help! Rabbit housing. what would YOU do?

[overthemill]

we have 6 rabbits and they are all living in crap hutches from big chain and are falling apart. We want something that lasts and that doesn't waste our money (actually mu dd's money as they are hers). Thinking putting them in the bike shed we have with aviary panels in front with walk in door - so they each have a shelf/hutch. ie 3 on each side. But what do we do about grass/outside? Anybody do similar but using these giant metal cages

so we need big ideas soon because my dd and dh are about to kill each other!!!

Can they all (or some of them) mix or do you have to keep them separate? We only have two but they are from the same litter and neutered, they share a hutch and a corner of our garden is their outside space. I don't like those cages much and when we had one, the rabbits didn't seem to either! They are outside for hours at a time when we are home, especially this time of year, but will spend 80% of the time sitting in a corner anyway.

I don't know alot about rabbits, but from my experience of guinea pigs, I certainly would never buy a wooden hutch. I can't imagine why anyone ever thought in the first place that it was a good idea to keep an animal that wees quite alot inside a wooden hutch. There is absolutely no way to keep it properly clean and eventually the wood rots through.

There are some metal and plastic hutches that look like the traditional wooden ones that would be an alternative. Make sure you get the hugest one you can afford/have room for though. I know bunnies need alot more space and height than most assume, even pet shops.

hi, yes we are keen to put them together but they dont all get on sadly. really wonder what people who dont use traditional hutch set up do?
thnx

We have three rabbits, but we did have 6 at one point. We kept them each in a hutch (we bought hand made hutches from a local carpenter) and put them each into their own run in the morning.
Now that we have three, they each have a hutch but we have 2 runs (gave some away with other rabbits). I have two rabbits out at any one time I alternate it so they all get days out at a time.
I would recommend sturdy runs placed onto a patio (so they cannot dig out) and in this warm weather you can leave them out overnight too.

bodyofeyeore - could you define 'sturdy'?

Not metal folding ones without tops.

ah! so metal ones with ops and doors presumably, that's what we've been looking at

An ideal set up is a timber shed with an attached covered run in weldmesh, sited on concrete. With a catflap allowing 24 hour access. Easy to clean out and for interaction and lots of space.

tha sounds really good and similar o an idea we had. off to research it now...