rabbit hutch

[toffee]

our homemade rabbit hutch is ancient and the wooden floor is perishing with the rabbits weeing and also with me washing it out.
The rabbits have access to a very large grassed run at all times but still use inside one section of the hutch as the toilet.

Any suggestions as to what to use for, or on the floor.
I stupidly put rubber matting in thinking it would wipe and would be warm but they nibbled it so it had to come out.

Not sure if I can paint the floor with something to protect it from water that wouldnt be poisonous if they chewed it.

any ideas?

 

[Adam_151]

I'm not sure if those vinyl floor tiles you get from £land are suffciently nibble proof? if not replace the wooden floor with one made from rigid poly-carbonate, or acrylic or something like that.

 

[toffee]

I think they would still chew the tiles.
The other material you mentioned, where would I buy that and what sort of lengths does it come in please.
Also, can you just cut it with a saw?

 

[big-all]

the only way you can do it is by making a wooden tray that covers the floor in each half fully[12mmply edged with 2 by1 timber]

yes the wood still gets wet yes they chew the edge off the trays and yes underneath still gets wet and will still rot
but at least cleaning out is easy ,you can rotate the trays to rot evenly

make shure the trays will go in and out flat and the doors will close

and get a bit of wood with bark on for them to chew
they will still chew everything in sight but a nice piece of bark will distract them

and they will chew through any material without any trouble

although metal slows them down considerably

 

[Adam_151]

and they will chew through any material without any trouble

I expect not beeing able to get at an edge of it probably would slow them down?

Just had a google, this place sell acrylic sheet: http://www.casupply.co.uk/acatalog/solidsheets.html and
perspex (brand of ploy-carbonate) should be available from a DIY shed AFAIK

Use a fine tooth saw, such as a hacksaw to cut them

 

[big-all]

and they will chew through any material without any trouble

I expect not beeing able to get at an edge of it probably would slow them down?

Just had a google, this place sell acrylic sheet: http://www.casupply.co.uk/acatalog/solidsheets.html and
perspex (brand of ploy-carbonate) should be available from a DIY shed AFAIK

Use a fine tooth saw, such as a hacksaw to cut them

your right about flat edges when i make hutches the chicken wire covers wraps round the inside of the frame holding them in place
so the only open edges are the dividing wall and any internal trays non of them crutial

they still get there teeth through the wire to chew the frame but they only chew a small amount

all other edges are flat or internal corners that they cant chew

 

[toffee]

thank you.

 

[gasmarkone]

When the kids had guinea pigs I used a roll of roofing under felt. Didn't seem to chew it too much, quite cheap & easy to cut/profile around the edges.

 

[toffee]

gas, I had this reply but I wasnt sure what you meant.
I thought you meant the felt that you get on the roof of sheds??

that would be hard to clean but good to keep their nails down!

 

[gasmarkone]

Yeah, you're right. Just roofing under felt, not the rough top stuff, plain black felt. Good stuff, seemed to deal with the problem you explained.

 

[toffee]

Ok, I havent seen that stuff before.
What is the smallest amount you can buy it in, do you know?
with the other stuff, I had to buy a big roll.
(oh no, I feel another 'tight git' quip coming!!)

 

[big-all]

its the sort of thing you my see in a skip where work is being done on a house

or ask your neibours if they have an odd piece of felt for there shed you can have

 

[toffee]

big all, funny I put an old plastic tray in the toilet bit today.
It was almost perfect width but too short depthwise but they do it at the back anyhow.
They went mad, uprooted it, shoved it about... then managed to wee down the gap.
A bigger lip is needed if Im going to manage the tray idea.

 

[big-all]

if its the right size width wise perhaps you can secure it with 2 wooden blocks on the back wall and 2 on the sideplus maybe a bit of wood the correct size to stop the tray sliding forward held in by the door!!!!!

 

[gcol]

You could get some real cheap tiles from B&Q and tile the base. Can't see rabbits eating tiles for too long.
If you don't want to be bothered with adhesive and grout, you could just silicone the tiles down and silicone in the joints. Don't suppose it matters what it looks like cause it'll be covered in straw.