How to Build a Rabbit Hutch

Used to house domesticated game animals, a hutch is usually built out of plywood and wire, and propped up off the ground by planks of wood. A typical rabbit hutch is relatively easy to build, offering your rabbit sturdy and reliable shelter, good ventilation and nest boxes where bunnies can be born.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Wire rabbit cage (or wire and wire cutter)
• Metal ties
• Nails
• Plywood
• Hammer
• 2 by 4s
• Rubber gloves
• Saw

Construct a Hutch for Your Rabbits

1. Stop by your pet store, or inquire where you bought your plywood and lumber if there are any layouts or plans available to help you build your rabbit hutch. You might be able to make things easier on yourself and enjoy help from a convenient illustrated guide.

2. Pick up a regular wire cage used for indoor rabbit housing. Readily available at pet shops and farming supply centers, you can avoid the hassle (and danger) of having to fashion your own wire frame by using a ready-built cage as the base of your rabbit hutch. To make your own, nail 4 legs to the desired square footage of plywood. Wrap wire in a straight line around all four legs, leaving about an inch of space between each line. Tie them down snugly and cut off loose ends with your wire cutters.

3. Take your 2 by 4s and use them to construct a support frame around the wire cage you procured in Step 2. This will make your rabbit hutch sturdier and more better suited for use outdoors or in a barn.

4. Build legs for your rabbit hutch using another four 2 by 4s. Most experts recommend that the hutch's legs be at least 3 feet in length. This will make cleaning and maintaining the hutch much easier.

5. Choose the spot where you want to situate the new rabbit hutch and hammer the legs into the ground.

6. Finish by building a plywood roof for the hutch. While some people simply prefer to lay a loose piece of plywood over the top, a hinged roof is much better. It is also wiser to build the roof on a slope to prevent precipitation from collecting on top of it.

7. Add accessories as you prefer. A retractable pan that collects the rabbit feces is a popular addition. Shingles or shielding the hutch with a clear plastic cover also helps preserve it in the face of the elements.

Tips & Warnings

• Build a wire cage instead of an enclosed wooden rabbit hutch. In a closed hutch, your rabbits will use the corners to urinate, causing ammonia to seep into the wood. That can damage your rabbit's health.
• Wear rubber gloves whenever you're building anything with metal wire. Loose ends of the wire may be frayed and can potentially cause serious injury.

[VirginiaWriter]

on 2/16/2009 Domesticated game animals? Rabbits are the third most popular pet in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Housing them outdoors is extremely dangerous and often dramatically alters the lifespan of a rabbit. Rabbits, who are cared for properly and who live indoors, can live as many as 12 years. Also sad to see that the hutch includes an area for nesting, when roughly a million rabbits are euthanized each year.