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Request for help in designing a great hutch/tray/cage

Hi all.

As you can see from my username my name is Robert Johnston. I am a rabbit owner and also a design student. For my level 3 design project I decided to make a living environment for a rabbit that tries to consider the social, health, cleanliness, security, exercise, diet and owner access needs of the rabbit. Basically I want to design the ideal product for housing your rabbit. For that I need user research.

To do this I would really appreciate if the people on this site could please answer the following questions as honestly as possible and email them to me at robertjohnston@innovatedesigncreate.co.uk. All answers will remain an-ominous.

Who knows we could see the ultimate rabbit hutch/tray/cage/something out of this.

Questionnaire:

- How many rabbits do you own?

- Has your rabbit ever needed veterinary care, if so what was it and how much did it cost?

- Have you ever lost a rabbit to an illness, if so what illness?

- Have you ever lost a rabbit to a predator, if so what animal?

- Does your rabbit stay outside, inside or a mixture of both?

- Does your rabbit stay in a hutch, if so how much was the hutch?

- Does your rabbit stay indoors, if so what is used as it's housing?

- Do you have other pets, besides rabbits?

- Have much do you spend on your rabbit(s) each month?

- What is your number one concern with regards to the health of the rabbit?

- How often in a week do you play with your rabbit?

- How many hours per week would your rabbit be in your house?

- Do you feel that currently available rabbit hutches offer value for money?

- Do you feel that currently available rabbit hutches are sturdily built?

- Do you find it hard to clean your rabbits housing, if so why?

- How often in a month do you clean your rabbits housing?

- Is it difficult to get access to your rabbit when it needs cleaned or examined?

- Would your consider your rabbit friendly around strangers?

- Do your consider yourself environmentally conscious with regards to the products used in the upkeep of your rabbit?




Thanks if you can find the time to answer these questions. If you can they would be very helpful to me when designing this product.
 
Thanks for all the feedback. Wanted to show you guys how far I have come with the design. Please feel free to comment and maybe suggestion improvements. Below is a section of my prototype proposal.

Whilst it is hard to put a direct price on the product at the moment I believe that there is huge scope to sell the product to retailers at £70 - £110 per unit and still allow a good profit for both myself and the retailer. Below are two images. The first of the run section and the second of the carry case. They include a colour coded reference to explain each part of the product.


2a6jcic.jpg


16jq3yo.jpg





Light Blue = Transparent Floor
Dark Blue = Ramp
Orange = Ventilation
White = Food Bowl & Litter Tray
Green = Main Body
Red = Handles for Carrying
Yellow = Sliding Hatch Door
Purple = Rails

As I have mentioned previously the product I am making is designed to be transported in flat pack configuration and assembled after arrival. This will greatly reduce the fuel needed to transport each unit thus reducing CO2 admissions. Additionally the product will be nearly entirely made of polycarbonate which is a recyclable material meaning that the majority of the product can be recycled after use. Not only that but due to the modular design of the product, pieces can be replaced with second hand sections of other unit which cuts out emissions in the recycling process.

With the main aim of the product being modular and expandable, I feel this means the product is a long life product. As further sections can be purchased and slotted onto the main unit, it lessens the chance of the owner wanting to throw out the hutch meaning less harmful impact over it's life cycle. This I feel is one of the most important aspects of the environmental sustainability of my product. It encourages people to keep the product and add to it rather than replace it. Also it's duel functionality as a housing product for rabbits in both an indoor and outdoor environment mean that the product further reduces the need for additional products to match the needs of an owners pet rabbit.

The main material of the hutch is Polycarbonate which is non toxic as well as being recyclable. This was important on two fronts for me. Firstly it will not poison the


I will explain some changes I made with the new design with the help of images.

Firstly I decided to change the configuration of the internal section of the carry case. This was to make better use of space. With these changes I was able to reduce the size of the carry case to 1m cubed. As you can see from the cross section image below I used the space below the stairs as the burrow like area for the rabbit to go when sleeping or scared. I also sectioned of the top of the stairs. I intend to add one way flaps in either direction to prevent flies from entering the litter tray and food area, thus decreasing chance of flystrike.

2a0nz49.jpg



The next image showcases how I have changed the position of the access doors for owners to get access to their pet rabbits. This was for two reasons. Firstly to make sure that the rabbit was easily accessible no matter where in the hunch it was. Second it was necessary to reposition the doors due to the reconfiguration of the internal aspects of the hunch.

2qnckcz.jpg



Due to the size of the carry case and the fact that the case will contain a live rabbit when being carried I decided to increase the stability of the carry case. To do this I added an extra handle to facilitate two handed carrying of the unit which I feel if more sensible for the owner and pet.

2yo8fo2.jpg


Also note that I have changed the size of the doors on both the carry case and the run section. This was also due to the change in the internal configuration of the carry case. I no longer could keep the door opening from covering two floors as I wanted the top floor of the carry case separated from the bottom. The same goes for the sleeping area which needed limited access. Lastly I beefed up the slotting rails as they are the part of the product that could see the most use hence the most ware and tear.


16jq3yo.jpg
 
that's interesting. dimensions? have i missed them? and what is this for, exactly? i noted the word 'modular'. are you intending that this should be accommodation as a single unit? if its the equivalent of a carrier, how much does it weigh? are the colours only there to highlight different aspects of the design, or would they be part of the finished product (if so, i would never buy it!)...i'm sorry, i don't know anything about design, i'm just thinking about it as a rabbit owner.
 
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think I may be being dense - but why do you need to carry it?

it looks like a design for a very small hutch to me - in a material which I am not sure is very breatheable.

I may have the wrong end of the stick but I dont get the carrying bit - my buns live in combi hutch/runs of the kennel/aviary type that are so huge and heavy (took 3 huge men just to lift the roof section) - so of course like most people I have normal size pet carry cases to take the buns to the vets. but I wouldnt expect bun to live in those . .
 
Okay I have a few pointers/questions:

I dont think you can make a carry case and a 'hutch' type product in one, as either the carry case will be too big and heavy, or the hutch/house will be too small. If I had it, even if it was light, I wouldnt ever use it as a carry case because of the risk of the rabbit hurting itself, because it is too big. Rabbits find it hard to stay still/keep their feet when being carried in a carrier, and often lean against or brace their legs against the sides or back for support - they would not be able to do this in a larger space, especially one with hazards like ramps. Also, if it is big enough to meet welfare guidlines ( http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/ahutchisnotenough.htm ) then it would be a right pain to carry such a large item. If you want to make it a dual carrier and home, could you maybe make a detachable bit that is the carrier?

I dont know much about polycarbonate, but it is a type of plastic, yes? Will it keep rabbits cool in summer, or will it heat up in there like most plastics? And will it keep them warm in winter? Plastic homes are often avoided because they arent as good as wood in temperature extremes. If it is like other plastics in this respect, marketing it as an indoor only home and adding more mesh would be an option.

Can you see into the main areas of the house without opening the door? And why is the floor transparent?

Why is the run a zig-zag shape, is there a reason for this?

eta- forgot to say, I really like the idea of a hatch door that can be left open, like a chicken house I guess, so the rabbit can come and go through a rabbit-sized hole rather than have a big door open.
 
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Okay I have a few pointers/questions:

I dont think you can make a carry case and a 'hutch' type product in one, as either the carry case will be too big and heavy, or the hutch/house will be too small. If I had it, even if it was light, I wouldnt ever use it as a carry case because of the risk of the rabbit hurting itself, because it is too big. Rabbits find it hard to stay still/keep their feet when being carried in a carrier, and often lean against or brace their legs against the sides or back for support - they would not be able to do this in a larger space, especially one with hazards like ramps. Also, if it is big enough to meet welfare guidlines ( http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/ahutchisnotenough.htm ) then it would be a right pain to carry such a large item. If you want to make it a dual carrier and home, could you maybe make a detachable bit that is the carrier?

I dont know much about polycarbonate, but it is a type of plastic, yes? Will it keep rabbits cool in summer, or will it heat up in there like most plastics? And will it keep them warm in winter? Plastic homes are often avoided because they arent as good as wood in temperature extremes. If it is like other plastics in this respect, marketing it as an indoor only home and adding more mesh would be an option.

Can you see into the main areas of the house without opening the door? And why is the floor transparent?

Why is the run a zig-zag shape, is there a reason for this?

eta- forgot to say, I really like the idea of a hatch door that can be left open, like a chicken house I guess, so the rabbit can come and go through a rabbit-sized hole rather than have a big door open.


Just a guess but it might be a fold up run :wave:
 
Okay I have a few pointers/questions:

I dont think you can make a carry case and a 'hutch' type product in one, as either the carry case will be too big and heavy, or the hutch/house will be too small. If I had it, even if it was light, I wouldnt ever use it as a carry case because of the risk of the rabbit hurting itself, because it is too big. Rabbits find it hard to stay still/keep their feet when being carried in a carrier, and often lean against or brace their legs against the sides or back for support - they would not be able to do this in a larger space, especially one with hazards like ramps. Also, if it is big enough to meet welfare guidlines ( http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/ahutchisnotenough.htm ) then it would be a right pain to carry such a large item. If you want to make it a dual carrier and home, could you maybe make a detachable bit that is the carrier?

I dont know much about polycarbonate, but it is a type of plastic, yes? Will it keep rabbits cool in summer, or will it heat up in there like most plastics? And will it keep them warm in winter? Plastic homes are often avoided because they arent as good as wood in temperature extremes. If it is like other plastics in this respect, marketing it as an indoor only home and adding more mesh would be an option.

Can you see into the main areas of the house without opening the door? And why is the floor transparent?

Why is the run a zig-zag shape, is there a reason for this?

eta- forgot to say, I really like the idea of a hatch door that can be left open, like a chicken house I guess, so the rabbit can come and go through a rabbit-sized hole rather than have a big door open.

Sorry for not being clear about the design. This is still a work in progress.

The material will be made of light, cheap and strong plastics with a more muted colour. The colours in the diagrams are just for showcasing different areas of the design. Ventilation holes will be added later.

The carry case is the sleeping/feeding area. It is carry-able because it is designed to allow owners to easily transport the rabbit into the house, to the vets, etc. For me this would be very useful in the winter months. The carry case is 1m x 1m x 1m and will be made as lightweight as possible. This should be easily lifted by most people.

The floor is transparent ( as will the main run and side doors of the carry case ) because it will allow for owners to check their rabbits for clumped or soft poos stuck to the rabbits underside. Hopefully this can reduce flystrike. I will add a grip material on the floors to prevent distressing the rabbit.

Note that the run will be the main exercise area for the rabbits. The run is designed to fold up so that the owner can shepard the rabbit back to the carry case whenever access to the rabbit is needed.

The main idea of the hutch is that other pieces can be added to the Run to improve the life of your rabbit(s). You can add additional living areas, play areas, safe areas. If you get another rabbit you can easily add another carry case on.


Thanks for the feedback guys. Any more questions or gripes/suggestions then please post. This is very beneficial for the design of the hutch.
 
The carry case is the sleeping/feeding area. It is carry-able because it is designed to allow owners to easily transport the rabbit into the house, to the vets, etc. For me this would be very useful in the winter months. The carry case is 1m x 1m x 1m and will be made as lightweight as possible. This should be easily lifted by most people.

I'm not sure what kind of cars you think rabbit owners drive, but fitting a 1m cube into most cars would be challenging! Never mind getting it though doors - the ones in my house are around 75cm, and the I would expect most peoples', and their vets, to be similar.

I think you really need to revisit the idea of making the whole hutch into the carry case - its not good for the rabbit (see Nessar's post) and won't fit through house doors, into cars, and would be challenging for most people to carry by themselves, even without the added weight of the rabbits inside.
As you are keen to make the deisgn modular, make a small removable carrier module and a bigger static hutch area.
 
I think you really need to revisit the idea of making the whole hutch into the carry case - its not good for the rabbit (see Nessar's post) and won't fit through house doors, into cars, and would be challenging for most people to carry by themselves, even without the added weight of the rabbits inside.
As you are keen to make the deisgn modular, make a small removable carrier module and a bigger static hutch area.

KateB is correct, most doors are between 60 and 85cm in the UK depending on when the house was built etc we are a bit behind on accessible housing.
You said the carry case bit was just the sleeping area? but haven't said how it will attach in to a larger hutch and I agree its need to be smaller.

Maybe for a school project it would be better to look at a similar design for a rat or a hamster or something so you can scale it down? You would need the total hutch length to be 182 centimetres long (internally) to meet the min requirements for a rabbit.

Plastic is problematic for keeping the buns cool in summer and warm in winter and it doesn't conduct heat very well. There are some plastic you can get for conservatory roofing than are more breathable and have uv protection and stuff.
 
KateB is correct, most doors are between 60 and 85cm in the UK depending on when the house was built etc we are a bit behind on accessible housing.
You said the carry case bit was just the sleeping area? but haven't said how it will attach in to a larger hutch and I agree its need to be smaller.

Maybe for a school project it would be better to look at a similar design for a rat or a hamster or something so you can scale it down? You would need the total hutch length to be 182 centimetres long (internally) to meet the min requirements for a rabbit.

Plastic is problematic for keeping the buns cool in summer and warm in winter and it doesn't conduct heat very well. There are some plastic you can get for conservatory roofing than are more breathable and have uv protection and stuff.

I will address the dimension issues of the carry case. Maybe make it 600mm high by 1m x 800mm. The carry case is connected to the run by the purple rails with the doors lining up, sorry for not explaining that. That way the run and carry case become 1 living area and easily meets the requirements of a rabbit as the run is roughly 3m by 2m. Which is considerable larger than most rabbit hutches available commercially.

I will have to address the heat issue in winter though. Summer cooling can be solved with good ventilation that promotes through drafts.

Do people feel that the design addresses the issue of fly-strike and easier accessibility to the rabbit for the owner?
 
I think rabbits will be more at risk of flystrke because of the sweltering heat in there, that combined with the stink of the litter tray in such a heat will attract flies. You need to make more sections completely mesh/barred, so that they stay cool. I'd advise you make it an indoor cage so it wont get direct sunlight, and then because it is an indoor cage you can have most of the roof and a side completely mesh/bars. The ventiliation you have at the moment will let the rabbits cook in heat like we have experienced these last few days.

The carry case is still too big, I'd suggest 65x45 as the very largest size that a medium rabbit wouldnt hurt itself in. Personally I wouldnt put a medium or small rabbit in something that big alone, as there is still risk of them rattling around too much. The roof can be fairly tall if you wish, as I assume people arent going to be tipping the carrier on its side, but I'd stick to 60cm tall max, preferably a bit lower so the rabbit feels safer and for ease of carrying it for the owner. You cant have clear sides and bottom of the carrier, as the rabbit will feel unsafe in an environment like a vets, that is why wire carriers are not reccommended. Carriers should be fairly shady/dark but with plenty of ventilation slits.
 
Also, to make sure your rabbit home is not contributing to the vast amounts of unsuitable housing out there, you really do need to adhere to the RWAF reccommendations: http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/ahutchisnotenough.htm Also note that although the RSPCA have not released advice that I've seen on the precise size of runs as well, their reccommendations for hutches are the same as the RWAF.

A run attached to the hutch does not compensate for the lack of space in the hutch, as the rabbit must have a certain amount of warm, dry, covered, all-weather shelter.
 
The carry case is the sleeping/feeding area. It is carry-able because it is designed to allow owners to easily transport the rabbit into the house, to the vets, etc. For me this would be very useful in the winter months. The carry case is 1m x 1m x 1m and will be made as lightweight as possible. This should be easily lifted by most people.

The floor is transparent ( as will the main run and side doors of the carry case ) because it will allow for owners to check their rabbits for clumped or soft poos stuck to the rabbits underside. Hopefully this can reduce flystrike. I will add a grip material on the floors to prevent distressing the rabbit.

Sounds very interesting to me. Whilst I like the idea of a modular system it needs to be user friendly.

If the floor is transparent to allow owners to check their rabbits, can I ask how you pick up a 1m cube and get under it whilst still ensuring that it is secure or still holding it, many rabbit owners are single adults and without assistance couldnt manage this with a medium sized carrier let alone a large cube with a rabbit inside.

If you are planning to make it a lot bigger than a normal medium sized carrier please before you start investing money in this try and make a replica out of card, take it on the bus, tube or train. This way you can find out if it is portable.
 
Without being too blunt (but to be honest I think blunt is what is needed here):

1. Plastic?? Are you serious!? They'll cook!
2. See through floor? Surely this will just confuse the rabbit (when 'lifted' to check their bums)
3. Its too small. - 1m cube might seem big, but it isn't, I design bigger air handling units everyday.
4. How does the poor rabbit living in it get light? and I work in ventilation - and those holes ain't enough!
5. Having a home the transportable, I think, is not a good idea at all - I mean, we all konw how much rabbits like their routine and and hate getting moved to the vets - but we also all know that once our rabbits are in their home, they feel safe, how are they ever supposed to relax if they don't know if their entire home is going to be moved?? - maybe a detachable bit that is moved, but still, how would they relax?

Now, I'm all for being environmentally friendly, but surely, sticking your rabbit in a plastic box is not the right way to be going about this - and I'd imagine that no one (or at least not many) ppl who filled in your survey (on both here and other forums) would not have even hinted at this kind of rabbit home.

Please visit RWAF and see what their minimum requirements are.

The heat we've had this weekend alone, would kill a rabbit in a home like this, I guarantee it.

Also, it encourages owners to not check their rabbits properly - if joe bloggs goes into p@h for some dog food with his kid, and his kid says awww daddy let me have one of them cute rabbits... the parent gives in and the staff say 'ooooh we've got this new home one offer, it means you can carry it round, and check for fly strike'..... that person will think you just lift it up and check (cos lets face it the majority of spur of the moment buys of rabbits won't know to look after properly) also - how do you fit toys in it? how do you fix a hay rack to the side?
 
why not make the portable part an add on to the main hutch? it could double as sleeping quarters - that's what i do, in my compounds i have the carriers so the buns are used to them and happy to go into them.

you could do the hutch and run as indoor accommodation, make them easy-clean and in a range of colours to suit people's decor. if it looked really attractive, it would sell. if you did add on modules, people could expand as they went along - they'd love it.

so it needs to be airy, easy-clean, plenty big enough (taking the guidelines as a minimum) and easy on the eye. i think from what you have posted so far that what it looks like doesn't matter much to you. if you look at the housing thread on r u, you'll see how many people make their sheds and wendy houses really beautiful, either in a fairy-tale cottage style or as very practical aviary type buildings.

i think there is potential but you need to do more market research and more rabbit-thinking if you're going to make a fortune.
 
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