General Information:
The photo above is of what we affectionately call the "Bunny Barn" (Angel prefers "Bunny Hutch"). It's a simple (functional, not glamorous) structure in which we house the bunny kennels.
Another view ... From the Gate.
The bunnies are happy with it. We have evaporative coolers at both ends and a "booster" in the center. Even on the hottest Arizona summer day, the bunnies are quite comfortable. They are dry and comfortable in storms, but by structurally enclosing the back and sides we will eliminate the flapping of the tarps on windy days and we'll be able to keep even more cooling inside with the bunnies. Heat in the winter is not really a big issue in this part of Arizona, but we are prepared with free-standing electric heat.
Plans
We decided on tarps for walls in the beginning for both accessibility and temperature control, but we now have plans (another shameless plug for help) to structurally enclose the sides and back for even better weather/climate control.
We were doing ok at the size we were, in that our "turn-over" rate was (relatively) good. But it seems lately that more people want to get rid of bunnies than want to adopt them. That problem is compounded by the fact that it appears that other rabbit rescues in the area cannot take on any more bunnies at this time. We set up another kennel section and have now added new frontage. We do it all ourselves, you know.
Housing
Sometimes we get a trio that has lived together, but for the most part, we house two bunnies per kennel. As you can see, we have divided the "runs" into sections that equal 5' x 3' x 3' and the bunnies have plenty of room to run around. Yes, that's hay - lots of hay! You will also notice we've set two kennel sets side-by-side to increase the "community" feeling for these very social animals.
We recently made a special purchase of hutches from the Ware corporation and have increased our kennel capability considerably - though we still scratch our heads when we think of where we would put another 10-20 bunny rescue.
The Yard
Of course, we can't leave out the "Ground Crew". The strong and healthy bunnies are allowed to roam the yard. You have to know they love it! Not only do they have a nice grass patch to both eat and rest in, but they have open access to the hay barn! ... and when those peach trees bear, you'd think it was heaven on earth! (L-R .. Shamrock, Pepper and Juno)
That kennel seen on the ground to the left of the picture is used on occasion to let the guys in the kennels remember what it feels like to have grass under their feet. You'll also notice the six-foot block fence that completely surrounds the Bunny Yard. This area is dedicated to the bunnies alone.
