what do you cover your hutches with?

Hi, What do you all use to cover your hutches, at nights and when it is raining? I have about 10 hutches in use at the moment and am running out of ideas!! :?

i cover with a blanket and then taupauline.

You can get a massive sheet of taupauline from B&Q which would go over 2-3 hutches!

I've never covered a hutch with anything! Now mine are in sheds but before that I used to get a piece of perspex about 3/4 the size of the front mesh bit made up, or to cover the whole mesh part with holes drilled in it for ventilation, so that they could see out but without the rain and wind getting in. Or as a budget version, get hold of some clear plastic sheeting, even freezer bags opened out, and attach it using drawing pins (remember to leave some gap for ventilation. Personally I don't like using tarpaulin etc as they can't see out, and bunnies do like to be nosey, they will almost always choose to sit in the light part rather than in the dark wooden part. As long as it's dry and not draughty (needs to be some ventilation) they are ok with the cold. If the hutches are already felted and in good condition, covering with tarpaulin won't really make a lot of difference. Just make sure there's plenty of bedding and stuff for them to snuggle into. if you want to make it warmer then you could put some bubble wrap over the top (you can buy massive rolls of it online) to insulate it a bit.

I know people who use sacking, others use plastic sheeting like taurpauline (?sp) as sold in pound land, others who have perspex or wood with holes drilled in it or sections cut out of them which are put over the mesh parts of the shed using small catches. These are then removed in the daytime.

Janice

I bough a clear plastic shower curtain when Sooty was outside, it stopped the wind and the rain getting in but her could still see out. Then at night I used to put the crash mat from my kids climbing frame over him too to keep him warm.

:lol: :lol: Mind you he wasn't outside for long once the dark nights came in as I couldn't bear to think of him out there alone, he was only about 8-10wks old then, so he came into the conservatory! :lol:

i just use the taupaline for the night but day time I have the taulauline over the top and over the top of the attached run.

I got some perspex that i am going to be attaching as well.

quinn just has a blanket that gets soggy lol or sometimes he has some plastic sheeting on top but hopefully he will be moving to a shed soon

I've got a clear pvc shower curtain permanently over the front, to keep out wet and draughts - hooked with elastic onto cup hooks under the eaves, and nailed at the bottom of the hutch - It will come off in summer or he'll be boil in the bag bunny though!

At night I put 2 rugs over the top - 3'x6' kids playmats with roads on - very flat carpet and it doesn't matter if it gets wet - I just roll it up and leave it on the patio in the day. If it's windy I have a nursery fireguard and I put half at the front of the hutch, and half at the back, pushing the carpet up to the hutch and weighted with a brick each.

i use large thick plastic bags which my mums bf got from one of the places he works at

I got some great covers off ebay:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/logically-shopping

I put insulation underneath. They are really great and not too pricey

thanks everyone, some good ideas there