New bunny pen

[fuzzyBunny]

Hello, I currently have one Jersey Wooly rabbit and I love the breed! I’m looking to buy a second one. (Before anyone mentions it: bonding is not an option, I use my rabbit and future rabbits for show. They are my pets and get a whole bunch of interaction and care. I’m not looking to own more than three rabbits any time in the future. Also I am looking to possibly breed them at some as long as they show well and are excellent specimens of their breed. But if not I will keep them as just pets and show animals and not use them to add to the growing abandoned rabbit population. Also they live outside when the weather is ok for them (80 and under) and when the weather isn’t healthy for them to be outside she comes into the house. I don’t have very much space inside and I’m able to give her much more room outside in her hutch. I just wanted to get that out there before I get any hate.) Anyways, while I was looking for a hutch for my second rabbit the prices of hutches were super high. Like $150-$200 for a decent sized one. So then I got looking and found a little house (the picture) and was thinking maybe I could use that and an exercise pen to create a good living space. I plan on covering it with wire and a tarp to provide cover for him. Is this an ok option? Thank you sooo much for reading through this whole thing and for any help!!!

 

[fuzzyBunny]

I was also thinking about building one similar to it and adding on a feeding/litter box station

 

[Preitler]

Well, my 2cents:

I'm pretty sure none of mine would go in there. They don't easily go into something that looks like a trap, it might work for food, but as a litter box it would be a bore to clean.
I have a similiar box in a ca. 20m² run where my two senior does spend daytime and where their hay is, but without front or backwall - they like that as protection from sun and rain. It's just a small shipping crate with 2 walls removed, and a bigger scrap whiteboard on top. But that's not their hutch where they spend the night and bad weather days, that is 2.6x0.8m for the two of them, hidey house on second level, with wire front and wood slate flooring.


In my opinion there are things sold as rabbit hutches at ridicolous prices that don't deserve that designation, produced for new pet owners with misconceptions about housing rabbits. I build everything by recycling pallets. I got two of those typical two story pet hutches from neighbours, only used them once in a pinch for my buck, both connected, still too small for my taste. And a nightmare to clean. It really pays off to think in advance about how to make your setup convinient to maintain and easy to clean. Big doors, good ventilation, good light, slate or wire floor with drop pans (I use those cheap, 5-6€, rectangular plastic 65 liter things for mixing concrete), hay or forage racks that can be filled from outside and heated water crocks are the things I learned to value.
But I needed 4 iterations of hutches to get there, updating the old ones step by step.

I never actually bonded 2 does, my black Fury even at 9years attacks the other pair of does on sight, drawing blood, but she is rather special. My pairs are mother-daughter, that saved me any troubles. Since I raise my rabbits on forage I have 5-7 months to pick the doeling that gets along best with mum. But I don't show and only breed meat mutts, so there are way less criteria for keeping a doeling.
For me it's way less work than caring for single does and their litters, and I get a good part of my satisfaction from this whole rabbit experience from just watching them interact.

 

[fuzzyBunny]

What you have is something very similar to what I want, I would love to build a “second story” to it and kinda build off of it and add a covered feeding and litter box area. A second story gives more enrichment and choices for him to choose where he sleeps. Thank you for your reply!

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

I wouldn't use that house thing and an exercise pen as permanent housing, especially not outdoors. Most store-bought hutches are too small and not worth the price. I personally prefer rabbit sheds or aviaries. These can be handmade if you or someone you know is good with their hands

I believe what @Preitler was saying is that that is just a little hideout for their rabbits.

 

[fuzzyBunny]

Oh ok, I really don’t have space or money to build a large rabbit shed, which is what I want to do. Have you have or seen any diy aviaries? Like I said I’m looking for a cost effective way to give a new rabbit appropriate space. I not against possibly build a second one for my current.

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

I personally wouldn't say there are many cost-effective ways to house rabbits outdoors as there are so many factors to keep in mind. Here in the UK, we have many businesses that custom-make and build rabbit housing for us (along with many people who make their own) for fairly cheap, but all of them are over £100.
If you google: "rabbit aviary", "rabbit kennel", "rabbit shed" etc. You should end up with some good results.

Aviary: Aviary Panels for Rabbit Runs - The Rabbit House

You could also try a dog kennel.

These options are generally only good on hard flooring that rabbits or predators can't dig in/out of. The wire will also have to be quite specific as predators can chew through something like chicken wire.

 

[Kinnashville]

What you have is something very similar to what I want, I would love to build a “second story” to it and kinda build off of it and add a covered feeding and litter box area. A second story gives more enrichment and choices for him to choose where he sleeps. Thank you for your reply!

This is a playhouse that Koal loves to play in and it gives him lots of expertise as well.
It is a combination of boxes that is for stories high and costed nothing but tape.

 

[JBun]

One affordable option may be to try and find an old used chicken aviary or dog run in your local classifieds/marketplace.