My Hutch Set Up

[DutchBunny03]

A mountain lion or dog would have little or no trouble getting into almost any rabbit hutch. Caging wire is flimsy; all they have to do is tear it open.

 

[DutchBunny03]

With kits in the nestbox, probably adding more shavings or changing the shavings every 4 or 5 days would do, but it varies. Just do it whenever it looks dirty.

 

[Lorri]

I think anybody who builds a rabbit hutch needs to be aware that the wood, wire, staples, etc. that we build with really only keep the rabbits in; any seriously interested predator would get through any type of hutch or cage in a matter of minutes. Some materials (like particle board) even the rabbits themselves will chew through.

I use 16-gauge 1"x 2" welded wire and 1/2" plywood for the sides, and I have had hutches "breached" by dogs - if they have time (like at night, while the owner is asleep) they can pull and chew their way in. A dog with a high predator drive will do it. Even if they don't rip their way in, they will bite at the rabbits' feet from underneath the cage; many rabbit owners have had rabbits lose toes and even their lives from this sort of slow torture (take my word for this, I've had it happen, and it's horrible). A hutch by itself won't protect your rabbit, you need a further level of security (a fence or building) to keep larger predators away from the hutches.

Good advice! Perhaps that is why I have been lucky then. The hutch has always been by my window and I pretty much stay at home all the time. It weighs around 150lbs, I can't rock it, and I built it for under $110. We do have motion lights and the cage wire has been pulled through and sandwiched between 3 inches of wood on all sides with screws. The only staples used were on the brace bars. I tried to build the best hutch for the least amount of money that I could. The one above is over 2 years old now and pretty much looks the same now as it did new.

 

[mygoldendoe]

Congradulafions on the babies! As far as hutch goes, if it works for u, it's a great choice. I had to switch to all wire cages bc the first hutch we used was my dad's tried and true wood one he had for years. I just had the unfortunate luck of getting an overactive spraying buck (I get average bout three sprays in one visit +the two other times I check them I the day) it gets stinky fast! We switching to a wooden shed that has tarp hung on wall for easy washing to house wire cages and I'm gonna put him lower to discourage his alpha mindset. Only problem we have is it keeps raining on weekend so that we can't get the shed built >< taking forever but we need the rain.

 

[DutchBunny03]

All wire cages are by far the best type of cage I have encountered for rabbits, but the wire can be REALLY expensive, one of the reasons my cages are not all wire. One plus that wood-and-wire cages have that all wire cages don't have is the ability to make specialized shapes and types of cage. With a wood-and-wire cage, you can make it however the heck you want. Rain can be a big pain when trying to make sheds. My shed is a converted wood shed(sort of a piece of junk), but its supposed to be temporary until next summer.

 

[Claude]

I've been using cages for my breeders made of old pallets and chicken wire for the sides when I started this spring with no ill effects I'm finally slowly switching over to all wire cages slowly I got my first one finished and hung today will probably take me a few months to get them all switched over with what I can afford and when I can afford it my main reason is I was tired of scraping crap off the wood floor 2 or 3 times a day. My buck does good and usually only poops on the wire but my 2 does for some reason like pooping on the wood only. Here's what I started with and what I just finished today for one of my does.

 

[DutchBunny03]

My rabbits do that too! It is SO ANNOYING.
Have you had any problems with rabbits chewing through chicken wire?

 

[Claude]

My rabbits do that too! It is SO ANNOYING.
Have you had any problems with rabbits chewing through chicken wire?

Nope so far none of them have even chewed on the chicken wire as far as I know the biggest problem I have had is with the salt wheel in the cages. When I clipped it on the side of the chicken wire it started rusting the wire within a week. But to fix that I just ran some bailing wire and hung out from the top of the cage so it wasn't in contact with any of the cage wire. It worked good. Although I'm starting to wonder why I even keep it in my does cages they hardly touch it where as my buck has gone through 2 and is working on his third one since I got them back in June.

 

[DutchBunny03]

As long as you give your rabbits pellets, they don't need salt wheels. They get all the salt they need from the pellets, so dont need any extra supplements, and don't even touch the salt wheel.

 

[Marlom Perez]

You know, i'm glad this post is up actually because I have been noticing a lot of hair and dust build up on the wire and wood. Just as Bossroo said. I have been using a 3 parts water and 1 part apple Cider vinegar in a misting bottle. Then i use plastic thick bristle brushes to clean up after misting. I think Apple cider vinegar is a disinfectant is it not? Any other ideas for cleaning wood/wire hutches?