New rabbit owner !! hutch advice please ????

EVIESMUMMY_2

hello a friend is giving me 2 baby mini lop eared rabbits.

I would like them to be outside rabbits but from what i understand i should not put them outside until April ??

we have the opportunity of buying this second hand but in good condition
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41W2DFFEdzL._SX450_.jpg

i could keep this in my garage until spring ???
and then put it outside.

what do i do about them digging out do i put it on hard standing ? someone suggested chicken wire burried underneath, but would this hurt them if they are trying to dig out??

or putting a smaller hutch in our childrens play house?? and getting a seperate run for daytime after winter?

also how do peoples dogs get on with the rabbits?

all advice welcome i am new to owning rabbits thanks in advance

MrsDrink

Sorry I can't help much, I keep two indoor minilops. But I would say that hutch would be a good one, it looks big enough from the picture. They should have enough space to do a couple of full length hops from one end to the other, and it should be tall enough for them to stand on their hindlegs like a meercat.

Do you know the sex of the buns you're getting? Obviously if they are boy & girl they will need separating until you get them neutered. (Unless you are planning on breeding them, which I would advise against). If they are boy/boy or girl/girl also be aware that just because they get on now once they hit puberty they can become rivals and may need separating again until they are 'fixed' and you can then reintroduce them to each other. Rabbits hit puberty ridiculously early (around 12 weeks) and our vet won't touch them until they are 4 months for a boy and 6 months for a girl.

Can't think of anything else to be aware of at the moment. But yay - I love buns - make sure you share a piccie!!

krlyr

Try a rabbit forum like Rabbits United for fab advice http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/

I imagine the hutch would be too small without access to the run area 24/7, so you'd need to make sure couldn't dig out. Either place the whole thing on concrete/slabs, or consider putting chicken wire/mesh underneath if placing on grass. As well as thinking about the rabbits getting out, think about predators getting in - making sure the mesh is strong so that foxes cannot break in is important.

Is the playhouse still in use? If the kids have outgrown it, you could even consider converting it into a fulltime rabbit abode
http://www.therabbithouse.com/outdoor/outdoor-rabbit-housing.asp
http://www.therabbithouse.com/outdoor/rabbit-playhouse.asp
http://www.therabbithouse.com/gallery/rabbit-playhouse.asp

MrsDrink

krlyr wrote: »

Try a rabbit forum like Rabbits United for fab advice http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/

I imagine the hutch would be too small without access to the run area 24/7, so you'd need to make sure couldn't dig out. Either place the whole thing on concrete/slabs, or consider putting chicken wire/mesh underneath if placing on grass. As well as thinking about the rabbits getting out, think about predators getting in - making sure the mesh is strong so that foxes cannot break in is important.

Is the playhouse still in use? If the kids have outgrown it, you could even consider converting it into a fulltime rabbit abode
http://www.therabbithouse.com/outdoor/outdoor-rabbit-housing.asp
http://www.therabbithouse.com/outdoor/rabbit-playhouse.asp
http://www.therabbithouse.com/gallery/rabbit-playhouse.asp

I assumed the run area of the hutch was accessible 24/7 via the ramp.

krlyr

MrsDrink wrote: »

I assumed the run area of the hutch was accessible 24/7 via the ramp.

I know some people prefer to shut their rabbit up in the hutch with a hutch and run combo overnight (or when unattended in the day) to keep them safe from foxes (as the fright of a fox trying to get in can be tragic enough even if they don't succeed). Fine if you have a 6' hutch attached to the run, but ones like this setup do have reduced floor space in the hutch section and I wouldn't want to shut two rabbits up in it, no matter how small.

Kefi

Hercules our English bunny ( RSPCA rescue. 9 years, castrated therefore not much of a digger and not aggressive) stays out all year round.BUT
He has a single storey hutch, wooden base off the ground, bedroom with ensuite. We have a hexagonal attachable run, so his door is open all day. Ideally they need grass underfoot.
In winter in his bedroom he has thick newspaper on the base of his hutch, a cheap dog rug ( £.299 - washable) and one of those cat baskets with a hood. The front,top and back of the hutch is covered with thick a plastic sheeting. At night we shut the door and pullthe plastic over. Hercules goes into the cat bed, pulling the blanket in behind him..SNUG
I found a plastic tray which fits into his ensuite again lined with newsaper and straw for his loo, this I lift out daily and replace. In the day he goes outside.
Obviously if the weather is really bad he stays overnight in our utility with a newpaper down for toileting.
When the snow is about we clean the grass of snow off the grass and move him into the sunshine and give him extra grub

Every evening he comes into the house and joins us for some telly on a cushion under the radiator. He has never soiled in the house.
Rabbits learn very quickly. Prior to Hercules I hd never owned a small pet. I too thought AGHHHH. Just put your thinking cap on and don't buy state of the art things, but do give them attention. Use a couple of cheap cushions/pillows so you can have them on your lap in the evening to get them tame; they also get their smell into the cushions.
My kids put Hercules on his rabbit lead and take hi, wit his cushion in a wicker basket to their friends house. He is always in the thick of things and loves it!
They do make great pets.

GBNI

I have seen that hutch and TBH, going by guidelines it is too small.

I keep lops as well and my hutch is a double storey, 5ft long (so really a foot too short) 2ft deep and 2ft tall (each level) They need to be able to stand on their back feet without touching the roof.
They have 24/7 access to their run which is 6ft by 3ft wide and about 3ft tall. We built it ourselves. We used chicken wire all around and to be honest their paws have been ok, but mine don't try and dig. However, with it now being winter they are on hard standing as the ground can get very saturated where they are.
You can give litter trays with soil for them to dig around in. Converted playhouses are a great idea. My hutch is coming to the end of it's life so this is what I plan to do next
My dog loves to sit and watch my rabbits, they rub noses through the wire!
They really are delightful little pets to own and I hope you have many happy years with them