The Danger Of Poor Quality Mesh/chicken Wire On Hutches/runs

Status
Not open for further replies.
Bekki

Bekki

Senior Guinea Pig
Joined
Sep 27, 2011
Messages
5,304
Reaction score
1,290
Points
995
Location
Middlesbrough UK
1902940_10152394583307573_1513214149_n.jpg

I got the above hutch off gumtree for nothing, it is a solid joiner made hutch even the floor and back are wood not ply. There is one flaw with this hutch, the front mesh, a rabbit was living in here and a dog took offense to the rabbit and did this damage and sadly the rabbit didnt make it, this is why the hutch was for sale. The front is made from thin chicken wire and this is not dog/fox proof in theory and as shown here! It took me a massive 5 minutes to remove the entirety of the mesh from the hutch with a set of old blunt kitchen scissors, which is just darn scary. Thought id share to raise awareness.
1497618_10152397311507573_997727371_n.jpg

Apologies for naff photos I just decided to post photos after id started painting it up :-) Also the piggies are not in the cage behind the hutch whilst painting is happening.
 
Last edited:
It looks great! :) Thanks for the info about how bad it can really be, a reminder to all of us. That poor rabbit :(
(PS lovely paint colour, too!)
 
people should be wary of spacing of wire as well. When i was a kid we lost a guinea pig because something managed to get its paws in and drag the piggy to the wire and kill him. Good that you are bringing this to peoples attention
 
Lattice spacing is a good point I am putting 12mm mesh on it later :) small enough to keep rats from easily getting in but big enough to hang a bottle
 
Who is going to live in it, Bekki? I just got a bluebell hideaway hutch from a friend, her rabbit has literally eaten the door! I have.just unscrewed it to scrub and disinfect ........its 152cm x 60cm double hutch....
.
 
Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention.
 
Goth Mummy said:
Who is going to live in it, Bekki? I just got a bluebell hideaway hutch from a friend, her rabbit has literally eaten the door! I have.just unscrewed it to scrub and disinfect ........its 152cm x 60cm double hutch....
.
Click to expand...

Peppa and Norbert :)
 
I adopted 2 guinea pigs yesterday and my partner and I are going to make a run for them (with the help of his carpenter friend) but I was just wondering what sort of mesh is recommended?
 
1978849_10152398452467573_1311536091_n.jpg

This is the hutch with mesh similar to the one sold in Wickes that piggyme234 pointed out, same type of mesh only 12mm not 13mm thought id post it to show it now and to show what the mesh looks like. I secured it with screws and washers which is very secure :-)
 
That is looking great Bekki!

I unscrewed my "renovation project hutch" yesterday so I can easily get to all the panels. Its a Pets at Home Bluebell Hideaway. I need to scrub it then mend where my friend's rabbit chewed through and then repaint inside and out.

What paint have you used? It looks like gloss? Or is it something like Cuprinol Garden Shades (I have a greenish colour for outside the hutch and the white colour for inside).

Thanks for this post anyway, because I only noticed last night that the mesh on the P@H Bluebell is the chickenwire that looks just like your first photo. As its intact, I would not have thought of replacing it. Now I will though!
 
I just had to go and check my rabbit hutch, it has been empty for a good few years but I couldn't remember what wire I put onit. Just checked and it is the small squares so I did it right! lol. Memory like a sieve!
 
piggyme234 said:
http://www.wickes.co.uk/garden-cage aviary-wire-13mm-mesh/invt/187732/
This is what I have on my hutches.you want the thick wire that is welded at the joins not thin wire that is twisted at the joins
Click to expand...


I have a run made by this company on the front of my cage.

http://www.runaboutruns.com/#!about/c1wfv

I am very pleased with it . So far , I have shut my piggies in their cage overnight so they have only used the run in the daytime. This was fine when I had 2 piggies but I have 3 now and the hutch isn't really big enough for all 3. I am thinking of having another run made by this company to extend the size of my hutch. If I do this , the piggies will have sleeping areas in this new part and I am therefore intending that they can have the free use of it day and night.

I am a bit concerned whether this will be safe. I have never known of any dogs getting into my garden but this is not an impossibility and I know for a fact that there are foxes roaming around at night time.

These runs are well made but it is the sturdiness of the mesh I am concerned about. The website says ..

Welded galvanised mesh with holes 1" (25mm) x 1/2" (13mm) is fixed to the inside of all wood frames to ensure no wooden edges can be gnawed by your pet and all fixtures and fittings used are non-corrosive


I would be grateful for everyones views.
 
PiggieOwner said:
I have a run made by this company on the front of my cage.

http://www.runaboutruns.com/#!about/c1wfv

I am very pleased with it . So far , I have shut my piggies in their cage overnight so they have only used the run in the daytime. This was fine when I had 2 piggies but I have 3 now and the hutch isn't really big enough for all 3. I am thinking of having another run made by this company to extend the size of my hutch. If I do this , the piggies will have sleeping areas in this new part and I am therefore intending that they can have the free use of it day and night.

I am a bit concerned whether this will be safe. I have never known of any dogs getting into my garden but this is not an impossibility and I know for a fact that there are foxes roaming around at night time.

These runs are well made but it is the sturdiness of the mesh I am concerned about. The website says ..

Welded galvanised mesh with holes 1" (25mm) x 1/2" (13mm) is fixed to the inside of all wood frames to ensure no wooden edges can be gnawed by your pet and all fixtures and fittings used are non-corrosive


I would be grateful for everyones views.
Click to expand...
It's nice and big! Good quality too by the looks of it :-)
 
Cavyhappy said:
It's nice and big! Good quality too by the looks of it :-)
Click to expand...

I'm delighted with it. If anyone's looking to have a bespoke run made, I'd recommend this company. I had it made to be a day run and he's even put little Guinea Pig sized "doors " at the sides so I can peg my grids to it - open the "door" and let my piggies come and go as they please.

I'm going to get one made to attach to the back too. He's going to put an even stronger mesh on the next one.
 
PiggieOwner said:
I'm delighted with it. If anyone's looking to have a bespoke run made, I'd recommend this company. I had it made to be a day run and he's even put little Guinea Pig sized "doors " at the sides so I can peg my grids to it - open the "door" and let my piggies come and go as they please.

I'm going to get one made to attach to the back too. He's going to put an even stronger mesh on the next one.
Click to expand...


I've put an order in for my run and will post some pictures when assembled.

I've ordered it as an extension for my hutch as my hutch isn't really big enough for my trio and OH has refused to let me get another one. fortunately, he hasn't realised that this run is a hutch by stealth !

Before OH put his foot down, I was looking at some of the hutches on sale - some of the commercial ones only have flimsy wire on the front - bit of a worry.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top