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Honest thoughts on this set up? (Too cold and dark?)

BexPets

Warren Scout
Hello :wave:

I'm having some doubts about this combination.



It is between the front gate and the garage (used for storage only) and has walls/fences close on both sides, so has very limited light. The concrete does not dry out easily and is nearly always cold/damp with dark water stains.

On the one hand, they can run through it from end to end (12 and a half feet) which is nice, but it seems to me like a cold and uncomfortable setup.




I can't move the main hutch, but I'm tempted to forget about this and build up another setup elsewhere - although this, at least, is protected from the intense heat we are having at the moment and is sheltered from wind.

It just seems very barren and unfriendly to me.



I'm also having a lot of trouble constructing something that helps the larger black rabbit get from the floor into the top hutch, as she finds the ramp incredibly difficult and the 'staircases' I have tried in the past of crates and boxes she struggles with due to a lack of balance and ability to jump/land well. She has a cataract in one eye and due to the risks I am tempted to shut off the top hutch above the run and leave them with only the one on the end, but I don't feel like this one is nice or warm enough.

Ideas, anyone? :/
 
I think if you constructed an avairy it that area it would look brighter. You could then put the hutch on the floor so your rabbit wouldn't have to do any climbing. You could add exciting dig trays or grow some grass in trays to add enrichment?
 
It would look better if it was painted all the same colour. The space is good and the cold shouldn't bother them as long as they can go inside one of the hutches. You could get a big litter tray filled with hay, as bunnies like this also you could put some lino down on the hutch floors, it would look a lot better.

Do they also have a bowl to drink from as you say the black bun has difficulty getting upstairs and I can only see a bottle upstairs?

You could buy a tube from a big pet store for them to run through.

There are lots of other ideas in the Housing Section.

You could also get some Perspex/corrugated sheet which would keep the run drier as it's not very good to let rabbits sit on cold damp concrete for long periods.
 
It looks like a good sized space.

Could you get something to put over part of the floor to lift them off it if it's cold/damp all the time? I was thinking something like pallets with a single piece of board over the top.

Is the ramp covered with anything? I ask because we have a really long ramp in the shed that the buns used to scrabble/slide on, but we cut up carpet tiles and stuck those to it and it made it a lot easier for them.
 
Hello :wave:

I'm having some doubts about this combination.



It is between the front gate and the garage (used for storage only) and has walls/fences close on both sides, so has very limited light. The concrete does not dry out easily and is nearly always cold/damp with dark water stains.

On the one hand, they can run through it from end to end (12 and a half feet) which is nice, but it seems to me like a cold and uncomfortable setup.




I can't move the main hutch, but I'm tempted to forget about this and build up another setup elsewhere - although this, at least, is protected from the intense heat we are having at the moment and is sheltered from wind.

It just seems very barren and unfriendly to me.



I'm also having a lot of trouble constructing something that helps the larger black rabbit get from the floor into the top hutch, as she finds the ramp incredibly difficult and the 'staircases' I have tried in the past of crates and boxes she struggles with due to a lack of balance and ability to jump/land well. She has a cataract in one eye and due to the risks I am tempted to shut off the top hutch above the run and leave them with only the one on the end, but I don't feel like this one is nice or warm enough.

Ideas, anyone? :/

You could get a nice 4ft high run in that space by how ever wide it is with a giant 8ft hutch on legs in side. And you would also have room for one of my new 24" wide play boxes for shade. The 8ft hutch could have say 4" legs with one of the solid doors made to fold down to create a ramp with slats on the other side for the bunnies to walk up and down in and out of the hutch.
 
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It's not the prettiest of setups but the space is very good. There are lots of options for you, you could start from scratch somewhere else, but don't feel like you have to.

The second story hutch looks like it's separate from the run, so see if you can work out how it's attached and hopefully you can lift it off and move it to ground level and make use of it that way.

An aviary filling the whole space would be great, and easier for you to clean/walk it to interact with them.

tonibun's suggestion of painting it all the same colours would freshen it up - have a look at cuprinol garden shades. If the fence is yours you could paint that too.

I don't think it matters if the concrete stays slightly damp as long as it doesn't flood, and they have space to sit off it if they want. You could build on that, perhaps a childs sandpit filled with soil in one spot, that would give them some digging space and an alternative to concrete to sit on.

Some plants would brighten things up too, perhaps a couple of long pots on the outside of the run filled with grass or herbs you could cut for them :)
 
I do sort of see what you mean. The 12ft is great and they do have 2 nice big shelters, but at a certain point these wooden structures do start to look a bit sad! The area itself looks great and I'd probably want to keep it where it is - like you say it's protected from the sun; but it definitely comes with the downside that it never looks sunny and lovely and lush. The cold floor could be helped by laying down rubber stable matting providing your bunnies aren't big chewers, and as others have suggested I think covering the tops of the runs with something waterproof would be good. Even clear tarpaulin would be great - I'd stay away from the blue stuff as it's not fully waterproof compared to the clear stuff.

Personally if you're already looking into buying a new setup anyway I'd be tempted to say that might be easier overall than sprucing up this setup. Like the others I think an aviary setup would be great. You can buy the panels from here, among other places: http://www.happyhutch.co.uk/aviaries-aviary-panels/19g-aviary-panels-detail, plus a door: http://www.happyhutch.co.uk/aviaries-aviary-panels/19g-aviary-panel-with-door-detail. Local builders will often do them too for you, and may even erect them for you. I'd definitely want to add some plywood (painted with cuprinol) or corrugated roofing sheets/polycarbonate twin walled sheet to the top to provide protection from the rain from above - I find it makes a big difference as the underneath stays a lot more dry and they can use it more weathers. You could then put in those 2 lovely big hutches you have, if you cut the top one off its run, and you'd have 2 massive cosy shelters for them.

Another option would be to get a nice big run and attach each hutch, at floor level, at either end. The bunnies would enjoy that as they feel safer having 2 exits or bolt holes, so that would be a fantastic setup too. Boyles pet housing do some lovely sizes runs and I'm sure he'd do specific sizes to suit you: http://www.boylespethousing.co.uk/rabbit-housing/rabbit-runs.html. He also does amazing looking aviaries with clear pricing, and the option to have a timber and felt roof too. Again I'm sure he'd do custom sizes to suit your space.

Like you've said, I think it'd be a great idea to keep everything on one level for your partially sighted bunny.

If money is an issue when it comes to size for the aviary, as I know the costs can really rack up, a good option to maximise the space would be to attach the hutch to the aviary and not have it actually inside where it takes up the space. I'm a big big fan of the runaround products - they're very secure, and bunnies enjoy them. These two would work well: http://www.runaround.co.uk/products/connection-kit-4, http://www.runaround.co.uk/products/bridge-link. Alternatively just because of your bunnies eyesight, one of these might work better if you put it as flat on the ground as possible - just because the wooden construction won't shake like the pipe does when bunnies scuttle down it: http://www.boylespethousing.co.uk/accessories/joining-tunnel.html, http://www.boylespethousing.co.uk/accessories/large-timber-tunnel-hinged-roof.html.

If the floor is still quite good condition in the high hutch it'd be worth laying lino down on the floor and sealing around the edges with silicone bathroom sealant to prevent leaks etc. This will give them a cosy floor which never gets cold, which will be nice for them. Alternatively the rubber stable matting would also work in there!

I'm not sure where you give your hay to them at the moment, but bunnies love eating while they poop so they take really well to litter trays and can spend a lot of time in them. Underbed storage boxes (without the lid) work well as a lovely deep litter tray - put some litter/substrate/newspaper in the bottom and put loads of hay in. They'll love digging around for the best bits of hay and it really takes up a lot of their time and simulates natural behaviours. In a nice big setup like that I'd be tempted to have 3, or certainly 2 :D The hooded litter trays for cats work well for outdoors as the hay doesn't blow everywhere, I have this jumbo one for my two: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Catit-Jumbo-Hooded-Litter-Tray/dp/B0057XF6U4. With one of your bunnies having trouble with his eyes it may be a good idea to try potting trays - a lot of other people use them for partially blind or disabled bunnies. With no lip, your bunny will find it nice and easy to get into: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=sr_gn...&keywords=potting+tray&ie=UTF8&qid=1405860583. The bigger the better with litter trays, imo!

In terms of extra stuff to add, bunnies enjoy tunnels and both of yours should be able to enjoy them easily. They sell them everywhere really - the top 3 on here are firm favourites with most bunnies!: http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias=aps&field-keywords=rabbit tunnel. I persnally love the 3 way one but don't get to use mine that much as my run is only 8 x 4, and it's a little squished. But in a big run like yours it should fit really nicely. The plastic one is great too, although bunnies can chew it so definitely keep an eye when you first put it in.

Bunnies tend to love toys as well. Wicker etc is great to chew, as is wood, and there are loads about. Wilkinsons or viovet sell all these cheaply. I tend to only put these inside a hutch though as they get a bit ruined outside with the rain! For outside, plastic toys work great. Babies toys are often quite good... things like this http://www.amazon.co.uk/East-Coast-...e=UTF8&qid=1405861504&sr=8-4&keywords=teether or this http://www.amazon.co.uk/East-Coast-..._sim_by_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=15WZJBPA3B9Y4JJAYQH0. Anything that they can pick up and throw around. Avoid anything with those liquid bits meant for freezing, or anything with rubber on. To be honest the best place to find the cheapy versions without extra added rubber etc is the pound shop :lol: You can get these type of things for £1, and you can make 3 good size toys if you link bits together: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Baby-Lear...?pt=UK_Toys_Games_Toys_CA&hash=item58ad25c83b. Things that make noises might be good for your partially sighted bunny too: http://www.wilko.com/small-animal-toys/wilko-jingle-dumbell-for-small-animals/invt/0303655.

Another option would be to get some grass seeds and grow some big pans of grass. You could then put these in every so often for them to nibble away at - it's fun and really good for them. Bunnies love digging too, so a digging pit might be a great idea, but that's something they'll probably end up doing in their litter tray if it's big enough so you could combine that. If you do want to introduce a litter tray many people use kids wooden or plastic sand pits, and either use kids play sand or soil. I personally prefer soil just because we definitely know it's safe, and I worry about bunnies getting sand in their eye.

Basically with a few additions such as litter trays, toys and tunnels; plus a bit of painting and a roof your setup is really great! It offers great space, and is protected from the sun. But if you do want to replace it I'd definitely go for an aviary or a big run, and still use the two hutches (unless you really want to replace them).

P.S sorry for the essay :shock: Hopefully it's of some help :D
 
Wow, thank you all for the replies! :wave:

I'm not sure I'm in the market for buying new rabbit accommodation, we've recently downsized our rabbit number (a petting zoo asked for any tame, neutered rabbits we had and since I'm going to uni in two months, we decided to rehome 8 to them and keep 4) which means we have a garden full of hutches and runs like this which are currently unused. I've been trying to work out the perfect way to combine as many as possible, but haven't found it yet.

I can't block this space any more than I am, as the wheelie bins and bikes need to get through the gate. I do have some runs with connecting side doors and have a vague idea of how I could fill this space completely, but I would need to persuade my family first that we don't need access to the gate.

You know, I think the second story might come off. It's a shame it wouldn't fit inside that run, but I think attaching it on floor-level somehow would be a fantastic idea.

The hay is in the bedroom, as at the moment there are random storms and I wanted to make sure it was protected from wind and rain. The litterbox is a great idea; we have sandboxes and things lying around anyway. My mum's just bought a huge bag of compost which I have my eye on!

I am going to work on making the run more waterproof - in the winter I cover it in a few layers of bubblewrap, which keeps out snow but allows light to come through. At night I cover the runs in sheets of wood, although this would make it too dark in the day. I will look at getting some clear tarpulin. :)

I was trying not to obstruct clear running space, but after reading the responses I do agree that some tunnels and litterboxes are needed - rabbits need to do more than just run.

The hutch I've just moved them from looks like this:


They're used to having lots of grass and digging space, which is probably why they look so bored now. Hmm.

I will add another waterbottle in the run for Wilma to drink from, there is a plastic plant tray (the orange brown one) that has water in it but they do turn it over quite a lot.

We have a lot of carpet tiles that, when turned over, have a smooth surface. Would those do? If not we have lots of flat wooden boards lying around, and sandboxes and the bases to indoor rabbit cages, that I could use.

The ramp is made of wood and they have chewed the sides greatly; measuring carpet tiles to fit the new shapes might be tricky, especially if they keep chewing into it. I'm not sure Wilma is using the high part of the hutch at all, but Dino goes there to sleep. I should probably discourage their sleeping apart.

Thank you again for the really very thoughtful and thorough feedback! I will keep you updated with how this setup progresses :wave:

Sorry if I've forgotten to respond to anyone's point! I tried to make sure I covered everything. :)
 
I'd avoid carpet tiles, particularly is they chew.

You could spruce up some of your old runs and sell them, then use the money to buy aviary panels. If they are walk though, you could fill the area and access the gate by walking though - just have a little second gate to keep the bunnies contained when you opened it.

You might even be able to make your own panels by disassembling the existing runs and using the sides as upright panels. You'd need to work out if you've enough the right size.

Even if you don't go full aviary height, you might find disassembling them into panels would make it easier to create a run to fill the space.
 
I must admit that the runs age between 3 and 6 years old and many are missing sides, are held together by cable ties or have to be partly resurrected after each movement. It might actually be worth dissembling them to create a Frankenstinian run setup - restricted, of course, by my DIY illiteracy.

Thank you for your help :)
 
Along those lines, it might be worth investing in some new wood to make a big frame, same as you would for a run eg uprights at the corners strip for the top/bottom. You could make it aviary height. Then take all the runs apart and use the panels to fill the frame in. It probably wouldn't cost much for the wood for the frame (you could use fence posts for the uprights to make it sturdy) and if you painted it all afterwards I think it would look okay despite being patch work.
 
Looks like they've got lots of space to explore, and the rabbits don't care how neat and pretty the set up is. It shouldn't be too cold as long as you pack the bedroom area of the hutch with lots of straw in winter, rabbits survive just fine in colder countries than ours, maybe put a cat flap in the hutch where the divider is between the 'bedroom' and main bit so they have got a warm draught-free area if they really want it?
 
We have just deconstructed some wardrobes so have loads of wooden poles and panels - I will see what I can do. Which paint is okay for rabbits?

The hutch is very difficult to get off the top of the run, unfortunately. I might leave it there for rain cover and see what other single hutches I have that will link on..

Good idea about the cat flap :)

Thank you all :wave:
 
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