Hutch And Run Advice Please

Hello there, I am looking forward to helpful and constructive advice on rearing happy rabbits. I am a furry animal lover and already proud owner of my zoo of Labrador, cat and Dwarf hamster. I am new to keeping rabbits but not totally unfamiliar.

The problem I am having prior to getting rabbits is housing. I live in Hertfordshire and there really don't appear to be too many options for decent and secure rabbit hutches in my area. I don't really like the Pets At Home hutches.....in my opinion they are flimsy and small. Partners Pet Supermarket are not much better and few other places don't really offer decent hutches. So I have been doing lots of research and found some good options. I also see that someone here call The Hutch Man may be able to help but as I can't send private messages yet, I don't know how to contact him?

A big worry for me is safety from foxes as we live next to a bushy green belt. Ideally I would like a double storey hutch with a detachable run. I am aware of sizes and the hutch will be sheltered on the patio but the detachable run offers the option of allowing the rabbits time on different areas of the lawn

Thank you.

Google Ryedale Hutches and Welfare hutches too. Both are good. Ryedale are expensive but they are very solid. And Rob can make them to your exact specifications. The best thing is to email him. I'm hopefully about to place an order for a 6ft double hutch from him, he's been really helpful so far

There's also Daniel on here, and The Hutchman, they both get good reviews on here, although I haven't used them personally :thumb:

Mrs.Clooney said:

Hello there, I am looking forward to helpful and constructive advice on rearing happy rabbits. I am a furry animal lover and already proud owner of my zoo of Labrador, cat and Dwarf hamster. I am new to keeping rabbits but not totally unfamiliar.

The problem I am having prior to getting rabbits is housing. I live in Hertfordshire and there really don't appear to be too many options for decent and secure rabbit hutches in my area. I don't really like the Pets At Home hutches.....in my opinion they are flimsy and small. Partners Pet Supermarket are not much better and few other places don't really offer decent hutches. So I have been doing lots of research and found some good options. I also see that someone here call The Hutch Man may be able to help but as I can't send private messages yet, I don't know how to contact him?

A big worry for me is safety from foxes as we live next to a bushy green belt. Ideally I would like a double storey hutch with a detachable run. I am aware of sizes and the hutch will be sheltered on the patio but the detachable run offers the option of allowing the rabbits time on different areas of the lawn

Thank you.

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As mentioned, Ryedale make excellent hutches. Welfare hutches are well thought of too, along with boyles pet housing hutches (Daniel is his username on here) and happy hutches are not quite as good but still a lot better than pets at home hutches as they use proper timber rather than thin rubbish.

Here are some links:

http://www.boylespethousing.co.uk/

http://www.rehutches.com/

http://www.welfarehutches.co.uk/

http://www.happyhutch.co.uk/

It's important that rabbits have permanent access to their run but I can definitely understand your concerns about foxes, so if you want to have it separate to allow moving it around the garden I would definitely recommend runaround tunnels. I have two tunnels attached together and I can move my run all over the grass to allow new grazing areas - the pipes are very bendy after their initial first few uses. You could then put the run on concrete most of the time but you can move it to grass for when you want it there. They do 12ft pipes now so that may allow enough length for you. I have 2 x 8ft pipes and it allows me to move the run all over the place - I can stretch it to full length or bend it back on itself to that the run is basically next to the shed on either side.

Thank you very much for your replies. How secure are the pipes as in attachment to hutches and can they be disconnected and the area where they are attached sealed if need be. Also, can foxes get through the piping?

yaretzi said:

As mentioned, Ryedale make excellent hutches. Welfare hutches are well thought of too, along with boyles pet housing hutches (Daniel is his username on here) and happy hutches are not quite as good but still a lot better than pets at home hutches as they use proper timber rather than thin rubbish.

Here are some links:

http://www.boylespethousing.co.uk/

http://www.rehutches.com/

http://www.welfarehutches.co.uk/

http://www.happyhutch.co.uk/

It's important that rabbits have permanent access to their run but I can definitely understand your concerns about foxes, so if you want to have it separate to allow moving it around the garden I would definitely recommend runaround tunnels. I have two tunnels attached together and I can move my run all over the grass to allow new grazing areas - the pipes are very bendy after their initial first few uses. You could then put the run on concrete most of the time but you can move it to grass for when you want it there. They do 12ft pipes now so that may allow enough length for you. I have 2 x 8ft pipes and it allows me to move the run all over the place - I can stretch it to full length or bend it back on itself to that the run is basically next to the shed on either side.

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Never ever mentions the "The Hutch Man"

The Hutch Man said:

Never ever mentions the "The Hutch Man"

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Just made yourself seem jealous. Don't be ridiculous, no one has to mention every place that sells items. Maybe they don't like your designs? Maybe they can't give any personal feedback and so therefore they don't?

Don't be pathetic!

Freakinfreak said:

Just made yourself seem jealous. Don't be ridiculous, no one has to mention every place that sells items. Maybe they don't like your designs? Maybe they can't give any personal feedback and so therefore they don't?

Don't be pathetic!

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Wow what a nice person you seem, thank you for such an amazing show of your personality!!!

The Hutch Man said:

Wow what a nice person you seem, thank you for such an amazing show of your personality!!!

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I'm a lovely person but you've almost made someone seem horrible for not mentioning you, it sounds very pathetic to me.

Instead of doing what you did, perhaps advertising yourself would have been the more adult thing to do.

"Never ever mentions the hutch man" after someone has posted not mentioning you seems ridiculous and childish.

OP, sorry to jump on your post.

I would suggest if you know a local carpenter that they may possibly be able to show you some sketches of a bespoke and tailor made design for your buns

On topic please folks, if you've got an issue report the post.

Digging in would be a security issue on grass, so I'd suggest attaching mesh to the bottom of the run, the grass will grow through but it stops bunnies digging out or foxes in.

Plenty of cover will be important too, it's scary having a fox walk past as rabbit don't necessarily see mesh as the sort of protection we do, do boxes/dens to hide in is important.

Rabbits are quite active at night, so some sort of run on the patio to give them secure space might be an idea, and then the lawn run as more of an optional extension you could close off at night?

The Hutch Man said:

Never ever mentions the "The Hutch Man"

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From what you've said recently, you aren't making hutches as you are too busy with the caskets.

Babsie said:

From what you've said recently, you aren't making hutches as you are too busy with the caskets.

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Was just stating a mention is nice as I have gone out my way to help many people on here.
No need for all the bad names though.

Tamsin said:

On topic please folks, if you've got an issue report the post.

Digging in would be a security issue on grass, so I'd suggest attaching mesh to the bottom of the run, the grass will grow through but it stops bunnies digging out or foxes in.

Plenty of cover will be important too, it's scary having a fox walk past as rabbit don't necessarily see mesh as the sort of protection we do, do boxes/dens to hide in is important.

Rabbits are quite active at night, so some sort of run on the patio to give them secure space might be an idea, and then the lawn run as more of an optional extension you could close off at night?

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Many thanks Tamsin, I have contacted the Welfare Hutch Co and hope to hear from someone there soon.

Mrs.Clooney said:

Thank you very much for your replies. How secure are the pipes as in attachment to hutches and can they be disconnected and the area where they are attached sealed if need be. Also, can foxes get through the piping?

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You attach the pipes to the hutch using a Runaround Door, these come in single or double versions. The single version can only be blocked once the pipe has been disconnected but the double version can be blocked off from the other side with the pipe still connected.

The aperture of the door comes in 2 main sides 4.5 or 5 inches depending on the bun. It has been designed considering the size of wild rabbit warren tunnels and is generally too small for foxes to get through if they could remove the pipe. They also do a large giant breed door which is 7 inches but this is only a door as they currently don't sell a pipe big enough.

A company called Welfare Hutches now sell their own versions of these doors, but they are made out of wood where as Runaround are made out of perspex/acrylic and the opening aperture is apparently bigger, so potently a fox could then get though the aperture. Also if your rabbits are chewers it wouldn't be advisable.

There was an post on here a few months back where foxes did get the pipe off the door and did a lot of damage to the run (pulled off a lot of corrugated sheets and tried to pull off the mesh). But the door was an old design where they had swivel clips to attach the pipe, they had modified the door to remove these swivel clips. There was a lot of debate on thread about if the runaround was safe and I would advise to read the thread I've linked to get a better idea as Yaretzi posted some good posts comparing the 2 systems. I got the impression that they both about as good as each other with both having positives/negatives in design.

If you do get a Runaround I would suggest that you attach the door to the hutch wood and not just the mesh. The same with the run, I would buy a connection plate to strengthen the mesh.

Snowflake George's post is great, I would definitely recommend attaching to the wood rather than the mesh too where possible. On runs it's often not possible but on the hutch side of things it's a good idea The less space that a fox could get its teeth around the better!

The new style runaround door now clamps the pipe in at the top and bottom rather than having swivel clips on one side, so it's very very secure. A wingnut needs to be twizzled almost all the way off a long bolt, and then you have to manouvre pulling the top swivel clip off and removing the pipe. So basically it's be very difficult for a fox, especially if you put the wingnut on the inside so it can't remove it. Then a fox would have to use brute strength to gnaw through everything, which is very difficult due to the diameter of the pipe being so thick as well as the door and important fixing being almost entirely obscured by the pipe. The pipe itself is very strong - I've had 4 adult men stood on it and it barely buckles. On post 52 in the thread linked above there's some pics of the chewing that a fox did to the pipe, and it's very minor. The shape and design of the pipe just doesn't lend itself well to being chewed to bits by foxes.

I'm fairly sure foxes couldn't get through the standard sized piping even if they managed to expose the end, their bodies are not as graceful as a cat who might be able to scuttle along. My dads cat can't scuttle down a normal sized tube - their shoulders are just too high to allow the type of movement needed to 'climb' the tube (since there are rungs on the inside just as you see on the outside). The 4.5 aperture door is also designed so that a fox can't get inside so there's another layer of protection. You could always shut your bunnies inside at night, although if foxes are around at night they likely are during the day too - urban foxes are very brave nowadays!

As Snowflake George said, the double door allows you to shut the pipe off from inside the hutch while keeping the pipe attached so it's very handy. The single door means you have to remove the pipe to seal it off, which is a bit too much faff for multiple times a day. Being able to shut it off from the inside is very handy when it's time for the vets!

You are all being really helpful, Thank you. I have another question please.

Wanting to do this as best as possible for the rabbits welfare by adhering to the recommended minimum hutch requirements but also trying to work within a budget...can two bonded bunnies manage in a single storey 6x2x2 with underneath run of 6x4.5x2 on the patio to provide the most shelter as we are on a hill, with the addition of a separate lawn run of 6.5x6x2 so that my long suffering husband does not want a divorce from his crazy furry loving wife?

I am bearing in mind the tube setup but not sure I am wild about it. Essentially, what I am asking is this...is a single storey hutch of above dimension enough shelter for 2 medium bunnies because on a freezing cold day, I doubt they will want to be out much.

The Hutch Man said:

Was just stating a mention is nice as I have gone out my way to help many people on here.
No need for all the bad names though.

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I understand what you mean, but there isn't really any point in mentioning your name whilst you are not making hutches as it would just be wasting the poster's time.

Anyway, enough of all that, I think she has been given some useful advice, which is what it's all about.

Mrs.Clooney said:

You are all being really helpful, Thank you. I have another question please.

Wanting to do this as best as possible for the rabbits welfare by adhering to the recommended minimum hutch requirements but also trying to work within a budget...can two bonded bunnies manage in a single storey 6x2x2 with underneath run of 6x4.5x2 on the patio to provide the most shelter as we are on a hill, with the addition of a separate lawn run of 6.5x6x2 so that my long suffering husband does not want a divorce from his crazy furry loving wife?

I am bearing in mind the tube setup but not sure I am wild about it. Essentially, what I am asking is this...is a single storey hutch of above dimension enough shelter for 2 medium bunnies because on a freezing cold day, I doubt they will want to be out much.

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The RWAF recommend permanent access to an 8ft run and personally I would go for it being 2.5 ft high to enable them to stand up.

Incidentally, my rabbits don't mind the cold at all, and would rather sit out in their run when there's snow on the ground than go up to their hutch - there are lots of rabbits that do that. What the really don't like is wind. I staple a double layer of bubble wrap half way along the sides of the run, which gives protection, particularly as they like their litter trays in the run rather than in the hutch.

6'x2' is fine for shelter but keep in mind bunnies tend to ignore cold weather and rain and will still sit out in their runs, they are very well insulated

Do you slope up or down, if you are terraced, one option is to have one piece on one level and one on the other, but pushed up to together. So for example the hutch could be up a level with a ramp down to the run on the next.

You can build runs with fairly limited DIY skills using aviary panels (you can use them for runs as well as avairies) and you then have a bit more flexibility eg an L-shape run.

Tamsin said:

6'x2' is fine for shelter but keep in mind bunnies tend to ignore cold weather and rain and will still sit out in their runs, they are very well insulated

Do you slope up or down, if you are terraced, one option is to have one piece on one level and one on the other, but pushed up to together. So for example the hutch could be up a level with a ramp down to the run on the next.

You can build runs with fairly limited DIY skills using aviary panels (you can use them for runs as well as avairies) and you then have a bit more flexibility eg an L-shape run.

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We don't slope up or down. Our lawn is long and flat (uneven in some places) but as we live up on a rise with farm fields to he front, we are very exposed to the elements and wind. Our house is called 'Windrush'.