Bunny Boarding setup (outside housing)

Hi guys

I am thinking of expanding my pet care company to included Rabbit and Guinea Pig boarding in my garden and I wanted to ask your advise being as you are all bunny lovers!

I want to make it as special as possible so please feel free to give me any info you look for when boarding your rabbits

Housing
I plan on having two setups for housing

A) a 4x4 fully insulated playhouse with an attached 6x4 run on concrete
B) a 5x2x2 double story hutch on grass with an attached 6x5 run (meshed underneath to avoid digging) - movable to fresh grass daily

Which would you prefer?
What's the limit on how many rabbits you would keep in each?


Health and Welfare
I would insist on vaccinated rabbits only and have a minimum space of 60cm between pens as a sneeze barrier (advice from cattery regulations as I can't find a rabbit regulation)

I am fully insured to cover any issues

Only bonded animals in the same pen


Feeding
Would you prefer to bring your own food or have it supplied?
Fresh veg and herbs given daily from my veg patch


Updates
Daily posts on my companies Facebook page with pictures of your bunny and a little comment how they are getting on

Booking
Would you prefer to book online?
Also have the opportunity to view the property to make sure you are happy?
Pay online or in person?


That's all I can think of for now.....I'm sure I'll have a million more questions to ask you experts

I know many people would prefer their rabbits kept on concrete that can be fully disinfected between guests to prevent any possible infection/parasite transfer.

I would probably only keep a max of 2 rabbits in either set up.

I prefer to supply my own food & treats but having hay and fresh veg supplied is very helpful. Maybe asking people to give you a list of what veg their bunnies like and are used to. Along with the times they normally get fed & how much to help reduce stress of routine change.

Personally I wouldn't like pictures of my rabbits on facebook, not unless I post them myself so maybe ask customers if they're happy for this to happen & if not see if you can whatsapp them daily instead?

I don't mind how I book but always insist upon visiting a property before allowing my animals to stay. I'd like to see where my rabbits are staying, see some of the other animals in your care at the time (same species), what facilities you have available to you & where your closest vets is.

I prefer to pay in person as I can often do a deal, cash in hand kind of thing. But would also be happy to pay online through PayPal.

Maybe you could make a booking form that people can fill out and return when they leave their pets with you including details such as:

Age, Breed, Sex, Neutered or not, Vaccine details, vets details, emergency contact details, feeding routines, any special needs etc

Couple of pointers I immediately thought of.

You really shouldn't have boarders on grass, far too much risk of infection spreading.

Also a 60cm 'sneeze barrier' is all well and good but it won't stop referred aggression so you need a complete separation (ie can't see and ideally can't smell) from your boarders.

Also: Do you own rabbits and how much experience have you got caring for and treating them? The biggest thing when boarding my lot is how much experience someone has owning/caring for/treating bunnies and so I can be assured they will seek appropriate veterinary help if required. I also like to show potential clients my bunnies and how they live so they can be assured that they are healthy and happy (well, apart from the fact that one of mine is poorly with heart failure at the moment but I can talk about the diagnosis and what treatment he is receiving etc). I have been quizzed in detail about my knowledge by a potential client (which was great as it's the sort of thing I would do if I was looking for somewhere new) so it's quite essential to know both species inside out. I don't board guineas for this reason as although I have 3 happy healthy rescue piggies, I'm not convinced I know enough about them to trust myself looking after other peoples precious pets.

If I was wanting to use boarding facilities, I'd want any hutch to be 6ftx2ft minimum, and the runs to be 8ftx6ft minimum. I would want the run surface to be concrete for cleaning purposes. I would only house a maximum of a pair of medium sized bunnies in each set up.

Thanks guys

Will think about how to stop them seeing each other with a barrier and as far apart as possible

I currently have a booking form which can be adapted to the bunny boarding business which includes how they would like updates and permission would need to be given to place on Facebook

Ok concrete it is!

I have a vets at the end of my road so nice and close

I have experience in rabbits. I have two of my own little bunnies but plan on reading up lots more about Guinea pigs and rabbits

Thanks for all the comments. It's been good getting me thinking of how I can do this right!!!