Garden shed used for a rabbit shed

[BlueLove16]

So hubby decided to save money in building something for rabbits and just letting me continue to use the shed for them

he is going to put a window out there..currently has no window so i open the doors during the day. and going to put electricity out there for fans and window units during the summer to keep it at a livable temperature.

The shed is 8x12

The right side already has shelves there. THe left has a waist high table top that goes nearly across cept for the metal storage cabinet.

Right side.

Left side.

Right now, they are all on the bottom. Left to right. Mags in a 3x4. Ripley and Po are in 2x3 wire dog kennels


Thankfully they are all good with litter boxes, makes clean up a loooot easier.

So, my current ideas:
-Insulate walls and finish them with another piece of plywood over studs. Although, right now they make GREAT hay holders lol
-Add electricity with its own fuse box so not to overload house
-Get some vinyl tiles down on the ground
-Plastic sheet walls or tile walls around cages with vinyl squares (mass silicone to seal!) or killz with some semi-gloss paint
-Redo shelves to take up less room and make it more ideal for more cages
-Add a window. The front faces North right now. Not sure where I should put the window, thinking on the West side right now, but dont wanna take space away from rabbit cage wall
-Add outdoor pen/run to the right of the shed for rabbits


any other ideas?

 

[Dood]

If you are going to raise them off the floor, i would add two vents at opposite ends near the floor to draw out ammonia, which is heavier than air and sinks to the floor.

Insulate the roof to help keep the shed cool in summer

An economical urine barrier is old pool liners. They are thick, easy to staple up and you can get them for free.

Line the ground of the outdoor run with wire to avoid dig outs or patio stones to avoid muck if you get alot of rain, or 1/2 and 1/2

I have a mouse problem in my barn and have not covered the insulation on the walls to avoid the little rodents making nests between them.

 

[Diamond]

What a nice little bunny barn!

 

[skysthelimit]

Nice. About the size of my bunny room. I have not decided what to do about the floor on mine.

 

[curlysue]

Looks good!

 

[owlsfriend]

Lowe's has vinyl sheet flooring scraps. Don't worry about the color, etc. but the thickness. Some is thin as paper and other has nice backing. I didn't glue mine down, but curled up the edges and used Gorilla tape to the walls. A year latter, some rabbit inflicted damage has occurred, but not bad enough to replace yet (due to digging behavior during time out--which is a good thing for bunnies, if not for human toddlers).

I would put the window opposite the door and hang screen across the doorway to deter flies a bit, also add some shade.

Now lets talk about adding hutches around the outside of the building.....rabbitosis aquiriosus begins....

 

[BlueLove16]

I didnt think about having hollow walls harboring mice...i feed the local ferals and with the field behind us i have not seen any mice, so i am hoping that the cats keep the population down!

a window opposite the door would work much better, i just want to make sure they all get adequate sunlight

and didnt think about a screen/netting either! Would prevent little bunnies from escaping shed if they get out of the cages too...which im always afraid will happen!

and we dont plan on staying here at this house very long. hoping to have it paid off in 10 years or so, but moving to a new house in 3-5 and renting this one out. so i cant have the shed looking bad after our time here. hence why i am trying to do it so it looks nice as possible, but still affordable. hence why i wont use scraps of diff colors of vinyl

and hubby already wants to kick my house bunnies outside too ): sorry...but i didnt spend that much money to spay and nuetere and have a leg amputated on a rabbit to put them outside. they wouldnt get same attention as they do when inside.
he doesnt like the fact i have three more, and me taking about adding a meat mutt or keeping a kit from Mags litter just gets him grumpy. how am i supposed to breed and show with 3 rabbits and not being allowed to keep any of the kits? blah.
so adding more hutches around would be a NO unless they are super expensive looking and professional so they dont ghetto up the yard...he sucks.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

Actually, insulate the walls and ceiling, and use bathroom panels or even dairy panels as a covering-- they are washable and can be disinfected easily. They don;t need painting or any type of strenuous maintenance. In case of scratches, the color goes all the way through, as well. No matter what level the rabbits are kept at, one needs floor level ventilation. I am looking at some "Amish built" sheds at the moment, particularly the ones that look like playhouses or cabins, as future housing for my rabbits. I figure, if the housing looks neat and tidy, there is less chance of a 'complaint' But a metal shed from Lowes or HomeDepot woulf 'blend in' better in this mobile home park!!

 

[TerriG]

We are basically going to do the same. Our next door neighbor has a shed just like we envisioned. It is like a shed sized barn. Our rabbitry is currently in a 10'x15' doge kennel. I want to increase the size a bit and run power and water out to it. I also want to put a hay loft in it so that we can keep extra wood chips, bags of pellets, and bales of hay up there. It won't be super convenient to get to, but it will be better than the stuff being under foot. I am trying to figure ventilation out in my head right now.

 

[skysthelimit]

Actually, insulate the walls and ceiling, and use bathroom panels or even dairy panels as a covering-- they are washable and can be disinfected easily. They don;t need painting or any type of strenuous maintenance. In case of scratches, the color goes all the way through, as well. No matter what level the rabbits are kept at, one needs floor level ventilation. I am looking at some "Amish built" sheds at the moment, particularly the ones that look like playhouses or cabins, as future housing for my rabbits. I figure, if the housing looks neat and tidy, there is less chance of a 'complaint' But a metal shed from Lowes or HomeDepot woulf 'blend in' better in this mobile home park!!

I wish I could cut out vents in the barn without losing structural integretity. Right now, the building doesnot have a concrete foundation in the bunny barn room, so it's got a bit of a "gansta lean" I thought of back filling it, but was afraid the shift would be worst than the lean now, who knows how long it's been like that.

I hadn't planned on being here long, but barring a miracle, I don't know how I'd afford to move. I am seriously thinking of putting up a bunny shed outside, and removing all of the cages from the bunny barn. That sure would make cleaning and ventilation easier(and give me more room for bunnies.

 

[hoodat]

I know this is OT but that lop is HUGE!

 

[3mina]

Another option for lighting is solar bulbs, they can be made cheaply out of plastic bottles, rubber flashing and sealer. There's a couple of You tube videos on it.

 

[owlsfriend]

Lowe's "scrap" vinyl comes in 12' rolls.

 

[Bad Habit]

Well, even if you use the diff colour scrap, couldn't you just do as someone suggested(totally too lazy to scroll up and find the comment, sorry!) and tape it on, then remove it when you move/rent?

 

[BlueLove16]

I know this is OT but that lop is HUGE!

LOL Ripley is my little 5 month old baby and I keep hoping she gets bigger than my buck!!! Who, at 10lbs, I consider a shrimp haha!!

I am not able to put vent holes in the floor

but I may have to look at scrap vinyl if it does come in larger peices! Or I will have to start watching CL Free section

 

[Cindi Davis]

Im useing stall mats under my rabbits but boy are they spendy, always looking for a cheaper option on cleaning

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

Put your window where it wont shine direct sunlight on the bunny so you don't cook them. A South window would be great.

 

[BlueLove16]

THanks for the input about the window i am just worried they wont get enough sunlight with all that i have read about sunlight being affiliated with breding


And the reason i wanted flooring was to make it easier to clean, hence why i was thinking vinyl with some rugs to keep me from slipping