Bank Hutches for rabbits

[sc00ter4900]

Hummmmm I'm not great with the metric system at all The hutch is 3Feet wich is 36 inches deep 8 feet wich is 96 inches long stands a little over 6 feet wich is 72 inches high. each hole is 2 feet wich is 24 inches wide . I have 4 more holes to add to the lower section plus the roof and doors. I have my rabbits for show wich im new too and sell as pets.I haven't used them for meat yet but that was the plan in the beginning.My wife thinks I'm going to end up with 50 pets LOL How long have you been doing rabbits for?

 

[tianakaesha]

Sorry for the delay in me posting, I didn't see there was a second page!

Had the rabbits for under 3 months haha!

They are pet and show. We living in suburban sydney so anything else isn't really feasible

Here is a picture of my Bank Hutch design that I have mocked up. It's to scale

6 feet 6 3/4 inches high, 3 feet 11 1/4 inches wide, 2 feet deep (give or take)

It's in two parts (top two hutches and then bottom two hutches in a separate piece)
The grey things are gravity feeders.
The black things are computer fans (hopeful feature, solar powered to give airflow).
The blue bit is a perspex kickboard to stop mess leaving the hutch and getting all over the floor as they are inside the shed
The wooden vertical board is a divider to put a litter tray in.
There will be tiles going half way up the inside of each hutch.
The little slits next to the gravity feeders are for drink bottles.
On castors for easy maneuverability.
The top hutch has a removeable divider to limit to a small hutch (60 x 60 x 50cm) or a large (120, 50, 60cm)...

THis is only a mock up at this point as I need to work out a few more kinks..

I'll also be designing a matching feed/bedding bin set and collapsible grooming table attachment. That's to come though!

 

[sc00ter4900]

Wow very nice. Is there a pan for the dropping to go in? So you can pull the pan out for easy cleaning? I do like the design a lot

 

[tianakaesha]

a pan/litter try will slide into the left hand segment of each hutch. in each tray will be sawdust with a wire cover fitted to allow droppings to go through.

sawdust will then be tipped onto the compost heap, wet, and turned and then eventually added to the herb garden.

thanks for the comments!

 

[Citylife]

I am not a fan of wooden hutches as they do not have good ventilation and How are you going to disinfect them and keep them clean??? Urine soaks into the wood and I would think much easier for a rabbit to get "hutch burn". They chew up the wood, especially partical board. IMO even if you have the hutches in a garage or barn you would need a/c and fans in the summer in many areas.
I have had heat indexes here in Missouri, USA at 105-120 degrees and it has been very difficult keeping the rabbits cool. My cages are all hanging and in a one sided shed. I can not imagine how hard it would be to keep your rabbits cool in wood hutches.
Here are some pretty neat set-ups that give you good venilation and easy cleaning.

http://clover.forest.net/kwcages/index.html

Just another opinion thrown at you to ponder on.
the lady w/4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 5 meat rabbits, their kits and a lizard

 

[sc00ter4900]

I am not a fan of wooden hutches as they do not have good ventilation and How are you going to disinfect them and keep them clean??? Urine soaks into the wood and I would think much easier for a rabbit to get "hutch burn". They chew up the wood, especially partical board. IMO even if you have the hutches in a garage or barn you would need a/c and fans in the summer in many areas.
I have had heat indexes here in Missouri, USA at 105-120 degrees and it has been very difficult keeping the rabbits cool. My cages are all hanging and in a one sided shed. I can not imagine how hard it would be to keep your rabbits cool in wood hutches.
Here are some pretty neat set-ups that give you good venilation and easy cleaning.

http://clover.forest.net/kwcages/index.html

Just another opinion thrown at you to ponder on.
the lady w/4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 5 meat rabbits, their kits and a lizard

Hummm thanks I'm starting with hutches first to see how i like doing rabbits then If all goes well I would like to build a shed or barn but still not rich so I plan on taking it slow. My setup is under trees so there is a lot shade. The winter are rough but they did fine last winter. I'll still use plexi glass for the side to keep the wind off them. Check out the set up I have for now. http://www.backyardherds.com/web/viewblog.php?id=895-2010-rabbit-set Not all of us can aford hanging cages but someday hope to Thanks Scotty

 

[tianakaesha]

Hi City Life

I like KW Cages and a lot of their items. I am still waiting to see if they have a direct to client distributor in Australia. I had never heard of them until recently.

Yes it gets very hot here.

The insides of my bank hutch will be tiled for disinfecting and cleaning and minimal chewing.The only areas they will be easily be able to chew will be the dividing panel on the inside top hutch (which may be a tile board anyway) and the litter kick boards which may be tile board as well.

I'm also going to be constructing ice platforms for the rabbits to sit on (which will have icepacks in them for cooling. Added with the fans they will have pretty good cooling.

Secondly, in Summer here (where it gets really hot) the rabbits will be put into their current cages as they will be going on holidays to air conditioned homes or other bunny owners who cool their rabbits. Heat is one of the main reasons I have been designing these cages as I am concerned about summer.

I'm also hoping to look into a mister system further down the track.

I'd love to see pictures of your set up City Life