Hutch Sizes (split from focus campaign)

[Jazzy B Bunny]

I wouldn't consider rehoming a rabbit to any size of hutch without a permanently attached secure run. I agree about the weather but I still don't think it's fair to have a rabbit or rabbits confined to a 6ft hutch without it/them having the option to leave the hutch if and when they choose when it rains for days on end, that in my eyes isn't right. It's not difficult to weatherproof a run and it means if they want to binky and display their natural behaviour, then they have the space to do it with an attached run, confined to a hutch, they don't.

Well in that case I'm a bad bunny owner, as Jack has only a 5ft x 3ft hutch without attached run, but he gets time outside and most of the day and all the evening in a 7ft run. I dont have the space for an attached run for his hutch and he can binky. I'm not suprised that many rescues are full to bursting as they set these limits... I myself could not adopt a rescue bun as I didnt have an attached run. Obviously imo I am providing adequet housing for my bun.

 

[PrincessPinky]

Originally Posted by Jazzy B Bunny

Well in that case I'm a bad bunny owner, as Jack has only a 5ft x 3ft hutch without attached run, but he gets time outside and most of the day and all the evening in a 7ft run. I dont have the space for an attached run for his hutch and he can binky. I'm not suprised that many rescues are full to bursting as they set these limits... I myself could not adopt a rescue bun as I didnt have an attached run. Obviously imo I am providing adequet housing for my bun.

Can i just say i completly agree with you! I have a 5ft by 4ft hutch and the rabbit spends most of the outside in a huge run too or just in the garden supervised. I do not mean this in any offence - but if it was not so difficult and specific to get rescue animals maybe more people would adopt. ( just a thought) don't shoot me! :lol:

 

[KarenM]

I was thinking about this and I have to say I disagree with the comments made about the overall area. I turn people down that have anything under 5ft for a pair with an attached run. Without the attached run it needs to be 6ft.

So, does that mean it's ok for a pair of bunnies to be confined to a 6ft hutch for long periods of time (when it's raining/too cold/overnight) rather than keep them permanently in a 4ft hutch with an attached run? :? Imo, I think the latter is preferable.

 

[Lucy]

Not everyone can meet the standards if it means having to have an attached run, it's hard enough to rehome them as it is! As long as the rabbits get hours of exercise every day, then I think thats ok. Rabbits are most active dusk and dawn and I find most people who can't have an attached run let them out morning and evenings.

I agree not everything can be perfect but at least if there is no attached run, a 6ft hutch gives them plenty of room.

 

[Minimallow]

Well in that case I'm a bad bunny owner, as Jack has only a 5ft x 3ft hutch without attached run, but he gets time outside and most of the day and all the evening in a 7ft run. I dont have the space for an attached run for his hutch and he can binky. I'm not suprised that many rescues are full to bursting as they set these limits... I myself could not adopt a rescue bun as I didnt have an attached run. Obviously imo I am providing adequet housing for my bun.

I dont think lynda is saying that - she definately didnt call anyone a bad bunny owner for it - all she is saying is that is "her" requirements for rehoming - she hasnt said anywhere that someone is a bad bunny owner :?

 

[Minimallow]

Not everyone can meet the standards if it means having to have an attached run, it's hard enough to rehome them as it is! As long as the rabbits get hours of exercise every day, then I think thats ok. Rabbits are most active dusk and dawn and I find most people who can't have an attached run let them out morning and evenings.

I agree not everything can be perfect but at least if there is no attached run, a 6ft hutch gives them plenty of room.

I find this totally bizarre. You have a go at a rescue for having a smaller hutch with attached run but you would happily rehome to someone without an attached run as long as the hutch was 6"2"2. I just cant fathom the logic there :? If i was to choose what i would prefer for my buns id definately go for attached run over a 2 foot longer hutch - especially as overnight they will be left inside it for at least 8 plus hours :?

 

[LionheadLuver]

I'm a bad bunny owner too cos I have a 6ft single hutch without attached run, but they go into a 5ftx5ft run every day (even when it's raining) for about 11 hours a day. This is fine IMO, it doesn't need to be attached.

 

[Troublesome Two]

Just to answer an old question:

Our local RSPCA (a large city 1) homes there buns in a stainless steel cage about 2x2x2' maybe 3' deep.

All are obviously nice and clean and i think they put them in a little run when they can but i guess needs must as lomng as they are clean and healthy.

We resuced Smudge from them and he spent 2 weeks in the same 4' hutch being described as it was Pebbles old one when i 1st bought her for my OH.

Hes a pretty big french Dwarf lop but it was needed as we bonded them oursleves and didnt just want to put them together and let them sort themselves out as we had been suggested.

He had time in the garden as we booked two weeks off to bond them and felt very bad about locking him in at night but it was the only way to stop them killing each other as they are big buns.

They now happily live together, have done for nearly 2 years.

And just to say. their hutch is 51/2'x2x2 and a double hutch. No run although we have one. They dont use it so we dont attach it. They get 3 or 4 hrs free roam of garden each night. sat sun mon they have all day.

So 4ft with a run attached as a temp home is fantastic if, as the video shows, they are clean and happy

 

[yoshi&gizmo]

I would not be satisfied with a bunny being shut in a 6ft hutch with no run attached.... how can they binky around in that if there is no run :? I appreiate that most bunnies are normally most active morning and dusk but some like to play in between naps..... :roll: It is so difficult and i think thats why there is no current law on what the minimum is for a rabbit :?

Also how many people [meaning general public not RU members] who own rabbits who work full time, have the time EVERYDAY to let their bunnies out in the morning and evening. So i think if the options were a 4ft hutch with run attached or a 6ft hutch on its own .... i would vote for the 4ft.

 

[LionheadLuver]

Also how many people [meaning general public not RU members] who own rabbits who work full time, have the time EVERYDAY to let their bunnies out in the morning and evening.

Probably not many people, so if people can't do this, then they must have an attached run, but you shouldn't be put down, because you don't have an attached run. As long as they get a good amount of time in a run, and it is consistent, then this is fine IMO.

 

[Minimallow]

I'm a bad bunny owner too cos I have a 6ft single hutch without attached run, but they go into a 5ftx5ft run every day (even when it's raining) for about 11 hours a day. This is fine IMO, it doesn't need to be attached.

It seems you are picking at things here. NO where did Lynda say that anyone who doesnt have attached run is a bad owner. She merely said she would want buns at CARROT to go to homes with attached runs. As usual words get twisted to cause another argument. I think im going to go and see to my bunnies and not bother responding to this any more. No matter what people say - someone will want to turn it around against them to make it into an argument - even when its been pointed out that certain things were not said.
I wont even look back on here as i have a thousand better things to do than to continually repeat myself to people who dont even read things properly.

 

[Becky86]

I would not be satisfied with a bunny being shut in a 6ft hutch with no run attached.... how can they binky around in that if there is no run :? I appreiate that most bunnies are normally most active morning and dusk but some like to play in between naps..... :roll: It is so difficult and i think thats why there is no current law on what the minimum is for a rabbit :?

Also how many people [meaning general public not RU members] who own rabbits who work full time, have the time EVERYDAY to let their bunnies out in the morning and evening. So i think if the options were a 4ft hutch with run attached or a 6ft hutch on its own .... i would vote for the 4ft.

I dont know where the whole idea of a 4ft hutch WITH run attached is coming from. The start of this thread was about Focus selling 4ft hutches (no runs attached) People on here were writing letters because this is unacceptable :? The RSPCA now only uses 6ft hutches for rabbits. And can i also add, a rabbit CAN binky in a 6ft hutch, i can get a video of meg and mog if you disagree with this :? :roll: They binky nearly every morning when we go out to give them their breakfast :?

All my rabbits are kept in 6ft hutches, some have runs attached, some dont. However, the ones that dont get DAILY access to a 6x4 run with shelter (the shelters are normally the 4ft hutches with the doors removed :roll:

I dont know why this is still being argued over tbh :? All i do know is i wouldnt want any of my bunnies being in a 4ft hutch with 4x4 run attached :? this is still only 16sq ft, and with just a 6ft hutch alone they have 12sq ft :?

:roll: I noticed you lost your friend quickly Lucy xXx

 

[sillyrabbit]

Probably not many people, so if people can't do this, then they must have an attached run, but you shouldn't be put down, because you don't have an attached run. As long as they get a good amount of time in a run, and it is consistent, then this is fine IMO.

Yeah a run doesn't have to be attached to a hutch for a rabbit to get enough exercise, two of mine are shut in a 6ft hutch each every night for 6 or 7 hours but spend the rest of their time free ranging in a room indoors or in their run. I much prefer my girl having her large run on the other side of the garden because if I built one to fit on her hutch it would be a lot smaller than what she has now For the sake of the pair of them having to spend the night in their hutches which are large enough for them to hop about in and play with their toys anyways I would rather they had the larger play areas for jumping about during the day :lol:

 

[bunlover]

i have read this board of discussion and am surprised by what im reading. everyone is turning against each other not united to help rabbit welfare.
my thoughts are that overall space is most important when rehoming the rabbits entire home should be taken into consideration eg, i know many of you who would happily rehome to a 4ft dog crate indoors but not to a 4ft hutch outdoors (and i know it isnt just about the height issue) the reason is in the house you feel they will get free run...

i commend the rescues who are able to set up with 6ft hutch and run combinations but i do see the need in some cases to get smaller hutches and convert into a larger are aby putting them into the space.. .those of you who have seen how my bunnys live will understand wher i am coming from... chelsea has a 5ft hutchx2ftx1ft she has never been shut in it. it is permemnantly open (in fact she generally sleeps beneath it) it is then inside a room purpose built which is 10ftx4ft roughly this then has a cat flap style bunny door leading out into a secure 6x6ft run which is accessible during day and night. then during day time she has the full run of the entire garden...but if you looked solely at her hutch size and she is a fairly big bunny at 3.5kg then you would say too small. every home should be thought about in terms of space and what the rabbit has... be it a 4ft hutch and large run or a 6ft hutch and run obvioulsy we all agree the bigger the better and that places should try and sell larger hutches where possible. but i think smaller hutchs in rescues should be used for a minimum amount of time say 1-2months maximum then the bunny should be moved into larger accomodation...a temperary holding shall we say. i wish all the rescues the best there do have to be minimum standereds but i think overall space is the question not the hutch size..

 

[doorkeeper]

those rescues that allow the public to visit just for a nice day out QUOTE]

:shock: where are these rescues? I wanna go!!

Hopper Haven:wave::wave:

Open to the public every Saturday from 1-3pm.

We now regard our 6ft by 2ft by 2ft hutches as the small hutches. People tend to climb down about their *huge* 4ft hutches after walking around seeing what our rabbits live in. We have used 4ft hutches with 6ft by 4ft runs in the past (they were bought for guinea pigs but pressed into service for rabbits when we took in too many rabbits) but I am pleased to say the last of them have been decommissioned and replaced with a 6ft by 8ft shed with a 20ft by 12 ft run.

I'm afraid I agree with Lucy on this. Carrot have stopped using their small hutches so I'm puzzled by their sticking up for them in retrospect. They are in the past so why be defensive of them now? We all aim to improve; we make mistakes and rectify them. The first rabbit hutches I bought were 4fters. I soon realised my mistake and replaced them. Now I won't rehome a guinea pig to anything less than a 5ft by 2ft hutch. And all the ready piggies we have are reserved so people will go for the larger hutches if you make the case.

BTW I wouldn't rehome to either Tamsin or Bluebunny with their setups as they are.(All due respect Tamsin, you do a great job with this site but you let rabbits down with the bad example you set with that tiny little hutch).

And my rabbits with mobility problems live in sheds with attached runs, all on one level so they can manage, or in deep bedded stables if they are likely to roll. Rabbits are all about movement in my opinion. If they can't move they are better off pts.

Don't bother yelling at me, I haven't time to get in a fight about this. Too many rabbits to look after.

 

[BiddyH]

Writing as someone who until 3 days ago knew nothing whatsoever about rabbits, I've found this thread really enlightening.

We were given a ten month old lop eared rabbit, Alfie, by someone who didn't want him anymore. They gave us their hutch and run too, and I was horrified to discover that the hutch was only 3 feet by 1.5, and the separate run was 3 feet by 4! Even as a complete novice, it was obvious to me that wasn't enough!

After a quick dash round the local pet shops, we now have him in a 4 foot by 2.5 two-tier hutch, with an attached 7x4 run. He seems so much happier in there than in his old run.

I'm now having doubts about whether this is enough, given some of the set-ups I've seen on here.
Eventually we want to let him out in the garden some of the time, but at the moment it's not bunny-proof.

 

[w1lll]

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