I'd love to see pictures of your bunnies hutches and runs, the more inventive the better.
What are the most important things to consider when purchasing a hutch and run (other than space) and how long on average to the wooden hutches/runs last before they need replacing?
I've seen a couple of hutch and run combinations that I like the look of the hutches are 6ft by 2ft and the runs 6ft by 8ft according to the welfare sites this should be big enough for two small bunnies, is this ok?
Do you prefer having your runs on hard standing with something for your rabbit to dig in or on grass? (I know I need to put paving slabs round teh edge to stop the buns digging out)
I have a shed for my two, connected to a run (or two). There's nothing wrong with a hutch though, I just preferred somewhere I could go and sit with them
The most important things to consider are space, as you've said, and build quality. I haven't personally seen any of these hutches in real life, but a lot of people have hutches from
http://www.welfarehutches.co.uk/,
http://www.rehutches.com/,
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6ft-Rabbi...et_Supplies_Small_Animals&hash=item519f5a0dea and also
http://www.happyhutch.co.uk/double-...-decker-outdoor-rabbit-hutch-with-ramp-detail but I've heard the odd bad thing about happy hutches. They're all made with nice thick wood and are solidly made. They all have good mesh as far as I can see (needs to be 1 x 1 inch minimum, preferably 1/2 x 1 inch). Lots of them have the option to add security bolts which is fab, I'd definitely spring for them. Some give the option to add on shutters for the doors to protect from very bad weather too, or upgrade the felt etc which will all make them last longer.
A good quality hutch which is looked after well should last at least 5 years, if not much longer. The best thing you can do is buy a good quality hutch in the first place. Then, keep up with the weatherproofing with cuprinol or similar. Once a year should be perfectly fine, although you might want to do 2-3 coats in the beginning.
If I was preparing a new hutch for long term use I'd do one of two things:
1) Paint the entire inside of the hutch (ceilings, walls, floors) with a wipe clean bathroom paint. Do a couple of coats. Then, cover any exposed edges with 90 degree angle metal strips designed for walls, like in this pic below. I've spray painted mine pink though
:
Then I'd get an offcut of lino and lie it perfectly on the floor, then seal around the edges with a silicone bath sealant. The insides are then protected from chewing and wee/wet paws, and it's easy to wipe everything clean. If the lino gets grubby you can replace it, and if the paint gets dirty you can scrub it without ruining the finish and also just paint over it.
Or 2) what I did for my shed, although I'm not sure how well it'd work for a hutch is to insulate it all inside and board over with insides plywood. Then paint the plywood and there's no need for metal strips;, and then either lay the lino and seal with sealant, or lay the lino and put down skirting board (painted with wipe clean paint).
The preparation is a bit of faffing and a little money, but worth it overall imo. If you do one of those two methods the only thing I can see that might need doing is re-felting the roof at some point.
6 x 2 with an 8 x 4 run will be big enough, but if you can get bigger they'll appreciate it. An extra foot of width or height in a hutch allows you to put more interesting things in for them, and they'll definitely appreciate extra run space. Personally I'd always get 3ft high runs from now on, as they can binky around in them
Welfare hutches and runs do 3ft high runs.
I personally prefer to have my run on grass as they like to eat it, and mine don't dig. I have mesh around the edges to protect them too. I have two runaround tubes to allow me to move the run all over the grass, which allows them to have fresh grass a lot and also means the grass doesn't get ruined. It's worked really well for me.
However, there's a lot to be said for the security of a concrete run. If I was in an area where I'd seen foxes I'd definitely prefer to have my run on concrete I think. There's nothing wrong with a run on grass as long as the bunnies are protected - ie with slabs or mesh. The runaround tube offers some protection too as it's designed so that a fox can't fit down it - they can't fit through the flowers or the tube; and they can't chew through the tube either. So if a fox was to be determined to dig its way in, the rabbits could retreat to the shed and be protected as long as they weren't dim enough to come out again! The best protection against foxes if the run is on grass is to lay slabs/mesh on the inside and even the outside if you want; to have 1/2 x 1/2 or 1/2 x 1 inch mesh; and to double layer the mesh (i.e. mesh the inside and the outside so that the spaces are tiny and also have several cm between each layer); and then a runaround tube and doors. Even the most determined fox/dog would basically not be able to get into that.
