Charlie & Layla’s new outside house – design help needed!

[Cassi&Charlie]

So as you all know from my ranting recently, I’m bringing my bunnies across country to stay with me.

I need to build them an outdoor play area, because in my old house, the 8ft brick wall kept all cats & dogs out, and there’s no hawkes or falcons there.

Darwin on the other hand is full of birds of prey and they’re fairly game birds too! They’ll snatch anything smallish (we had a (feral) kitten taken from our yard the other day…poor little thing…it all happened so fast there was no time to stop it!) So I need to construct something that is bird proof, cat proof (lots of feral cats around here), dog proof, mosquito proof and rabbit proof.

I’m thinking sturdy wire mesh over an aluminium frame with netting to stop the mosquitos hanging over it. I guess my big issue is what to do about flooring. I don’t want wire, but I also am very aware that Layla loves to dig and is very quick at it. I think she’d dig her way out in 20 minutes.

I can say that they’ll never be left out unsupervised by me, but my well meaning parents might leave them out there while they “pop of to the shops for a minute” or something.

So what can I do about flooring so that they can still eat the grass and feel it, frolic without tripping over etc. Would a wire floor with really wide mesh be ok?

Side note – my bunnies are indoor free-range bunnies and will only be outside while I’m there to supervise, not in extreme weather although the weather here to all you cold weather people would seem pretty extreme

[jerseygirl]

Mmmm…..   So are you looking to set up something permanent or collapsible that you set up each time they have outside time?  I thought something like this if you could get 2nd hand or adapt a gazebo to suit.  Though don’t think it would withstand a cyclone!

Obviously it doesn’t have to be as tall as this unless you want to hang out in there too, away from the mozzies.

Another ultra cheap way to do a canopy is iron droppers, poly pipe and netting.  You put droppers into ground then put one end of a length of poly pipe over end of a dropper then forming an arch, put other end onto dropper opposite. Do a row then throw fine netting over the framework. Again, not really stable but quick and easy.  

Edit: Found some pics that sort of show this. Used for netting fruit tress etc.  Looking at them now though, they do look a bit flimsy!

              

I think large form grid on ground could work.  Feet would be protected if grass is long enough to come thru  it.   Be careful though because of bugs that live in the grass and if feral cats pass thru the yard, that might bring some nasties too.  Since you’ve got some time before they arrive, what about sowing some lawn seed in a specific area and keeping that out of bounds for any animals passing thru?  You could even put some weed mat down, then soil, then seed and if there’s any digging, it would only be down to the weed mat.

Another thing is be on the look out for second hand rabbit run or bird aviary. With a tall aviary, you could put it on it’s side to make more room horizontally.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

What about a covered dog run like this? You could buy one-or even fashion one in the same idea

 

[MimzMum]

*gulp* Birds of prey and cyclones?? 0_o

Might I suggest a quonset hut instead?

You can actually find smallish ones, like this:

Although the sides and ends would need some re-inforcement.

[Deleted User]

Well, why don’t you go for a triangle with a longated rectangular base. The walls would be pointing up, into a triangle. your could provide shade by placing it next to a tree.

[Author]

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