Building 2 enclosures from scratch! UD #1 complete! pg 4 for pics

Will be updating this thread regularly.

So, the quad needs to be moved back outside. I was prepared to get ready to finance one rabbit enclosure, but then somebunny else landed at my feet. So, Persephone (my new rescue) and her future husbun will require a home too.

Our garden already has somewhat limited space but it's being TAKEN OVER BY THE RABBITS. Athena and Apollo have a 90sqft enclosure, Rivergrace and Takumi's is 72sqft, which I was intending to expand. That's had to go on the backburner for now. (Even with 2 new enclosures, we'll still have room to give River/Takumi more space but still.)

(We humans will pretty much end up with a small space in the middle... which needs flattening as we used to have a rockery. :roll: )

Anyhow. Back to the point.

We got a second hand shed, which my carpenter OH has made a bit shorter in each sides. It's about 7.5ft long and 3ft wide. We were going to let all the quad have the shed, but now it needs sharing. So to make up for the loss of ground space, we are building up!

Similar in design to the Dunster House rabbitopia raised bedrooms, my OH is making me what he dubs the "Bunny Abode." It'll have the raised bedroom at the top, followed by approx 3 shelves, leading to the ground floor. Each bedroom should be about 3ft9x3ft4. Each shelf will be about 3ft4x2ft and the buns can hop up instead of using ramps. The two Abodes will be divided by a wall so that each group can't see the other. The two Abodes should be about 45sqft each within them. I did the maths and was surprised! :lol:

The Quad's run will be attached by a runaround pipe (which I actually need to buy; OH is insisting on doing his own locking panels. He's done it before for me.) and then will lead to an aviary against the back of the house. It'll use almost all the space at the back - we'll be walking out of the back door and straight into their run! IIRC the square footage of their run is approximately going to be 110sqft. Added to the Bunny Abode that'll make 155sqft of space for them approximately.

Persephone and future husbun's run will initially be either a 6ftx8ft or 4ftx12ft run - depending on what OH feels is more practical with the wire. Each option is a 48sqft run anyhow. That means their space is gonna be 93sqft (which, like the rest, I'd want to try and expand over time.)

Anyhow, that's a lot of waffling and I think the Bunny Abodes will be MUCH clearer once they are actually built. :lol:

Now I have a ton of photos to put up to show the spaces we are starting with before.

Please excuse the mess - believe me it was a lot worse than it is now. The garden is a tip right now, because a lot of stress has happened this year. We're just beginning to sort things again. (My brother moved out, my OH moved in, new rabbits etc.)

The space we're using for Persephone and future husbun:

Going towards the Bunny Abode


Up the garden (River/Takumi's run is in the distance - you can see my unintentional potatoes growing in front of them!)


The space for the Quad:

Going towards the Bunny Abode


Away from the Bunny Abode


My wire...! (I was a little excited by its arrival. The size compared to the generic wastepaper bin)


The currently roofless lean-to.


So yeah. I'm excited that things are on the move. And slightly overwhelmed by JUST HOW MUCH we have to do. But oh well - onwards and upwards!

Good luck. I look forward to seeing how it progresses!

Awe It will look great when its done. My garden's were very much the same as yours until I got cracking on it, still got loads to do in the back, ready for the chickens :roll: Its never ending is it? Just wish the weather would give us a break so we can get out there more. Good luck with it all. xx

Oh interesting project, looking forward to seeing the end result.

Wow, your plans sound amazing. Good luck with it all x

I skim read this (sorry was in haste) and then couldnt work out why I couldnt see the 'river' at the bottom of the garden!! lol!! Had to readthrough again to realise it was a bun and not a 'river'!!

Looking forward to seeing how it progresses

The shed has a roof now! OH is busy tacking on the felt. Yesterday was very rainy, so we couldn't get as much done as we wanted. Still, slow progress is better than no progress!

parsnipbun said:

I skim read this (sorry was in haste) and then couldnt work out why I couldnt see the 'river' at the bottom of the garden!! lol!! Had to readthrough again to realise it was a bun and not a 'river'!!

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Hahaha! The only River I have nearby is Rivergrace. She's a beauty. (There's also a stream in the next village where I go foraging sometimes. But you'll have to use your imagination for that one...)

Wood has been cut to length; wire for 4 panels is being flattened. Still nothing photo-worthy but things are progressing.

That's great

My plans have stalled a bit. We are waiting for some gravel to be delivered, so we can lay our slabs and then put the new run for our trio on top. But over the last three weeks we have been messed around no end. First week they cancelled, second week they turned up without any gravel and said they'd have to come back and today they just didn't show up

(Eta: it's a military property so it's their contractors, not someone we have chosen) x

I fiiinally have a decent update to do! Yesterday, my pipe from Welfare Hutches arrived. Very pleased with it - it's sooooo long but we're probably going to cut it down a bit for more/future connections.

I had a brainwave last night too. WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR AN INBUILT DIGGING BOX. All we needed was to block it off somehow deep, to prevent them from digging out. Problem, what problem? I think I have enough wire to sort that out. Also, OH accidentally trimmed down some wire for the run wrong, and got annoyed with it. So, it's now being used to line the digging box!

This is just photos of half of it, but you get the idea. The other half will be appropriately blocked off so they can't dig under there. However, I'm very pleased with this brainwave. It's been hard work though, especially when we have so much to do. Hopefully the buns will actually use it. Otherwise, I'll be a little miffed at the hard work needed to put in it.

Before - you can see one of our painted rails for the run:



Lined with wire (it was tucked under concrete after the photo was taken):



Refilled!

That's going to be awesome!

The run is beginning to take shape...

well done its looking good

It's all so exciting

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Awesome

So, buns have completely ignored the inbuilt digging box. Oh well.

Yes, that means WE HAVE A RUN, PEOPLE! We've got a very temporary enclosure for the quad, and they are now outside enjoying it. The roof of the run still needs hinging, but it's heavy and safe enough to be left rested on top for now.

But of course, this also means, I owe people updated pictures. I guess?

Like my "pet" OH, who made and moved into the run?




All moved in.

That looks fab x

That looks fab, very professional! I've made a run and an indoor pen before but they look very much homemade :lol: yours looks great.

Casco said:

That looks fab, very professional! I've made a run and an indoor pen before but they look very much homemade :lol: yours looks great.

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Thank you!

And :lol: OH says it should look professional as it's done by a (sickly) professional.