Building Rabbit houses...advice on suppilers please :-)

[chelle]

Hi everyone,

OK - so we are planing to build a new rabbit housing area...we currently have a double hutch combo thats joined that has access indoors all day and evening and this houses two bunnies.

There used to be a run attached to this setup but the run now houses one bunny.

I have two does and one buck...and the two does love each other but just cant help- fighting so we are planning to build a new home for them all and possibly get another bun for the lonesome doe..who actually does have time with the buck as well but we still feel bad for her of an evening.


It needs to be cost effective...and obviously safe and practical.

ok...so here is the area we plan to use....

The length I have is about 6 metres long (19.68 feet) and 84 cm (2.75 feet) wide.

I cannot go wide due to the wall of the house and window.

I could possibly go longer but OH is not keen on that.

I need two separate housing areas...the plan was to have one pair downstairs 7 the other upstairs so they had the length to run along. Practically Id prefer the length split in half as its easier for me to access but the length would perhaps be nicer for them to run along.

Both housing areas will have access indoors through a catflap into an indoor sideboard so they can spend the evenings with us.

Here is photos of the space i have:

This is the width of space I have available...currently this is the tunnel which leads indoors form the hutches.

Here is the space I have

Now here is underneath the end of the decking and my plan is to make a tunnel from the new housing to underneath and split this area into two...it will be a burrow run...so will be open to the weather and is not huge but is something to add more space for them...at the moment we just put some bags of soil under there.

I am concerned that the space in total will not be enough space but this is all I can do right now...if my OH didn't mind Id take up more of the decking but I have to compromise..Im already fighting my bunnies corner..lol...for as much as i can get. I need to meet minimum guidelines to adopt another friend for Arrabella the lonely bun so thats one thing to aim for at least.

Im wanting a reaosnable supplier to use to build this new housing.

Can people advise on what wood I should ensure be used?
I thought a hard wood thats been pressure treated and is weather proof.

We also dont really want the wire mesh - we would like to have the welded thicker metal that is used on commercial runs..any ideas where we can get this from? or a supplier who makes housing that uses this?
You can see what mesh I mean on the first image of the run I already have.

If we cant find anyone to make it for a reasonable price then we will make it ourselves but of course it might be quicker if someone else did it.

Thanks everyone for reading his long post and Im looking forward to advice from everyone on who to use! Oh Im based in Hertfordshire...near ware Town if that helps with supplier distance etc.







Below is a supplier I found on ebay - obviously the base would have to have a base and legs and the mesh would have to be smaller...but I thought the price was ok for something so big but then id want some changes.......I have no idea..lol.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/321871010167

 

[tabithakat64]

I'd have a look at Duchy kennels, they are reasonably priced and will customise products.
Looking at the shape you may be better off building something yourself. we did this when we built the bunny mansion but it still cost around 3600 but was a massive space. We used hard wood from a timber supplier and weld mesh from the local aviary makers.
Make sure you will definitely meet the housing requirements of where you wish to adopt your other bun from as some places may not like a two tier system or that the run portion wont be very wide.

 

[chelle]

thank you - I will look at Duchy Kennels.
I def cant spend that amount of money and its so frustrating as i have space but just not near the house & they are so social and spend every evening with us indoors most of the time.

Great - hard wood timber & aviary supllier for mesh.yeah my OH does not like the wire mesh so wants it like existing hutches.

Well..thats the thing...we would probably adopt from a rescue I know and I am worried about the final space amount. But thats all the room there is... :-(
True....a two tier system of one pair living upstairs & the other pair downstairs would just give them a run of 6 metres to get some speed up..where as if I do it in hald then its only 3 metres each level which is so much smaller but do able...main reason is the length for running in and also so that the top level is near the house to enable us to do a tunnel indoors...but we could still work around that.
Yeah the run would be not that wide either..probably about2.5 / 3 feet wide...guessing.

If they could all be bonded into a quad then of course they would have so much more room to run about in...

I am home every day working so they free range alot...most of the day actually. So for me the caged area needs to be enough for when we are on holiday and they are not let out and of course for them to play in at night.

I'd have a look at Duchy kennels, they are reasonably priced and will customise products.
Looking at the shape you may be better off building something yourself. we did this when we built the bunny mansion but it still cost around 3600 but was a massive space. We used hard wood from a timber supplier and weld mesh from the local aviary makers.
Make sure you will definitely meet the housing requirements of where you wish to adopt your other bun from as some places may not like a two tier system or that the run portion wont be very wide.

 

[tabithakat64]

What about joining some runaround tunnels and having something further down the garden

 

[chelle]

good info, thanks,,,

Thats ok

Also looking at run around runs, boyles & welfare hutch company...but find that really they dont offer what we want exactly.

 

[Babsie]

Have you had a look at Hampsons sheds?

 

[chelle]

What about joining some runaround tunnels and having something further down the garden

We've thought of putting a shed or aviary at the bottom of the garden but the tunnel would have to go all along our garden bed through the flowers etc and its too expensive with the run a round set ups to make it not take over the garden area. ....we want to keep the lawn area free as we play bowls, garden games....but its something we have def thought about doing...we just didnt quite know how to get from there all the way up the garden into the house. The bunnies are very social with us so we def dont want to have them at the bottom of the garden. They have to have access to us.

And Oh wants his own shed there now and wants to get rid of my small shed that houses the hay etc too...

I really really want a big area for them...but I have to compromise..otherwise they would have a massive walk in aviary already. Im really trying to be creative and get quite upset when my idea's keep getting thwarted by oh. Been trying to get this done for ages now.... :-(

 

[Babsie]

Some places do custom-built, so always worth contacting if they are not showing exactly what you want.

 

[Babsie]

I know what you mean about not having them at the bottom of the garden: mine are very sociable and I gave up my patio and raised bed for them. As for your o/h, I'm afraid that some people just don't 'get it' and it can be very dispiriting when your ideas get shot down in flames. Friends of mine don't get why I am having a carpenter build a whole new set-up ... and yet spend out hundreds on their dogs.

 

[chelle]

Have you had a look at Hampsons sheds?

No - I haven't...thank you will have a look...

 

[chelle]

I know what you mean about not having them at the bottom of the garden: mine are very sociable and I gave up my patio and raised bed for them. As for your o/h, I'm afraid that some people just don't 'get it' and it can be very dispiriting when your ideas get shot down in flames. Friends of mine don't get why I am having a carpenter build a whole new set-up ... and yet spend out hundreds on their dogs.

I'm glad you know what I mean...they'd be so far away looking up at us in the house & feel all by themselves...no they love hopping about the place in the evening or laying on the rug and begging for food whilst I cook..lol.

My OH get it but he just doesn't like the way the wire mesh looks or the aviary look or his new decking he has just built being taken up...for me seeing the whole set-up and the bunnies having fun rules out any other opinion...lol.
So yeah - he gets it but also doesn't I guess...lol

yeah when people spend money on their dogs..usually..dogs anyway s and cant understand I say well it would be awful to just sit and do nothing all day...they all need places to run and play don't they? And what can they do but agree as I've included their pet in my opinion..lol. Just have to change the way people view some animals...sad really.