Building a new run - got some questions (and some about the shed too)

Hello again

I joined the forum last night after we picked up 2 bunnies who weren't being looked after very well (I put more info in my profile) Long story short, we moved them into the 6 foot X 4 foot shed that our late beloved hens used to live in, with a dog kennel to sleep in and straw on the floor (hay for bedding and a bunch of hay hung up for eating) The best we could manage for an outside run was approx 5 feet long and 2-3 feet wide.

I completely accept its not acceptable so today we went out for supplies for a much bigger run (it's absolutely poured down on and off today so we couldn't get started on the run but it'll be up and ready tomorrow weather permitting)

Anyway, I have a few questions about the shed and run. First for 2 medium sized bunnies is an 8 foot X 5 foot run big enough? Would a run around tube provide more in the way of entertainment - we have a 'pop-hole' cut in the shed door to allow access to the outside, but we could fit a run around tube as well, from the side of the shed to the run as an alternate entry point - do rabbits generally enjoy using one?

We've got a couple of paving slabs in front of the shed door but after the monsoon-like rain this morning it's a bit muddy out there. I'd rather not pave the whole area as I want the rabbits to feel the grass under heir feet (I've planned for a wire bottom on the run) I know todays weather is a bit freakish for August but I'm thinking ahead to winter. Is there something I can do to help minimise the mud the buns are going to trail into their house from their run? I've got some corrugated plastic sheet for the roof of the run - would it be a good idea some of that willow screening that you can use along garden fences along the side of the run which faces the prevailing wind direction (which will hopefully stop too much rain being blown into the run)

Finally (and sorry for the long post) would it be nice for them if we build a sort of raised bed to fill with topsoil (or something more suitable) to provide them with a digging area or is this a silly idea?

If you've made it to the end then thanks for persevering - any info would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you

Kelly

Hiya. In terms of winterproofing the run, we put perspex panels on the exposed side during the winter. It keeps the wind and rain out but the buns can still see out.

Sounds like you will have some very lucky buns! :thumb: The extra entrance via a run around sounds like a fab idea and so does the digging area. I would never use grass in a rabbit run as it just won't last 5 mins and will be so hard to clean but it's trial and error so if it's what you want then try it. Without rain the grass will die so there will be no point trying to keep it out. Make sure you get pics as you build it!

Welcome :wave:. Sounds like you have two very lucky bunnies! I have a shed attached to a fully-grassed run by means of a 'bunny flap'. I just cut a hole in the side of the shed and covered with a hinged flap. In winter, they like to lay inside the shed next to the hole and look out, which they wouldn't be able to do if there was a pipe there so personally, I'd just leave a hole. Mine do have a pipe inside their run for added interest.

As for grassed runs - I have one of those too. The grass will survive, as long as the run is big enough, as long as it gets a good amount of both sun and rain and as long as you don't mind re-turfing or patching every few years as the bunnies WILL dig where you don't want them to!!!!

My run is about 25 feet long by about 7 feet wide as it runs from one side of the garden to the other. It is fully underwired - I just turfed over the wire and over the years the depth of soil has built up where I've re-turfed. I left one end just soil so that the bunnies could dig or create 'hollows' to lay in on hot days. At the soil end, I covered the run with garden screening stuff - it's like 'brush' is the best way to describe it. This gives shade in warm weather but doesn't prevent rain from getting through. At the grassed end, it's open to the elements to allow light, sun and rain otherwise the grass would just die off.

I now have slabs along one side of the run and a covered litter tray at one end (I built a little porch for the litter tray to go under so that it would stay dry in the rain). The bunnies tend to do a lot of poops on the slabs nearest their bunny neighours (guess they're marking their territory) and they do all their wees in the litter tray. I occasionally rake the grass to clear up any stray poops but other than that, it stays pretty clean .

Here are a few photos:-



In this one it's been recently re-turfed



This is a mid-summer one when the grass is very lush



.And this is one taken in April after a long, wet winter when it got very muddy and the rabbits had 'spring fever' and had dug lovely channels and burrows all over it - hence the patchwork quilt effect with the turf!!!! But it survives winter every year

update

Hello again

So, we spent all day in the garden building the run. I left Hubby to it this morning (but left him my sketch of what the run should look like) Unfortunately there weren't any measurements on my diagram... When I came back he'd used ALL the wood we bought yesterday (which, according to my calculations should've made the whole run) making the bottom frame!! The run is now going to be about 12 feet by 5 feet and we've had to dig up a japanese acer to fit it in.

We went out and bought another load of wood to make the top half and I've ordered another load of wire mesh! The moral of the story here is that I should write measurements on my diagrams when I'm not around to fulfill my Foreman duties in person!!

To be honest though it looks awesome - there'll be tons of space for my digging pit and for them to binky about (and I totally take the last point made about the more space there is the longer the grass withh (hopefully last) so I reckon this is a happy accident and Hubby has earnt his beer tonight!

In the meantime we've managed to increase their temporary run by another couple of feet with the panels we made for the permanent run so all in all a pretty good day!

Kelly x

Looking forward to seeing photos when it's all finished .