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lindasewandsew

Anyone have a cute rabbit hutch?

lindasewandsew
15 years ago

Does anyone have a cute or even a basic rabbit hutch?? I'm going to make one, but being 'farm impaired' here in socal, you may think I don't even know what a bunny looks like. Most bunnies here only come out for Easter, and I think they live in the Playboy mansion, lol. Could you post some photos? Thanks, Linda

Comments (15)

  • TwoMonths
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    here is a start for you.
    http://www.rabbitstop.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=rs&Category_Code=2RabbitHabitats&gclid=CJ-pkLWy_pgCFR0Sagod7A8pnw

    BUT I like this one best, lol.
    can have a wooden floor but it is recommended to have a wire bottom. This is because your rabbit will generally use any bedding as litter and they do not know any better than to go to the bathroom whether they are in their "bedroom" or not.
    I can see a license plate on one. LOL June
    http://www.howtodothings.com/pets-and-animals/a2426-how-to-design-and-build-a-rabbit-hutch.html

  • luna_llena_feliz
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have never personally had rabbits but I have known people who have. Their hutches were outside and were basically cages on platforms about 3 feet off the ground. They had a solid roof over them to protect the rabbits from rain and snow. The site below has a good selection of rabbit hutches to give you a good idea of what they are like.

    I really like the one at the top of the page ... it is cool. The plain ones toward the bottom are the type I have seen.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Rabbit Hutches

  • lindasewandsew
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks June, That's a good start. There are SO many kinds of rabbit houses. Linda

  • lindasewandsew
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Wow, those are nice too Luna. We must have been posting at the same time. I like the one that's sort of round, but like the old style too. Thanks for the link. Linda

  • oreos_mom
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Long time "lurker"coming out of hiding here..lol. I don't have rabbit hutches anymore myself, but after raising swarms of the little beggars, I'll agree with Twomonths..you absolutely want a wire bottom in your cage.. use a gauge of wire that their feet can't get hung in or fall through. If you google GRIT magazine,you should be able to find some plans for a hutch in there. It's a homesteading mag,and these folks know what they're doing. I also put boards around the bottom edges of my hutches and raised earthworms there. They feed on the rabbit "poo" and hold the "aroma" down..lol. Plus,you can always sell the worms to bait shops for fishing. Also, if you've never had rabbits before, and are planning on having some babies,just make sure to remove the buck ( male rabbit ) from the does ( females ) because they will kill the newborn bunnies.

    Susan

  • lindasewandsew
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    This house will hold DGDs bunny planters. As much as she LOVES bunnies, DS may kill me if one shows up in it. I want to make a cage that will house a live one, in case she ever wins that debate.

    Thanks, Susan for the earthworm idea. It's good to know. I'll look up GRIT magazine, which I've never heard of. We are truly farm impaired here, lol. Linda

  • sunnyca_gw
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I've had rabbits. We had the best lop in the world!! Snoopy was 13 lb of fun & love. DD took her to jr. hi. & she sat on her desk. She never messed in the house when she came in each night to beg soda crackers from DH & of course he petted her while she laid in his lap. 1st thing you need is a shade tree or place that is not in sun. They get heatstroke. Extremely clean & disease free except for occassionally get tumors on back (our's did get 1 when she was about 1 old) Once you have a place in complete shade make a hutch off the ground(I made it myself) of 2x4x6 or 8 ft. I divided it with smaller area enclosed & with a blanket. It was wood 4in by 3 ft boards spaced about 1/2 in apart. covering enclosed area floor. There was opening into larger part which was 1/2x1 in heavy mesh wire & it should have no cut out areas for food or water- fatal mistake!!!! The wood door was in this part. I had 2 steps up to it. Everything was great for several years. Rabbits like to be acknowledged when you go out- ours ran free in blockwall enclosed yard. She did dig occasionally but otherwise was only concerned when you were gardening so would come & check every so often & of course come to be petted. If you brought someone into back yard she would run around our feet until we introduced her & person petted her, then she was fine. She made friends with most birds except mockingbirds 1 yr. gave her bad time, I put up screen cloth all along her area where her hutch was so she could go there & be safe. They can get angry. They stomp their back feet. A large cat came in yard once & she really let it know who was boss, the cat left in a hurry. They eat rabbit pellets which is just alfalfa & poop is really great fertilizer! The urine is kind of strong. Snoopy always went in far corner of her cage away from where she slept. She never liked being put in for night but she finally did. OK not all are as great as the 1 we had. We had moved the cage & it was in shade but then tree lost it's leaves so DD was to take it out before school each morning, 1 day I remembered not seeing DD go out, I went out & she flipped out of the cage like a board. Stiff & eyes looking funny. DS was out as he heard me scream- it was sunstroke, wrapped her in DS wet Tshirt & raced up to vet, he didn't think there was a chance, I told him he had to try 3 days of care & us taking her favorite food & a huge parade of kids crying & coming to see her he pulled her through. Cage moved back to proper spot & DD room covered with plastic & sheets & bed. Bed was waste, DD had her arms around her at night in her bed. DH came home & we were talking, I had put a 1 ft high board so she couldn't come out in hall, figured she would mess or wet. We heard a noise & she had drug herself over the board & was dragging herself down the hall. That is when we knew if she was to get normal we would have to "make" her work to get to us. We rewarded her with petting& grape leaves & spagetti which she ate off a fork. It took couple of months but she stood up on hind legs & begged for food at last. The opening for her pellet container proved to be a fatal mistake that night. I heard a thump & thought she had another stroke but it was a dog killing her & eating her & we found only the pelt that looked like a cult had come in & did it not a single drop of blood & head gone. We had animal control out, my dad came over to, they found 1 German shepard hair caught in that opening where he had ripped into the cage. If she had stayed in wooden part dog couldn't have gotten her. Anyway no opening when you make a cage except the door & we had a lock on it so we thought we were doing it right. I had 2 other lops but they were not as smart as this 1. I think she was 8 yrs old. We had it put in newspaper as this dog had been threatening people & even came at me in the garage & I managed to grab a trashcan lid& bang it & he ran away. We were afraid a child would be attacked & found several people had run-ins with the dog. We never saw it after that! Sorry this is long, anyone making 1 needs to know!! Jan

  • lindasewandsew
    Original Author
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks Jan, for all the info. Do you have a photo of the lop? Post it if you do. That's a lot of good info for me in case she should get one. It sure could happen. It's a shame that some don't take care of their animals, and let them visit harm on others.

    Thanks for the info on Modesto. I'll post a message for you on the Conversations side. Don't have your email. Linda

  • susiewantsroses
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I had a friend who had a house rabbit that could do most things a cat can do. That includes using a litter box and snuggeling up on the couch in her lap or on the back of the couch to watch TV. However, they will chew electrical cords if they get bored. I never met a rabbit that didn't bite me though. I must have the smell of a preditor??????

  • TwoMonths
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    well, I know Grit. I used to deliver it. My brother started the route and then started playing baseball and I took over. I could make $4-5 a week and it was fun. It was a really good little paper too. I had people coming out when they saw me cause they could hardly wait to get that weeks edition. That was in about mmmm 1952 or so.

    My sons friend raised rabbits and chickens. the rabbits gave off enough heat to keep the chickens warm in the cold weather. I think the rabbits were in the bottom coop and chickens up top. Or maybe the other way around.

    We raised rabbits when I was young also. We got too attached so daddy would sell them to a man who then made rabbit tamales and paid us with money and tamales. We did not realize he used our bunnies. He was still in business when he was very old, working out of the back of his truck. But then got busted cause he was caught selling more than tamales...shame, at his age. LOL.

  • luna_llena_feliz
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sunnyca, I was so sorry to hear the fate of your bunny! How tragic! I had a friend who had pet rabbits in her house. They can be litterbox trained and are very interesting pets. They like cuddling and playing. I heard they can take the cold better than the heat. I suppose they can burrough down in the ground when it gets too hot in the wild. This is the first time I heard of using worms to eat their poop though. What a great idea! Thanks for sharing Snoopy's story >:^) (Those are rabbit ears there!)

  • nonacook
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I know about Grit paper too! Bill delivered it when he was young.
    We had rabbits when I was little, but I don't really remember much about the cages. Loved the rabbits!

  • use2bcapecodr
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    When my girls were young, we had a bunny in a hutch out behind the house. We would occasionally bring Thumper in the house, until we noticed he chewed electrical cords. The girls promised never to bring him inside after that.

    I believed it...until one day, I found a snapshot one of the girls had...of Thumper sitting in my living room chair! Ha...busted!! LOL

    ~Sandy~

  • oreos_mom
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Just thought of something after reading sunnyca's post. I hung water bottles on the outside of the cage with the tube sticking through the wire into the cage. The feeders for their pellets were just the small feeders you can get in the pet section at walmart that dispense down into the bowl as they eat. The little lops or mini lops are adorable little rabbits. Their ears hang down instead of standing upright. My son told me about another breed of rabbit I had never heard of. They're called lions-head rabbits. He's stationed at Ft.Drum N.Y. and his neighbor raises them. They are beautiful ! He's going to try and bring me a pair when he comes home on leave in Sept.
    twomonths and nonacook.. how cool to have delivered Grit ! I have been reading it religiously for about 5 years now and love it !

    Susan

  • sunnyca_gw
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Snoopy never touched an electrical cord! Most of mine were hidden with all the little ones in the family as bros all started their families shortly after we got her. Snoopy was extremely easy going. Other 2 lops I had were not as cuddly or smart. Need to hold them & see how they take to you. If they make themselves at home on your shoulder or want you petting them & feel cuddly & let you sit & hold them & don't try to get away that is a good sign. I'd spend at least 30 min with 1 before I took it home. We didn't get it at pet store. It was at private home(she had a mountain lion in a cage, next time I see her I'm going to ask if she still has it. It was big!!!I don't remember how she got food in the cage. Jan

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