what type of hutch do you have?

I have looked at many different hutches on ebay and other websites, but I am not sure which one is the most suitable one. I am planning to foster some bunnies, and the rescue said they would provide the hutch for me. But eventually I want to buy a hutch and maybe adopt two bunnies.

What do you think of double decker hutches? The type where the "ground floor" has a wooden floor, not a run. I like the idea that their toilet corner would probably be further away from their food and sleeping area than in a single story hutch. But does the hole for the ramp take up a lot of space, i.e. do you lose a lot of floor space? Do the bunnies enjoy using the ramp?

Also, I would prefer a 4 or 5 ft hutch which is deeper than the normal hutches, 2 ft at least. I like the playhouses or sheds that some of you transformed into bunny homes, but we are currently renting a house, so I want to get something which I can take with me easily. I have already bought a run, which will go on the grass. The hutch should be completely separate from the run. I would put the rabbits into the run during the day, which is no problem as I am working from home, and then in the hutch at night. The run has a shleter at one end, too.

Any recommendations of specialist hutch builders, links to their websites and other ideas are more than welcome. And sorry if I am asking an old questions, but when I typed hutch into the search, it gave me too many results.

Hello

I dont have a hutch myself but here are some piccies which you might find useful:
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/viewtopic.php?t=21436

Lots of people say this company is very good:
www.happyhutch.co.uk
(also try looking on happy hutch ebay shop as you'll find the same hutches for cheaper.)

I think it depends on the bun whether they prefer to go up and down ramps or not. When I was buying a foster hutch, I looked at the 4*2*2 two-storey ones but decided that with the hole and ramp area, the useable floor space was not great, particularly if you're fostering a large bun. I ended up buying the 6ft*2*2 one from happyhutch as that will be big enough for more or less any single bun apart from giants. If you're lower on space, a 5*2*2 double storey one would probably be great, though!

Is there any way you can get the hutch to attach to the run? Personally (and maybe others will disagree :lol: ) I think it's better to have the two together, even if you do shut the bun into the hutch part at night. They get to feel very secure in their normal accommodation and sometimes especially if you put a scaredy bun in a fairly open run, they can feel very exposed and not very happy about it! It also gives them a really good sized area to shelter in if they want to sit indoors.

Good luck, it sounds as if you're doing a great job thinking through what would work well for you and the buns!

Mine have a hutch/run combo, which is quite good, but could do with having a larger hutch part (I was told I was getting dwarf bunnies - hadn't met them when I got the hutch built. ). I also have a larger run on the grass for them. I don't think I'd ever have just a hutch, as they would be very cooped up, even if it was a bigger one - mine love it outside in their run and spend most of their time there.

Yeah I agree for permanent accommodation! It is a bit different for fosters though, I do feel terribly guilty about the fact that my fosters spend a lot of time in their hutch, but I tell myself that it's 6*2*2 and it's substantially bigger than where they came from, so it's fine for a few weeks while they're being sorted out for a new home.

I wouldn't put a foster one in a run on the lawn either, partly because of the risk of things like e.cuniculi which can hang around for a while, and partly because my own rabbits would go bonkers at the sight of another rabbit on what they see as their territory! Foster buns have the area round the back of the garage, and inside the house, for their exercise area.

Yes, I can imagine that some of them have come from tiny hutches, so anything is a bonus.

when I put my bunnies out last year I decided on the happyhutch hutch over run type - like a double decker but cheaper. I put them on concrete with a litter tray in the run part, and one upstairs in the bedroom part - no hay or anything needed on the floor as it's all in the big litter boxes, where they tend to lie looking very comfy.

The main thing I found was in the heatwave these hutches were a lifesaver as my patio faces south with no shade - the rabbits stayed in the mesh sided run at the bottom, shaded and on cooler concrete, and just bore out the hot weather there - a double hutch would have been much hotter as there's no concrete floor, and no breeze blowing through.

I'd always get this kind of hutch now, as they are sheltered from the rain too, if you put a board up by the side of their litter tray when it rains - But I found the 4x2 is too small really - barely room for anything inside - The 2x5 is perfect for an average sized rabbit or a pair.

The other good thing about the happyhutch hutches is the roof opens - I've never used the hutch doors since I got them and have a shower curtain permanently stapled over the doors at the top for shelter from wind and rain - the rabbits come out of the doors to the run.

This is the run I bought:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/folding-run-r...QihZ012QQcategoryZ301QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

As you can see it has a sheltered area, which can be removed if you want more room for hopping around, and added if the weather gets cooler. I don't like the hutch and run combinations because I want to have the run on the grass, but the hutch closer to the house and there is just concrete and some small flower beds. I want the hutch to face away from the weather, too. On the photos the hutch on the combos always faces towards the run, so how do open the doors and clean the hutch? I find a run only better for our garden, as I can move it around to avoid the sun, to give the grass a bit of a rest in one place, while it being dug up in others... :lol:

I like some hutches that I saw on a website the other day. I will give you the link in a separate post. They look quite spacious. But maybe you can see things that you don't like about them and I don't notice. I will check out the HappyHutch company, too. Thanks for all your feedback.

Ok, this is the company website:

http://www.rabbithutchwarehouse.co.uk/hutches.php

I like the fact that when the bunny goes down the ramp, it does not bump straight into the wall on the ground floor. The sleeping area might be a bit small, though. And the hutches need better bolts, I guess. I am not sure, but there are probably foxes in our garden at night, so I need to do something to keep them away.

I have this hutch from the same company as your run . .
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GIGANTIC-5-X-...hZ018QQcategoryZ63513QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem
Its excellent value for money (I got it cheaper than the BIN price) and I am really pleased with it. I also have a separate run on the grass that they get into during the day, but this way they have 24 hour access to the attatched run (as its on concrete) so they get plenty of space. Plus its high enough to give them room to sdtretch up and jump up onto things. Also good during the summer as they get plenty of cool breeze through!

Bavarian Bunny said:

I want the hutch to face away from the weather, too. On the photos the hutch on the combos always faces towards the run, so how do open the doors and clean the hutch? I find a run only better for our garden, as I can move it around to avoid the sun, to give the grass a bit of a rest in one place, while it being dug up in others... :lol:

Click to expand...

you'll find a lot of the hutch/run combos allow you to be able to have the hutch area facing front or back.
The one spacegirl has linked to does.

mandy said:

Bavarian Bunny said:

I want the hutch to face away from the weather, too. On the photos the hutch on the combos always faces towards the run, so how do open the doors and clean the hutch? I find a run only better for our garden, as I can move it around to avoid the sun, to give the grass a bit of a rest in one place, while it being dug up in others... :lol:

Click to expand...

you'll find a lot of the hutch/run combos allow you to be able to have the hutch area facing front or back.
The one spacegirl has linked to does.

Click to expand...

Yup! I actually have it facing the run, but when I clean it out I pull back the run lid and stand in the run area so its easy to do!

Ive got a 3ft x 3ft hutch, so there is space for them both to snuggle up in if they wish too, I've got a ramp down to an attached run, which gives them space to pay and move around it.

I've just orderd a 6 x 8 shed, which will house the hutch, and have a doorway onto the outside run, then they can choose whether to stay indoors or go outside.
Jx

Bavarian Bunny said:

Ok, this is the company website:

http://www.rabbithutchwarehouse.co.uk/hutches.php

I like the fact that when the bunny goes down the ramp, it does not bump straight into the wall on the ground floor. The sleeping area might be a bit small, though. And the hutches need better bolts, I guess. I am not sure, but there are probably foxes in our garden at night, so I need to do something to keep them away.

Click to expand...

I have looked at this company before for some new hutches I need to get for my fosters. Unfortuntely many of them are only 18 inches deep which makes for a narrow hutch and therefore limited floor space, the other problem is many of them are not particualry tall which does not allow a fully grow rabbit the space to stretch fully or for some rabbits their ears are always touching the cieling :?