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Hutch Sizes??? Right or Wrong?
- Thread starter honeybunny
- Start date
What a load of tripe. Sounds like justification for keeping rabbits' in far too small a space to me...... :roll:
*Any* large space can be made snug when adequately provided with a small sleeping box / compartment. My two have a small rabbit hide within their shed to snuggle up in. Although Jack favours plonking his bum on the Snugglesafe the minute it goes in the shed....
*Any* large space can be made snug when adequately provided with a small sleeping box / compartment. My two have a small rabbit hide within their shed to snuggle up in. Although Jack favours plonking his bum on the Snugglesafe the minute it goes in the shed....
BattleKat
Wise Old Thumper
Their minimum recommendation is a 6x2 hutch with an 8x4 run.
As I understand it, they are just doing a new campaign where they ask for retailers to stock hutches no smaller than 4ft but also offer 6ft and larger. It's a way of putting things in perspective for buyers. Instead of 4ft being the largest you can find and seeming huge it will become the smallest you can find.
loppy ears
Warren Veteran
Still with the ramp taking up space it looks small to me, and the 6ft hutch on the website is recommended for the larger breed of rabbit and all those hutches are external measurements and no mention of having a run either.
HS
Wise Old Thumper
How ridiculous! Yes, they do need somewhere they can snuggle and keep warm, which is why in our 6'x6' and 9'x6' enclosures they have a 3' hutch (D-B and Pippin have 2) to provide them with somewhere to snuggle.
I hasten to add that they have lots of snuggly places to go, but both pairs sleep on top of the hutches, or sit out in the weather.
I would not be at all comfortable with bunnies being permanently in a hutch. Even Sonny, our foster bunny, is now set up in the garage so that he can have a permanent run attached as we felt mean (even though he's in a double).
How can a bunny binky in a tiny hutch?
I hasten to add that they have lots of snuggly places to go, but both pairs sleep on top of the hutches, or sit out in the weather.
I would not be at all comfortable with bunnies being permanently in a hutch. Even Sonny, our foster bunny, is now set up in the garage so that he can have a permanent run attached as we felt mean (even though he's in a double).
How can a bunny binky in a tiny hutch?
happysaz133
Wise Old Thumper
That's awful advice, nonsense in my opinion. As long as they have a small covered enclosed area, then their hutch can be as big as required!
Mischief and Tinker's Mum
Wise Old Thumper
I didn't realise 4 x 2 doubles were ok :shock: :?
clutterydrawer
Wise Old Thumper
Rabbits are not radiators.
And even if they were, they'd have to work pretty hard to heat a thin wooden structure with a mesh front!
I favour having accommodation as large as possible, and providing a more compact "warm" area within it - I used to use a doorless travel box stuffed with straw.
Maybe humans should stay in bed all the time - after all, a person can keep a bed warm, but they can't keep and entir hosue warm. :roll:
Actually I quite like that idea)
And even if they were, they'd have to work pretty hard to heat a thin wooden structure with a mesh front!
I favour having accommodation as large as possible, and providing a more compact "warm" area within it - I used to use a doorless travel box stuffed with straw.
Maybe humans should stay in bed all the time - after all, a person can keep a bed warm, but they can't keep and entir hosue warm. :roll:
Actually I quite like that idea)
honeybunny
Wise Old Thumper
Really they aren't..but lots of rescues including some RSPCAs will rehome smaller buns like nethies to them..for the small buns with a decent run attached they can be ok..for dwarf lops no way...and a large single decker is always better..but at least the double decker is better than single 4 foot
loppy ears
Warren Veteran
I go past pet shops and see tiny hutches, there must be thousands of buns living in shoe box sized hutches. Is there a law regarding hutch size?
Is there a law regarding hutch size?louise and Gus
Wise Old Thumper
Alibunmum
Wise Old Thumper
I cannot imagine keeping a bun in a small hutch, especially having seen them race round the garden at top speed. I do not know why they don't crash! Even with a small snug area with loads of straw and hay, my guys are usually sitting out in the open part of the hutch. How would they heat that anyway! Makes me laugh when I am so worried about them being warm enough!:lol::lol::lol::lol:
Ellasyn
Mama Doe
Isnt the point of the stuff in the hutch and the bed area for snuggling and keeping warm, with the option of moving if they want?
I just have the one bun, and he has a 5ft6 hutch, for a dwarf lop (we were told minixdwarf, but he's a pretty hefty bun). I wrap it up warm so he's toasties whatever the weather. In summer theres nice air circulation so it doesnt get hot and stuffy and atrtact insects. In winter he could cuddle up in his bed area which is stuffed with hay and straw and Ive never known him to feel cold. I wouldnt go to a smaller hutch because he wouldnt be able to keep cool as easily, and it would be too hot in summer.
I just have the one bun, and he has a 5ft6 hutch, for a dwarf lop (we were told minixdwarf, but he's a pretty hefty bun). I wrap it up warm so he's toasties whatever the weather. In summer theres nice air circulation so it doesnt get hot and stuffy and atrtact insects. In winter he could cuddle up in his bed area which is stuffed with hay and straw and Ive never known him to feel cold. I wouldnt go to a smaller hutch because he wouldnt be able to keep cool as easily, and it would be too hot in summer.
Minimallow
Wise Old Thumper
Sounds to me like they aren't rehoming as many as they would like so are lowering the bar so people rehome from them. Throwing in something a vet has said in the hope of convincing the average person.
I have no idea why someone would want things to go in reverse and try and undo years of hard work of people campaigning for bigger enclosures.
I have no idea why someone would want things to go in reverse and try and undo years of hard work of people campaigning for bigger enclosures.
I dread to think. :shock:
Minimallow
Wise Old Thumper
Actually its not as bad as i first thought. Just looked on website and they say with a 6 foot run attached. Obviously stil not an ideal size hutch but they do say keeping rabbits in a hutch alone is cruel. Still a weird statement about the hutch size though
doorkeeper
Mama Doe
It is harder to keep large hutches warm which is why we added shelves into ours to create cosy areas with lower head height that can be stuffed with hay. As long as there is a cosy area the whole hutch doesn't have to be kept warm by body heat for the rabbits to be fine, just that smaller area.
Of course the hutch needs insulation and a cover too.
Many of our hutches are 6ft by 30in by 30in so even bigger than the ones they are saying are too big. Most of our rabbits were out in all the cold weather this year and none of them became ill or died from the cold.
This is so aggravating, when people choose to accept something so ignorant:evil::evil::evil:
Being unable to move is much the most likely reason for an animal to get cold as their blood won't be circulating as fast. Imagine being trapped in a tiny space unable to move when it is that cold. Dreadful:evil::evil::evil:
Of course the hutch needs insulation and a cover too.
Many of our hutches are 6ft by 30in by 30in so even bigger than the ones they are saying are too big. Most of our rabbits were out in all the cold weather this year and none of them became ill or died from the cold.
This is so aggravating, when people choose to accept something so ignorant:evil::evil::evil:
Being unable to move is much the most likely reason for an animal to get cold as their blood won't be circulating as fast. Imagine being trapped in a tiny space unable to move when it is that cold. Dreadful:evil::evil::evil:
Heather&Bart-MyLittleBuns
Mama Doe
:shock: What hope is there for rabbit welfare if vets go around saying such things?