New rabbit hutch coming...

[Jeremy Knauff]

So I'm working on my new hutch after my first one worked out pretty poorly. The new framework is all built from scratch by yours truly, and the caging is standard 30" x 30" x 18" cages hanging from the frame.

It's big?16' long, so it will hold 6 cages, but it's designed to be disassembled. Why? Because I live too damn close to the city and plan to start working my way further into the country. This way, I can break it down and toss it into a moving truck.

Anyway, along the way, I got the idea to make this thing dual-purpose so I'm building the roof to be a rainwater collection system (which will be stored in 55 gallon drums) to water the garden. 

I am going to make the cut sheet and plans freely available...so I figured I ask if anyone here is breeding rabbits? If so, I'll let you know when I've finished it. I'll have pics, a PDF blueprint, and a cut-sheet (materials and sizes for those not familiar w/ construction terms).

Let me know if there is any interest. I should have it complete this week.

[sledge]

Hey, that sounds great.  I'd love to see the pics when you get her up.  I've had in the back of my mind that we would be needing a rabbit hutch, but haven't worked out any details yet.  I've also got to do some study on how to keep goats fenced in.  I've heard they are like little Houdini's.

[thatGuy]

If you need any one to bounce ideas off of I'd be happy to help, I've been employed as a Carpenter for the last 15 years what I don't know about rabbit hutches I do know about framing.

[Jeremy Knauff]

Thanks for the offer. I have everything planned out (though I noticed an improvement that can be made after I built the sides) and most of it constructed, but I'm willing to bet you'll have some ideas improvements if/when I build version 3.

On second though...there is a question you may be able to answer: the roof is regular plywood, which I am planning to attach a tarp to?is the tarp even necessary? The purpose of it is to protect the plywood (not PT) and keep chemicals from the plywood (such as the glues and what ever else is in normal plywood) out of the water. Can I omit the tarp or should I keep it?

[sledge]

Oh, I just remembered.  We do have a resident Rabbit expert here on the board who might be able to help with any questions about rabbits that you may have.  He's usually on here once or twice a day.  His logo tag is Reaver. 

But be warned, once you get him talking about rabbits it's hard to get him to shut up.  I swear, sometimes I think the guy only eats lettuce and carrots.

[hjmoosejaw]

Oh, I just remembered.  We do have a resident Rabbit expert here on the board who might be able to help with any questions about rabbits that you may have.  He's usually on here once or twice a day.  His logo tag is Reaver. 

But be warned, once you get him talking about rabbits it's hard to get him to shut up.  I swear, sometimes I think the guy only eats lettuce and carrots.

That's funny sledge!

[JohnyMac]

WOW JK! Great project!! I love the water barrel idea!!!

The farmer's wife across from the BOL raises rabbits. I am sure she would love to look at your pictures. Good luck.

[thatGuy]

You're going to sheath the roof in plywood then use a tarp as a membrane?

If I understand you correctly I think that is a bad idea.

Plywood is expensive, try OSB sheathing info on osb sheathing.

Personally I would go rafters, nailers and corrugated or profiled steel roof panels. No chemicals, no funny stuff and done right it is a 30+ year roof.

A photo from the underside, nevermind the fru-fru architectural detail there.



This is a pretty good article showing what I am talking about.

http://www.harperfarms.com/farm_projects/potting_shed/potting_shed.htm

Does that all make sense? I've been in the heat for 14 hours, I'm not sure..

[Jeremy Knauff]

Yes, it makes perfect sense. Thank you. I considered the corrugated steel, but I haven't been able to find anything large enough...my frame is 4' x 16'. Are you just overlapping the material in the image above? I also decided to go with the plywood because with the heavy, fast rain we get here in Florida, I need rails on the side to force it all to run into the collection tube. I already have all my materials (except tubing) so for now, I'll probably stick with the plywood on this run?that being said, since the plywood isn't PT, is the tarp necessary or overkill?

[sledge]

Where are you in Florida Jeremy?  I'm in Vero Beach.  What thatguy suggested makes sense on the roof.  I've used that stuff made out of a corrugated plastic material before when we built a roof over a combo outside break lunch area.  We used ryobi battery impact driver to screw it down.  It made it through the 2004 season without any problem.  It did have a large building across the fence that may have helped protect it.  The building ws torn all to hell.

[Jeremy Knauff]

I'm up in Tampa for at least the next year.

[thatGirl]

Yes, it makes perfect sense. Thank you. I considered the corrugated steel, but I haven't been able to find anything large enough...my frame is 4' x 16'. Are you just overlapping the material in the image above? I also decided to go with the plywood because with the heavy, fast rain we get here in Florida, I need rails on the side to force it all to run into the collection tube. I already have all my materials (except tubing) so for now, I'll probably stick with the plywood on this run?that being said, since the plywood isn't PT, is the tarp necessary or overkill?

I don't blame you if you wanna wait till TG can get back to you, but here's an answer in the meantime.  TG had a stupid long day that he's doomed to repeat for the rest of the week and he's assed out. 

Yes, you just overlap the corrugated panels.  If it's 16' wide, you want to overlap at least one full rib (hump) on each side of the sheet, alternating bottom sheet, top sheet, bottom sheet, top sheet (here's a poor illustration of the leading edge: _-_-_ )..., you don't want one edge of a sheet overlapping and the other edge underlapping, if that makes sense.  The sheets are usually 4' x 8', so you'd need 3 of them cut in half leaving you with a spare 4' x 4' piece for repair.  You get hurricane winds where you're at, I'd suspect, so you may want to be able to secure the panels every 2' to the framing with screws and I'd use washers to deter rips in the material.

If it's 4' wide with a 16' slope, you secure the panels starting with the lowest end first and work your way upslope, so the seems don't leek-- 4-6'' overlap of panels should be sufficient.

If you're dead set on using plywood, definitely cover it.  A roll of thick plastic like pond liner would be best, but tarp should work for a while (overhang the edges and staple from underneath). 

We work with a lot of oblivious folks, so I apologize if most of that was intuitive...

What are you using to catch the water, rain gutter, pvc...?  You're probably going to need something pretty heavy duty, large, and well secured if you get that much rain, possibly supported below as opposed to hung off the roof-- you'd be amazed how much water that shit can collect!

Good luck!

[Jeremy Knauff]

Hmmm...OK, you've all sold me on the corrugated sheeting. I guess I need to find something else to do with the plywood now.  The more I look at the corrugated sheeting, the more it looks like I really don't need any side rails; would you agree?

Yes, I was thinking of using something like a 4" PVC screwed to the 2x4 frame with the ends capped and a t-joint in the center to collect the water.

[JohnyMac]

Perfect thatGirl! They also sell roofing nails with a gromit already attached. I used corrugated fiberglass sheets rather than steel on my wood shed because I wanted the light to shine into the shed.

I did pre-drill a hole before I pounded in the gromited (SP) nail. You will not need to do this with the corrugated steel sheets. I probably didn't have to with the corrugated fiberglass either but I am a bit annal with some things like roofs.

Have fun!

[thatGuy]

I forgot that you are in Florida, dude you need hurricane straps on that framing. Simpson Strong Tie makes all kinds of fancy $2-$15 a piece stuff but you could use steel banding.. you know the stuff that holds shit on a pallet? Take a piece of that and use it anywhere you have an important framing connection and as shear bracing, use #10 galvie ringshank nails

You might want to embed some (I would use the manufactured pieces for this) in some friction pilings and attach your legs to keep your hutch from becoming a missile. You  can unbolt it to make it portable again. While you're at it throw a stick or two of rebar in that hole too just make sure it is completely embedded (the rebar) or it will rust, spall and blow your piling apart.

If I was going to build a 16' rabbit hutch I would go 6 4"x4" legs bolted to 10"x3' friction pilings.

2"x4" for the floor framing (how heavy could a couple of rabbits be?), doubled 2"x6"s as a header for the roof and 2"x4" for the rafters. You are going to get a shit ton of rain pounding into this thing as well as a potential hurricane's worth of wind. Use ring #10 galvanized ring shank nails for all sheathing, #16 galvie common for all your framing. Might not be a bad idea to pre-paint any cut ends or lumber you won't be able to get to later. Go to the paint counter and ask for mismixed exterior latex.. it is cheap because you don't get to pick the color.

As far as roofing..yeah, thatGirl got it but put your nailers every foot and a nail in every valley on every nailer, tin comes in 2' wide sheets in common lengths, it's actually 26" but they give you enough to over lap.

Think about the depth of the hutch when you make it, you want overhang on your roof and all the roofing comes in multiples of 4' so make sure that the flat run of your roof will be 1" less than 4' so you can hang the tin off one 1/2" each way. You can go with less overhand (the whole roof not tin) in the back because you are going to sheet 3 sides of this thing and it should keep the water out. That said you want to use a drip edge under the tin to keep water from getting between it and the rabbits. 

Water collection, gutters dude. Hung from the end of your rafters (which you could box in if you wanted. If you anticipate a ton of crap in them you can screen them with 1/4" hardware cloth or you could always put a filter/screen over your collection barrel. I love the idea just don't intend to drink from them.. bad ju-ju with shit and water.

[crudos]

thatGuy, sounds like one badass rabbit hutch. 

[Jeremy Knauff]

4x4s might be overkill...I have some pretty robust sides with plenty of cross-bracing. I'll post pics of the sides tonight. As for the top of the frame, there are currently 3 2x4x16s attached on each end with a section of 2x4.

The strapping...well, if I need strapping, my rabbits are probably flying to Oz anyway. 

[thatGuy]

Don't forget that it has to survive getting moved that is the real killer.

[Jeremy Knauff]

Don't forget that it has to survive getting moved that is the real killer.

That's why the pieces come apart. 

[JohnyMac]

This hutch when done, could hold the nastiest rodent!

Holy Grail - Killer Bunny

[Jeremy Knauff]

FYI?this is one side, unattached to the top frame. It's cross-braced and I used 3" screws and wood glue. These bad boys are solid.



I'll be picking up the corrugated steel tomorrow and should have the roof completed in a few days.