its hard to tell from that link, I only glanced at it as I am a bit tired

ETA: just re-checked the link and the dimensions look quite small

ok thank you ill keep looking i think, from what i can see it still looks to small for her
thank you again :thumb:

I started with something similar then went to a larger hutch run combo ( 5ftdouble hutch and 6ftx5ft run) then decided on a dog kennel.

Would a shed/ play house with attached run be an option

Take a look at this thread

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=249695&highlight=housing+photos

it definately shows the amount of variety of housing that is available

i dont think we would fit another shed in our garden and the kids have a plastic playhouse the other end. The shed we have at the minute has completely had it the roof is leaking and it is literally falling apart, we are getting a newer one in a few weeks off a family member but where would i start to make it suitable for the rabbit to live in? is there anything i need to do?
thank u

Fab link Lottielouise, there are some wonderful set-ups there

emmalou26 said:

i dont think we would fit another shed in our garden and the kids have a plastic playhouse the other end. The shed we have at the minute has completely had it the roof is leaking and it is literally falling apart, we are getting a newer one in a few weeks off a family member but where would i start to make it suitable for the rabbit to live in? is there anything i need to do?
thank u

Click to expand...

We got a shed and put their existing hutch in to it. We used the door from their run as an inner door inside the shed - basically to stop them from getting out when we open the door but I've seen inner mesh doors that are full height, which are much better.

My husband cut a low-down flap out of a section of the shed and attached a run to it. You can see it from this link I posted: http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=205014&highlight=twinkle+star

You'd probably want one with a window so you can ventilate it, especially in the hot weather. Ours just has a plastic window so we put wire mesh behind it to make it predator-proof and put it in to a frame of its own so we can slide it up and down.

There's lots of ideas on the forum

PS if you do get a shed, dont store any tools in there, as they would be dangerous for the buns. I once heard a very sad story that someone had tools stored up high and came home to a tragedy

PPS Sorry if I am bombarding you - I have a tendency to waffle

Hi and welcome :wave:

im thinking the shed is going to be the best option for her as i want her to have lots of space plus the money i was going to spend on a new hutch and run i can use to convert the shed into a lovely home for her
thank u for the link and thank u for all your great ideas

A shed is certainly one option and you can always partition part off and have a cat flap out to the run if you need some storage space.

It really depends on space, budget and DIY skills what the best options are. I would try finding a local carpenter to get quotes too as getting something custom built can actually be surprisingly cheap.

Extending the run is usually the best way to get more space for your money. So you might want to look at aviary panels (to build your own run) or runs you could attach to yours to extend it. For example this ebay run is 8'x4' and £85 which is loads more space than the chicken run. If you wanted more sheltered space alongside our current hutch you could probably get a second hand hutch from freecycle