# Hutch



## Hyatt101 (Feb 14, 2013)

What do you all think of this hutch for an outdoor rabbit?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pawhut-Wood...071&pid=100015&prg=1085&rk=1&sd=121048991722&


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## Bunnylova4eva (Feb 14, 2013)

Several things I saw:

Pro's:
Nice run attached
Up off the ground some, good for bunny protection
Looks very nice with the wood and all that they chose

Con's:
Steep ramp, easy to get hurt as they'd jump/fly off the edge too high possibly
Large bars in the run
Small run for what you're getting, maybe it'd be worth looking for one similar with a bigger run
Small actual cage part

Ripley's outside hutch is this style: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000YJ45Z8/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 but even bigger, taller, painted a light beige color, and higher off the ground (and over all much nicer, just the style with the two sides and such are simlar). I strongly believe the higher up the better. Bunnies being prey animals are easily frightend so the higher up the better. I Like a bigger actual cage part because I think especailly in the winter it's important to have enough space for the bunny to get exercise though it can't go out on the ground much.


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## hannah_biota (Feb 15, 2013)

I would want the hutch/house to be oriented so that the snow/rain runoff isn't directed into the run.


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## Nancy McClelland (Feb 15, 2013)

Doesn't look like an all season hutch for where you live and I didn't like the fact that it can be tunneled into or out of easily. Plus, we like giving our buns a bigger run area.


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## Hyatt101 (Feb 15, 2013)

Thank you all for th replies. Would a tarp covering it while raining help the exposed part? And, what if I moved it into the barn during storms, bad weather, etc? I also am not in love with the run size, but I am in love with the price !  most of these cages run for MUCH higher, and I have a hutch that does not have a run or anything, and it was $249!! So, considering the price, does it make it more worth it?


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## whitelop (Feb 15, 2013)

This is going to sound crazy, but have you looked on walmart.com in the small pet section? They have all sorts of out door hutches that you order. They aren't made my walmart, they're made by another company. They have all kinds of designs with bigger runs and bigger hutch parts. I was looking at them the day before yesterday and they had some that were kind of nice. You'd just have to look.

I agree that the holes in the wire are a bit large. I would worry that the buns would get their heads stuff or be able to get out. OR something else would be able to get in. If you do get that one, you could get some chicken wire and cover the outside of the wire with the chicken wire or get 1" hardware cloth to cover the wire on the hutch. 

I'll be honest, you guys could probably get the wood and stuff from lowes or home depot for cheaper than buying hutches, since you have to buy 2. You could go to the indoor lumber yard at either of those stores and ask them if they have the warped lumber packages. My dad spent $30 on a package and built me a really nice pretty large chicken coop. 
The only thing is, the chicken wire or hardware cloth you decide to use can be pretty expensive. I think I would look into that, if I were going to have an outdoor rabbit hutch.


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## ldoerr (Feb 15, 2013)

That is NOT a good price for that cage. I think that you would be better off building your own or hiring someone to build one. Cages are NOT complicated to build and can often be built with spare bits and pieces that you have laying around. Also get creative and come up with unusual uses for thing that you find. I think that you should be able to build a cage AT LEAST 2x that size for the same price.


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## Hyatt101 (Feb 16, 2013)

whitelop said:


> This is going to sound crazy, but have you looked on walmart.com in the small pet section? They have all sorts of out door hutches that you order. They aren't made my walmart, they're made by another company. They have all kinds of designs with bigger runs and bigger hutch parts. I was looking at them the day before yesterday and they had some that were kind of nice. You'd just have to look.
> 
> I agree that the holes in the wire are a bit large. I would worry that the buns would get their heads stuff or be able to get out. OR something else would be able to get in. If you do get that one, you could get some chicken wire and cover the outside of the wire with the chicken wire or get 1" hardware cloth to cover the wire on the hutch.
> 
> ...




I did look in Walmart, and found this cage: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Advantek-The-Stilt-House-Rabbit-Hutch/21874362


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## Hyatt101 (Feb 16, 2013)

The only thing about building is that.... We're not great with building things, and I have no idea how to build a hutch


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## coxbrea151 (Feb 16, 2013)

If you already have ahutch, then you could simply buy a run. Runs' are really easy to make, as all you need to do is build a simple frame and staple mesh to the frame. There are propably quite a few people in your area that would gladly build you a run. 
Most store-bought hutches require you to build them anyway, it takes up too much space and larger shipping packages for a pre-assembled one. Ask around, it never hurts. The bonus of building your own is that you get to design the way YOU want it, it's your idea of ideal, not someone else's. If you look around online there are a lot of resourceful guides, blue prints, instructions, and plans for building your own hutch and runs. The internet is good for stuff like that.


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## hannah_biota (Feb 16, 2013)

Oh Walmart does have some nice ones! I don't know how much you really save by building your own. I thought I would save money building my own chicken coop but we're already in $200+ and it's not done yet. I'm expecting the final cost to be well over $300 (2-3x higher than our estimate). It is a big coop and has been a good learning experience though! we will be building our rabbit's outdoor play area ourselves, but with mostly salvage lumber so that should reduce the cost quite a bit.


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## 1357bunnylover (Feb 18, 2013)

The one you posted is just over 4ft in length so the bed area is only 2ft in length and I personally wouldn't put a bunny in such a smal hutch. I think that is really expensive for what you are getting too. I build my bunnies a huge 12ft x 6 ft x 5.5 ft run and a 5ft hutch all for £130, I don't know how much that is in dollars but you can build your own hutch/run that can be 5x bigger and a lot cheaper than store bought hutches  and it really is not hard! I have never built anything in my life and me and my dad & mum all did it and it isn't hard at all  You could also get a shed or a bike shed? They're reasonably priced and are good sizes


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