How to Build a Rabbit Hutch for Winter

Rabbits make great pets because of their docile characteristics. Commonly, rabbits are kept on farms in large hutches. The benefit of rabbit hutches, and rabbits in general, is that these hutches do not need insulation in the winter. Rabbits grow thicker fur coats in the winter as a way of adapting to the cold, so hutches do not even need solid walls--just a covered top so that rain and snow will not fall into the cage. Materials for building a rabbit hutch are available at a local hardware store, and are reasonably cheap.

Things You'll Need

  • 1-gauge hardware cloth, 30 by 36 inches
  • 14-gauge woven wire, 30 by 36 inches
  • 14-gauge woven wire, 18 by 132 inches
  • 14-gauge woven wire, 14 by 15 inches
  • 14-gauge woven wire, 4 by 10 inches
  • Tin snips
  • Wire cutters
  • 3/8-inch hog rings
  • Hog ring pliers
  • Measuring tape
  • Door latch
  • Cardboard box
  • Straw
  • Piece of Formica, 30 by 36 inches
  • Newspapers
  • Litter box
  • Water bottle
  • Food bowl
  • Metal sheet of thick wod, 30 by 36 inches
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Instructions

    • 1

      Bend the 18-by-132-inch woven wire into three even right angles, using the measuring tape to determine the spacing on the wire. This will form the sides of the hutch.

    • 2

      Connect the sides of the hutch to the 30-by-36-inch woven wire with hog rings, using one hog ring at each side. Snip off 2 inches from the 36-inch side and 2 inches from the bottom and the top.

    • 3

      Cut out a 13-inch-wide and 12-inch-high hole with the wire cutters.

    • 4

      Attach the 14-by-15-inch woven wire to the hole with hog rings.

    • 5

      Cut a 2-by-8-inch hole in the woven wire for a feeding hole. Connect the 4-by-10-inch woven wire with hog rings. This will become the door of the hutch.

    • 6

      Place the carpet on the floor of the hutch, and scatter straw throughout the cage. Connect the water bottle to the side of the hutch, and put the food bowl inside as well as the litter box.

    • 7

      Put the hutch on top of the Formica covered with the newspapers. Place the metal sheet or piece of wood overtop as a roof during the winter. Remove it in the summer and springtime unless it rains.