Are there any secure plastic hutches suitable for outdoor use (other than the Omlet Eglus which cost a fortune!)? We have bought a wooden one which looked great but is turning out to be awful to clean with lots of nooks and crannies we hadn't noticed at first. We would prefer an easy-cleaning plastic one if at all possible this time! Thanks!
Plastic outdoor hutches?
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Phoebe-PP
Teenage Guinea Pig
I don't know about a plastic hutch, but how about lining the base with lino/vinyl tiles? It makes it easy to wipe clean, and the tiles can be picked up at the pound shop, so it's a lot cheaper than buying a new hutch!
Thanks Phoebe! Since posting the question we have been looking through the fab gallery of Members' hutches here and getting some ideas. Seems most people have to customise their hutch in some way to make it easy and hygienic! It is just so frustrating having grooves that the bedding and poo falls into at the edges, and not being able to lift the trays out to get to it. Seemed a good idea to get ones lined with plastic, but if stuff falls into the edges then it defeats the object *sigh* So we are thinking we may take it all apart, give it a good scrub out, and put it back together with lino or rubber matting.
I'm looking at tiling the bottom and sides of my rabbit hutch as she's quite messy and also chews the sides. There will be plenty of shavings and hay to keep her warm, plus the hutch is in a insulated heated shed so that won't be a problem. 
My hutch is the same, I have to use a screwdriver to get the poo and stuff out of the edge bits. I have started lining the hutch with newspaper and overlap the gap bit with it then put fleece over top. I was thinking getting other half to put something over edges to stop it, he said he could cover gap with wood? If you do get it sorted would love to see how you do it!
Claire W
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The only problem I can see with a plastic hutch is during the summer, I imagine the hutch to get very warm.
My parents use to have a wooden shed that the piggies would stay in when we were visiting. They now have a plastic one instead and it gets so hot in there that I wouldn't risk the piggies going in so they just stay outside now.
I imagine a plastic hutch to have the same affect.
My parents use to have a wooden shed that the piggies would stay in when we were visiting. They now have a plastic one instead and it gets so hot in there that I wouldn't risk the piggies going in so they just stay outside now.
I imagine a plastic hutch to have the same affect.
Ah Claire, I didn;t think of that - the plastic keeping the heat in. We have a plastic Eglu coop for our hens and it works well, but I guess the reason is the plastic is thick and constructed to keep things cool. So I am guessing a solution will have to be found.
Trish&Ewan, we have been debating his on and off all day as some of the solutions seems to create other problems. Eg, putting some edging onto the corners and edges may just create an extra, smaller gap, for food etc to fall into. The only thing we can come up with is to get some rubber matting and place it in with a largish overlap going up the walls (higher than the layer of bedding etc would be), so the whole thing could be lifted out when changing the bedding. But as we have a ramp then this would have to be cut up to include the hole for the ramp. By the way, I have no idea if this makes any sense written down rolleyes
It is hard to line the floor with lino tiles as it is already plastic lined, but the edges are raised (the floor is more like a tray), so the lino tiles couldn't lie flat. We shall keep thinking....
Trish&Ewan, we have been debating his on and off all day as some of the solutions seems to create other problems. Eg, putting some edging onto the corners and edges may just create an extra, smaller gap, for food etc to fall into. The only thing we can come up with is to get some rubber matting and place it in with a largish overlap going up the walls (higher than the layer of bedding etc would be), so the whole thing could be lifted out when changing the bedding. But as we have a ramp then this would have to be cut up to include the hole for the ramp. By the way, I have no idea if this makes any sense written down rolleyes
It is hard to line the floor with lino tiles as it is already plastic lined, but the edges are raised (the floor is more like a tray), so the lino tiles couldn't lie flat. We shall keep thinking....
Claire W
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I am pretty sure that Eglu's are designed to regulate the temperature eg warm in the winter and cool in the summer but I could be wrong
Bekki
Senior Guinea Pig
There is a brand who do totally plastic hutches with a little mesh on the front
but they are only 100cm long so useless for rabbits or guinea pigs. I can see that in the winter they would probably be good as they would keep the wind out better than wood but in the summer they would be like saunas
but they are only 100cm long so useless for rabbits or guinea pigs. I can see that in the winter they would probably be good as they would keep the wind out better than wood but in the summer they would be like saunas
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