The Complete Guide To Your Next Rabbit Hutch

The two most important words for any bunny are safety and comfort – and a premium rabbit hutch provides both. Hutches have come a long way since the early 1900s when they were made of a lot of chicken wire and whatever old boards could be scrounged up.

The Complete Guide To Your Next Rabbit Hutch article cover image with a bunny

What’s the big deal about a premium rabbit hutch over what hutches used to be from hundreds of years ago? When you buy a premium hutch, you get a bonus that makes a difference to the rabbit and to you as well. Your rabbit will be able to have a great place to eat and sleep while you’ll get the peace of mind in knowing that you’ve provided the very best home for your pet.

A Premium Rabbit Hutch Delivers Safety and Comfort with Aesthetic Appeal

Some hutches tout safety appeal but aren’t that safe at all. They’re poorly constructed, and at the first test of bad weather or someone pushing on them, they collapse. Or they don’t keep the bunny safely inside the hutch, and you come home to a trail of droppings and chewed up legs on the furniture.

Still, other hutches claim to be safe and usually do stand up to that claim. But when they arrive, and you put them together, they’re such an eyesore, you feel like you have to keep it covered because it’s so hideous! You might have seen a few of them, and they were so ugly, you wondered what the designer was thinking.

There is a solution. You don’t have to trade looks for safety. A premium rabbit hutch can be both safe and appealing – you don’t have to settle for one over the other. The good news about this hutch is that you can use it outdoor because it’s sturdy and offers protection from outside elements and attackers, but it’s pretty enough to use inside as well. You wouldn’t be embarrassed to have your friends or family see it sitting inside your home.

Some really cute hutches resemble coffee tables. They’re made with top-quality lumber, and if not for the door letting the rabbit in and out, it’s hard to recognize as a rabbit hutch. Then some look like decorative little barns that can keep your bunny happy for as long as he lives.

You can settle for a hutch that won’t meet the lasting requirements you want it to meet. You can settle for a hutch that won’t meet be very attractive either. Or you can let both needs meet in one hutch. A premium rabbit hutch does the job it was designed to do but looks good while doing it.

Is a Wooden Rabbit Hutch Better Than a Rabbit Cage?

You’re about to get a pet rabbit and wondering if a wooden rabbit hutch is a better buy than a rabbit cage. Let’s make some comparisons, and you can see what each one will do for your bunny.

You can find several styles in both kinds of homes for the bunny. You’ll see that they range from the very simple to almost bunny mansions. When the word cage is used in conjunction with bunnies, there’s a tendency to picture a tiny wire cage with a bunny cramped up inside it. But you can buy sprawling two-story pens that even have a detachable run available as a separate accessory.

Cages are made of small wire, and though they are easy to clean, most of them don’t have a bottom to them that’s best for the rabbit. However, a few of them do have flooring. You can find some two-story cages that have solid flooring on the upper half of them.

There are simple cages that come with hard bottoms and are made of metal. Regardless of whether you get a wire-bottomed cage or a metal-bottomed cage, you’d still need to cover it to protect your rabbit’s feet and to give him something comfortable to lie on.

On the plus side, cages are easy to clean, and the bottom can separate from the rest of the cage. They’re easy to take down, fold and transport if you need to travel with your pet or if you’re moving.

A wooden rabbit hutch can offer the same shelter as a rabbit cage. You can have two-story ones with plenty of space, easy access to the bunny, and easy to clean with pull out trays below the hutch.

They’re not as easy to take apart if you plan to take them elsewhere. However, they offer excellent care for the bunny. You can find wooden luxury models that look like little homes, complete with a bunny walkway and raised sleeping quarters over a big run.

Both a cage and a hutch can be situated to open out into a run where your bunny can have space outside. Understand that any hutch or cage can be too small if you keep multiple rabbits in both.

Is a Wooden Rabbit Hutch Better Than a Rabbit Cage?

Other than that, a hutch or a cage can offer adequate room to sleep and eat in. It used to be that cages were the most unattractive way to house a rabbit, but with all the models and styles now, it’s not true.

So when you’re figuring out if a wooden rabbit hutch or a rabbit cage is the best choice for your pet, you’ll find that there will be things you’ll appreciate about either one. If you plan to keep your rabbit for the duration, you might want to think about getting a cage for the inside of your house and a hutch for the outside.

How Much Room Does a Rabbit’s Hutch Need to Have?

A rabbit’s hutch should be roomy enough to meet his territorial needs if he’s male and his physical need to move about freely. If your pet is female and you intend for her to have little bunnies in the future, then the hutch’s size should also be able to handle the extra bunnies.

At a minimum, a home for a bunny should be at least 36 inches. Anything with less space than that is just too small to give your pet a comfortable home. The most miserable looking bunnies you’ll ever see are those that are packed into cages that are too small for them.

Though hutches can be made of only wire or other materials, you can find good quality, nice looking hutches made out of a mixture of wire and wood. These style hutches provide a nesting area that gives the rabbit a sense of comfort and security. Plus, they allow room for the rabbit to rise on his rear legs – an action that bunnies like to do to explore their space as well as sniff the air.

The rabbit’s hutch should have two areas—one area for the pet to sleep in and the other for him to move around in. There should be room for the bunny to have a part away from where he eats and sleeps to eliminate waste.

Pet bunnies don’t like to loll around on their waste any more than a human being would enjoy it. Hutches with removable litter trays are more sanitary for the bunny and make daily cleaning go a lot faster.

To have the right kind of room for your pet to stretch and roam in, the hutch should be no less than three times the size of the fully-grown bunny. Don’t measure by a baby rabbit because obviously, he’s not going to stay that size.

Rabbits have powerful back legs that are designed to give them speed. Without the room he needs to move around, the muscles in those legs will grow weak and unable to provide him with the skills he needs to survive outside if he ever accidentally gets loose from his home. Remember that a lethargic rabbit doesn’t mean he’s a lazy rabbit. It means he’s not getting enough exercise because he doesn’t have the space he requires.

You might see a custom-built rabbit’s hutch that stands very tall. While rabbits do like to hop and rear up sometimes on their back legs, most of the space in the hutch should be horizontal and not vertical.

What Kind of Rabbit Hutch Plans Do You Need for Your Pet?

Being handy with woodworking means that you can choose your rabbit hutch plans if you’re a bunny owner. An excellent project for owners and a happy haven for bunnies is the custom-built bunny home.

The Complete Guide To Your Next Rabbit Hutch

You’ll be able to pamper your pet and give him a home fit for a furry little king. Building a bunny home shouldn’t take more than a weekend of your time and even less than that if you’ve ever made a similar type of construction.

Even if you’re not great with making things, you can find easy beginner books that walk you through the project step by step with easy to understand instructions. To get an idea of what kind of hutch you’d like to build, you can take a trip to the local pet store or browse around online to see what kind of bunny homes are already available. You can then buy a book that offers the same style, or you can go with a plan plus a few modifications to suit your specific needs.

Not all rabbit hutch plans are elaborate works of art. Some aren’t attractive and seem designed to leave you frustrated when the home turns out to look like a plain square box.

You should be able to preview some of the contents of whatever plan book you find before you buy it. If you are a novice builder, you might want to enlist other small pet owners’ advice to see if there is anything they’d do differently with their hutches. Or if there have ideas for improvements on the plans.

The main purpose of a hutch is to give the bunny a place to eat, sleep, and have a spot where he can go to the bathroom. Regardless of what the plans say about the kind of flooring to put down, you want to be sure that you use a material that can easily be washed and disinfected.

Now, if you know for a fact that the bunny will have plenty of opportunities to roam free of the hutch, and he’ll have ample time outdoors, you don’t have to build the most gigantic hutch out there. You can make do with a smaller one, but don’t build it based on a baby rabbit’s size. Construct it with an adult bunny in mind.

Once you know what type of rabbit hutch plans you’ll be using, go ahead and make a list of the items you have to buy before heading out to the store. Don’t forget to get bedding for the bunny and a litter box made specifically for rabbits.

You’ll also need other supplies such as a food dish and water bottle for him. If you plan to use wood and set the hutch in the house on wooden floors, think about getting a rug to put under the hutch so it won’t scratch the floors.
How an Indoor Rabbit Hutch Differs From an Outdoor Rabbit Hutch

The discussion between an indoor rabbit hutch and an outdoor rabbit hutch is often debated among bunny owners. You have to decide on the pros and cons of each type of hutch before you make a decision. But for starters, you can learn about the differences between the two, so you can make an informed choice.

Some pet enthusiasts feel that having any enclosure for bunnies is wrong and that the animals should be allowed to roam freely from room to room. Not only is this dangerous for both you and the rabbit, it’s not how they live in their natural habitat either.

By having free run all over the house, bunnies can chew on electrical cords and cause a fire – not because they’re mischievous but because chewing on things is just what they do. They can hop up things they shouldn’t be on, fall, and get hurt.

They can also eat things they shouldn’t eat and become very ill. By running freely all the time, there’s a good chance you could either trip over the rabbit and hurt yourself or step on him and hurt the bunny.

The bunny needs a hutch so he can have a place to sleep where he feels secure. In the wild, rabbits burrow out a hole in the ground where they can be free from their enemies. They need a place where they can burrow in the hay or other bedding, no matter where the hutch is located.

What Kind of Rabbit Hutch Plans Do You Need for Your Pet?

An indoor hutch is often smaller and more portable than an outdoor rabbit hutch. You’ll have the ability to change it from one room to another if you need to relocate the rabbit. They’re not intended to keep the rabbit caged in for hours upon end. They’re mainly for the bunny to have a safe hideaway and an area for him to relieve himself.

A lot of hutches that are built to set up outside the home are not as portable. They tend to be heavier and take a lot more effort to move them. Most of them are either built with or come with wooden legs attached to keep the hutch off the ground and thus out of reach of predators. Hutches that go outside are made more comprehensive and taller, and some come with a run attached, or you can get one separately.

Some rabbit owners did settle the indoor rabbit hutch versus the outdoor rabbit hutch debate to get one of each. They keep a small hutch inside the home for when they want to keep the bunny in and have a larger one outside for the rabbit to bask in the warm sunshine and get some exercise.

How to Buy the Right Pet Rabbit Hutch

Not everyone likes to build their hutch – they need to buy it. Selecting a rabbit hutch for the pet, you have now or intend to get in the future should be based on several steps. Most experts say to choose a home for the bunny that gives him room enough to hop around without feeling caged in. That would mean choosing housing for the pet between three and four times the adult size of the bunny.

The best option for any rabbit owner is to buy the largest and the best hutch available. Small cages that are barely as big as the bunny don’t allow the pet enough room to move about or get enough exercise. If you’re concerned about your pet getting the exercise he needs, then think about getting a hutch that also has a run with it.

You’ll want to have a place for him that’s adequate to meet his needs regardless of how warm or cool the area is where the bunny will reside. When you are looking to get a hutch, you should consider the lifespan of the pet.

Most rabbits have longevity with an average lifespan of ten years, although some have been known to live as long as fifteen years or more. You’ll want to get a hutch that’s solidly built and can stand up to the rigors of time, especially if you plan to use the hutch outside.

Because rabbits do gnaw, you want to make sure that the type of rabbit hutch you purchase doesn’t contain dangerous materials for the bunny to ingest. Certain types of wood are toxic to bunnies, as are some kinds of sealant that the wood is coated with.

Since rabbits can tend to be messy critters, you’ll want a cage that doesn’t make you dread cleaning up after the pet. Most cages have slide-out bottoms or litter trays that can be removed and easily cleaned and disinfected. Also, know that rabbits tend to kick their droppings out of the cage if it’s not kept clean enough to suit them.

If the bunny home is put outside, make sure it offers enough protection from the elements. Hutches that have wire on the bottom can damage the bunnies’ feet, so if you happen to choose one with a wire floor, you’ll need to cover it to protect the pet. Since most predators are nocturnal, if your bunny is left outside after dark, he could be a target, so you’ll want to ensure that he’s protected from other animals.

How to Buy the Right Pet Rabbit Hutch

When you’re trying to decide which rabbit hutch is the right one, consider how many rabbits you intend to house in the hutch. If you plan to keep a male and female together, since they are fast and hardy breeders, you could end up with more bunnies than you want.

The Best Large Rabbit Hutch You Can Buy

When buying a large rabbit hutch, you want the best for your lovable pet. Some hutches that are manufactured to be big enough to have the space the bunny needs tend to be unwieldy and unsightly in appearance.

They’re awkward to get into because they tend to be longer than regular-sized hutches. A few have been made with materials that can be hazardous to small pets. Regular size hutches don’t offer as much legroom for rabbits.

Plus, in regular-sized hutches, rabbit poop tends to build up in mounds where you can see it. In larger hutches, there’s a deeper bottom to the cage, and the mess is out of sight, which is a bonus since you can use this kind of hutch indoors as well as outdoors.

You can get larger hutches that have wire surrounding the enclosure that’s safe for your bunny rabbits. That’s something you want to check out on any hutch you buy. You don’t want to get a product that’s been treated with a coating that can make your bunny sick with the fumes or if he chews on it.

A good thing about a large rabbit hutch is that you can put it together with ease, and some of the better ones on the market will have a raised area or shelf where your pet can sit and view his home. Cages that are this big are built with easy access to the pet and usually have more than one way for you to reach the pet – whether through a side opening or a top entrance.

Some, not all of the bigger hutches built for rabbits can cost a lot more than the smaller, not as well built cages, but you can find many that are well priced as well as durable. You might see some advertisements on popular sites selling used hutches at a steep discount, but you want to beware of second-hand homes when you’re looking for housing for your pet.

The reason for this is because used hutches can still carry germs or bacteria from the previous rabbit, and you don’t want to put your bunny into a cage where the first thing he’ll do is become sick.

With a large rabbit hutch, you have the option of letting the rabbit be an indoor or an outdoor pet. But consider that if you plan to use a hutch outdoor, it has to have a protective covering over the top of it, so that would be an added accessory you’d need to purchase before you can put the rabbit out.

Beware of Cheap Rabbit Hutches That Leave Your Pet Vulnerable

Cheap rabbit hutches save you money, but only at the beginning of your investment. In the end, they cost you more because you’ll have to replace it – and your rabbit. Your bunny can be vulnerable to a host of different factors – from not having enough space to being caged in the wrong kind of environment to being an easy target to a wily predator.

A hutch for the rabbit isn’t just a house for him. It’s what will save his life when the animals higher up on the food chain come calling. All you have to do to see how many hutches are available for sale is to do a quick search.

One browser brought up over half a million search results. You can bet that many of those results contain homes that aren’t suitable for any pet, much less a rabbit. As a pet owner who wants to look out for your pet’s safety, you want to provide him with the best quality home you can afford.

The Complete Guide To Your Next Rabbit Hutch

What is meant by cheap rabbit hutches? Any hutch meant to be temporary housing for a baby bunny is considered inferior. It wasn’t built to last. The materials aren’t sturdy enough for a full-grown rabbit, and the amount of space isn’t large enough for an adult rabbit either.

These kinds of hutches usually don’t take into consideration the health needs of the bunny. This is how rabbits end up with sore hocks and other painful areas on their body. So the first clue you’ll get if a hutch is cheap will be if it’s too small for a full-grown bunny rabbit.

Don’t think that buying a hutch means you have to shell out a ton of money to get one that suits your rabbit and keeps him safe. Many safe choices are reasonably priced.

Look up some background information on the housing you’re thinking of getting. Check out the manufacturer of the hutch. Do they have a money-back guarantee? Will they stand behind their product and offer any safety updates or changes if need be? Are other buyers happy with the product?

Cheap rabbit hutches can masquerade as a decent hutch by having many showy pieces to it, but don’t be fooled. Look for quality wood, workmanship, and parts that make up the hutch. Also, see if the hutch has one area for sleeping for the rabbit and one for a litter box.

A decent hutch will offer these spaces apart from one another. To make buying a home for your bunny easier, have a list of the features you want in a hutch and features your pet rabbit needs before you go shopping.

Buy a Your Hutch Online and Get Free Shipping!

You can get a rabbit hutch for sale on a ton of sites online, but have you checked out the cost of getting it shipped to your house? Talk about expensive! Some of the shipping costs are almost as much as the price of the hutch. With the economy going on the way it’s been lately, who wants (or needs) to hand over money just for shipping and handling?

There are companies online that appreciate your business so much that if your order reaches a certain amount of spending, they’ll eat the cost of shipping the product to you. Now that’s what you can call smart business sense.

They want your business badly enough to want to get the product to you! Some things you can order online you don’t really think about the shipping because the item is small and it’s only a few bucks at the most, and who doesn’t have a dollar or two to hand over for a wanted item?

But take a rabbit hutch for sale online, and that’s a different story. First of all, the hutch’s materials can make them a little heavier than the normal side. That’s not a problem if you happen to live right next door to the place selling the hutch.

You can just zip over in your car or truck and pick it up. It’s a problem when you order one online and then go to checkout, and the shipping is so costly it makes you not want to buy the item. But you need it, so you feel like you’re kind of over a barrel.

Perhaps you’ve always done business with the same gardening or pet shop online, and you know them, and they know you. But they’ll still charge you to get their product. Sometimes, there’s no loyalty or discounts when it comes to making a profit at any expense.

If that’s the case, forget loyalty to the company that won’t look out for you, you need to do a little shopping around. You can go to a company online that will pay to ship you the product and will even pay for shipping back to them if you don’t like the item!

Now you can find some companies that have a rabbit hutch for sale, and they’ll offer you free shipping up to a certain amount. For example, you see a hutch that you’d like to buy. The hutch costs about $140. You see that they offer free shipping.

The Complete Guide To Your Next Rabbit Hutch bunny in a hutch

But when you read the fine print, you see that it reads, ‘up to x amount of dollars’ or ‘up to x amount of weight’ and of course, that x is usually for something costlier and heavier than what you bought. Go with a company that will give you free shipping and a great price. You and your pet bunny will both be happier.

Give Your Pet More Space With a Rabbit Hutch Run

Any responsible pet owner will tell you that your bunny needs a rabbit hutch run. If you take home a starter kit when you buy your rabbit, it’ll consist of a small cage and some supplies intended for you to be able to care for your rabbit right away. But those should only be considered a temporary measure.

A rabbit needs to have a regular exercise routine to maintain good health and those that lead a caged, sedentary life fall into poor health. Bunnies that don’t have the freedom they need to hop and move about can develop an apathy toward doing anything at all, and due to their declining mental and physical health, they don’t live as long as rabbits that are cared for correctly.

Like people, rabbits that lie around most of the day and don’t have the space to move about tend to get fat. Not just a small spare tire, rabbits that don’t have the room to move can get quite obese.

You only have to look at the sides of the rabbit to tell he’s packing on the pounds. When a pet lies around all day with nothing to do, it’ll naturally eat more. Sometimes out of boredom – also like people do – and sometimes because the food is there and gives it something to do.

Without the benefit of a rabbit hutch run, your bunny can develop problems like heart failure, brittle bones, skin infections, and foot malformations. Their quality of life is greatly diminished.

New rabbit owners often think that the cute little wire cages they see bunnies in are suitable environments to keep the bunnies in. They might even believe that rabbits are easy to care for and low maintenance animals ideal for a small environment, but rabbits need a higher level of care than a simple cage can provide.

Rabbits that get daily exercise are happier and not as likely to be aggressive. Bunnies are not by nature aggressive but can develop the trait due to their frustration by having to remain so long in such cramped quarters.

Not only does the ability to run and hop help give your pet a good disposition and a healthier life, but the opportunity to be outside and eat grass can also improve digestion and keep his bowels moving regularly.

When you set up the run, don’t place it on an area of the yard that’s been treated by any chemicals, or you can make the bunny get sick. Double-check to make sure all the latches are adequately secure once you put your pet into the new home. A rabbit hutch run gives your pet a safe environment from the weather and predators where he can enjoy his days.

The Best Rabbit Home Is a Hutch With a Rabbit Run

What is the best rabbit home you can get? It’s the one that gives your precious pet the comfort you want him to have. There’s a belief circulating that bunnies can be perfectly happy in a cage, that all they need to find joy out of life is some food, a little place to sleep, and an hour or two of attention from a pet owner. Nothing could be more off base. Rabbits are not happy locked away in a cage where they can’t get the exercise they crave.

To a rabbit, being able to run and hop around in the sunshine, being able to sniff the air, and rise on his hind legs is part of his natural lifestyle. To take that away from him causes him stress and agitation.

Rabbits don’t need exercise ‘now and then’ or ‘when the weather permits.’ They need to be free to roam around every day for several hours a day. They need a run along with their hutch so that they can come and go at will.

You have to know about the best rabbit home for your bunny because while he does need to have one with a run, you have to understand the best place to set the run up. It’s a misconception that a run can be put over any patch of grass, and everything will be fine.

Some plants are toxic to rabbits, and if you’ve treated your lawn, that can be dangerous to the bunny, too. Taking care of weed control on a lawn is good lawn care sense, but the chemicals used to kill the weeds can also kill the bunny if he eats it.

Rabbits are very lovable, very curious animals that will explore everything they can see and touch. It’s the pet owner’s job to provide an area where the rabbit can freely sniff around and enjoy being outdoors.

The number one danger for a rabbit being outside in a run is a possible encounter with a predator. So you’ll want a run that’s sturdy enough to keep the dangers away from your pet. Never underestimate the craftiness of a predator. That’s one reason a hutch door with an easy to swing open latch is a bad idea. If you can open it with a twist of your fingers, so can a cat by swiping it with a paw.

Always know what’s going on in the run. When left alone outside for too long, rabbits will begin to dig in the soil, and they’ll create holes in the yard. This is done because the rabbit instinctively tries to burrow. The best rabbit home is the one that gives your bunny protection and freedom at the same time. You can get both in a hutch that has a run as well.

Buy a Rabbit Hutch and Run Together to Save Money

Your pet bunny will need a rabbit hutch and run to have both the comfort and the exercise he needs. If you buy both together, you’ll end up saving money in the long run.

Even though many hutches are quite large, for their physical and emotional, rabbits need to move freely about. They need to have that freedom yet at the same time because they are small animals that can be targeted by other animals such as cats or foxes, so they must be protected. They also need that fresh air and sunshine.

Give Your Pet More Space With a Rabbit Hutch Run

It’s never a good idea to let a bunny alone in a yard. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that you can take your pet out of a hutch and turn him loose in a fenced-in backyard, and he’d be fine.

Predators can get over or under a fence to get to a rabbit. The purpose of a rabbit run is to keep him safe from harm. The run is usually made of wire mesh or chain link fence material. The spaces between the wire are made so that the rabbit can’t get a foot caught up in the wire.

When you get a rabbit hutch and run, check with the manufacturer details on the kind of lumber or other materials used to make the run. Know ahead of time what’s safe for your bunny to be around and not since some wood is toxic to a rabbit.

An excellent wood to use in a run is fir wood that’s not been treated with any sealant that has a noxious fume to it. You’ll want the run you purchase to have an access door for you to be able to get to the bunny easily, but you’ll want that door to be sturdy enough so that if he pushes against it, the latch won’t spring open.

A run that’s too small defeats the purpose. A good rule of thumb to follow when considering what size run to get is to make sure it’s at least twice the size of a medium hutch, which would be about 36 inches in width.

Some runs come with flooring, but most do not, which allows the owner to move the hutch to a new area in the yard if the ground becomes muddy or is no longer suitable for the pet.

Having flooring on the run is a matter of personal preference but being able to nibble on untreated grass and be on a natural setting is more of a treat for the bunny than synthetic means.

Your pet needs both a rabbit hutch and run already in place before you bring him home. He’ll want to familiarize himself with his surroundings, and the sooner he learns he’s home, the more secure he’ll feel. Buying a hutch and run that you can just assembly can give you that convenience factor and save you money.

Include a Rabbit Hutch Cover to Shield Your Pet from the Elements and Attackers

You need to have some essentials when you own bunnies, and a rabbit hutch cover is one of those essentials. It’s not merely an accessory to go over the hutch and make it look good.

It’s made to give your pet a shield of protection from the biting wind in the wintertime, along with the lower temperatures. With fur all over their small bodies, you’d think they’d be well equipped to withstand the colder months, but rabbits go underground and find shelter from the elements that way. Kept in a hutch, they don’t have the option of burrowing, so it’s up to the owner to provide a way out of the wind.

The cover goes over the hutch on all four sides like an insulator to keep out the cold. It also acts as an umbrella to shelter the rabbit from the driving rain. Not only will it keep your pet warm and dry, but it also keeps the bedding and the food supply from getting wet as well – this is important to keep your pet healthy since moisture can cause fungus and bacteria to grow and spread.

A rabbit hutch cover should be one that’s easily removable. You don’t want a cover that stays on 24/7 because the rabbit won’t get enough fresh air flowing inside the hutch. That means that an odor can build up, which won’t be pleasant for you or your pet.

You can find many portable covers that slip right on and off the hutch with minimal effort. You’ll want to cover the bunny hutch when you hear reports that bad weather is on the way. If it gets too hot outside, you do not want to cover the hutch because you can make the bunny’s temperature too high.

But another reason you want to use a cover is to keep attackers out-especially after the sun goes down. It’s not only because what attackers can’t see they can’t get to, but most predators like to swoop down on rabbits can’t get past the cover. Predators that run along the ground to hunt for rabbits can’t lift the cover to get to the rabbit either.

In the evening, when you put a rabbit hutch cover over your bunny’s home, he gains a sense of security and feels protected. If a rabbit spots an enemy and can’t flee from that enemy, his heart rate can increase to a dangerous level, and he can have a heart attack – this is where the term ‘scared to death’ comes from when talking about rabbits. However, under the cover, he can’t see the enemy or be seen, which enables him to sleep in peace.

What Kind of Rabbit Hutch Accessories Are Worth Buying?

When you have a bunny and a hutch, rabbit hutch accessories are also necessary. But if you’ve done any shopping around at all after you got your pet, you’ll see that there are so many items out there for sale touting themselves as ‘must-haves’ for your rabbit.

You have to know what a rabbit needs to have and what the stores want you to have to get some of your money. You don’t need every little accessory on the market. Some shops advertise cute little booties and sweaters for bunnies as you’d see on those little yap-yap dogs on cold winter mornings.

Bunny rabbits do not have to have booties, sweaters, or clothes of any kind. Sure, they’d look adorable, and you’d probably get some great photos of your pet dressed up, but that’s a personal preference, a want, and not a need for the bunny. His needs are quite simple – food, shelter, treats, toys, and love – lots and lots of love. Rabbits like to be social, and they like interaction with their owners.

The rabbit hutch accessories your rabbit does need to have in his home begin with a bed. He’s got to have a place to sleep and sleep comfortably. A few newbies in raising pets think you can just stick some straw in the corner of the hutch, and the rabbit will be happy and fine.

The problem is that with a loose straw bed like that, the bunny will kick it out of the hutch, eventually-at least the parts of the straw he doesn’t chew on and the part he doesn’t eat. So a bed is a necessity. You can find grass mats that are better than just loose straw, but you can also do better than that and buy him a rabbit bed.

If you’d checked them out, you’ll see that most hutches have sliding trays that you can pull out, clean up the droppings, disinfect and then slide them back in – pretty convenient for pet owners.

But instead of having those droppings roll all over the tray, you can invest in a dropping pan that will be more sanitary for you and your pet. Once he’s accustomed to going to the bathroom in a specific area (and yes, rabbits can be potty trained to a litter box), a dropping pan is a must-have.

While toys for the bunny don’t come standard even in some starter kits, they are essential rabbit hutch accessories. Without toys to play with and gnaw on, your bunny can get bored, and he can have problems with his teeth.

Make Sure You Have These Supplies Before Buying Your Bunny

Don’t think that you can toss in the regular dog or cat toys; rabbit toys are made specifically to stand up to the constant gnawing of a rabbit, and they’re made of safe materials. Of course, you don’t want to forget the basics either – the food and water dishes.

Make Sure You Have These Supplies Before Buying Your Bunny

Getting a rabbit can be an exciting time, but you have to think about his comfort and get the correct rabbit hutch supplies before bringing him home. Since you already know that all animals have to have food to eat and water to drink, start by choosing the tools to meet that need.

Rabbits are rambunctious pets and enjoy hopping around the cage. Because of their energy, it’s best not to put food in the kind of dish that can be easily toppled. Plastic bowls can seem like a tasty treat or a toy to chew on for a bunny so avoid getting any of those. Metal bowls can tip over too quickly and startle the rabbit by the loud noise it’ll make. The top choice for a food dish is to get a ceramic bowl.

While rabbits can drink water from a bowl, it’s not the best idea to put their water in a bowl because not only can those be tipped as well and make a soggy mess in the cage but because he can dip his ears in the water. Gravity-fed water bottles are better.

If water is always spilling out, his housing environment can get moist, leading to the growth of bacteria or skin problems with the pet. Water for a bunny is best served through a drip-style water bottle.

The bottle attaches to the side of the hutch, and he can drink whenever he’s thirsty. No matter how much or how little water he drinks, though, make sure you change the water daily.

Other rabbit hutch supplies include bedding for the four-legged bundle. Some owners provide a plain grass mat for the bunny to lie on. While that will work, it’s not the softest material available for the pet.

You can find some bedding for bunnies that look like those little beds you can buy for small cats or dogs. Those are plush and warm, and rabbits like to cuddle up in them and sleep.

Because rabbits like to chew and need to chew to help their teeth, chew toys are not an optional buy. Rabbits that aren’t provided with the supplies that meet their need to chew will chew on furniture or other objects when they’re outside their cages.

Rabbits need to have hay in their diet, and a hayrack is one way you can supply that need. You can make a hayrack on your own, but it’s easier and less expensive to buy one when you get or order the other supplies.

Whether or not rabbits can be litter trained is a topic of much discussion among owners. Some rabbits have learned to use litter boxes, and you can find these online. The best thing about using one is that it eliminates messy trays in the hutch.

Many other rabbit hutch supplies you can buy to keep your bunny healthy and happy – supplies such as rabbit treats, specialty foods, and more. One important asset that doesn’t necessarily go into the cage that some owners forget about until they need it is a rabbit carrier. This is a required item for well-check visits to the veterinarian.

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Using Animals in Your Sustainable Living Efforts

When you become interested in sustainable living, you may want to add animals to your practices. There are many ways you can use animals on your own property to help become self-reliant and sustainable.

Using Animals in Your Sustainable Living Efforts article cover image with pigs

You need to know some of the most common animals used for sustainable living practices and how you might be able to work with them.  Some animals are used for meat, while others are used for eggs, milk, and their pelts or skins.

Using Animals in Your Sustainable Living Efforts

Honoring the Animal

It’s important to note that using animals requires you to be considerate of the animal’s needs and provide a healthy and happy environment for it.  When you choose to butcher animals, you should make sure you get proper training so that you cause little fear or pain to them.

With sustainable living, you’ll also want to make use of as much of the animal as possible so that it doesn’t go to waste.  Honoring the animal’s sacrifice means using it well.

Chickens

If you’re new to working with animals, raising chickens is a great way to begin learning.  Chickens are relatively simple to take care of and require a small amount of space. 

They can also provide regular eggs and even meat if you choose to butcher them and eat them.  You’ll need to make sure that you provide a coop for chickens where they can be safe from predators and roost at night.

Chickens need room to roam and can help cut down on bugs as they eat them along with feed that you supply.  It’s best to choose an organic feed that’s free from chemicals and additives.

You’ll want to do your homework to figure out how many chickens will fit into the coop you choose.  That will depend on the size of the coop and the breed of chickens. 

You can buy chicks online and have them shipped to your home.  You’ll need to be prepared to take care of chicks for a few weeks after their arrival.  They need warm temperatures, clean water, and bedding.  As they grow, they’ll become easier to care for.

Many urban areas allow chickens, but make sure you check your local ordinances.  You may be allowed to have chickens, but not roosters in the city limits.  As you care for your chickens, it’s important to learn from experts such as agriculture extension agents, local farmers, or even getting online help.

Chickens can provide eggs, can be harvested for meat, and their feathers can be used for pillows or blankets.  Older chickens that don’t have tender meat can be used to make chicken stock for use later.

Rabbits

Rabbits are also easy to care for and can provide meat for your family.  They require a hutch where they can live comfortably and have room to move around.  You’ll also need to feed them and provide them with high-quality food and fresh vegetables. 

Rabbits also need a constant supply of alfalfa or timothy hay. You’ll want to research rabbit breeds so that you can choose the best breed for your area and the meat you’d like to produce.

Using Animals in Your Sustainable Living Efforts

If you begin with two female and one male rabbit, you can produce more than 40 rabbits a year for meat.  Rabbits are best eaten when they are 8-12 weeks old.  The younger they are, the more tender they are.

When the rabbits reach about six weeks old, you can separate them from their parents.  Then you can wait until it’s time to harvest the meat.  When the larger, adult rabbits reach two or three years of age, you can butcher them.

Older rabbits are better in a stew because they aren’t as tender.  Rabbits can also be used for their fur.  Once they’re butchered and skinned for meat, you can tan the rabbit’s hides and use them for warm clothing.

Rabbits are a relatively inexpensive investment if you want to begin working to raise and harvest your own meat.  It helps to take a class to learn how to butcher them properly.

Goats

Goats are fairly easy animals to take care of and they can produce a great deal of food for you.  There are two kinds of goats – goats for meat and goats for milk.  Goat isn’t commonly eaten in the United States, but it’s very common in other countries.

You’ll want to choose a breed that’s specifically designed for your purposes.  Look for one that’s purebred.  You can raise approximately eight goats on the same feed it would take to raise one cow.

Goats need little in the way of food if they’re able to graze.  You may also need to provide hay, oats, and a vitamin supplement.  Housing for goats is also pretty simple – you’ll need an area where they can be dry and where they won’t get too cold.

Goats are very good at climbing, so you’ll need a fence that has barbed or electric wire to keep them in.  Goats are typically very friendly animals to have on your property.

Some good goat breeds for meat include Texmaster, Moneymaker, and Savanna.  Good goat breeds for milk include Saanen, Alpine, and Togenburgs.  You’ll want to learn more about specific breeds and what will work best in your area.

Goat milk can be used for drinking and for making cheese.  Many people who find cow’s milk problematic find that goat’s milk is a good substitute.  In order to produce milk, your goats will need to be bred once a year. 

Your goat will need to feed her kids, but you can still milk her once a day.  The best method is to keep the kids separate from her at night and milk her once in the morning.  Then the rest of the day the kids can nurse when they choose.

Using Animals in Your Sustainable Living Efforts

If you continue to milk her, she can produce milk for approximately 10 months.  That’s a good supply of milk for a family.  You can have more goats if you’d like more milk for your use or to sell.

When it comes to meat goats, the best time for butchering is between five and nine months of age.  You can learn to do this yourself or take the goat to a meat processor.  After butchering a goat, you can keep the hide and tan it for use. 

Pigs

Pigs can also be raised to use for meat.  Pigs will need at least a tenth of an acre for pasture.  You can also grow them in an enclosure that’s at least 100 square feet – such as a barn or a pen.

You’ll also need food for your pig.  Unlike what you see in movies, it’s best not to feed pigs just whatever is leftover from your own meals.  They need a diet full of vitamins and minerals.  It’s best to give them organic foods and allow them to graze on grass.  They also need plenty of access to clean water.

You’ll want to choose a piglet that’s a good breed for meat.  You can buy them at farms or from auctions.  Some of the best breed choices include Berkshire, Yorkshire, and Hereford.  But there are many choices.

You’ll want to research what will live best in your area and grow to the preferred size.  In general, pigs usually are ready for slaughter when they reach approximately 225 pounds, though this can vary based on weight.

You can learn to butcher them yourself or take them to a meat processor.  Each pig will give you around 150 pounds of meat.  Again, this is an average and will depend on your pigs.

Once a pig is processed into different cuts, you can freeze them for long-term use.  Some people also choose to sell meat as a way to make money and profit from pig production.

Cows

Many people enjoy raising cows for either milk or meat.  Raising your own cows on a grass diet without antibiotics or added hormones makes the meat and milk much better for your body. 

The best breeds for dairy cows tend to be Jersey, Guernsey, and Holstein.  For beef cows, look for Angus or Hereford cows. There are other breeds that may be better for your needs, so do your homework before settling on one type.

Cows will need a source of grass and in the winter months will need hay.  Each cow will need about half a bale of hay per day.  Your cow will also need to be confined with a fence made from barbed wire.

how to raise cows

You can also use an electric fence to keep your cow from leaving home.  Each cow will need about two acres of pasture in order to get enough nutrition.  If you live in a drier area, your cow may need even more space.

For milk cows, you’ll need to breed your cow in order for her to produce milk.  One cow can give you eight to ten gallons of milk each day.  This will allow you to have plenty of milk for drinking and making other dairy products or for selling.

For meat cows, you can learn to do the butchering yourself.  However, most people will take a cow to be processed and divided into different cuts of meat and ground beef.

One cow is usually more than enough meat for an average family.  You may even consider selling half of the cow so that you can make back some of the money you’ve invested in raising your cow and processing it.

Fish

When you think of farm animals, fish don’t usually make the top of the list.  But fish can be very good food that you can raise right on your property.  The best breeds of fish for farming include catfish, bass, bluegill, and carp. 

In order to raise any of these fish, you’ll need a barrel that holds at least fifty gallons of water.  This will hold about 40 fish that you can harvest for food.  You’ll want to research the specifics for putting together an aquarium based on the breed you choose.

You’ll be able to feed your fish commercial food or you can feed them worms.  For 40 fish, you’ll need at least 50-100 worms each day when they are young and even more as they get older.

You can either clean and prepare fish all at once or stagger your use by taking a few adults out and replacing them with younger fish.  This gives you a regular supply of fish.  If you do it all at once, you’ll need to freeze them.

It takes about 2 months for fish to grow into adulthood and be ready for eating.  You can start over every 2 months with a new group so that you have a continuous supply of fish to eat.

Researching Your Best Options

If you’ve never raised your own animals for food, it’s a good idea to start small with chickens, rabbits, or even fish.  Don’t try to do too much at once and become overwhelmed by the process.

Once you’ve mastered one animal, you can add another.  It’s also important to do a lot of research before deciding on an animal and breed.  You need to do a lot of preparation and be prepared for feeding and even medical care if necessary.

Using Animals in Your Sustainable Living Efforts

A great place to start is with your local agriculture extension office.  This office helps local people figure out what to grow and you can even take educational classes to learn about animal management and harvesting.

This guide may have sparked your interest in a particular type of animal, but now you’ll need to get much more depth of information in order to carry out the process of growing and harvesting animals for food.

Growing your own animals can help you save on the cost of food.  It can also ensure that you have meat or milk that’s free from chemicals, antibiotics, and hormones.  You can also feel good that your animal has a good life and is treated with care and respect, unlike many animals raised on corporate farms.

Raising animals is a great way to develop a sustainable living homestead.  It does take a lot of work, but many people feel that the work is well worth it for quality meat or milk.

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