How to Use Vinyl in Rabbit Hutch

Although rabbits can be trained to live indoors with people there are times when they must be kept in a hutch. Whether building or modifying an existing hutch, vinyl materials can help reduce the effects of weathering. Unlike plain wire, vinyl-coated wire won't rust. And vinyl siding is both waterproof and ages better than untreated wood.

Things You'll Need

  • Vinyl-coated wire (by sheet or in squares)
  • Vinyl siding
  • Nails
  • C-clamps
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Instructions

    • 1

      Use a sheet of vinyl-coated wire when building your hutch. Stretch this around the hutch frame, securing it in place by stapling the wire directly to the wooden frame. Place your staples about an inch apart to make sure the wire does not gap on the frame. Staple to every part of the frame, and not just the starting and ending piece of wire. Staple also the stretch of wire that curves around other sides of the frame.

      The actual length of wire sheeting you'll need depends on the dimensions of your hutch, but your hutch should be at least 5 feet long and 3 feet deep and 2 feet tall. Measure around your frame to determine how much coated wire you'll need. Also measure the dimensions for the top and bottom. For this example, you would need two sections, 5 by 3 feet for the top and bottom of the hutch. Vinyl-coated wire can be found at most home-improvement centers and can be ordered online.

    • 2

      Construct the hutch using vinyl-coated metal squares. These are neat, framed squares of wire mesh, coated in vinyl. Using C-clamps, you can fasten the squares together, making a cage. Simply form a 3-dimensional box using the squares. Position them side by side, creating as long a side to your hutch as you want. Use the C-clamps around the edges of the squares to join them together. When your side is as long as you want, join the next square on at a 90-degree angle, to form the next side, and so forth. Use squares to make the top and bottom as well.

    • 3

      Add vinyl siding to an existing wooden framed hutch. Attach it to wood as you would if putting it on your house by using nails through the holes provided in the edge of the siding. Add the siding over the wooden roof to weatherproof the wood. If the hutch has some wooden sides, cover them as well. The siding should add an extra layer of insulation against the heat and cold, although, a rabbit shouldn't be kept outdoors in extreme conditions.