Rabbit Run - keeping it dry (another question)

Sooo sorry for yet another question but you are all just sooo helpful!

Alfie stays in his run all day which has a hutch inside, it stays on the patio filled with hay, he loves it.

Despite the fact that it was covered in taupauline all night, half the run is soaking wet and poor Alfie has had to stay in his hutch all day. Fortunately I am getting a doulbe jumbo one next week so if it happens again he can stay in there for the day.

I was wonering how to keep the wet out, its coming in underneath the run through the cracks of the patio slabs. I was wondering how i can prevent this??

Would putting thick paving slabs all around help?? any other ideas welcome.

Thanks again everyone!

Bonnie

hi

So long as it's not a deep puddle, I can't see it will hurt him to get on a wet floor - It was throwing it down last night and my patio floods - but the girls still all trooped out in the dark :roll: Soaked the shed floor with their dirty feet afterwards! - Main thing is he has somewhere nice and dry to sit too

Thanks Elve - what would i do without you :wink:

I was just concerned that the hay was getting damp & cause he has slight snuffles...awww, feel bad now he's been left in his hutch all day can't wait to get home and let the little man out!

Im having the same prob with my hutch/run combo - I have covered it with plastic sheeting and still the run floor gets wet - also the part of the hutch where the 'window' is gets wet sometimes if the rain comes in from a certain direction - but the sleeping end is usually dry. However the other day the sleeping end was damp - I think the rain was so torrential that nothing would have stopped it I am in the throws of covering as much as I can with roofing felt but its a bit of a job!

I have put a bit of board under the plastic sheeitng thats over the run, over where the hayrack is and that seems to keep the hay dry at least but it still gets damp. I tend to put only the wmount out at any one time that I know they eat and just a little more cos its such a waste of hay(mine wont eat it if its damp!! :roll: )

Its a nightmare!

I think i'll get some thick paving slabs from B&Q at the weekend and try that..the hay was so damp, the tun also smelt damp and horrible to even though its cleaned out alot!

hi

I think most people put plastic sheet or tarpaulin over their hutches too - fold it back in the day and weight the spare bit on top of the hutch with bricks until night time, then pull it forward again? What I'd hate most about hutched rabbits is me getting wet when I have to feed them - at least the girls let me in their shed :lol:

In the winter I partially cover the mesh on the front of my bunnies hutch with clear perspex (hole in each corner & cabled ties) this stops the rain blowing in and making the floor damp and keeps it a bit warmer.

Hutches need regular waterproofing treatment to stop them getting damp inside. Make sure the roof has a slight sloop so the water doesn't puddle in the middle. Also the hutch needs to be raised of the floor atleast an inch or so so the damp doesn't raise from underneath.

The inside of the hutch should stay dry if it's properly water proofed and treated.

For the rum again, you can cover it with plastic or partially cover it with perspex sheets. If it's on grass then you can add a raised area for the bunnies to sit e.g. a big upturned litter tray. If the floor is getting wet dispite you covering it then it's possible it's drainage from the rest of your garden. If their is even a slight sloop (less than an inch) the water will drain to the lower area. If that's were your run is then the floor gets wet.

Hope that helps,
Tam

Thanks Tamsin!

The run was completely covered yesterday and all night, it was just around the edges and one corner that we really wet. I am going to get some paving slabs and rais it from the patio and see it that helps!