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Protecting a Hutch

Hi,

The hutch we have our rabbit in at the moment has the sloping pitched green felt roof etc but what oil or paint can I use (and give time to dry out) for the external sides of the hutch etc?

I imagine there is bound to be a specific hutch friendly paint or furniture oil out there that protects the wood for longer than normal?

Secondly although my hutch is raised off the ground by a couple of house bricks I was disgusted to find two slugs in the rabbits food bowl when I went to fill it up after a heavy downpour. Has this happened to anyone else before - wondered what the hell it was!!!
 
Hi
i find slugs in the hutches most mornings i keep telling flopsy and mopsy not to offer their left overs to others but don't think they understand i'm sure flopsy and mopsy must shout them round for supper knowing how much i hate slugs, poor o h has to come and remove them :roll:
 
We've just painted our fence and its animal-friendly paint so the parents have suggested I paint the rabbit hutch. I'm a bit reluctant, I mean eating something that isn't food can't be good for you can it? My rabbits hardly munch on their hutch but I'm still a bit cautious of painting it. Hopefully someone will come along with an answer for us both!
 
hi

oh thanks for reminding me - had forgotten all about slugs in water bowls :? I sprinkle table salt around the bits they crawl up - try putting it around the bricks :)

I think you just use fence paint for hutches - check it's non-toxic first - stuff like cuprinol for fences - nice colours too! Now you've decided to paint it you do realise it will rain every day till next summer?? :? :lol:

The wood needs a few dry days to dry out from rain before painting - and it usually dries in an afternoon - best to have the bunny out of the hutch while painting. With the roofing felt I believe you need to strip the old felt and buy some new to nail on - but you could just put a tarpaulin over, weighted down with bricks - if it covers the back of the hutch too and can pull over the wire at the front at night, it's nice and dry and secure for the bunny :)
 
If you want to make your hutch finnish more water repellent, add a little vegetable cooking oil to the product you are using, it will take quite a bit longer to dry and should not get wet whilst it is drying otherwise it will streak. The advantage is that the rain will just run down it much more than it would have with the oil added and will make the hutch wood last longer and will reduce the amount of water which is abdorbed into the wood.

You can buy copper barrier tape which stop slugs climbing up into pots to eat your plants. They work by holding a small electrical charge which repels slugs and snails. When wrapped around a hutch legs slugs and snails are repelled by and "zapped" when they come in contact with the tape. It ususally comes with an adhesive backed for easy application. 1.25 inches x 15 feet.

Janice
 
wow janice not heard of that before . slugs are always a prob in my garden and i wont use pellets . where can i get some . relying on slug traps around the garden for now .
sink a yogurt pot into soil and half fill with beer (they seem to like morrissons better buy) then cover with a piece of wood or something similar leaving a gap for them to crawl under. The slugs cant resist the invitation to party and once they re in they cant get out. 'what a way to go'

Angie
 
Angie - There are a few similiar products about

These are ready made rings http://www.slugrings.co.uk/index.html

http://www.egardencentre.co.uk/pest-control/slug-tape-pk1.htm

also http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ZAPPA-SLUG-Co...7347445312QQcategoryZ4708QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/index.php?cPath=61_179

http://www.primroselondon.co.uk/p/SP0006/Slug_stoppa_tape.html

All decent garden centres should also sell the tape and some may sell the rings which you could just put around the legs of a hutch.

Janice
 
My hutch stands on top of a run. I have the hutch itself covered with a taupaulin, I pull the front down at night to stop the draft. Then the whole thing including the run is covered by a transparent plastic decorating sheet that I bought from Wilkinsons for about 99p. Even during the day when it rains I have the sheet secured over the run so that the rabs can play out and not get wet and because its transparent it doesn't stop the daylight.
On a dry day I take it off and peg it on the line to dry out properly but it's cheap enough to replace when it gets too grotty.
Rabswood
 
doesnt this effect the ventilation into the hutch though or is it ok if it is then pulled up in morning? I suppose in the wild they are stuck down in burrows so wouldnt be fazed by that anyway....
 
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