To build rabbit hutch, or to buy rabbit hutch, that is the question?
Many people choose
rabbits as pets
being the third most popular pet after dogs and cats. It is best to choose your rabbit first from the many
rabbit breeds
so that you will have a good idea how big your new pet will grow This is very important when deciding what size rabbit cage or rabbit hutch you are to build or buy.
A Rabbit Hutch should be 3 times the size of your rabbit (Larger if your rabbit is spending a lot of time in its hutch) when fully grown with enough headroom for them to stand and rear up without squashing their ears on the roof, not a problem for the Lop though!
Rabbit breeds vary in size enormously from 1kg to 10kg and deserve plenty of space, which will keep them happy and healthy for many years. Poor housing and cramped conditions are the major cause of all pet problems not just rabbits.
A rule of thumb guide, a rabbit should be able to hop at least 3 times from one end of his hutch to the other, be able to stretch out full length when laying down and be able to rear up.
Give them plenty of room but don't build it that big that you can not clean it properly, because you can not reach far enough inside.
Allow adequate space to accommodate feeding bowls, and other extras you may want to add for the benefit of your rabbit, such as a hay rack, bear these things in mind when you come to the design and build rabbit hutch stage.
Build Rabbit Hutch To-day Pros and Cons
One advantage of building your own rabbit hutch is that you can design it yourself both to meet the rabbits needs and to meet the needs of your personal look and feel for your garden or patio.
Providing the rabbit hutch meets certain criteria, such as discussed earlier and has a separate sleeping/rest area from the living quarters, your D.I.Y rabbit hutch can be as simple or as lavish as your imagination and artistic skills will allow.
Click on Photo and use the Zoom feature for close up detail!
Before you progress to the design and build rabbit hutch stage, you should ask yourself a few questions
Are my D.I.Y skills good enough to complete the job? Do I have enough time to complete the rabbit hutch on schedule? Do I have the right tools? Can I easily obtain the right materials? What sort of Budget do I need to allow for the materials?
A rule of squashed thumb guide
Limited marking, plan reading, measuring, cutting, and assembling skills are enough to make the basic rabbit hutch. It should be possible to prepare the wood, measured, cut to size etc, assembled and finishing touches within a time space of two days, if all goes to plan.
Check your tool box for the tools you will need most people will have adequate tools to complete the job. Materials should not present a problem as most hardware or D.I.Y stores will stock all you need.
It is a good idea to calculate the cost of the materials before going out and buying them, as sometimes it is possible to spend more on the materials, than to pick up a self assembly rabbit hutch that is on offer and sometimes easier when it comes to build rabbit hutch time.
As a hopeless D.I.Y person who can hammer a keyboard but never a nail, hence the “Rule of Squashed Thumb Guide” I would have it made or assembled for me, a handy tip here find yourself a retired cabinetmaker or handy person who would enjoy making a rabbit hutch and jump at the opportunity to practice their skills. Whenever I start to fix anything, my wife checks the First Aid box and stands well back!
So okay you are a lot more capable than I am and have considered the Pros and Cons of making your own rabbit hutch as opposed to buying a rabbit hutch, then it is time to move onto the design and build rabbit hutch stage.
Click to use zoom feature for finer detail
Everything starts with a single idea, a picture in your minds eye, but to be able to recreate that picture you will need a plan to follow. A well thought out plan that is easy to follow will make the task so much easier.
Onto Design and Build Rabbit Hutch
Finding free rabbit hutch plans on the internet is not as simple as it sounds many of the links don't work and many of the plans are so obscure and difficult to read, and few are likely to match your minds eye picture of the perfect home for your rabbit.
Here are the
Free Rabbit Hutch Plans
that I discovered after many hours of searching, that made any sense. Feel free to have a look or even do your own search for free rabbit hutch plans, and then please come back here for an alternative solution to your problems.
Hi Back so soon, I'm not surprised, when you see what's out there, (If you did find a good clear easy to follow plan please let me have the link so that I can include it here for others. Please use the
contact us
form.
My alternative solution is put pencil to paper and design your own, check out the rabbit hutches that are on offer, pick out the best features that closely match your minds eye picture of Bunny Condo Bliss. Adapt them to meet your needs and budget, adjusting sizes according to your rabbits needs.
The satisfaction you will gain from building your own unique rabbit hutch using your own original design will far outweigh the effort you put into it.
Other things you might like to consider when drawing your plans Rabbits need space, a separate sleeping area, water, bedding, a litter box area and toys.
A rabbit run for daily exercise outside the hutch, as rabbits are unable to make vitamin D without sunlight, and also need to hop, skip and jump, this will stop them becoming bored, showing signs of stress and becoming overweight.
Attaching their drip feed water bottle securely to the meshing, adding a hay rack to prevent soiling of the hay.
Major considerations should include... A sturdy construction, predator proof, weatherproof, free standing above ground level, a removable roof for easy access, but one that can be secured to prevent predators from lifting it.
Move mouse over picture click to use zoom pick out the best features and create your Hutch
With all these points in place you should be ready to go ahead and build your own rabbit hutch.
Once completed position the hutch out of direct sunlight and in a protected place out of drafts and wind.
OFF TOPIC TIP One thing that I have found really useful is that rabbit droppings are an excellent source of Nitrogen for your garden plants and can be dug straight into the soil without needing to be rotted down first.
