Our New Rabbit Hutch

I want to preface this with please ignore the mess in the back yard. We are doing a lot to it this year and hubby is saving plastic bottles to use as heat sources for the greenhouse we are going to build this spring. We still have a lot of clean up to do back there. Anyway...

My rabbit, Kirby, has been an indoor rabbit. We have run out of room to keep him inside, so we moved his cage out and put a baby play yard around it so he could get out and get some exercise. This arrangement, however, is not going to work in the winter and we looked at purchasing a hutch. They are quite pricey. Here is a pic of Mr. Kirby Birby.

You can see the play yard around him. We put a fence around the yard and have a bunch of fence panels left over. My husband was just going to get the wire cage off of the ground so it would be easier to care for Kirby. He started on it two days ago and it has morphed into a great hutch, made complete with a "bedroom" for the Birbster.

He still needs to put a ramp from the wire cage. He made the fencing on that side higher in case Kirby decides to get all Evil Kneivel on us and jump from the ramp over the fencing. This side also has his bedroom with hinged lid and hasps to keep him safe.

This is the gate he added so that it would be easier to get in and out to care for him. Kirby can get underneath the hutch area for added room to relax and play. We plan to use his manure in our garden next year, so we need to be able to get the pan out easily.

Here you can see the wire cage that we purchased from Tractor Supply. If you look closely, you can see Kirby trying out his new bedroom full of cedar.

This is the lid opened up. The screws still need to be clipped. This makes it easier to get to him and clean out his room. I can add locks to the hasps if I choose to as well.

Here is a top view of the bedroom area. He really likes it. I think there is enough room for another rabbit in the spring. If not, hubby said he'd add another room to the other side.

The roof piece over the wire cage is not attached. It will make it easier to hose it out when it needs to be thoroughly cleaned. He is going to make another panel to hinge to the roof that we can drop down when the temps drop. It will help to protect him from the weather.

I tell you, sometimes my husband amazes me. I had no idea (neither did he) that he had this in him. We didn't have any plans or instructions. He just got his tools, some wood and went to work. I'm very proud of him.

Canning this fall

I am making plans for a bit of food preservation this fall. Last year, I made applesauce and cinnamon apples. We're still eating off of those cans almost a year later. I am hoping that apples have done well this year. It's been so incredibly hot this summer and I don't know how that helps or hurts apple trees.

I have plans, today, to make either lavender jelly or rosemary jelly. I have been meaning to do this for a few weeks now, but haven't gotten around to it. There seems to be too much going on with the kids going back to school. I promised a couple of my friends that I would send jars to them. I guess I better get on the stick. lol

Do you do any canning? Have you ever made jellies? I have made pumpkin butter, apple butter and banana butter. I hope I can still find those recipes since I lost everything on my old computer. I had to set it back to factory settings. I think I have them printed off in my files, so as I work on these things I will let you know. I haven't fully decided on making the banana butter yet, but the pumpkin butter is a must have. You can make a batch and not can it if you prefer.

Anyway, I hope I can get one of my jellies done today. The weather is going to be comfortable today so I think this is the perfect time to heat up my kitchen.