Rabbit Hutch recommendations

[kitz90]

Hello! I've two beautiful bunnies who are coming up for 3 years old and the hutch they've had all this time ideally needs replacing.

I think a hutch with removable tray(s) for easy cleaning would be ideal and I've seen a two storey one on a website called Egg Shell.

I just wondered if anyone could recommend a decent hutch website or maybe someone has used the Egg Shell site? I know the quality of hutches can vary a lot.

Thanks : )

Most hutches are poor quality and far too small for rabbits. Two level ones are also deceptive on how much space they actually offer - the ramp takes up a substantial amount of room.

Sheds, kennels and playhouses are much better options for space. My shed is now on to it's second pair of rabbits, a good quality one should last for decades.

Good suppliers are here:
www.thebigrabbithutch.co.uk/

Egg Shell looks garbage by the way - avoid. All hutches are too small and are just naff cheap flat pack from China.

This is the minimum size recommendation (so ideally you want it to be a decent size bigger) from the rabbit welfare association:

Your rabbits' enclosure should be as large as possible but the minimum size for a rabbit enclosure for two rabbits should be 3m (length) x 1.5m (width) x 1m (height) as recommended by the Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund.

People keep buns in criminally small hutches and either seem wilfully ignorant of their needs or don't do the necessary research.

It's good you're researching but I would echo the advice from PP above and also measure your current one to get an idea of how it compares to the recommendations as almost every bun owner I've known has had one far too small so this is a good opportunity to ensure a nice big one for them.

Good luck - they really are the most lovely animals, I miss mine terribly 🐰

I would also recommend a wooden playhouse or shed but if you absolutely can’t then the XL double chartwell hutch from home and roost is popular and possibly the coach house 6ft double hutch from the rabbit hutch company is good. The top also lifts up for cleaning on that one too. They’re both raised from the ground so no damp problems.
If it must be a hutch, go for a minimum of 6ft by 2 and make sure the run is about 10ft and predator proof/tall enough for them to hop and jump.

Never kept rabbits but long time keeping guinea pigs

The removeable trays - there was a very sad post on here a while back that someone had a fox get into their small animal hutch via the tray . Foxes are clever and determined !

I had a wooden playhouse (belonged to my DC ) on a solid base . My DH adapted it , made two of the windows removeable but the space was infilled with bars , chicken wire and mesh ( predators/mice/flies) and bolts to secure back in.
We put a cement filled bucket in front of the door and a bolt./padlock
It had power points for light ( essential in the dark for feeding cleaning checking) fan and little heater .
I could stand up in it , so great for DD to sit with the pigs

As they dn't climb , I had hutches on the floor with cut out doors so they could get out to potter round inside the pig shed

I bought a 2nd hand rabbit hutch ( from a well known stre ) good scrub , disinfect , paint
It was attaxhed to the outside run for the first summer then we put it in the pighouse permentantly .
I have to say , I wouldn't have trusted it to keep my pigs safe 24/7 .
They were never left out unattended even with the hutch/run . Only when we were home .
Compared to rabbits ,guineas are much more fragile and very defenceless .

Look at some ideas for sheds for rabbits , if you are good with design you can store hay and paper bedding too .

My shed would've accomodated 12 according to the piggie guidelines , I had 5 at one time ( in a 2+3 group) which I think was full capacity .

Ours live in a 6ft x 6ft shed with the same size of outdoor run attached. They are padlocked in at night to be secure. Totally agree do not get a hutch we had a 6ft hutch to begin with (before we knew any better). It was rubbish it fell apart after a winter, it was cheap mdf. We got the shed and insulated it ourselves.

Alongside the good advice you've been given about housing, start providing a litter tray. Will make cleaning out much easier.

Chicken coops are good for rabbits too.

I have www.rabbit-hutches.co.uk/6ft-rabbit-hutch?gclid=CjwKCAjwquWVBhBrEiwAt1KmwrI94dNXEyfmyb8ejbgkM4cgRB0ABq1Wx-PZeecPvPLPJ7g8y5uUChoCtgwQAvD_BwE

My rabbits are out kn the garden all day and go in at night

Defo agree, forget a hutch and get a playhouse/ shed with a permanently attached run on a concrete base which they can free access when they want. Your buns will thank you for having the space to move and stretch properly. Rabbits want to be out and about at dawn and in the evening, so much easier if they can keep to their own schedules.

We had a bluebell hideaway from pets at home plus the thermal cover and a corrugated zippi tunnel connected to a 14ft x 8ft run on the lawn.

Our two never tried to tunnel out.

Oh this is an oldish thread

The Big Rabbit Hutch site has gone offline :(

Recommended RWAF sized suppliers for rabbit housing here:
www.rabbitresidence.org.uk/rabbit-housing-suppliers.html

And housing inspo here:
www.rabbitresidence.org.uk/examples-of-suitable-housing.html

Hi @FixTheBone , I know things an old thread but can you explain / show how you attached the zippi tunnel? We have the bluebell hutch and I can't work out how best to fit the zippi door...

I basically used some wire cutters to remove a circle of mesh from one of the doors, using the fixing plate as a template.

As there will be a bit of wobble, you need to check there's no possible way any bit of wire can protrude by attaching the plate and moving at around as far as it can in each direction and trimming as necessary.

I've got my two bunnies in a big wooden hutch ( they was inside ones) but now out for the summer plus I've got two folding metal runs.so plenty of space they are Netherland dwarfs.

Just to say that this hutch is not predator proof - both cats and foxes can open hutches that are just secured with blocks of wood. The only way a hutch (or any outside housing) is secure is with proper outdoor bolts and padlocks.

Also be wary of folding metal runs as they can be lightweight enough for both predators and rabbits to lift and move and rabbits should never be left unattended in this style run. My previous pair of rabbits were Nethie/Mini Lop crosses and could easily lift and move metal puppy pen panels.

Nethies are extremely active little rabbits and need no less space than larger breeds, they need room to run at all times of day and night.

We don’t really get foxs where I live nor many cats.only my cat and she doesn’t bother with them.