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Advice on hutch layout

MummyBH

MummyBH

Young Bun
51201e1ac0587a85f8719b10f9b18064.jpg


We have a soft fluffy bed top left, we have moved the water down to the food and litter tray area. we line the hutch with newspaper and approx 2cm of sawdust.

they have a hanging toy but it doesnt seem to be played with much, so i think we will add in some more toys like a hayball.

two rabbits are in there overnight, from approx 8pm to 8am. they are 10 weeks old.

just wanted to know if this is a good set-up or are we missing something crucial?

thank you :)


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Hi, it looks good but you need more hay sorry. Is there any chance you can put some in their bedding area and on their litter tray? It's vital rabbits eat lots of hay? So hiding it in more places makes it more exciting for them.
 
I'm told that sawdust isn't good for bunnies as it can lead to resperitory problems. I think most people line their hutches with newspapers and them some straw and hay on top. I stopped using sawdust when advised but you might want to seek some advice from the experts on here. You could always stuff toilet roll tubes with some redigrass or hay for your bunnies to play with. They send to love playing with those and they won't cost you anything.
 
regards hay: i hadnt put any in there when i took the photo, but theres a hay rack at the bottom right, next to the litter tray and (now) the water. we never allow it to become empty. you can see it in the picture.

regarding sawdust: hmmm i read it somewhere that it was ok to use, and the 'bunny expert' at the petshop said it was fine. i bought the 'dust-free' variety. I will deffo be interested in what others have to say - not that i dont trust you, just want to get as much advice as possible.

i shyed away from straw, as i was told it was very un-nutritious for them, so didnt want them having access to any. now i dont know what to use!

thanks for the advice - please keep it coming. we love our buns and want to make sure we do everything possible we can to keep them happy and healthy.

regards toys: we are having boxes delivered this week that will include toys, and they have toys in the runs.

regarding runs: i will post separately what we have in there as this is the area i am most unsure about.

thank you!


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i was advised against Sawdust aswell so never used it. We have easibed which my dutchies love, then put hay and straw on top of it, the sleeping area (which is quite big) has a litter tray and a corrugated cardboard tunnel for the bunnies to play/eat/hide in.

The downstairs is where we keep the food / water / more hay, then they have a tunnel and soil to play in :) Here's a few pics, we'd just cleaned them out and they dragged straw downstairs :lol: The yellow house has gone now as the little ******* were eating it. :lol:

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Most bunnies will eat hay over straw as it tastes better and is more nutritious. The benefit of straw is it's better at insulating so where it is handy is in cold weather for filling up the bed area to keep it warm. Even then I'd mix a bit of hay in so they can much while napping :)

Wood shavings shouldn't be a big issue in a well ventilated space like that. They can be messy though, so many people prefer to line the base of the hutch with lino to give you a wipe clean surface and then only use litter in the litter tray - makes cleaning quicker too!

Toy wise rabbits like things with purpose so you might find the toy would get played more if you hung it over a door way (purpose = get it out the way), toys involving getting food are good eg a treat ball for dry food or hung up veggies or food stuffed in boxes :)
 
MummyBH said:
51201e1ac0587a85f8719b10f9b18064.jpg


We have a soft fluffy bed top left, we have moved the water down to the food and litter tray area. we line the hutch with newspaper and approx 2cm of sawdust.

they have a hanging toy but it doesnt seem to be played with much, so i think we will add in some more toys like a hayball.

two rabbits are in there overnight, from approx 8pm to 8am. they are 10 weeks old.

just wanted to know if this is a good set-up or are we missing something crucial?

thank you :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Any reason why they are shut in at night? That is a very lively time for rabbits and they could became frustrated at being shut away for such a long time.

Mine are all in sheds with attached runs and access 24/7. If they are fox proof during the day then they are fox proof at night too!
 
no particular reason, other than i thought it was what was needed to happen, ie to simulate what happens in the wild?


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have decided to get runaround tubing to attach the runs and hutches. then when they are neutered / spayed and bonded we will attach tubing so that both runs (and therefore hutches) will be available to all of them 24/7.


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MummyBH said:
have decided to get runaround tubing to attach the runs and hutches. then when they are neutered / spayed and bonded we will attach tubing so that both runs (and therefore hutches) will be available to all of them 24/7.


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Click to expand...

That sounds great! It is recommended that they have 24/7 access, obviously as long as it is secure enough. If it is secure enough for the day it's secure enough for night time as foxes will be out all day.

What I'd do differently with your setup based on my own experiences:

- Do away with the sawdust - it's messy, can and does cause respiratory issues (from the dust but also from the phenols/fumes when weed on) and bunnies don't necessarily need a substrate. If you want them to have a substrate there are plenty of horse beddings which are great and safe (easibed has been mentioned, megazorb is good and there are various others), and are also much cheaper overall. Or you can just use hay!
- As someone else mentioned they do need more hay to encourage them to eat 24/7. I like to put it everywhere I can so that the bunnies are constantly reminded of it!
- The bar spacing on your mesh is too big - it's big enough for predators to get their paws in. Would definitely put another layer of mesh on to be more secure.
- I'd also definitely definitely add some more bolt locks to the doors as foxes can easily open a single small latch like that.
 
One tip that I do with wooden hutches is to paint the base of it with culprinol paint as it stops urine from soaking in and makes it easier to clean and last longer. Some people line it with oilcloth or plastic tablecloth but mine tend to chew it or wee gets underneath it. Does the top part of the hutch have a pull out tray? Mine had this and I just left the tray out and put a bit of wood on the front. I found that plastic tray took up space and after painting the base of the hutch it made it waterproof against wee.

I would buy a cat litter tray a rectangular or square one or a plastic storage box and put that in one corner. line the litter tray with newspaper and then a layer of paper based litter like megazorb, carefesh (there are a few to choose from) and then a layer of hay. Also putting the hay rack next to the litter tray will encourage them to eat hay and poop in the tray making it easier to clean. If you have a run that can attach to the front of the hutch then you can let then have 24hr access.

I also agree with adding extra bolts to protect from foxes. I also have a padlock on my back gate so people can't get in. I've heard too many stories of people stealing bunnies out the back garden.
 
It looks more like woodshavings from here, not sawdust...?? Woodshavings are fine, I've been told, so long as they're dust free x
 
There has been some worry about pine based woodshavings or sawdust as it may contribute to respiratory problems in small animals due to the fumes given off when animals wee on that type of wood. Sawdust is bad in general as it is very dusty but you can get dried shavings that are made from different wood other than pine. I find that you only need substrate in the litter trays really as this encourages them to pee and poop in the litter tray. If you spread substrate all over the floor of the hutch they tend to poo/wee all over the place.
 
dang i feel so dumb! it IS wood shavings. how embarrassing, I honestly DO know the difference! and yes, they are dust free.

the bolts on the locks are very stiff, my kids cant open them and it's hard work for me to get them open. but i appreciate the thought and will make sure if they free up with use then to add more or make them stiffer. would never have thought of that, thanks.

regarding peoples responses about foxes. we dont have foxes in this area - i know that doesnt mean there aren't any, but it's not a worry for us. However, all your advice regarding foxes hasn't gone to waste, as I will ensure they are as best protected from all predators (human and animal) as much as possible.

litter tray: they have one bottom right corner, with the hay feeder and water right next to it, so they have their bottoms in the tray whilst eating and drinking - at least thats the theory lol

they are pooping all over the place, but i am guessing thats because the sawdust is everywhere. the floor in the top of the hutch is a plastic tray and the bottom is plain wood. if i put lino in, so that it can be taken out and washed, could I do away with the sawdust and newspaper altogether?


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I use sawdust in the litter trays, have done for years. My friend uses peat based compost. I use hay bought by the bale from the local arable farmer. I've bought straw occasionally which is great to insulate in the winter. it stays puffy rather than going flat like hay does. My hay is stuffed in wooden boxes that the buns can snuggle up and sleep in. My buns love to play with empty plastic flowerpots. You know, the free ones that come with the plants in, from garden centres and B&Q.
 
thanks. i have ordered some really thick lino that helps with insulation, so i'm also not too worried about how they will do in winter. its a beight stone-type effect, so it looks quite natural but not too dark.

those flowerpots sound like fun :) getting some bunny boxes too, sooooo cant wait to see their new toys!

oh and i have scrapped the waterbottles because they were leaking, and i read somewhere that bunnies drink more when given a waterbowl rather than a bottle. i have one of those that you fix to the mesh, so it cant be tipped over. and its up a little so they cant sit in it by accident, they have to sit up to drink but dont need to overstretch. i can always move it down a bit further if they are struggling.

soooo i think im about there with the hutches. i like the tweaks and suggestions you have all given me. especially with the removal of the woodshavings and newspaper (nearly typed sawdust again!), will save us loads of time and hopefully they will now just poop and wee in the litter tray.

we have a thermal cover for the hutches and i have asked hubby to put them on at the weekend, because summer is well and truely over and it is starting to get a little cooler.

Thanks again everyone, really appreciate the time and effort you spent helping me. i shall start another thread soon on their runs, as I am more concerned about those now that the hutches are done (or soon will be when the lino and runaround stuff is delivered).

x



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