# Outdoor Running Homemade Pen?



## Ashley B (Jun 28, 2012)

I would like to say that all ideas are greatly appreciated! I was wondering if any one has ideas on how to make a homemade running pen! My bunny does not have one right now and i am worried that when i let him out, he will run away! I need easy ideas for i am still a "youngster"  thank you!

-Ashley


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## Korr_and_Sophie (Jun 28, 2012)

The easiest thing to use as a pen is a dog x-pen. You can use a couple (or more) and connect them. This can be expensive as 1 can be $50 or more.
NIC grids are also good to use. You should zip tie them together so you can fold it up with not in use or to move it around more easily. This is usually cheaper than x-pens, especially if you can get cheaper grids. 

Building a pen yourself will be tricky and does require tools (saw, drill etc), so you may need help if you are not comfortable using tools yourself. 
You can build a frame using wood and them cover it with a wire mesh. You can make it as big as you want and can even put a top on or wheels so you can move it easily. To make it a big easier, you can by wood that is the right length you want and most hardware stores will cut it for you. 
If you want something more permanent and are not going to move it, you can get wood stakes and put those in the ground, then put up some wire mesh. 

Any wire you use should not be much bigger than 1"X1" and not bigger then 2"X2". Square mesh (not chicken wire) is better and looks nicer too.


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## fuzz16 (Jun 28, 2012)

you can use nic grids? or look on craigslist for chicken wire or garden fencing and use wood posts to keep it up. not the prettiest but afforable


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## LakeCondo (Jun 29, 2012)

The xpens have 8 sides, each 2-feet wide, so you can make it into a circle, a 4-ftx4-ft square, or a 2-ft by 6-ft rectangle. Get a 48" tall one if your rabbit is a climber & even then you probably should fasten a sheet over the top.

Just make sure to only have your rabbit outside when you have time to watch him all the time. It should be in shade in hot weather. And to try to prevent the rabbit getting parasites, especially if there are wild rabbits in the area, you should treat the ground with diatomaceous earth before bringing your rabbit there.


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## MyBabyHasPaws (Jun 29, 2012)

Make craigslist your buddy right now. I have purchased 2 xpens in the last week, $30 for one, $25 for the other. They have chips of the paint missing, but they're still very much in working condition.

I couldnt build a homemade bunny run if my life depended on it. So i had to stalk craigslist for weeks lol.


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## MyBabyHasPaws (Jun 29, 2012)

*LakeCondo wrote: *


> The xpens have 8 sides, each 2-feet wide, so you can make it into a circle, a 4-ftx4-ft square, or a 2-ft by 6-ft rectangle. Get a 48" tall one if your rabbit is a climber & even then you probably should fasten a sheet over the top.
> 
> Just make sure to only have your rabbit outside when you have time to watch him all the time. It should be in shade in hot weather. And to try to prevent the rabbit getting parasites, especially if there are wild rabbits in the area, you should treat the ground with diatomaceous earth before bringing your rabbit there.


what is that? what does it do? where can i get it? lol


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## caustin4 (Jun 29, 2012)

I made pens out of 1x2 pieces of wood and plastic covered chicken wire. I bought the wood at home depot where they cut it for you. I bought 8 pieces of 1x2s and had them all cut into 6 foot and 2 foot lengths. I made two 6x6 squares and then used the 2 foot pieces around the edges for height. The chicken wire came in a 24 foot long role that is 2 feet tall. I used a staple gun to attach it. It's a pretty simple pen to make if you can, and it cost me about $20 total. I think it looks better then the xpens I have in my yard too.


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## LakeCondo (Jun 30, 2012)

I got diatomaceous earth from amazon, but you can do a search to see what kind of places sell it. Make sure it's food-grade, as the rabbits will get some on their feet & lick it off. Some people actually eat a little each day & say it makes them feel better, but I must admit I haven't tried it.

It's basically powdered diatoms, which are a type of algae. I know that sounds strange, but diatoms are full of silica. It is virtually harmless to most animals & feels like a soft powder, but to soft-bodied insects etc it feels like a bed of broken glass. So it's a barrier for them.


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## MyBabyHasPaws (Jul 2, 2012)

^oh thats so cool. I will look into that pronto! Thanks Orlena!


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## ZRabbits (Jul 2, 2012)

*MyBabyHasPaws wrote: *


> ^oh thats so cool. I will look into that pronto! Thanks Orlena!



It's great stuff. The Pet store that I go to has it. My husband put it all over the front and backyard. Truly see the difference regarding pesky bugs. Know my Tribe is very safe. Plus the wildlife too, lol. 

K


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## ZRabbits (Jul 2, 2012)

If you check my blog, you will see our outdoor running homemade pen. Bit elaborate but my Husband did a really good job. We did start out with a dog crate with an x-pen attached. Worked just as well. Bit smaller than what we have now, but did the job. My Tribe loved it.

K


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