Our Fuzzy Buttz Rabbitry!

Fuzzy Buttz Rabbitry.com

                  

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Fuzzy Buttz Rabbitry has moved to a small family farm, and we are in the process of remodeling our rabbitry.  Unfortunately, we are dealing with a wacky winter and it has seriously slowed down our progress.    We will update the site with our new system once we have the process completed. 

When we first started out we hand built our hutches from scratch using 2x2 pine studs.  Our initial hutches were 36" tall x 30" deep and 72" long.  These hutches were designed with a removable partition so that one complete hutch could be converted into two separate compartments (two separate hutches).  Our initial idea was to give a doe with a litter access to the entire hutch as a grow out hutch.  This would be accomplished with the removal of the center partition.  This has worked really well for us, and we continue to utilize them accordingly.  We also designed each compartment with a removable raised shelf that the rabbits use to completely stretch out and be total lazzzzzzy bunnies.  Trust me, all of our flemish giants love their raised shelf, and they all use them daily. 

Since then, we now utilize a non-conventional type of rabbit hutch.  Frankly, it's just your regular commercial steel shelf's.  I purchased a bunch of used 6' tall x 30'' deep x 8' long commercial shelf's, we added plywood backs, some 2" x 2" studs for dividers, wire, doors, and bingo we came up with our current stackable hutches.   We love them.  They are easy to assemble, they are sturdy, they are larger, they cut down on production time.   Additionally, and not to mention the fact that I picked them up on the cheap didn't hurt either.   We all know what's usually stated "Time is Money", and I saved lots of time getting them built.   Every time that I come across another of these shelf's, I just purchase it, and it will come useful later on.   We designed these new hutches as the same previous ones.   We still placed the center dividers, and the shelf's for the bunnies.   

This picture is one of our first stick built 6' long hutches (with bottom pans) stacked one on top of the other.  This picture shows our black buck "buster" getting ready to take a drink from our automatic watering nipple.   It also shows the hutch being divided into two separate compartment with a removable sliding divider.

This picture is a side view of one of our new  commercial steel shelf / hutch.  This is 8' long x 30''

deep x 6' high... Each individual level or  hutch is 36'' high.  All of our initial hutches had wire floors, but since then, we have all solid wood floors covered in carpet runner plastic (for easy cleaning) 

Here is our newest 8' long commercial hutch.  Since our first one, we keep improving on the design.  This one has just one dividing floor, which made assembly easier.    These bun buns are the latest addition to our rabbitry.. On the top left is our new "Blue" baby girl "opal".  Top right is one of our new Light Gray girls "Candy" (we named her Candy because of her sweet personality).   Bottom left, is the our other new light Gray baby girl "Pepper", and last but not least on the bottom right is our new Fawn baby girl "Hazel".    As you can see each level has a center divider that is removable.  It will give us the ability to expand each level giving the doe with her babies plenty of growing room.  Each individual compartment has a removable raised shelf, that isn't installed at this moment.  The shelf's will be added later on, since the bunnies are in their initial litter box training periods, and they don't need any more diversion or places to potty on. They just need to use the litter boxes!  During the initial first days, we are trying to determine each individual rabbits litter box placement. Frankly, we have almost come to realize that they usually prefer the litterbox right in front of the door ( since they tend to sit in the litter box, eat from their door attached (raised) dispensers and go potty at the same time).  I know, call me crazy, but that's what usually happens.   The following picture shows how we place the food dispensers attached to the door.  The dispensers are at a height that clears the tall litter box.     We also placed the dispenser at a higher level to discourage the rabbits from digging and wasting their pellets - It works!

Here is the raised free feed rabbit pellet dispenser and next to it is the sweet feed dispenser bowl

Here is our hanging "Lixit brand" water bottle.  These water bottles are great, they have a drip-less tipped valve.  We initially start the bunnies each with a bottle on the side of the cage, and an actual crock water bowl.  We do this to make sure that the rabbits have access to water.  This is our initial training period.  Eventually, and when we have time to be around, we remove the water crock.  We let the rabbits get thirsty, and then reach inside the cage with our finger, flick the end of the water dispenser and... Bingo, they start to obtain their water from the tipped dispenser.  After this, and when we are sure that they are using the hanging dispenser - We then remove the dispenser, and attach the tipped end to our automatic watering system.  It's kind of a learning curve but, it's so wonderful when we get them graduated to the auto watering system. 

Here is the modified automatic watering tipped water dispenser.   Again, this is only done once we are completely sure that the rabbit is obtaining all of it's daily water needs directly from these tipped water nozzles.   The water comes directly gravity fed from a 5 gallon (sealed)  water bucket that sits on top of the hutch.   Each 5 gallon bucket has a " T " valve on the very bottom with 3/8" hose attached feeding the water to each side of the hutches.  One bucket will provide enough water for 4 individual compartment.  Doing things this way, has made our jobs so much easier. The water stays fresh, and I know that they have a constant supply of water when they want it.  I still check the level of the water daily, and just re-fill the bucket when it needs to be topped.

Here is the gravity fed 5 gallon water bucket that sits on the top of each 4 compartment unit.  Please notice the " T "  valve that feeds the water directly to either side of the hutches. 

Here is Snowy sprawled out on her upper raised hutch shelf.   They love their shelf's.