Rooftop bunnies - stupid idea or worth considering?

Hello,

My rabbits live indoors and their presence has been causing some friction between me and my OH in recent months, he never liked them that much but recently they have started becoming more of a problem. I always wanted them to be free ranging house rabbits, but it's not really working out the way I thought. They are quite destructive, not so much the cables and chewing etc, it's the climbing and hopping on table tops and wherever they manage to get (and they do manage to get to lots of places, especially George), and of course the hay and hair that goes everywhere. For my OH the main issue is all the space they occupy, and always having to be careful about not leaving stuff around, like chairs next to the tables as then they climb on the table.

The other thing is, that they used to be outdoor bunnies before I got them from the rescue, and George's been diagnosed as a snuffle bun since he moved here. His condition is under control, but he always has a bit of a wet nose even though his lungs etc are fine, and he doesn't need a constant medication. Last summer he spent two weeks in a boarding place where he could be outside daily during the day, and he loved it, and his nose was completely clear when he came back and he hadn't been sneezing at all. I strongly suspect he would be better off outside, away from the dust and dry indoor air.

The problem is that I don't have a garden, but we do have a roof terrace/balcony, and I was wondering whether it might be an option to move them there when the weather gets warmer. They do spend time on the terrace daily unless it's too cold or rainy, and they love hanging out there especially in the summer, and usually choose to sleep in some shady corner outside.

So my questions are:
-Is this worth considering or just silly?
-If it's worth considering, what's sort of accommodation should I look into? I was wondering if some sort of shed/wendy house + run system would work. I think they would need some sort of secure lockable run where they can be when we are out as there are lots of cats and birds around even if foxes aren't a problem. And neighbours' kids as well as the terrace isn't completely secure, anyone who has access to the building can access it from the main roof, so would like to be able to lock them in somewhere.

Any thoughts appreciated, below some photos to give you an idea. Sorry about the untidiness, need to do a spring clean once the weather gets better!

I think it's a great space and you could basically put anything there just as you would in a garden :thumb: you could make the whole space a giant aviary run but I think that would cost a fortune :shock::lol: so I would probably be inclined to do a shed/run or something like that so you can sit in there with them, and then you can let them free range if you wished at other times :thumb:

i think it sounds like a great idea! i'd go for something sturdy like a shed/aviary or a dog kennel and run

Great space. I would also go for a shed/aviary or kennel/run.

Thanks! Sounds like it is worth looking into then!
I will start browsing through some old threads about sheds and outdoor accommodation, but if anyone has any recommendation on sheds, or where to even get started with the aviary/run, any suggestions would be gratefully received!

Also, is the surface of the balcony ok as it is for the run, or would I have to look into covering it with something? I even thought about making a giant wooden box that would cover the surface of the run and would get filled with a thin layer of soil but worried that might just get turned into a giant unmanageable litter box.

I would love to make the balcony a proper garden with lots of plant pots and growing herbs but the little rascals eat everything they get access to! Last summer I tried growing some herbs and salad in a small plastic green house but somebunny managed to get in there as well, and that was the end of that experiment! :roll::lol:

Looks like a great space!

Is it concrete type slabs? That should be fine, although it's always good to offer a range of surfaces for them to sit on to prevent sore hocks in the future.

For aviaries I'd recommend Boyles Housing (who is active on this forum as Daniel): http://www.boylespethousing.co.uk/rabbit-housing/rabbit-runs.html. He should be able to work with you to fit your size requirements easily! He also does some lovely hutch and run combos.

In regards to sheds it's better to go for tongue and groove or shiplap rather than overlap as they're much stronger and will last longer. Don't buy too cheap of a shed as it'll be false economy. Lots of people on here have bought from many online retailers, so I'm sure everyone will be able to offer a lot of reviews! Personally I got mine from: http://www.duchyfarmkennels.co.uk/ and it's fantastic, and they were very accommodating to lots of bits and bobs that I needed changing. Some of their catteries/kennels look fantastic if you put the cat flap lower etc!

i would leave the concrete as it is, its good for wearing down nails! then inside the shed you can have a more giving surface - i have stable matting in my shed. once they are contained in a shed/aviary you can start growing potted plants round the edge that they can only nibble through the mesh

That's a lovely space you have. I'm so envious of your roof terrace/balcony! As you own the flat, what about making a connected inside - out space? There were some pics a few week ago, from a member who had their bun's set up with ducting through the external wall. That way you wouldn't totally miss having Bess and George indoors and their space wouldn't take up as much room indoors. I'm not sure how the OP managed the insulating so their rabbits weren't going from extreme changes of temp. Can't recall who it was either. I'm sure someone else here is bound to.

Bess&George said:

I would love to make the balcony a proper garden with lots of plant pots and growing herbs

Click to expand...

If you go with a shed/aviary/kennel setup with plenty of space for them then I imagine that you'll only be letting them out for supervised excercise (due to birds, other safety issues)? If so then a garden could be quite doable as you'll be able to keep an eye on them around the plants. That is a fantastic space really and you could turn it into a beautiful secret garden oasis, with loads of plants and some nice furniture!

Thanks everyone for the great advice!
My plan is now to try and find a decent small shed, and OH has kindly promised to customise it with some shelves and levels and add some insulation, and he's also willing to build the aviary - yay!

My dream has been to get lots of plants and make the balcony/terrace a little garden, our neighbours have done this and theirs is gorgeous! But so far Bess and George have done their best to destroy all my efforts, gonna really have to look into finding some plants they might leave alone, but that's probably a whole new thread! Would love to just have them free ranging when we are at home, and shut them in the shed/aviary for the nights and when we are out.

:wave: Without doubt a good useable space but as you mentioned I would make sure what ever option you go for as outdoor housing which you mentioned initially is not secure and open to local kids getting access to I would ensure it is ultra secure and safe and there is content mention of bunnies being set free, stolen and worse and a standard lock is no deterrent - just best welfare practice to build it's into your plans for your bunnies.

Would definitely try and make the shed/run/aviary/kennel as secure as possible. Also thinking of attaching some trellis to the mesh railing to stop the rabbits from being visible from the communal gardens downstairs, that way you could actually only see the rabbits if you were on the roof.

Great space. I would turn it into a giant aviary. It already has 3 solid sides which will keep the cost right down and I would then have a large hutch. That way they can have access to the whole area, you can secure it and can keep a table and chairs set in there for you as this is your only outdoor space and you would both be able to enjoy it.

Not sure I could get my OH to agree to convert the whole area into an aviary, would be amazing though!
Quite like the look of dog kennels as well, saw some lovely photos here. They seem slightly more secure as well than aviaries as they've got 3 solid walls and only one with mesh/bars.

Even if you can't persuade him to turn the whole thing into an aviary... maybe call it a pergola covered in mesh you could use one or two of the walls as the back of the aviary and that would save you money as you'd need less sides - a bit like a lean to shed (you could go for a lean to shed and lean to aviary).

For growing, have a look at the baskets that are designed to hang on railings and some other hanging baskets. You can get a good crop of cherry tomatoes from a plant in a hanging basket and bunny teeth can't reach

Hmmm don't think I can convince OH about the benefits of the aviary, apparently he needs to have easy access to the roof when needed and all sorts of other reasons.

So think it's gonna be either a shed+aviary/pen or a dog kennel. At the moment I'm leaning towards the dog kennel just because they seem more secure and safe. They are quite pricey though as well, so if anyone has any suggestions where to get something quite sturdy and kiddie proof at a reasonable cost please let me know. OH is still happy to build something as well.

Gonna look into this and research this properly, when do you think would be a good time to move them? I was thinking perhaps May/June, or could it be done even earlier?

Thanks again for everyone for reading and responding.

You never know you might find something decent second hand on preloved/eBay/gumtree. I think it depends on the weather, once it's just about as warm outside as inside then that's the best time :thumb:

Looks like a great space! :thumb: I'm sure they will love it.
Will they be free-ranging it without you?

My bunnies are jumpers, so I would be cautious about letting them anywhere high up :lol: But I would worry that they might manage to scale that railing, if they set their mind to it.

Of course it all depends on the bunny, so you know much better than I do!

Such a great space to let your rabbits roam around, but I think it would cost a fortune to have a big run. I would like to see what you have come up with your space.