Planning ahead part 2 (especially Petzy)

[mocha200]

Some of you may have seen part 1 of this but if not here is the link:  https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tab…fault.aspx

So in my last thread it was about me building a condo for this summer, but this thread is a outdoor play pen for the summer. The one I made last year was a fail the bunny’s escaped 2-3 times and I don’t want that to happen again. So my dad agreed and we are going to make a better one The pen I am going to make is this one ( hope you don’t care I posted this pic Petzy):

I am not going to make it as big as this one because our yard is kinda small, so I thought about making it 4×4 but know that i think about it that might be kind of small so I might make it 8×8.

So we looked at a building supplie store and we found some siding like the siding she used, and it would cost about $40 to build a 4×4.

Question: 1. Do you guys know of something like this that siding might be a little cheaper but just as sturdy? ( I will use this other wise.)

Question: 2. Should I use wire for the top of the pen or use somthing solid ( like wood)?

Question: 3. Sould i cut holes in the siding to make windows for them to get some breeze and for them to look out of?

Question: 4. What kind of mesh should I use for the bottom of the pen so they don’t dig out? What did you  use Petzy?

Mesh in this pic ^

Thanks for reading, Please post any sugestions.

 

[Sarita]

I would definitely make the top out of mesh to help the air circulate.

Do you have a shady spot in your yard you are planning to use…they need to be in a shady spot out of direct sunlight.

[mocha200]

I can’t remember atm how shady it is in the spot we used last year. I will have to check. I will make sure it will be shady. They also have a shelter they can go in.

Ok I will make it out of wire. Can I use the wire I used fot there old pen from last year? or should I get mesh for the top?

[Deleted User]

I am glad you dug out those photos, Mocha, as I can’t find my own. It is winter here and seeing my rabbit pen in the sun is such a nice thing! You will love building this, I had fun with it! Yes, definitely make the top of mesh, I used chicken wire, I paid $12 for the roll. I stapled it to a wooden frame that I re-inforced with some cross bars. The bottom mesh was landscaping cloth, I paid $18 for the roll. These are Canadian dollars up here. Landscaping cloth is meant to keep weeds from growing in gardens, so it is just a synthetic web, not metal. I found that it made cleaning the litter corners easy. I used diatomaceous earth to battle urine that built up in the corners, the droppings were easy to pick off the landscaping cloth. You have to pick up after them daily to keep manure flies away. I used the diatomaceous earth (also known as “Barnfresh”) only once per month. I asked Dana Krempels and she said it is safe to use around rabbits. I paid $10 for a large bag of the stuff, I needed two bags to last me all summer, but summers up here are short. I also bought a tarp to keep the pen covered when it rained and at night so that no moisture would get in, even when my rabbits were indoors. It depends on your climate, in general you wouldn’t want damp conditions in the pen: moisture leads to bugs and wet rabbits and stench. Over time the earth in my rabbit pen grew so arid that all the grass and weeds disappeared but it didn’t matter because I picked them grasses plenty. For the siding you could use vinyl siding or any solid smooth surface that can withstand the elements. Make sure to sink it into the ground well. If you don’t have a shady spot, you could make half of the top covered and half mesh to give them escape from the sun. Also you can drill ventilation holes into the siding. A wooden hide-out from heat will be welcome too. Keep in mind that a project like this may evolve over time, you don’t have to have all the accessories this summer, just make sure the pen is safe and then keep adding things in it when you get the money.

[mocha200]

Thanks Petzy!

– I am saving my money and am not allowing my self to buy any thing until this summer.
– I will use chicken wire for the top then, I saw at the store that it was pretty cheep. I also think I might make half of it wood half of it wire, but i am not sure yet.
– I will have to see if I can find landscaping cloth. How did you keep it held down so it didn’t bubble and bulge?
– I looked up diatomaceous earth and it said its an insect killer am I right? Do you think I should use it?
– Last year my pen had a tarp for the top/roof and when it rained, all the water gathered on the tarp and It was hard to get the water off. My tarp also has a few holes in it, is that ok? The buns will not be in there when it is raining though.
– I think I am going to use the kind of stuff you are using unless I find something better.
– I have a wood hutch for them but it is an old dog house so it is not raised off the ground. Should I raise it off the ground, make a new one, or just keep it how it is?

Thanks!
( Sorry for all the questions)

[Deleted User]

Ideally you would bury the landscaping cloth in the ground and cover with earth but I didn’t do it. I just weighted it down with large rock and I drove some metal stakes into the ground to really pin it down. Definitely raise the hutch thing off the ground. This will give your rabbits a close-to-the-ground hide-out underneath. Tarp with holes is fine. Try raising the mesh cover frame two inches on one side by putting an extra beam under it, that way water will run off your tarp. Your dad will know how to do this, I’m sure. Yes, diatomaceous earth kills bugs. Make sure to post pictures of the project! I will be looking for some!

[mocha200]

Ok thank you! I will post pics as soon as I make it.

Do I need diatomaceous? It makes me nervous to use it even though its safe.

we aren’t going to start building it until around May, so it might be awhile.

[Deleted User]

you don’t need it. You can just use litterboxes and pee won’t be an issue

[mocha200]

I think I will use a litter box because I don’t want there litter habits to get out of hand.

[dazarooney]

Posted By Sarita on 03/01/2011 09:51 AM
I would definitely make the top out of mesh to help the air circulate.

Do you have a shady spot in your yard you are planning to use…they need to be in a shady spot out of direct sunlight.

Yeah I couldn’t agree more, the top needs to be wire mesh so the air can circulate. 

[mocha200]

I think I am going to make it a 6×6. Not to big, not to small

[Deleted User]

you could go with a rectangle instead of a square, and make it longer so they would have more straight running space

[mocha200]

yeah, I was thinking about that to.

[Author]

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