There are many different housing options for rabbits. Before we talk about hutch styles, make sure to consider a few key points that will play into your decision. Choosing the right cage setup for your lifestyle will help set you and your new rabbit companion up for success! Size It is important that your bun has enough room to move and run, jump and binky at different points throughout the day or week. Generally, for cage size, we say that a cage should be no shorter than the bunny's length when all stretched out X 2. Another way to look at it, is 1 square foot per lb of rabbit. Holland Lops are generally about 4lbs, so they would need about 4 sq feet. However, having a smaller cage for your rabbit is perfectly maneagable if you have set up a run or a playpen, and give them daily exercise. Bunnies are very creative, fun and personable creatures and thrive in an environment that has lots of space for them to exercise and explore. All of our buns have a minimum of 4 sq feet, but most of our buns have even larger cages. We also have pens/runs so that our buns can get daily and weekly excercise on the ground! Environment - Playtime and Toys Like mentioned above, bunnies are incredibly curious, creative and playful. When I first got bunnies to start breeding I actually bought an English spot rabbit mix. I knew nothing about breeds and was excited to just get some rabbits. His name was Peter and he was one of the most intelligent rabbits I have ever had. He knew me and would get excited every time I would come by. He would race up and down his cage, following me as I fed the other rabbits. He enjoyed learning tricks, yes I said that correctly, real tricks. He knew how to go up on his hind legs when prompted, spin in a circle, and even lay down/flop. He was so personable and would butt your hand for a pet when he wanted one. Now as much as I would like to claim that he is the only rabbit on the planet like this, that just isn't the truth. Although he was special to me, and unique in personality, he is not the only bunny able to learn tricks, and full of playful quirks. So many rabbits desire to bond with their owners. They can be taught to be litter trained, do tricks and be your companion. All it takes is the right environment, a bit of time, and a bit of work and you and your bun will be the best companions. This is all to say, having toys, and playful structures for your rabbit to get creative and roam in is super important. Create an area where they can hop onto, into or under something. Buy or make some toys and rotate them in their cage, 1-2 at a time. Spend some time on the floor with them, and let them explore all around you. There are lots of toys that are basic and simple in design and can even be made yourself! Interested in some DIY Rabbit Toys? Blog post coming soon. Your time, commitment, and space It is important to be mindful and honest about this factor before deciding on your buns housing. For example, if you know you do not have a lot of time, and want to ensure all the time you do have is devoted to holding and playing with your bunny, you may choose a more low maintenance cage. In contrast, if you spend a lot of time at home, you may want to put the work into a free run rabbit in your home. If you plan to have multiple buns, but don't have a lot of space, you may want to choose a more space saving option, and create one big run outdoors that your buns can take turns in. Weather It is important to remember where you live, and how weather will play a role in choosing an appropriate cage. Obviously, if you live in an area that gets extremely cold, or hot, you may choose to house your buns part time indoors. You may choose a more sheltered cage setup, or you may choose to have your bun indoors all year. Disease/Illness Many rabbitrys that are faced with risk of disease choose to house their buns indoors, as keeping the Rabbitry biosecure from things such as RHD@V is easier this way. Don't know what biosecurity or RHDV2 is? Read our bog post on it! Now that we have thought about some contributing factors, lets get into cages! CagesHutches: Hutches are a wonderful way to house your rabbit and is our chosen preferred method. Here are the reasons some people choose to use hutches. PROS:
Hutch Styles: There are many different types of Hutch style. Raised hutches are cages off the ground with wire/wood bottoms so the poop falls through. Triangle/Run hutches are cages on the ground. These cages are great for providing your bun time to roam safely with grass to chew or dirt to play in, somewhat unsupervised. It is important to note if buns are directly on the ground, there should still be wire under the cage or a few inches under the dirt as rabbits are diggers and escape artists by nature. For mowing runs, remember not to leave your rabbit in one area to long as he/she could hurt the grass. These runs are cages and can be treated so, making them different from outdoor play pens. Bunny Condo Bunny Condo's are indoor housing options for your bun that are more space efficient by stacking the levels that your bun has in order to save space in your home and give your bun the most room to move. They can be built with wire, or wood. There are many different styles of bunny condos. Here are a few to give you some ideas. Wire stacked cages Wire stacked cages can sometimes be a controversial topic. Many breeders use this type of housing because it is extremely space efficient and makes cleaning quicker. This style of housing makes it possible to own 20+ buns and is very popular among breeders. Personally, I think it is important to take the time to get to know the breeder. The main thing when using these cages is that there is a safe and large place for the buns to run, play and excercise on a daily basis. A breeder may use these cages, and give their buns lots of exercise and play time outside of their cages. Always feel comfortable asking the breeder where they let their buns play and exercise! Pros:
Traditional These types of cages can often be very small. As well, they are hard work to keep clean as they are a solid tub bottom. We often recommend these cages if you want to have a free roam bunny. In that instance, the cage acts as a safe place, to poop, get food and even sleep. Play time is conducted out of the cage and the bun has plenty of room. We also suggest pairing these cages with an indoor play pen to complete your indoor rabbit setup. Pros:
PlaypensIndoor Indoor play pens are a great way to give your bun controlled play time and play space. Many buns do great roaming the house on play time, but if you have a rabbit who loves to chew, very young kids, or a dog, you may want to give them play time in a pen. Here are some great play pen looks. Pros:
Outdoor
You can use these same pens outdoors, but rabbits must be supervised at all times. Rabbits have many predators and these cages are not as safe with no roof or wire bottom. Not only can predators get in, rabbits can easily get out. Rabbits can both dig deep, and jump high so supervising this playtime is key.
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