Update on poorly bunny, and permanent run question

Just for those who were reading about the Mary saga, incase you were wondering!
The little boy has been on Panacur for a week and a half incase it was EC causing the weightloss and that. I'm happy to say he's definately gaining weight - a steady increase, he's gone from his low at 620g up to 810g!
His appetite still isn't 100% - it's hard convincing him to eat his hay, which I really need to do because of his molar problems, but he wolfs down his porridge. I've been mixing it in with his chopped timothy hay so he does eat a bit, and he's enjoying his first taste of mushy peas, which he loves!
It's nice to pick him up and feel how much more solid he is - I can tell I'm acually holding a bunny now :lol: And his poos are looking much better - bigger, darker and more of them!
So hopefully the Panacur is doing the trick and he'll be back to his normal self soon!

The question was to do with having buns outdoors in a run permanently. The buns will be moving out to a shed soon this year (probably once it's warmed up a bit, but shed will have electricity and heating). I've asked and got the go-ahead to have the bit of garden just outside the shed - it was kind of a garage/lean-to bit for my dad (he used to work at home as a mechanic), so it's waterproof and would be quite easy to enclose, there's one solid 'wall' with a plastic window and a door built in so perfect to access and look into.
However, I obviously wouldn't want the buns to get out, nor anything to get in (living next to a farm, we get foxes, rats, owls, hawks, etc.), so wondered what the best way of making it safe was. I was thinking of putting mesh/wire down underneath and putting soil on top and growing the grass (there's no grass there right now), so even if they do dig they can't get out. Only problem is cost - doubt I can get away with just chicken wire as we get a lot of rat burrows in the garden. What kind of mesh would be economical (obviously will pay whatever it needs) but rat-proof? And what kind of grass is OK to grow?
I was going to make the 'walls' of the enclosure solid at the bottom, so foxes and that couldn't see in or frighten the buns, and then have mesh at the top. Again, what kind of mesh is best? Would a fox be able to climb up the solid wood to get at the mesh if it really wanted to get in? Not sure I'd leave the buns out overnight, probably would shut them away in the shed for the night, but I have seen foxes out in the daylight, and although someone is usually home it doesn't mean there's always someone in the garden (though the dog is usually out so that would probably stop a fox coming in)

maybe you should make it like Helen's run, with bark chippings rather than grass, as they'll make a mess of grass in no time - Concrete would be even better - can you lay pavers there?

You would have to use proper galavnised cage mesh though for the sides - Wilkinsons sell it for £3 a roll (2x5' I think) - What makes it stronger is having more wooden struts on the wire bits - If you just have a huge area of wire then it's weaker.

I wouldn't think of leaving them outside at night where you are though - too risky!

elve said:

maybe you should make it like Helen's run, with bark chippings rather than grass, as they'll make a mess of grass in no time - Concrete would be even better - can you lay pavers there?

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I wanted them on grass as I thought it would be good for the buns with molar problems. They never dig or anything when out in their run, and as it'll be just the bunnies' bit of the garden it won't matter too much. The bit immediately outside of the shed is brick paved, the rest is just soil as it's been covered with sheets of metal, engines, motorbikes, car ramps etc. for years!

Hiya! Thought my ears were burning
We built our run with 3'x3' panels with wire over them. I don't know the name of it, but I can find out! It's built two thirds on paving slabs and the other third is another of these panels on the floor, but attached to the sides of the hutch, so they can't dig ot, and as Elve says, covered with bark chippings for them to dig. Most of the roof is covered over with roofing felt stuff and half of the sides have plywood panels covering them. If they want a run on the grass, they have one of the greenline ones.

The run is 3' high, 6' wide and 9' long

We live surrounded by fields and there are a lot of rats around, so far none have ben able to get in.

Both my pairs are in runs that's about 5*10 or more and mostly grassed, I have the top covered in corrugated plastic so it doesn't get too muddy, and they do enjoy a good graze (need to take the plastic off from time to time to allow the grass to get watered though!)

I use the PWS greenline stuff as it is ever so sturdy and there is no way a fox could break through it, but I have it covered in chicken wire just to stop the bunnies from biting each other through the bars or to stop a fox from getting a paw through and swiping one before they got a chance to run away. I guess you could use the same theory for stopping rats?

Hm, so a wooden support frame with Wilkinson's galvanised mesh is sounding like the easiest and cheapest idea so far? Bearing in mind it's quite a large area to cover. And shutting them in at night for safety. The priority at the moment is the shed anyway, so we'll get to the run once that's done, plenty of time to think about it (if I'm still living here by the time the shed's done, that is!)
Good news on Mary too - he's eating hay now too, and although he hasn't put on any weight today, he's 810g still so not lost any either. He's loving his mushy pea porridge, I've been mixing a small amount in a bowl with the timothy chop and he polished off half a bowl today. He even ate the normal hay (meadow hay) I just put in too - have to admit it's a very nice looking, fresh green hay, almost appetising for me :lol: Though I must stress the almost part!

Hi there,

This thread caught my eye!

Really pleased Mary is putting on weight , Great News! By the way, how come you have a male bunny called Mary?? :wink: :wink: :wink:

Helen, your run looks brilliant, I'd not thought about bark chippings before. How do you manage to clean all the poo out of it though?? My lot seem to poo for England and I'm constantly cleaning out their run, but it's quite easy as their run is set upon stone flags, which can be easily swept and hosed down. One of my Rex's, Louis loves to dig all the time, so bark chippings would be great for him, but I was just wondering how you clean the poo out??

Carol

It was a bit of a joke to start with! I used to work in a petshop a couple of years ago, and me and Mary clicked as soon as he came in. I was also the only person who could pick him up, he savaged everyone else! Yet in my arms he was like a baby, would fall asleep resting against my chest.
It became obvious that we couldn't sell him, and since he bonded with me I worked on convincing my dad to let me have him. Once he gave the OK, one of my colleagues asked what I was naming him. Hadn't really thought that far ahead (didn't want to get my hopes up), so came out with a name out of the blue, Mary. We were laughing about it and he jokingly was refered to as Mary, and when I took him home it stuck!
He causes a great deal of confusion at the vet, though a lot of them love him (he's in pretty often because of teeth problems) so they remember he's the boy with the girl's name!

Hi Karly!

Now I know! :lol: :arrow: :lol: :lol:

I know what you mean though! I have a rescue bun called Bambi, however, whenever my sister visits, she aways calls her Birdie, because she's my only female bun! I have 8 male buns! and it's stuck ever since! So, she gets called Birdie aswell as Bambi!

Carol xx

awww im glad mary is feeling better karly.

Glad to hear Marys improving Sounds like youre gonna be busy with all that construction work! :shock: