Hi - newbie with questions

Hi All

I have a few questions so I hope I'm posting in the right place
I will be getting 2 rabbits from a work colleague in 3 weeks time. They are 8 weeks old at the moment. They are male and female.

Just in the process of getting a hutch and all the things I need. We have a small enclosed garden that is patio slabs and stone chippings, so we were thinking of getting either of these two hutches.

http://www.homeandroost.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/6ft-Chartwell-Double-02-300x300.jpg
http://npi.petplanet.co.uk/images/product_images/new_product_images/trixie/8197.jpg

We don't have enough room to have an adjoining run so we were thinking of letting the rabbits run in the garden as its very enclosed and they could not escape, they would be supervised. Also in the winter we were thinking of bringing them in to play in the kitchen as this is quite big and doesn't have anywhere that they could hide.

We also will have them un-neutered and I have contacted my local vet and they will neuter them at 5 months. We don't really have room to be putting in 2 separate hutches or enclosures to keep them apart.

Questions

1. Which hutch would be better?
2. Would they be OK in the garden or should be buy a separate run to keep them secure?
3. Do you let them out in the garden or run when its cold and/or raining?
4. Will they be OK to be brought in and played with and then put back outside? We will buy the insulation and cover that goes with the hutch
5. Will the bunnies be OK together until they are neutered (they are from the same litter and the vet also told me that its really difficult to get the gender right)
6. They will be neutered together so can they heal together?
7. Would it be OK to put newspaper and hay down in the bedroom - what do you then put in the rest of the hutch? Obviously hay in the litter tray.

sorry about the essay - Just want to give them the best that I can at the moment. We are hoping to move soon as our house is for sale. We can then incorporate a much bigger set up for them then.

Thanks in advance.

Hi there. Sorry I don't have time to answer all your questions but I am sure someone else will be along shortly.

The 2 bunnies should be ok together until they are around 13/14 weeks old unless they happen to be 2 females then they can stay together for longer. If it turns out you have 2 boys they will quite often start fighting at around 14 weeks, give or take a week. If you have a boy and a girl they would have to be separated before they are 5 months old as the boy could get her pregnant.

Bunnies are difficult to sex but a brother and sister usually make a good bond and it is worth having to separate them for a little while until they are both neutered. Boys can be neutered at around 4 months, girls at around 5.1/2 months.

As long as you are 100% sure no cats or foxes can get into your garden, the bunnies will love to explore and play. Foxes can scale a 7' wall or fence easily, so something to take into consideration.


I hope this has helped.

Hi! Welcome!

I'll try and answer a couple of questions, although it might be helpful if you can post a piccy of your garden and then we can suggest a possible solution for the run thing. Really a hutch should just be the bedroom. Rabbits like to exercise at odd times of day (and night) so only letting them exercise under supervision can be limiting.

With regards to the hutches, forget the coop style one. A pain to clean out, usually made really cheaply and the inside bit is very small! The Chartwell is better but you can get more quality from independent places, but that does depend on budget! I'm on the waiting list for a custom made bunny shed from these guys, only a few weeks to go now! http://www.boylespethousing.co.uk/

A solution to connecting a run to a hutch is the Runaround system here: http://www.runaround.co.uk/

And for bringing them in and out, that can only be done when the temperatures inside and out are very similar. So not in winter. They have difficulty regulating their body temperature when there's sudden changes.

Thanks for the replies. I really don't know what to do as we are limited with space at the moment until we move. We can have a hutch like the chartwell one that is a bit wider, but we need something that could attach a run directly underneath it or to the side.

Something like this http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61RLQiY9PqL._SL1500_.jpg

We also have patio slabs and stone chippings underneath which wouldn't be very comfortable, so any ideas what could go underneath? We also want one that we can put a cover on. Also how could we keep them separated but together until they are neutered but that I don't have to buy 2 hutches.

This one looks nice but budget is a little tight http://www.boylespethousing.co.uk/m...8/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/n/1/n1.jpg

I really want my bunnies to be happy until we can move and get a much bigger one, or make one in a shed. I love the big walk in ones. If I cant bring bunnies inside, how do I brush them and cuddle them. I don't think it would be a good idea in the middle of winter when I get in from work about 5, to sit out the garden cuddling them? What do people do?

Thanks from a very confused and stressed bunny mummy to be :lol:

This style: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61RLQiY9PqL._SL1500_.jpg would also be a nightmare for you anything very low like that will involve you crawling around on the floor to sweep out. Think of practicalities like that. Fine when it's warm and sunny, but when it's pouring with rain or there's snow on the ground - not so great!!!

And as for the winter time, yep in winter I would go out in about 5 layers and sit in the dark with my guys haha! Although this winter they came inside to live. They came in when we had those bad storms end of last year and stayed until about March!

Slabs are fine for the base of a run. That's what I have under mine. I have water proofed (a bit) with plastic sheeting and they have blankets and carpet tiles on top.

This forum is fab for advice.

Right I have been back out the garden with my tape measure and could put a hutch/run in a different position. I could accommodate a hutch with a run underneath 6-7ft long x 3 ft wide and 6ft high kind of like this onehttp://www.boylespethousing.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/108x88/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/n/1/n1.jpg

Would this be OK? Once we move I will be able to extend the run. Do you know of anywhere else that would do one like this?

Thank you so much for your help

As someone who currently has one of the coop style hutches ( http://npi.petplanet.co.uk/images/product_images/new_product_images/trixie/8197.jpg ) I can definately advise AGAINST getting one! :roll: As Catxx said, they are a real pain to clean out and when it rains the whole bottom level can get wet (even with one of the plastic covers over it). We have ours under a garden gazebo as that helps keep them dry. We only got that one because we needed a hutch fairly quickly and that was available but we're now looking to get a larger custom built double hutch built for them (similar to the first link).

How about a playhouse, the advantages are you don't need a cover, rabbits prefer them to hutches as they offer more protection from the weather and predators, and you can attach a run via a catflap. Hutches are ok but rabbits feel safer in a shed/playhouse.

If you get a male and a female you will have to separate them unless you get the boy neutered when he is 12 weeks old, if his testicles have appeared. Some Vets will do them at this age. The only other way around it is to get a 2-tier hutch then the boy could live upstairs and the girl down.

Rabbits don't always like being brushed, are they going to be fluffy. Some bunnies are more cuddly than others, being prey animals they don't always trust us when we go to pick them up.

Thanks. We haven't really got room for a playhouse or shed, it really is a small garden. We have decided on this http://www.homeandroost.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Chartwell-Run-Double-main-02-300x300.jpg.

This is as big as we can go for now. Is there anyway that we can put something in to keep them separate for awhile but still use the same hutch?
If I am able to take the male somewhere at 12 weeks to be neutered, when could he go in with the female?

Hello and welcome! :wave:

I'm really glad that I found this forum site. You can get great advice from members in this forum. I'm also a stressed foster father here but at the same time it's very fun to take care of these cute little bunnies hopping around you.