Compost Heap to Rabbit Residence... UD 2/11. post6

I thought I would make a thread showing the progress of the new bunny setup...

After looking at some of the sheds, and finding out Mums plans for the new house, I decided to keep the bunnies at the back of the garden, away from any future extension. I realised none of them were suitable for the rabbits to live in, and at some point in the next few years will probably need tearing down. So, I decided on a hutch and aviary to make it easy for me to clean, but also to ensure they have plenty of space. The coolest corner with the most shade is between a Hawthorne bush and 3 Apple trees. Unfortunately there is also a HUGE compost heap right where the aviary is going to go, and only part of that area is level and paved.

15/7/2014.
Their new 6x3x3 Happy Hutch arrived, but still needs to be put together. We have also cleared one shed, which will be used for storage, have removed some fencing to open up the area and started moving the compost heap. Theres still a fair amount of earth to shift, but weve saved the best of it for future use and put it into barrels...

This will be the storage shed for their hay and bits and bobs.



This is where the aviary will be, this space is over 10ft, the compost heap is mahoosive. This was before we made a start.



Another shed. There are 5 all together, excluding the greenhouse! Their setup will be between this shed and the very back one.



After. We removed the rotten fence to make a walk way. The ferns will be moved to the front garden.


After. Its hard to really see a difference in the amount of soil in this photo, but there isnt a great deal left here now.


You wouldnt believe the amount of junk the previous owner left behind. We have had to get a large skip, and we have almost filled it in less than a day!

I LOVE threads like this, please do keep it updated as I love to see how you get on! Wishing you speedy progress and favourable weather :wave: you've done great work so far!!

I certainly plan to!

Hoping to put the hutch together by the end of the weekend and possibly finish clearing all that soil by the end of today.

Update 20th July. Hutch up, area ready for paving.

Well this is where we are up to this evening. The area is ready for paving. You can see a massive difference when you compare it to the second photo. Its hard to believe its the same spot, actually! We also put the hutch together, and painted it. Im really not happy with the hutch, but Ill wait until Ive spoken to the company before i go complaining about it to you all!

I havent been very well over the last couple of days. So everything has come to a complete standstill. Im just doing too much. Mum made me cancel the joiner that was coming to do my aviary for me, because a bloke at her work can do it cheaper, but I dont know what its going to look like now! :roll: I didnt mind paying the money if it meant i got what i was after.

Anyway, Im not impressed at all with Happy Hutch. Its stapled together, ive had to buy panel pins and redo all the panels as you could see daylight between them and the frame! The felt on the roof only folded over the edge by a mm if that. So we complained and asked for a new roof. They sent it out, the felt is better, but it looks terrible and....it didnt fit!!

BUT. My little brother tonight, God love him, has been out there, doing the back panels for me, sorting the felt on the roof and reattaching and painting the trim - albeit the wrong colour, but never mind :lol: I have a hutch! The lino just needs sealing and some proper locks need putting on, and the legs need painting too. Its 6x3x3 and Marley and Dolly will look completely dwarfed in there, i think ill add some shelves at some point. Ive also taken the divider out, because the space was too big to keep cosy, so ive opened up the space and will put a wooden hidey hut in there for them.

Wow, ive been hopeless at keeping this updated, havent I!?

Weve had no end of problems, but were getting there. Here are some photos of where were up to now, but the buns should be in by next weekend Just have the mesh to put on, a little more painting and board and lino the shed.

Wow, what a transformation ! I love the sign on the inner door of the shed lucky bunnies, send us more photos when they've moved in !

Oh my goodness this is SO impressive! Thank you for sharing and good luck with the next phase ..

I am watching eagerly! Roll on next weekend (though it's pouring here today, so not really working weather ...) xx

Oh my goodness, this is looking fantastic! A huge well done! And to clear all that compost, can relate to that Such an achievement you must be so pleased!

Looks fantastic :thumb:

louise200 said:

Oh my goodness, this is looking fantastic! A huge well done! And to clear all that compost, can relate to that Such an achievement you must be so pleased!

Click to expand...

haha. It was nothing short of a nightmare, that wasnt the worst part. The worst part was the first builders that came and stuffed it all up. Thankfully we have a good guy now, although hes actually trained as a butcher :lol: This was highly amusing when i found out. Anyway... some of the mesh still needs to go on, but I dont want to do it myself as he can pull it tighter than I can. Inside is painted, but needs another coat or 2. Apart from that its done, buns should be in by this weekend. Guy said he was happy to take lieu time from work to finish it, but he has a 6 month old son, and i say he might need it and to come back at the weekend.

RampantRabbits said:

haha. It was nothing short of a nightmare, that wasnt the worst part. The worst part was the first builders that came and stuffed it all up. Thankfully we have a good guy now, although hes actually trained as a butcher :lol: This was highly amusing when i found out. Anyway... some of the mesh still needs to go on, but I dont want to do it myself as he can pull it tighter than I can. Inside is painted, but needs another coat or 2. Apart from that its done, buns should be in by this weekend. Guy said he was happy to take lieu time from work to finish it, but he has a 6 month old son, and i say he might need it and to come back at the weekend.

Click to expand...

How funny, I like that he was a butcher too Please post pics of your buns enjoying their fantastic new home :-D

I shall!!

Wow, looks great - I love the colour too!

Its finished!!! It got too dark to get photos of the inside, but ill get lots today when the bunnies move in and make a photo shoot thread and link it to here. Its taken a long time, but were finally finished!! Its impossible to fit in in a photo unless i stand behind the apple trees. Our 6x4 shed and attached 9x6 aviary Im over the moon. When I got Marley when I was 16, I was clueless and had him in a 3ft hutch. He went from that to a 5ft, then he got Dolly, then out of luck I was able to buy a second hand playhouse via this forum and give them a fab setup. Now 6 years down the line, Ive achieved this for them. Never in a million years did I imagine I would get my dream bunny setup.

That looks really really amazing.

Brilliant! Can't wait to see more photos with the bunnies inside too!

that is absolutely beautiful!

Sorry its so late, Im exhausted now. Rather than copy and paste everythin from photo bucket, they are all public on my Facebook page...

https://www.facebook.com/marleyandfriends

It looks fab! You must be so chuffed!