Making My First Ferret Hutch

[Welsh_red 4,307]

Ive got monday off from work so im finally going to get started on my ferret hutch . Ive got some pics off here so i have a idea of what i want it to look like . Ive started doodling designes . What im after is a few pointers (again) . The design i seen on here was 2 levels and looked real nice . Ive got a decent size brick shed adjoined to the house that im going to have my hutch in . Nothing in the shed bar my mrs and daughters horse tack and saddle which only takes up 25% of the shed .

 

The size i have to work with is 180 cm height x 130 cm width x 90cm depth

 

Their is a little window in the shed that was broke when i got here so i took the glass out and screwed ply to the frame so cover the window . That hutch will come past the window when done (i will explain why i mentioned that later) .

 

Now as i said earlier the picture and design i am following on here had 2 levels . In looking at the size available to me im thinking i might be able to get 3 levels . My thinking is if i have 3 levels over 2 theirs more floor space for me to put stuff in there for them . The size of each level if i decide on 3 is 56 cm . Im thinking that should be ample as ive seen some peoples hutches and they are relitavly small in height . Now i know more floor space means more cleaning up of the substrate but thats not a concern really . Is their any advantage to high ceilings? Im going to get 2 jills . Maybe in the future i might expand and get more but for now im only thinking of 2 . They could live in a smaller hutch but i thought as i have the space free they might as well make use of it .

 

Back to the boarded up window . My plan is the hutch will come past the window on the inside of the shed . I was going to bore a hole in the plywood and attach a pipe through it into the hutch then outside the pipe will go down the brick wall into a outside court . I will attach the pipe with gutter clips to the wall so its solid and wont fall loose . On the inside id have a blocker so that i can open and close the pipe to the ferrets as i see fit and as needed . Outside i will have a basic court for them to enjoy some fresh air . I was thinking when i go to work in the morning id open the piping up and when i go to bed close it with them inside .

 

Inside the hutch i will have pipes running through the levels and on the ground . Maybe a hammock altho im not sure how much of a gimmick thing they are .

 

 

Hit me with your thought and comments no matter what you think . Bad or good . Im mainly wondering about the ceiling height on the levels and whether i have 2 levels with really high ceilings or 3 levels with decent height ceilings of 56 cm

[rick12345 180]

Would it not be too dark? They do need natural light, really....

[Chaff 3,414]

Be sure they don't overheat during the summer months mate, size wise make it as big as you can the more floor space they have to run around the better also consider dividing it in 2 if you want to breed later on so you can separate the families

Good luck with the build

[Welsh_red 4,307]

Would it not be too dark? They do need natural light, really....

 

thats where the outside court would be used

[Welsh_red 4,307]

also the hutch inside the doors would be fronted with mesh. Shed door left open in the day aswell as mrs only out for 4-5 hours in the day.

[ryaldinhio 4,136]

This is mine. I cant remember dims but its about 5ft tall and same wide. Each level about 1.5-2ft I think. The little door on the left within the door on lower level hinges at the bottom and thats where the food bowl is..its a god send when there is three energetic ferrets tryna get out when your puttin food in!

[ryaldinhio 4,136]

Only thing I would say with your plans is if you go 3 levels one of them is basically guna be on the floor and you will be on your hands and knees to clean it out properly, it may get a bit tiresome, thats why mine is on legs!

[AshDove 27]

Only thing I would say with your plans is if you go 3 levels one of them is basically guna be on the floor and you will be on your hands and knees to clean it out properly, it may get a bit tiresome, thats why mine is on legs!

That's a good point mines on 3 levels so like you say I'm in the grass in all weathers on my hands and knees

[Welsh_red 4,307]

Only thing I would say with your plans is if you go 3 levels one of them is basically guna be on the floor and you will be on your hands and knees to clean it out properly, it may get a bit tiresome, thats why mine is on legs!

Lol yours is the design I was copying . I downloaded all the pics to copy . Maybe a 2 tier one might be better with storage space underneath for the box etc . Didn't think about being on my knees cleaning

[ryaldinhio 4,136]

I keep ferret box and sawdust/straw etc underneath. I did keep all the plans for it but not sure what Ive done wi em. I got drew it all up and got joiners at work to cut it all out of ply. When I got home it all went together like a jigsaw, it worked perfectly. I have put mine in wood store to keep most of weather off it. I am guna build a court/run in there for em aswell and do similar to what you are on about with a connecting tube and slider.

[ryaldinhio 4,136]

One thing I would add, and I am going to add to mine, is a lip/ledge around the opening between levels otherwise all that happens is when the stinkers are playing all the wood shavings from the top get knocked downstairs!

[ryaldinhio 4,136]

I got a wheel off Leeview on here aswell, the stinkers use it loads and I figure it helps keep em fit. Fitted it to back wall on top level, will get a pic tomoz.

[Welsh_red 4,307]

I got a wheel off Leeview on here aswell, the stinkers use it loads and I figure it helps keep em fit. Fitted it to back wall on top level, will get a pic tomoz.

Sure the wheel is visible in one of your pictures

[ryaldinhio 4,136]

 

I got a wheel off Leeview on here aswell, the stinkers use it loads and I figure it helps keep em fit. Fitted it to back wall on top level, will get a pic tomoz.

Sure the wheel is visible in one of your pictures

Its not that one. That was a crap one from a pet shop that lasted two mins.

[Micheala Robinson 400]

One thing I would add, and I am going to add to mine, is a lip/ledge around the opening between levels otherwise all that happens is when the stinkers are playing all the wood shavings from the top get knocked downstairs!

I have this on the to do list also, and they are so keen to be out they leap onto me when the doors are opened and bring half the shavings with them.