Hutch Recommendations

Hi all

Wife has sent me on a hutch hunt.

The care home she works at have 2 rabbits which are around 9yrs old, so getting on a bit. The staff and learning disability residents no longer look after them. My wife who is fairly new is the only one that looks after them, they get no food or water in between my wife's 3 shifts a week. She wants to bring them home and has the ok from management, so I've been tasked with finding a hutch. They currently live in a approx 5ft single story hutch, with free run of an enclosed courtyard, whenever someone bothers to let them out. Indoors isn't an option for us, 2 dogs, no space for a new shed, no DIY skills to modify a playhouse, so looking at a hutch. Seen the 6ft Kendal from home and roost, that ok? Quality reasonable? Don't want to spend a fortune, just want something the old boys will be happy enough in for their remaining years
https://homeandroost.co.uk/product/...J9OI5cnOaTsrh3PE2hsl8kOFqCyRrpeRoCiLwQAvD_BwE

My suggestion was to advertise them for rehoming, but she's set her heart on having them as she's bonded with them as she had rabbits as a kid

Cheers

Brighty

Brighty - I don't know anything much about keeping buns outside (the hutch looks decent to me) but I just wanted to say it warms my heart to hear of you & your wife rescuing these elderly buns, they deserve the better life you'll give them

I agree with above post, I think that's a lovely thing to do giving this pair a nice quality of life in their twighlight years. The hutch with attached run is definitely going to be better than a 5t single level one. You might need to put something under the slope to make it less steep to start with, if they are not used to going up and down, but thats easily fixed. Good luck, please let us know how you get on

Ahh, thanks both, after reading 6 pages on here looking for recommendations, I was expecting too be torn apart for not building a 10ft X 10ft bunny mansion

Brighty said:

Ahh, thanks both, after reading 6 pages on here looking for recommendations, I was expecting too be torn apart for not building a 10ft X 10ft bunny mansion

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:lol: I was gonna talk to you about the need for their summerhouse, safely planted & fox proofed meadow etc.

Brighty said:

Ahh, thanks both, after reading 6 pages on here looking for recommendations, I was expecting too be torn apart for not building a 10ft X 10ft bunny mansion

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Give it time and you'll be wanting to do it anyway maybe ;P

Yo could always check the free-ads (Freecycle, Freegle, Gumtree, FB Marketplace etc.) see if there's anything suitable as well The slope looks far too steep IMO so perhaps remove it and put some bricks or a low stool underneath to create a step. You'll need a bigger run as they won't be able to get any kind of speed up in that one, so the extension run would be ideal. My main concern is the height: 2' isn't a lot, but then all the rabbits I've had have been 2.5kg monsters who can stretch easily to 2.5' The recommended space is a good aiming point, and the '3m rule' is useful. But whatever you can provide them will be better than they've already got.

Best of luck

I second everything that's already been said. They will be much better off with you. That hutch / run combo is ok and can be extended later if needed (a few years ago, that was the recommended size anyway), and they will be safer in that setup with the dogs around.

Ramp - rabbits do tend to prefer steps to jump up, so maybe just take the ramp down and put it on a couple of breeze blocks as a bridge. Then they can jump into the hutch bit or just sit under it.

Can you get the 5' hutch that they already have? You could join it on to the run area for extra space, plus it will stop the care home from filling it again and repeating this scenario. Or just take it and destroy it if it's no use to you.

It is worth knowing with Home and Roost that they supply replacement individual hutch parts. So if you are buying the 6ft hutch it basically comes in 3ft sections and the end/joining pieces. This means if you decide you would like a 9ft hutch you can extend it by buying another back board, floor board, front panel and roof panel, and centre support. When I bought separate sections a couple of years ago it was £10 per item except roof which was £15. Therefore you can get a decent extension for only about £55. (The roof panel needs slight modification).

I mention the above as the rabbits you are getting are nine years old and it does not sound like they are used to much exercise so may not be agile/confident so the ramp/steps may be a gamble. Basically H&R are very helpful and you may find by studying the pictures that you come up with a set up slightly outside what they are offering but perfect for your rabbits.