Bluebell hutch "sleep area" split

[piggl]

Does anyone have any experience with dividing up the sleeping area in a 5ft bluebell hutch. I thought about putting carboard in so it creates two different areas.

I have found that my 12 week old baby is found sleeping everywhere but the 'sleeping area' and I am worried that the cause is my 4 and a half year old chunky boy Winston. He lies flat out and is not the most tolerant of the babies popcorning and butting into everything, but they get along fine.
Saying that, they get along fine and the smaller poops can also be found in the 'sleeping area', so I am not terribly worried as such but I would like it if they both have a safe space to sleep in that area.

 

[Claire W]

I wouldn’t worry. Your baby will probably sleep in the sleeping area when it gets colder but if you’re concerned, pop in a hide that he can sleep in. A cardboard box stuffed with hay works just as well x

 

[Piggies&buns]

Provided there are hides elsewhere in the hutch it doesn’t actually matter where he sleeps.
I used to always put two bendy log bridges side by side in the sleeping area of my bluebell (in the middle of the space so they can still get out of both ends of the hides) so they both have their own space within the whole bedroom area.
Nowadays I actually completely remove the dividing walls in my hutches (obviously still adding hides into the hutch) so they have free movement around all of it .

 

[piggl]

Thanks for the advice, I’ve added separate hides in the sleeping area and going to see how this goes. I may think about removing the dividers completely as they aren’t that useful especially as my boys are in a garage.

@Piggies&buns - Separate question but did not want to make a similar thread so soon.
I know you have the 5ft bluebell and have the big ramp hole covered and I was wondering if you would be able to share information about this or even photos.

I have had my first fall down the gap today. There is a 3-4in piece of wood alongside the gap to stop them looking over and falling but nothing more than that. I have never had issue with this but today my older boy was blocking most of the way and when my baby popcorned round him he went straight off the edge.

I have done a full check and he seems completely fine but I obviously feel terrible and I am definitely going to close it up now.
I am wondering how would be best to go around this, as I wouldn’t know how far to go up or how to ensure it was properly attached.

 

[Piggies&buns]

Yes that has also been my thinking. Being in the shed the whole hutch is sheltered and then hides stuffed with hay etc, the separate bedroom area became a hindrance rather than a benefit.

I’m sorry to hear about the fall.

I had a rail which stood a good 6 inches high along the hole. Dex and Pops never even attempted to look over it.
The banister had some wood screwed to the bottom (making it L shaped) and then the attached piece of wood was screwed to the floor with a baton piece of wood being added to the underside of the floor (as the floor wood is so thin it wouldn’t support anything) to screw through. (So it made a sandwich of baton attached to bottom of banister, hutch floor, then baton on the underside of the floor). It never wobbled when touched etc. It was very secure.

This was obviously before it all changed. I sealed the floor up entirely in the end and made it two separate hutches. You can see in this picture the bedroom wall is still in. I only removed the dividing bedroom wall after it became two separate hutches. For you, if it is to remain a two storey hutch with ramp you can’t remove the dividing bedroom wall otherwise you’ll just be left with a complete drop down the ramp at that end also. (you’d have to make a two sided banister to be able to remove the wall which seems kind of pointless when you can just leave the wall in)

 

[Piggies&buns]

This is from the bottom hutch looking up. In this picture you can see the darker front piece of baton was the piece of baton which the banister was originally screwed through to join it to the floor.
Although this picture is when the hole is fully closed to make two separate hutches and the baton used to attach the new floor section.

 

[piggl]

Thank you for your help, I definitely think adding a tall bannister would be safer and easier than a new piece of flooring (for us, as we still have the ramp), but I will look into it a bit more.

Thanks again, your explanation has been very helpful as I was totally lost!

 

[piggl]

Sorted!

It’s not the nicest looking, but it keeps my boys safe and that’s all that matters. I may even decorate it in the future.
Reggie has continued to be fine this morning so I am hoping I was very lucky and now that I have put the wood in place it will never happen again.