Building a hutch.. safe woods?

I'm building hutches for all my pets soon, would like them to be 5x3ft, I've had a look online for hutches but most are only 5x2ft .. I also don't want to spend a lot of money..

I need to build 4 hutches, all 5x3ft, and wondering what woods are safe?

I've heard plywood is but it is so expensive! I was thinking pine, but I'm not sure.. http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/120830 this stuff.. also, how would I know if it's been treated as I know they're not allowed treated wood.

I've been looking for safe woods for almost a week now and it's making me want to kill myself :lol:

Also, the wood would need to be safe for guinea pigs too.. But if just know what wood is safe for rabbits, that would be ok

So yeah basically, what woods are safe, and how will I know if it's treated (..sometimes it doesn't say) .. and does it have to be kiln-dried?

I'm in the UK, so if you had links to sites which sell wood that I need fairly cheaply, that would be great

Thanks :lol:

DH is a joiner and he says he would use pine and that's what he made our run from. He then treated it with cuprinol. I would avoid tanalised timber as the chemicals used are pretty toxic.

Pine is safe, it's what i think all hutches are made out of. In the UK we mainly have two types, Whitewood and Redwood (both pine), red being the better and stronger one.

Plywood is fine too, try a timber merchant for cheaper prices and better quality timber.
Sorry forgot to add you want untreated whitewood or redwood.

Thank you both

Ply is great.

My Dad made me a very nice and sturdy hutch from ply - the sides and doors are made from 9mm and the roof and the floor are 18mm. Ply is way under rated. People just see these hutches at P@H made from really thin ply and think all ply hutches are like this!

What is suitable for rabbits will also be suitable for guinea pigs and vice versa.

Good luck, I am looking forward to seeing your new hutches!

Thankyou! I really do want to build my own hutches but at the moment I'm so sick of searching for wood and how much I would need, the price it would come to is ridiculous. So right now I'm looking for hutches to buy :lol:. I think I'll build one but it'll be a project over a long time! Maybe I'll build a shelter hutch over the next year for the run we're getting :lol:

I would agree with Daniel's advice about finding a timber merchant. At the one I use not only is the wood a lot cheaper they also cut it to size so I work out exactly what I need, give them a list and they pretty much provide me with a kit just to fasten together. I only pay for what I buy as well so no buying sheets of plywood and throwing 1/4 of it away.

Thanks for the advice everyone