Your thoughts on my hutch plan please

Status
Not open for further replies.
Doeylicious

Doeylicious

Adult Guinea Pig
Joined
Apr 20, 2010
Messages
2,079
Reaction score
4
Points
210
Location
South East
If Honey has a little girl, the plan is to put her, her daughter and Jo-Jo all together and live happily ever after (well, let's hope so!)

I have been browsing hutches online for, well, since we found out she was pregnant! I am not a fan of the proper two tier outdoor ones as the ramps seem so steep, having seen a guinea tumble off one I am not convinced, and also they are too tall to then have a single hutch stacked on top when they come inside in winter. There are no single storey hutches around I feel happy enough to house three in really.

So I have decided to make my own by modifying an existing model and would like to know what you guys think.

Now the hutch is around 4 and a half ft x 2 and a bit ft x just over 2ft high.

It comes with a divider with a roof, it's designed for bunnies so they can hop on top of this (IMO bit too small for a rabbit to live in all the time but there you go)

So my plan was this (Please note the catches WILL be replaced for proper bolts!)

hutch-plan-a.jpg


I intend to carpet the ramp so it is easy for them to get up and down, and got some laminate flooring tiles in Poundland (£1 for 4, they are pretty ugly but who cares they are gona pee on them!) to reinforce/strengthen the floor. I will put a barrier up on the open side of the ramp and also along the mezannine levels. To split it into two floors properly would make both floors too low IMO, but I think the mezannine style would work.

So, what do you guys think?
 
I think it's perfect :)
It is similar to what i had in some of my hutches. Some had ramps, others tunnels like this one but all the pigs love their "lofts."

HutchToddie1587.jpg


Just to add the black blob you see is a frozen bottle in a sock, not the piggy who lived in the hutch. :)
 
Hehehe it does look a bit like a guinea pig!

I think it looks good doeylicious!
 
I think it looks good :) They'll like hiding in the little house bit, and going into their loft, and I think pigs like ramps so that'll be a good bit of exercise for them too without being too steep. :)
 
Thanks everyone :)

To be honest even if we don't end up with three in there, I want to make it anyway as one of my hutches needs replacing (had it almost 5 years and for a pets at home jobby it has done incredibly well!)

I have been sitting at work today drawing diagrams and working out what best to use as 'bannisters' hehe!

Glad I wasn't the only one whop thought the water bottle was a piggy :))

Now to get my OH with the big car to take me to buy the hutch...
 
We adapted our hutch to provide more room when I had 2 guinea pigs.

Here it is out of the hutch. The ramp looks steep but only because it isn't in position here

DSCF0172.jpg


In the hutch

DSCF0130.jpg


Eliza trying out the ramp

DSCF0134.jpg


Eleanor trying out the ramp

DSCF0133.jpg
 
DSCF1088.jpg


this is the ramp I did...the ramp is about 2" off the floor as it makes it so much easier to clean the hutch floor!
also fitted a piece of 'cage' to stop them falling off!
good idea to make the ramp wide...like about 5" or 6" so plenty of space!
 
I made this for the upstairs...



DSCF1087.jpg


there is a ramp on the right to go upstairs and an opening around the corner on the left!
if it helps I can take a photo of it out of the hutch!
 
found this photo too !

09-04-08_0835.jpg


I used a large hinge under the ramp at the top!

26-04-08_1319.jpg


curved a square grid to make the tunnel!

p.s sorry to post so many photos as I forgot that I had the pictures!
 
That is fab and I live the grid around the ramp, I was stuck as to what to do to still be able to see them but make it safe!

Thanks Gaile!
 
Oh dear, we are getting overly ambitious now...I have found they do the hutch I wanted to get, but basically two storeys. So I could make TWO amazing hutches...and thus hopefully keep all Honey's babies!

AND my boss told me I am due quite a substantial bonus next week that should cover the whole purchase of the hutch and build!

WOOHOO!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top