build a do - it - yourself ( DIY ) rabbit hutch is n’t that difficult . you could save money building it yourself , and you could prefer the size of your bunny ’s home . Most favorite store rabbit coop be well over $ 100 , but with a stumble to your local home improvement stock , a few dick , and these instructions , you may make a DIY rabbit hutch in a couple of hour .
Planning and Designing Your Hutch
Like all building projection , the job of construction arabbit hutchbegins with either drawing up your own plans or finding one to follow . If you have an image in your mind of what you want your shack to look like , absorb it out on newspaper publisher and be as elaborate as potential . Write down your mensuration and a list of material you ’re going to take ( i.e. screws , flexible joint , telegram engagement , etc . ) if you screw them .
If you ’re not an designer , do n’t care , arabbit hutchdoesn’t need to be fancy . Do n’t get overhear up in thinking that the hutch has to have a routine of dissimilar room for the rabbit . Most rabbitsdo just fine with a single life space . The shanty is essentially foreatingand sleeping . As long as the rabbit has enough elbow room for both , they ’re happy .
you could also jot down a list of worthy attribute . What do you want the cage to look like ? Approximately how gravid do you desire the hutch to be ? Once you have these item in mind , you could begin the lookup for a plan that looks the same or similar to your imagination .
Building a Basic Hutch
You do n’t take to go demented , specially if this is your first form . Take your clock time , draw out your plans , gather stuff and tools , and start off lento . In no time , you ’ll have a unadulterated shanty for your bunny .
Tools and Materials
You ’ll need the surveil tools and material to build your rabbit hut :
Building the Frame
For the systema skeletale of this lapin hovel , you ’re going to need four 2 - by-4s cut to 48 inches long , and eight 2 - by-4s cutting off to 24 column inch long .
Using a hammer and nails , bring together one 24 - column inch dining table to the end of a 48 - in control panel so it resembles the letter L. Nail another 48 - inch board to the other side of the 24 - inch board so it now looks like a U. When adding the 2nd 48 - in board , be trusted you join it the same path as the previous one , intend against the end of the 24 - inch board or against the top of it . Complete the bottom part of the frame by link up another 24 - inch dining table at the open end of the framing .
Turn the framing so one of the 48 - column inch sides is front you . Join a 24 - inch add-in , positioned vertically , at the corner of the frame . The 4 - in broad side of this board should be against the 48 - column inch side of the shape , and the 2 - inch side against the 24 - column inch panel along the frame ’s remainder . get together one board in each corner in this direction .
Join a 48 - in board to the top of the vertical boards so it looks precisely like the bottom part of the frame . Finish out by joining the top of the skeletal frame using two 24 - in and another 48 - in board . When the human body is stop , it will wait like a entrap rectangle .
Cut a piece of three - one-quarter - column inch plywood into two , 2 - foot - by-2 - groundwork hearty piece and nail one to each end of the shack . Cut another piece of the plyboard so it quantify 24 by 48 inch and nail it to the backside of the hutch . Hammer in a nail every 3 inches , so the tail is secured in berth .
Cut a piece of chicken wire so it valuate 24 by 48 inches and staple or nail it to the bottom side of the cony hutch . Cut another piece of music of chicken telegram so it measures 24 by 24 inch and staple or cop it to the unexpended side on the top of the hutch . Cut a 24 by 24 - in art object of plyboard and nail it to the right side of the top of the hovel .
Building the Door
thin out two 46 - column inch duration of the 1 - by-2 board , and two more at 24 - inches in length . Join them to make a rectangle just like you did with the anatomy bottom . Cut a piece of music of plyboard that measures 23 inches by 24 inch and nail it to the correct side of the rectangle . Cut a piece of poulet wire that measures 23 inch by 24 in and staple it to the left side of the rectangle .
Add hinge to the top 46 - column inch duration of wood that makes up the door . Secure the other side of the hinges to the 48 - in board on the front of the hutch so that the door will dangle upward . Attach the optic and hook locking mechanism on the bottom side of the front .
Adding the Legs
When see how to build up a rabbit hutch , it ’s important to remember to verify it is on legs so the bottom of the hut does n’t come in contact with the ground . This allows the rabbit ’s rest home to be drier and hefty because dung will fall to the ground below .
Turn the hut over and get together a 48 - column inch length of the 2 - by-4 card to each box . verify all four legs are of equal length so the shanty sits equally .
Building a Multi-Level Rabbit Hutch
TheRogue Engineeroffers a building plan for a multi - level hare hutch . The following are the cloth necessary to complete the undertaking :
The first step involves assembling the sides . You will need to practice pocket mess and meet the side of the frame with your 2 - 1/2 - column inch Blue - Kote Pocket Screws . Once the frame has been put together , paint it the desired semblance and hold back for it to dry . Once ironic , attach the panels with the exterior side down and attach them with 1 - 1/4 - in exterior wood screws . The orbit you are choosing to not be the panel can be covered with chicken wire for proper ventilating system .
Assemble the Front and Back of the Hutch
Next , you ’ll need to meet the front and back of the hutch following the same process as above . Drill pocket holes and assemble the side of the skeleton with your 2 - 1/2 - inch Blue - Kote Pocket Screws . Then , attach the panels with the exterior side down and seize them with 1 - 1/4 - inch exterior wood screws . Covered the undetermined area with chicken wire as you did in the footstep above .
Putting the Tray Together
This hutch has a tray . Although it ’s not necessary , most rabbit owner prefer having a tray so the hovel can be cleaned on a regular basis . you’re able to either use chicken mesh for the tray or a square piece of material depend on what you ’re looking for .
Now that all the piece have been made , you’re able to put it all together . For a stair - by - footprint photo view of the process , and the measure , check out thebuilding plan photo from the Rogue Engineeror look out the television below .
Multi-Rabbit Hutch
If you ’re looking for a shanty that is big and can domiciliate multiple rabbits on an individual basis , this could be the perfect cage for you . This John Cage utilizes 2 - by-4s and 4 - by-4s , along with simple part , such as nail and screws .
The cross pieces that go along the top and the bottom of the hutch are 2 - by-4s that are 8 foot prospicient . The corner Emily Price Post are 2 - by-4s that are 5 feet retentive . The 3 - by-4 cross pieces on each close are 35 in long . The four divider panels are made from 2 - by-2s and their ruined dimensions are 36 inches tenacious by 24 in eminent . The splitter panels are space 24 inches aside and are screwed down into 2 - by-4 traverse that are 35 inches in distance and are vertically sequester to the horizontal 2 - by-4s .
Anti-predator Rabbit Hutch
Although this hutch is n’t as esthetically pleasing as some others , it does protect against predators . It ’s made entirely of conducting wire , other than the square edges to form the corners of the cage . This type of cage may be recommended if you house your rabbit outside in an region with heavy depredation . Foxes and coyotes are know to grab rabbit when they are housed alfresco .
This cage is 36 - inches tenacious by 30 - in wide and 18 - inches marvellous . You will call for galvanized cage wire to form the sides of the cage , a pair of dikes to cut the wire , a tape measure , J - clip plier , and J - clips . You will also call for a 2 - by-4 to constitute the edges of the cage and 1/2 - column inch by 1 - inch galvanize cage telegram to make the base of the cage . A smaller diam wire will reduce the wear on the coney ’s groundwork .
Construction involves attaching the wire segments with the J - clips , and cut sections as necessary to gibe . You also need to add an incoming .
When building this all - wire hutch , you could avoid create sharp wire edges when you cut out the door entrance by making your cut in the middle of the galvanized conducting wire section , and folding the acute destruction over on itself . This allows you to get disembarrass of those sharp wire edges at the doorway without throw to cranch down the conducting wire around the entrance . If you do any grinding , however , make certain you are bust eye protection and gloves , peculiarly if you are using world power prick or a dremel to do the detrition .
Additionally , you may wish to include another textile inside the cage as coldcock , such as a piece of plyboard , to give the rabbit an area inside where their feet are not directly on the wire . A small hide may swear out for this purpose . There is disputation among rabbit keeper about all - telegram hutches potentially producing afflictive foot in coney , so keep this in mind if you notice your pets developing raw hocks .
Notes on All-wire Cages
lapin bring on two types of dung : even , round - shape poop , and a different eccentric of poop recognize as cecotropes , which are typically expelled during nighttime . rabbit oftenconsume these droppingsto ensure they are getting enough protein and vitamin B in their diet . Cecotropes also provide lapin with goodish bacterium they demand .
All - telegram batting cage structure can be functional for rabbit hutches , but they may refuse your rabbit access to their cecotropes , especially if their shack does not include a tray , and droppings fall through the conducting wire mesh . you’re able to avoid this by give your cony memory access to their cecotropes , either by provide them a 2-dimensional aerofoil upon which to stool at nighttime , or otherwise by moving their wire hutch to a location where they care able-bodied to access their cecotropes .
Finishing Your Rabbit Hutch
Whatever design you opt to practice , your rabbit hovel is now complete . you may pick out to paint the wood ( if your frame includes wood ) and stain it , or just let it weather by nature . If you choose to utilize key or defile your forest , do not give it to the wood on the inside of the shack because rabbits may manducate on the wood , and you do n’t want them ingesting the key or dirt . If you used other fabric , ensure that all surfaces are complimentary of acuate edges , and that the build is solid and good for your favourite cony . Next , all you have to do is introduce your pet to their novel family and bask the customs duty , DIY build up !
