General questions on building hutches

[New to Rabbits]

Hello, this is my first rabbit and my first post here.

I have a safe area in the backyard that I plan to plant a "bunny garden" with edible treats for him following a rabbit book I have. However, the book does not elaborate on what types of materials are safe for rabbits for the enclosure. Clearly, I will not be using pressure-treated wood or paint, so I was thinking cedar would be good, given its natural weather resistance.

Do you sand hutch wood so rabbits don't risk slivers, or is this not an issue?

Do rabbits like partial or full shade when they arein their garden?

How long would you let a bunny graze in the garden before bringing him back inside?

What plants have you used in the past?

 

[LakeCondo]

Welcome to the forum.

You need to look in the library section for a lot of this. But rabbits like it on the cool side & 85` can be life threatening.

In terms of plants, surprisingly, carrots aren't that good for rabbits. The greens have too much calcium for adult rabbits & the carrots are too sweet for other than an occasional treat. Look at a list of foods they can eat & see if you can grow it there [so no banana trees]. Any lettuce except iceberg is good, parsley, etc. I'm partial to fennel myself, so that's always in my garden; also wheat grass. Just don't let them eat much at first, so their digestion can adjust to it. Note also what is poisonous to rabbits: potatoes, tomato plants [ripe tomatoes are ok], onion, garlic, ground ivy, etc].

 

[ZRabbits]

Welcome.

Regarding sanding down hutch, I don't think that's necessary. Are you going to use a wood floor or wiring? Wire flooring is easier to clean. All you need to have is a place (tile or cardboard) for your rabbit to rest on. Wire flooring can give rabbits sore hocks.

Plants: Have a bunny garden myself. Have planted carrots, parsley, cilantro, This year doing arugula, lemon basil, Russian Kale.

Wheat grass is a continuous venture. We do that through hydroponics (indoor) and garden (outside). Plus we plan to plant some in their outside run.

Shade is a must when housing rabbits outside. Direct sunlight is not good for them. Plus watch drafts when colder weather comes.

Start slow with allowing your bunny to graze. Build up the time so that your bunny digestive system doesn't get upset or overloaded.

And best part, get in the run with him. Take your camera, spend some time. Practice picking up and putting down, grooming. It's the best time for bonding.

Good Luck! Hope this info helps.

K

 

[ZRabbits]

One more thing to add: Bunny poop is very good for gardens. All organic!

K

 

[Nela]

I would strongly recommend tiling the interior of the hutch. It can be done for rather cheap. This will prevent the wood from absorbing the urine which will ruin the hutch pretty quickly. Humid wood is also terrible as it is heaven for bacteria and bugs, etc. Ick. Trust me, my girls have ruined theirs! With it tiled, you wouldn't have to worry so much about the wood itself as well i.e. sanding, etc. You can also add in those metal strips to prevent them from chewing the edges as well. It adds a few in terms of building, but it's well-worth it seeing how much longer your hutch will stay in good condition.

 

[New to Rabbits]

tiling is a good idea - I'll look into that. I have spare tiles and grout in the basement too.