How To Build The Perfect Bunny Hutch
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If you like to do things yourself and save money in the process, building your own rabbit hutch is an excellent way to create a home for your rabbit that is nice and healthy. Most commercially available rabbit hutches are just too small for a bunny to be really happy in. Would you be happy if you could only walk two or three steps one way, turn around and walk back every day of your life? Of course not! But many rabbit hutches are made so small that is all a bunny can do.
Building a rabbit hutch is fairly simple for anyone with a circular saw, some timber, some wire netting and a drill. Here are a few design tips for making your own rabbit hutch:
Make sure that the hutch is at least 60 cm (2 feet) tall. Rabbits love to jump and when they are happy they will jump and spin in the air. Many commercially available rabbit hutches are only about 1 foot high, which is really too low for an active, healthy bunny.
Make sure that there is plenty of floor space. Our bunny hutch measures three feet by six feet, or one meter by two meters. The bunny has plenty of room to hop around, and that makes her very happy indeed. Rabbits are active creatures, its not fair to confine them in very small spaces for the bulk of their lives.
Design your hutch with a large lid for easy access. Another common problem with hutches is that the door will be relatively small and at one end of the hutch, allowing the bunny to escape very easily and making catching the rabbit difficult and making cleaning the hutch properly very hard indeed. When we built our hutch, we designed it so the entire wire roof was a large hinged door, making it easy to get inside the hutch, work with the bunny and clean it properly.
Make sure that you provide shelter in the hutch. A covered area that will keep the rain off is a must for all rabbit hutches. It is also a good idea to make sure that the floor of the covered area is raised off the ground, even if only by an inch or two. By building the floor on top of the bottom frame rather than under it, you will prevent the wood from soaking up so much ground water and rotting.
Chosing the wire gauge is another decision you will have to make. We went with a fairly large guage wire of about 1.5 inches. I have found that smaller wire, especially when on the bottom of the cage, quickly gets clogged with sticky bunny poo and is horrible to try and clean up.
EDIT: I received a comment from a 'rabbit rescue volunteer' who took issue with keeping rabbits outside and on a wire floor. This is sort of a fair comment and I would like to address it. First of all, the wire is always covered with hay - I should have mentioned this originally. Wire can cause harm to a rabbit's feet if they hop about on it uncovered. However wire is absolutely essential because rabbits can - and do, dig. They can dig their way out of an enclosure in a few hours and even worse, if there is no wire, predators can dig their way in.
As for not keeping rabbits outside, I have had indoor and outdoor rabbits and both appear to have thrived well. Not everyone can handle the smell of bunny pee and poop inside and no matter how much you clean a rabbit's litter box, they really do smell. So, you know, to each their own on that issue.
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This is such a very helpful post! I really learned a lot from this awesome post about How To Build The Perfect Bunny Hutch! keep posting!
I really enjoyed this post, I found it very helpful, but I would like to know where I can get the plans to build this large hutch!
Now I know How To Build The Perfect Bunny Hutch! I really learned a lot from this very informative post!
how much did this rabbit hutch cost??
do you have a detailed blue print or steps on how to build this?
if so please email me instructions.
vivaciousfox@yahoo.com
if this is your rabbit hutch i would be willing to buy it because i really like it so please give me a call at 6024460326
The link does not work and I wanted more details about the construction. Will pay for blue prints. email me at froggycandy@hotmail.com
I would love to find some great plans. This one is assume. If anyone knows where to get them, Please let me know.
This is the most informative post that I have found so far! And i was really wondering about the wire bottom so thanks for that to!
Hi
I live in Australia.. Qld. Wondering if u sell or know of places that sell big hutches like this cause like u said they r so hard to find ! They're all so tiny
Can yoj send me.some pics and the building plans or.blue prints please. My e mail is fordboy3927@yahoo.com thank you
This cage is great. I have kept outside bunnies for years who are very happy and live long lives. I dig down about a foot to put the wire in the outside area and then cover with soil. I must say though, that after 23years of keeping buns I have never had one do any digging apart from the two brothers who dug up my plot of carrots. I also find that if you let them roam the garden they make their own bounderies and never go outside it and return to their hutches at night. As long as you make sure you don't have any poison plants they are happy. Keep up the good work.
I would love the blue prints does anyone have them? Please email me at sisterkathy13@yahoo.com Thanks,
Kathy
I desperately need plans for a hutch like this. If someone could email them to me I'd be very thankful.
Crocodile_kesh@hotmail.com
This is the nicest rabbit hut I have seen, great work. I would also like to get the plans and cost if possible. Thanks for you posting this hutch for others to enjoy and get new ideas. hartungsm@gmail.com
I would also like to have the plans for this bunny house. Please send to dbredeson@comcast.net if anyone has them.
could i please have the plans for this hutch?
thanks!
please email amy-dec@hotmail.com
love this hutch/bunny house/condo its awesome would love to have the plans and matieral list my email is angelkiss222@aol.com thanks
I love this bunny house I would the plans for this and the matieral list my email is sportsman40@peoplepc.com
Id like to get these plans myself? can someone send them to me or email me how to obtain the plans please
baker069@nycap.rr.com
Could you please send the plans as well or post them on a website. This is an awesome place you have made.
dathomas4@gmail.com
I need the plans too npassineau@yahoo.com Please
could you please send me the plans also it is greatly appreciated my kids got bunnies for easter but come to find my husbend is alergic but the kids love there bunnies so we can't get rid of them please send them to angie_arbour@live.ca
If someone has plans for this Hutccould you email me kmkaloi@gmail.com
I would also like the plans for this if anyone has them. Thank you :) kcnswagner@gmail.com
Love the hutch!. Would love to know how difficult was it to make. Cost? And where did u buy the plans!. Fboogy@aol.com thank-you
I would like to get the plains for this hutch too if you dont mind. Carrollcompton@att.net
how much did it cost? and do you have a blueprint, if so can you please send me a copy. we have 4 bunnies that needs lots of room. Thank you.. jamesmclain2012@gmail.com
This is a very insightful and inspiring posting. I too would love to have a blueprint of your hutch as will be getting two angoura bunnies shortly. I'm certainly willing to purchase the plans. Thank you clackinghen@msn.com
your tips are great thank you for writing this
Hi, I'd also like the plan for the above hutch and run please. hazeydayzey@yahoo.com. Thx x
can we get the plans emailed to paulconnick@hotmail.com please
Please send me the blue prints!!!!
Lilliesmommy09@yahoo.com
Are there plans for this? I would love them please!
richmondclan@centurytel.net
Hi, I love the cage could I please have the blue prints/design for the rabbit cage as I can't find a cage that has enough space for my rabbit. Could you please send to my email address at sjmsootee@hotmail.com
HA! Everyone loves the hutch/cage/pen and so do I! Im moving to Florida, and I have 2 rabbits, 1 guinea pig, and 6 Quail that all get a long together and I would like to put them in the same hutch outside in our new house! So before I leave, mabey you could send me the blueprints and tell me the cost and more pics of the pen! Anything so I get get a better Idea of the pen, and building it, and or buying it! thanks! my number is (757)708-6787 and my email is Spikyalice@gmail.com thank you!
We are looking to build a hutch for our rabbits as we need to move them outdoors for the warmer season can you please send me the info on how to build???? Thank you
pamrdh75@gmail.com
Please send me blue prints awesome cage love it I want it for my bunnies thank you
I forgot email addy it's s-allmacher@ hotmail. Com
Thanks
Bmnemmers16@hotmail.com pleeease send blueprint
I love love love this! Awesome work! I can't believe how many bunny lovers there are out there. I think they are coming up in the world. i absolutely adore mine. they are the best pest! We are building a rabbit cage and of course would love to knock off your design. aromero46@gmail.com. seems as though you need a receptionist to keep up with demand. :)
Hi! i love this hutch! i have two bunnies and really would love to make this hutch! can you possibly see the the blueprints too?? thank you I really would appreciate it because I have been looking for a design that I like and I love this one! samanthalagasse@ymail.com.
I have been looking at hutths and I love this one can u send me the planns for this one . I have been looking for the planns for it and cant find it thanks so much... sportsman40@peoplepc.com
Could you please send me the blue prints for this hutch. This would be great for all our bunnies. Could you please email me the blue prints or tell me how to find the blue prints....the3crums@windstream.net. Thanks!!!
Hi please could you send me the blue prints and I would pay for it please send me an email matcathat@gmail.com
I would also love to have blueprints and a material list! Thanks so much!
tinaroseroberts@yahoo.com
I would also love to have blueprints and a material list! Thanks so much!
tanya.schneider@setonautoleather.com
could you please send me this plan... allw0men@yahoo.com Thanks!
please send me the prints also! great job.
blbgoat@yahoo.com
I love this hutch and want to build it as a small project with some youth club members. Can you send me the plans/blueprint/how to build at nserieux@yahoo.com. If you can do a material list as well then that would be awesome
I love it! Could you please send me the blue prints as well? JennHorne86@gmail.com Thanks!!
I would also like the plans and cost of the bunny hutch!! please!!! banita8487@yahoo.com
how much???
Would help if I could get plans, My email is zx10rkawasaki@hotmail.com
Carmen 11 months ago
Who made this rabbit cage ?