Build a rabbit hutch yourself / build a rabbit hutch yourself - instructions

• Building a rabbit hutch - previous knowledge
  • Build or Buy "> Function
• Material and preparation
• To build rabbit hutch - prefab construction
• Build rabbit hutch - frame construction method

Not cats or dogs are the most popular domestic pets in Germany - the rabbits are. The reason for this is that most rabbit owners keep several animals. This is also very laudable and responsible: Rabbits are sociable animals that need the group of their peers. Alone, they feel very uncomfortable and stressed. With a suitable barn you always have your rabbits in view and know that they are well. Read in this text everything you need to know about building a rabbit stable.

Building a rabbit hutch - previous knowledge

Inside or outside? - Everything you need to know

Rabbits should not be kept in the apartment. They are flight animals with numerous reflections that make the holding in an apartment unbearable for them.

The instincts, needs and reflexes include:

• Cuts of all "nagbaren" materials
• Digging tunnels and corridors
• Drums at risk
• Socializing with other rabbits

Therefore: If the apartment does not have access to a garden, you should refrain from the rabbit keeping. Even the specially bred domestic or dwarf rabbits are in their hearts still the same wild animals, which yearn after romping outdoors. Our advice is therefore: If you want to have a happy rabbit, you will get freewheeling in the open air and on damp grass.

Build or Buy ">

Building a rabbit hutch is a bit underestimated. If you want to do it correctly, then the self-built stable quickly becomes much more expensive and expensive than planned. The trade offers a variety of models that can be assembled quickly due to prefabricated parts. Because of mass production, these models are also usually surprisingly cheap. On the other hand, we would like to advise against a used rabbit hutch.

Rabbits have a fine sense of smell . If they constantly smell strange rabbits, but can not see them, then they put this under unnecessary stress. In addition, parasites such as lice or fleas may have taken root in a used rabbit hutch. Even viruses from diseased rabbits are surprisingly robust and can easily infect the new owners of the stable.

Of course, if you want to build a rabbit hutch yourself, then that also has advantages. You can adapt the barn so perfectly to the space conditions at your place. Architecturally, you have the full freedom. Why not give free rein to creativity and build a real castle for the little hoppers? If you have children, building the rabbit hutch is definitely a great project that can be a lot of fun. Finally, old chests of drawers can also be converted into a great rabbit hutch. So you can save a lot of time and money.

function

What must the stable be? ">

A stable should provide shelter from wind, weather and wildlife. It is a dry and warm retreat that rabbits should be able to enter and leave at will. The size of the stalls depends on the breed of rabbits and the number of animals that are to be kept. The Central Association of German Rabbit Breeders specifies the following minimum measures for a "single bay" - the space in the barn intended for an animal.

Dwarf breeds up to about 2.0 kg

• Height: 0.5 m
• Length: 0.6 m
• Width: 0.6 m

Small breeds (rabbits)

• Height: 0.6 m
• Length: 0.75 m
• Width: 0.7 m

dwarf rabbits

• Height: 0.6 m
• Length: 0.8 m
• Width: 0.85 m

Rabbits

• Height: 0.7 m
• Length: 0.8 m
• Width: 1.10 m

water drinking

When building a rabbit hutch, make sure that each animal gets its own water potion. If you bring the water pot outside, you can optimally monitor the freshness and the level of the water.

space

To be on the safe side, we recommend that you plan a space of approx. 0.6 - 0.8 square meters for each rabbit. Keep in mind that for 2 rabbits you need a 4-6 square foot spout. You must fence this meadow area and dig the fence at least 0.8 meters deep into the ground. Its height should also be at least one meter. Even rabbits can jump. Fences of other dimensions are quickly tunnelled or skipped. And then the rabbit is mostly gone. An enclosure also offers good protection against martens, foxes, cats and dogs.

Material and preparation

As we would like to advise you to only keep rabbits if you can grant them an outdoor spout, we will give you a construction manual for an outdoor stable here.

statics

Static you do not have to pay much attention to the rabbit hutch. However, it is important that the actual stable is always a few centimeters away from the ground. The rabbit hutch therefore always needs " feet ". However, you can use the space under the feet as an inlet under which the rabbits can also stay warm and dry. Fence the entrance with hare wire and sprinkle straw or sawdust on it. In wet weather, you must remove this bedding quickly so that it does not rot.

Upcycling

The cheapest and fastest way to build a rabbit hutch is to use an old chest of drawers. Dressers are long, flat cabinets that stand on four feet. All you need to do now is remove the drawers, set up the boxes and insert a small step for the entrance. The dresser is covered with roofing felt and decorated as desired - the rabbit hutch is ready.

If you have architectural ideas that you would like to build in the rabbit hutch, then you have two designs to choose from.

• bricks
• frame construction

To build rabbit hutch - prefab construction

What you need for a rabbit hutch:

• chipboard
• screw
• steel angle
• wood screws
• battens
• jigsaw
• adhesive film
• roofing felt
• chicken wire
• Cordless Screwdriver

chipboard

In the panel construction chipboard are cut to size and bolted together. You can use the side walls and doors of decommissioned kitchen and bedroom cabinets. These have the advantage that they are very smooth inside and therefore easy to clean. The cabinet back walls are less suitable for building rabbits . Rabbits gnaw and bite very much. Thanks to the soft fiber material of the cabinet back walls, they quickly gnawed on themselves.

screw together

When screwing the plates, make sure that no screws protrude into the interior. If this happens, saw off the screws and grind the remains down so that the animal can not hurt anymore.

weatherability

Make sure that the stable is also weatherproof . The wood chipboards are not intended for outdoor use. They quickly swell and discard the glued veneer. With an adhesive film from the outside you can not only protect the wood from penetrating moisture. You also have the opportunity to make the rabbit hutch visually appealing.

Otherwise, it all too soon looks like you are storing bulky waste in your own garden. Do not forget to seal the roof side with roofing felt . The roof side gets a slope of about 20 °. This rainwater runs off reliably and is not on the roof.

cleaning flaps

Also, add cleaning flaps to the rabbit hutch. You have to reach all the chambers in the interior well, so that no debris accumulates in it. The rabbit hutch is cleaned and disinfected once a week. So the little friends stay clean and healthy.

Build rabbit hutch - frame construction method

What you need for a rabbit hutch:

• Frame timbers, planed 10 x 10 cm
• Handkreissäge
• boards
• chicken wire
• jigsaw
• Cordless Screwdriver
• corner
• wood screws
• if necessary wood preservative

In the framework construction, the structure of the stable is built together with a framework of framework timbers. Then the side walls are pulled in by boards and hare wire. The frame construction looks a bit more professional and offers greater design freedom than the panel construction method. Another advantage is that solid wood does not rot in the same way as chipboard. Even untreated solid wood only gets a white-gray patina, but lasts for many years.

Treated with wood preservatives, of course, the rabbit hutch keeps much longer. In this case, however, make sure that you use a suitable agent for the animals. There are a variety of oils and paints that pose no danger to the animal. Our recommendation is the so-called " Sabberlack ". This is non-toxic paint used for toys. Sabber varnish is therefore also called "children's toy varnish".

When building rabbits in frame construction, you must observe the golden rule of the framework. This is: "triangle is - rectangle passes". This means open squares and squares tend to collapse. With a board sheathing, you have already bypassed the problem. If you have open sides that you only want to disguise with hare wire, you need to take stabilization measures. Open rectangles can be stabilized with a diagonal strut . Alternatively, you can insert in all four angles a small strut that keeps the barn from collapsing.

Have fun building the rabbit hutch!

With this information, you can now get down to business. Let your imagination run free and make yourself, your children and even the little Hoppler happy. Pay attention to the minimum dimensions per animal, then you are in any case on the safe side. We hope you enjoy building and with your little friends.