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Newbie needing advice please!

K

Katex

Warren Scout
Hello all

I've been lurking for a few days and everyone seems really friendly and there's some gorgeous bunnies!

We are getting a couple of French lops at the end of May. We previously had a very happy large lop rabbit who died a few years ago and is sadly missed. At the time, we had a double hutch and he was let out frequently, but on researching it much further this time, it appears that bunny housing and welfare has really moved on.

Soooooo.......I have purchased a large dog kennel with enclosed "house" and attached run (8x4x4) and we are adapting a part of our garden for a bunny enclosure. The enclosure will be about 10 foot square and the kennel will go in there and my idea is that the buns will be let out on a morning and put to bed (in their kennel at night and when I go out during the day) The enclosure will have 6ft high walls, dig proof (decking) and a gate so buns will be safe and when they have to be put away there is still a large exercise space for them. I'm planning to grow plants in there ie grass etc that the bunnies can eat and have plenty of stimulating toys etc. Does this sound ok?

Secondly, the house part of the kennel - previously we used wood shavings, but I understand that's not used now, so I was thinking I would line the floor with lino, and have a sleeping space with blanket etc and a shelf (I was hoping they'd sleep under the shelf tbh). Is it ok to line a hutch with lino instead of wood shavings? This would make it miles easier to clean, but I worry about the warmth! I'm going to have a litter tray - they are babies at the moment - will they automatically use the tray or will I have accidents on the Lino? In which case should I line the hutch floor with something on top of lino?

Will they gain warmth from each other while sleeping?

Any other advice would be gratefully accepted. We loved our previous bun so much and I know these two are going to be really loved too! My youngest daughter is bursting with excitement!

Thank you :)
 
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Hello :wave: If you go on to the Forum and then housing there are lots of pics of peoples outdoor set ups :D Sounds like they will have a wonderful home. Rabbits like to poop and eat at the same time so large litter trays with lots of hay in will be perfect :) I cant speak for every ones rabbits but mine have never had a wee on the floor as they have always used the litter tray from babies :D
 
Thank you, I have had an extensive look at outdoor setups and I know that loads of people use lino, I was probably just overthinking it and really want someone more knowledgeable than me to say yes, that's a setup that bunnies will be well cared for in :) or critique it so I know where I'm going wrong!

I'm glad to hear some bunnies litter train from being babies, I wasn't sure if they would but I'll provide hay and a tray and hopefully they'll get the idea quickly.
 
I know what you mean but it sounds like you have done a good job of researching the rabbits needs! I think we all have made a few mistakes at some point, my poor Busters first few weeks was in a hutch with no run :oops: I would keep an eye on the blanket, mine like to eat them :D
 
Jojo123 said:
I know what you mean but it sounds like you have done a good job of researching the rabbits needs! I think we all have made a few mistakes at some point, my poor Busters first few weeks was in a hutch with no run :oops: I would keep an eye on the blanket, mine like to eat them :D
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I never thought of that - our previous bunny was obviously well behaved, he wasn't neutered and only peed/pooed in one place, slept in his blanket and generally did as he was told :) let's hope we get easy ones like that this time!
 
Your setup sounds ideal and it is great that you want to grow food for your buns- they will love it! Lino will be much better than wood shavings- it is more cost effective, better for their feet, better for their lungs, cleaner and will be cooler in the summer. Through the winter the lino may get quite cool but your bunnies will adapt to this and grow thicker coats to protect them. If warmth is a problem you could always line the floor with fleece through the winter but I don't think it will be. They will gain warmth from each other and I think they will be just fine on lino.
 
Thank you, I'm coming round to the idea of lino, it will be much easier to clean. Really looking forward to getting the bunnies!
 
Sounds great! My 3 just have lino on the floor of their playhouse, the hay goes in the litter tray (under bed storage box) and in hanging containers on the walls. They hardly ever sleep in their 'bedroom', which is a modified pine blanket box filled with straw and hay, so they must be warm enough!
 
Katex said:
Thank you, I'm coming round to the idea of lino, it will be much easier to clean. Really looking forward to getting the bunnies!
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Depending on what kind of size you need you can get cheap offcuts easily or could look to get lino tiles (the lino tiles stick down and are easily cut into shape) as then should one area get ruined you wont have to pull up the whole flooring, just an idea ;)
 
MrsDownTheRabbitHole said:
Depending on what kind of size you need you can get cheap offcuts easily or could look to get lino tiles (the lino tiles stick down and are easily cut into shape) as then should one area get ruined you wont have to pull up the whole flooring, just an idea ;)
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That's a really good idea, I never thought of that. I might look into lino tiles - what do I stick them down with? No More Nails?

If I can't get lino tiles cheaply, we have one of those cheap factory carpet shops near us, and I could pop in there and ask for offcuts. Even if I have to buy a length, it's not going to be too expensive, I only want to line the hutch part, and not the run (unless they turn out to be piddlers!)
 
Katex said:
That's a really good idea, I never thought of that. I might look into lino tiles - what do I stick them down with? No More Nails?

If I can't get lino tiles cheaply, we have one of those cheap factory carpet shops near us, and I could pop in there and ask for offcuts. Even if I have to buy a length, it's not going to be too expensive, I only want to line the hutch part, and not the run (unless they turn out to be piddlers!)
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You can get lino tiles with sticky backs, so you literally just peel off the back and stick them down- super easy! :D
 
Wow your set up sounds really great and its so nice to see someone researching so well before getting their bun (I wish I had!) The only question I have is about the enclosure, is it going to have a roof or cover to stop foxes cats etc getting into it even during the day? I wasnt sure form your description

I agree lion would be a good base to line a hutch with. You can then layer newspaper then hay on it as a bed come litter tray, buns are very much an eat where they poop animal!

Will your rabbits be neutered when they come? If not its something else to consider that is also fairly new to rabbit keeping
 
weeble said:
Wow your set up sounds really great and its so nice to see someone researching so well before getting their bun (I wish I had!) The only question I have is about the enclosure, is it going to have a roof or cover to stop foxes cats etc getting into it even during the day? I wasnt sure form your description

I agree lion would be a good base to line a hutch with. You can then layer newspaper then hay on it as a bed come litter tray, buns are very much an eat where they poop animal!

Will your rabbits be neutered when they come? If not its something else to consider that is also fairly new to rabbit keeping
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Thank you :)

the enclosure isn't going to have a roof but will be surrounded by high fences - and the bunnies will be put away in their secure house whenever I go out and at night. I wouldn't have thought a fox could get over 6ft high fences - I dunno, what do you think? Our garden is so secure we've never had foxes before and not one of our neighbours have a cat - in all the years I've lived here a cat has only come into the garden once! Our previous rabbit used to roam around the whole garden during the day and we never had a problem (although I do want to keep these ones enclosed as I am a keen gardener and the old bunny used to decimate my plants which would drive me mad, but he made up for it in cuteness)

The house is big enough that I have no problem putting them away when we are out, as I know they'll have lots of space and toys in there anyway, but they will be allowed out in the enclosure whenever I'm in.

The rabbits won't be neutered but this is something I will do as soon as possible. They'll be eight/nine weeks old when we get them so I will have a vets appt booked for the day after we get them for jabs etc.
 
Some good advice already and sounds like you have a good set up.

Agree with Webble thought that you need a roof/mesh over the top of the run if you are going to leave them in it during the day unattended. Yes, foxes could get over a 6ft fence easily. Just because we don't see them doesn't mean they are not there.

Someone recently put photos on here of a fox (in daylight) trying to get in to the buns. I will see if I can find the link so you can see if there is anything else you can do to make yours secure.

ETA

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...bbits-are-fine-fortunately!)&highlight=double
 
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bunny babe said:
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...bbits-are-fine-fortunately!)&highlight=double
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Thanks for posting this :( poor little bunnies must have been really scared. It's certainly brought home that it needs to be fox proof.

My DH wants a roof on the enclosure, but I can't see how it can be done. However, I have a fencing company coming tomorrow night to see about constructing a gate for the enclosure so I'll ask them. In any event, I now won't have them running loose unsupervised in the enclosure, they'll be put away whenever there's no one to supervise. The house is big enough anyway so it's not going to make much difference to them I'd imagine, and the fence man says he can build a shelf for them anyway so there will be even more usable room in there.
 
Quite a few people on here use aviary panels, that could be an option for you if you have not bought anything already.
 
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