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Ideal Hutch for £100 for housing 2 mini english lops?

J

joshyg02

New Kit
I have quite a budget for investing on a rabbit hutch as I'm going to be bonding a male rabbit to my single female (marley), so I need a bigger hutch, it can be second hand, I can do a bit of D.I.Y , I have some fencing for a run to attach to the hutch so I need some ideas and where to buy a hutch, and what size hutch im looking at to house the mini lops, I can extend my budget a bit if needed.
 
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I think for that money you are best looking for a second hand shed tbh - you probably wont get much space and quality for a hutch and really there are an investment as the better the quality the safer and more weatherproof they are for the rabbit - and the longer they last.

Good strong mesh and wood are essentials.
 
parsnipbun said:
I think for that money you are best looking for a second hand shed tbh - you probably wont get much space and quality for a hutch and really there are an investment as the better the quality the safer and more weatherproof they are for the rabbit - and the longer they last.

Good strong mesh and wood are essentials.
Click to expand...
Ok is there any sheds you would recommend? What size would I be looking at and how would you set it up for my rabbits? Many thanks
 
Maybe have a look on ebay for sheds or kennels with runs? You need a minimum of 6 x 4 shed and same size run, plus if the run is on grass don't forget to wire underneath to stop digging out.
 
Your pair will need a hutch of at least 6 x 2 x 2 (as recommended by the RWAF) to allow them to take 3 hops, stretch up fully and lie down comfortably. Mini lops will still grow to a decent size, so the 6 x 2 x 2 is not something which can be reduced. The cheapest I've ever found (while using good quality timber, appropriate mesh etc) is welfare hutches: http://www.welfarehutches.co.uk/6ft_Single_Hutch/p1466125_10873389.aspx. There's also Boyle's pet housing who make fantastic quality products: http://www.boylespethousing.co.uk/r...large-rabbit-hutches/single-rabbit-hutch.html.

A hutch made from timber with the correct mesh etc is always a good investment compared to cheaper, thinner hutches. They may cost less at the beginning but will need replacing within a few years, whereas the ones linked above will last longer than your rabbit as long as you keep up with cuprinol etc.

I agree that you'd be able to get a decent size second hand shed for less than the cost of a new hutch, and they tend to be a lot easier in terms of ease of cleaning out and ease of storage of various bunny things!

Do bear in mind all mesh needs to be 1 x 1/2 inch galvanised weld mesh at the largest to avoid predators.

I always feel it's worth mentioning that a combined hutch/run setup can often be cheaper than buying separately, even if you are intending to do a lot of the DIY yourself. Timber and mesh are not as cheap as they used to be! http://www.welfarehutches.co.uk/product/6ft rabbit hutch with 4ft under run
 
Yep, I'd go for a shed, there isn't much price wise between a shed and a big hutch but a shed is more flexible. Any size 6'x4' up will do - look for tounge and groove if you can get it, but you can line an overlap one if necessary. I would think you could pick a local one up second hand for that price. You can pick up a new budget one for about £150 but I expect you can get a better quality one second hand for <£100.
 
yaretzi said:
Your pair will need a hutch of at least 6 x 2 x 2 (as recommended by the RWAF) to allow them to take 3 hops, stretch up fully and lie down comfortably. Mini lops will still grow to a decent size, so the 6 x 2 x 2 is not something which can be reduced. The cheapest I've ever found (while using good quality timber, appropriate mesh etc) is welfare hutches: http://www.welfarehutches.co.uk/6ft_Single_Hutch/p1466125_10873389.aspx. There's also Boyle's pet housing who make fantastic quality products: http://www.boylespethousing.co.uk/r...large-rabbit-hutches/single-rabbit-hutch.html.

A hutch made from timber with the correct mesh etc is always a good investment compared to cheaper, thinner hutches. They may cost less at the beginning but will need replacing within a few years, whereas the ones linked above will last longer than your rabbit as long as you keep up with cuprinol etc.

I agree that you'd be able to get a decent size second hand shed for less than the cost of a new hutch, and they tend to be a lot easier in terms of ease of cleaning out and ease of storage of various bunny things!

Do bear in mind all mesh needs to be 1 x 1/2 inch galvanised weld mesh at the largest to avoid predators.

I always feel it's worth mentioning that a combined hutch/run setup can often be cheaper than buying separately, even if you are intending to do a lot of the DIY yourself. Timber and mesh are not as cheap as they used to be! http://www.welfarehutches.co.uk/product/6ft rabbit hutch with 4ft under run
Click to expand...

I am going to buy this hutch just went round to view it today it's a 6ft as recommended by the RWAF it's second hand it needs a good clean and lick of paint, the quality of timber and thickness of the wood is outstanding it is extremely sturdy as well, ill probably give it a clean then ill probably replace the floor with some nice new wood as its quite dirty, it also has wood on the doors to stop hay or bedding falling through the mesh, it was a build-to-order hutch apparently and the seller was happy to give me a run and some hay to accompany the hutch and she accepted my offer of £40!
 
Looks nice and sturdy, and it'll scrub up well! Is it 2ft high internally on each level? If not it's not the end of the world - you could just take out the floor and have an extra tall hutch which the bunnies will love. What a bargain for £40! I would recommend getting some bolts rather than just the screw turn things - predators would be able to knock those about and open the door easily, but with bolts they'll have less luck. You can even get padbolts meant for padlocks and use a carabiner clip to hold them closed - no way a predator is opening that!

Also something to consider is that the space the ramp takes up will take away some of the room, so if you're already doing some DIY it might be an idea to make a little step for them instead - most bunnies prefer to hop up things than go up a ramp anyway :)
 
weeble said:
Oh bargain! Is it big enough height wise?
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Yes it seems massive, ill have to get it into a trailer to transport it to my house! The two floors are divided as it seemed to be a home for some baby buns as the seller said she used to breed rabbits, so Ill have to make a hole in the floor so the rabbits have access to both floors though :)
 
joshyg02 said:
Yes it seems massive, ill have to get it into a trailer to transport it to my house! The two floors are divided as it seemed to be a home for some baby buns as the seller said she used to breed rabbits, so Ill have to make a hole in the floor so the rabbits have access to both floors though :)
Click to expand...

Oh yes that will be easy enough to do and some nice paint it will be great. It would be worth getting a waterproof cover made for it too
 
yaretzi said:
Looks nice and sturdy, and it'll scrub up well! Is it 2ft high internally on each level? If not it's not the end of the world - you could just take out the floor and have an extra tall hutch which the bunnies will love. What a bargain for £40! I would recommend getting some bolts rather than just the screw turn things - predators would be able to knock those about and open the door easily, but with bolts they'll have less luck. You can even get padbolts meant for padlocks and use a carabiner clip to hold them closed - no way a predator is opening that!

Also something to consider is that the space the ramp takes up will take away some of the room, so if you're already doing some DIY it might be an idea to make a little step for them instead - most bunnies prefer to hop up things than go up a ramp anyway :)
Click to expand...
Yeah those needed replacing anyway they are quite loose so, thanks for the suggestions ;)
 
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