HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN LARGE & INEXPENSIVE BUNNY PEN:   Important Note of Caution:    Being outside can expose rabbits to harmful threats such as predators (dogs, cats, raccoons, coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, and etc.).  We increasingly feel that mosquitoes may pose a serious threat to rabbits -- potentially carrying infectious disease.  The feces of raccoons and opossums often carry a virus that causes disease in rabbits.  Please exercise extreme caution if you plan to keep your rabbit outside, even if only for short periods.   Need a pen that's portable and capable of being stored when not in use?  click here         Just about anyone can build their own outdoor bunny pen cheaply! You will need:   MATERIALS:   A length of Chicken Wire fencing -- 3' or 4' widths A pair of wire cutters A heavy hammer, or light sledge hammer A clamping tool (see below) Hav-a-Hart clamps Metal or wooden fencing stakes/posts Large "zip ties"   SELECTING A LOCATION: It is vitally important that you select a location where your bunnies will always have access to some shade. Ideally, your pen will get some sunlight as well -- especially during the winter months when deep shade will be very chilly. Once again, be absolutely sure that your location does not completely lose shade at any time during the day. A bunny will die quickly if trapped in full sun on a hot day. It is best to have some kind of shelter available to your bunny as well -- a "barn" of some kind, a hutch, or even a small dog house (no fleas please!) could be adapted to give the bunny shelter and a feeling of security. The shelter should be something that will keep your bunny nice and dry if it should start to rain! A wet bunny is a cold and miserable bunny. Be sure to include a "nest box" filled with straw or pine shavings inside the shelter, for your bunny to snuggle up in and get warm.   HOW MUCH CHICKEN WIRE DO I NEED? To begin, figure out where you want your bunny pen to be and what shape and size it should have. Then measure out the four sides, and add up their length.  Then, measure the length and width of the pen's floor. When you calculate the floor, keep in mind whether you plan to use fencing material that is 3' wide, or 4' wide. Example: If you want to make a nice 4' by 6' pen for your bunnies, you would add it up as follows: 2, 4' sides 2, 6' sides 1, 6' long strip for the floor (if using 4' wide fencing) OR... 2, 4' long floor pieces (from 3' wide fencing), to be joined together lengthwise (one 4' side to the other 4' side) to create a piece 4' wide by 6' long. Then, adding this up you would need a piece of Chicken Wire fencing 26 feet long -- for the taller, 4' width of fencing. Or, 28 feet of fencing if you are using the shorter, 3' width of Chicken Wire fencing. Got it? If not... WHAT ABOUT A GATE? One easy solution to the gate issue is build your pen so that, on one of the short sides, you simply snip the Chicken Wire, from top to middle, in two places. You don't need to make a third cut (from snipped side to snipped side) and remove the piece entirely because you're going to just fold it down, or fold it over. Because you don't cut the piece of fencing completely off, you will be able to make adjustments as needed. For example, if one of your rabbits becomes an exceptionally good jumper, you can simply refold the fencing so that your is a little taller! You can even use the large zip ties to reattach part of the snipped area to the rest of the fencing. (Zip ties, available at the hardware store, are easier to work with than wire, and will not scratch children or bunnies.) You can also use a zip tie or two to hold the folded fencing down, so it doesn't flap up and scratch or trip someone.   BUYING THE SUPPLIES: Okay, now that you know how much fencing you will need, make a trip to Orchard Supply Hardware or a similar store. Ask them to cut you the fencing you need. Make sure to buy the sturdy 1" Chicken Wire -- anything more flimsy just won't last, and anything firmer will be too hard to work with.   "Aviary Wire" is really much nicer to use, but it will cost you a bit more. Don't forget to buy the other items while you're there! (If you are like me, you should take a list!) If you are building the 4'x6' pen, or you will need at least 4 good sturdy metal fencing stakes. If you're pen is larger, you will obviously need more. If, at some later point, you find your pen's fencing is bowing or bending a bit, you can purchase some of those green, bamboo garden stakes to insert (vertically) in the fencing to stiffen it up.   PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:  The first step is to place the metal fencing stakes where you want them to go and to pound them into the ground securely. Next attach the end of the Chicken Wire fencing to one pole with the large zip ties. Begin unrolling the fencing and wrap it around the backside of the next pole. Continue on to the other poles. Take a break here and go back to pole #2. Stretch the fencing good and taut, and zip tie it onto the pole. Repeat the process with the other two poles. Now bring the fencing around the rest of the way, to the pole you began with. Zip tie it onto the pole. Trim off the excess fencing (which you will be using for the floor of the pen), and lay it aside. Go ahead and create your "gate" now, as described above. (You will need to get inside the pen to lay out the flooring.) After you're gate is complete, lay the flooring piece inside the pen, and get out your Hav-A-Hart clamps and clamping tool. Make sure the flooring is aligned properly, then begin attaching it to the sides of the pen, using the tool according to the directions on the package. You may want to just tack the fencing in place to begin with, spacing the clamps widely at first. However, it is very important to go back over the fencing and be sure that there are no gaps that a rabbit could slip through! Be sure to also use the clamps to completely secure the seam at pole #1, where the beginning and end of the fencing meet. If you have used two pieces of fencing for your flooring, you can use the clamps to securely join the seam.   You're All Finished!       SOME ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS There are a few additional issues that you should keep in mind when creating your outdoor bunny pen:  One of these is that chicken wire can rust out and become prone to breakage.  The more moisture the wire is subjected to (for example if the pen borders on a frequently watered garden), the faster it will rust.  There are specially coated varieties of chicken wire and etc that resist rusting.  (They have a green plastic-like coating.)  But some rabbits may find this irresistible for chewing. Be sure to examine your pen from time to time to make sure there is no breakage (from rust or anything else) that would allow your rabbits to escape. Before you build your pen, you should evaluate the creatures that may be visiting your yard.  Raccoons, although often content to snoop through your garbage, will sometimes kill and eat small bunnies when driven to it by hunger.  Once a taste has been developed, even full sized rabbits may be attacked and killed.   Other creatures such as coyote, bobcat, mountain lion, large hawks or eagles can also be a threat as can more domestic hunters such as dogs and cat (there are those few cats out there that will take down a full size rabbit, though most cats seem to  largely be a danger to young rabbits). And don't forget, no matter whether your rabbits are in a hutch or in a pen they will leave droppings (poop) which will need to be cleaned up.       Need a pen that's portable and capable of being stored when not in use?  We highly recommend the Pet Yard Containment Pen 6 Panel System (18.5 sq ft enclosure) available from Amazon.com click for more info This great little pet yard folds up for storage and is big enough for a child or adult to sit in with their bunny for cuddling and grooming.   Better still, you can snap it together with the extension kit and have an even bigger play area!  Can be used indoors or outdoors!  Just remember that when outdoors on grass or soft ground, rabbits like to dig.  So don't leave your pet unsupervised for long periods.  (We also recommend getting a package of landscaping "staples" to secure the bottom of the pen to the ground -- just in case.) We love that we can move the pen to different areas of the yard to take advantage of shade or sun and tasty grasses (remember not to let your rabbit eat chemically treated grass or foliage!).  And we especially like that the pen can be put away when we need more space in the yard.

Back to Main Bunny Page