Monday, June 25, 2012

Building Rabbit Hutches.

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So today we started construction on four rabbit hutches that we kinda need to make because the buns are currently living in a falling down shed that is slowly dying around them. Also the shed is the middle of the field, a hot sunny weedy ass field.

So we are moving them under the trees by the chicken coup where they will not get slow roasted during the summer so maybe I won't have to keep bringing them frozen bottles of water to keep them cool. Not that it worked anyway because they seem to think that the bottles are the devil sent from hell to destroy them and wont sit anywhere near the damn things.

Ingrates.

Anyway, our plan was to build one long hutch that would be divided into four sections. Even though I only have three rabbits because you never know when you could need another cage for something in a hurry because life is unpredictable like that.

So today was spent preparing to pour a cement slab to put it on. Why are we pouring a slab you ask? Because I live on top of a fucking mountain and we routinely get 60-80 mile on hour winds in the winter and I don't want my rabbit homes to do a face plant into a foot of snow.

That might put them off there feed a bit.

So we are embedding the posts into the concrete and praying that nature doesn't see that as a challenge.

So today we used my personal hero, King the backhoe, to dig out the area where the slab will go. Which was awesome because backhoes are fucking sweet and don't let anyone tell you different. And digging by hand sucks big time.

What were we talking about?

Oh yeah. Well we did have to dig by hand a little to level it out, but mostly it was good. Then we did a bunch of boring shit like making the frame for the concrete pour and leveling it, and also adding rocks to the hole slip form style* to make it appear like we had actually out in a stone foundation for this thing even though we haven't because we are fucking crazy. And willing include stonework into every project we do even though it might not be necessary.

Right.

Then we had to put in gravel which is nowhere near the build site because that would make sense. So we loaded up King and then it kinda occurred to us that it was like six and we we both starving so we kinda gave up on working for the day and went and ate dinner.

And by 'give up on working for the day' I mean that we ate dinner and then cleaned the site and prepared a path to get the wheelbarrow in and then Scott made a batch of beer and I vacuumed the floors and wrote this entry and cleaned out Miss Peeperington's cage. And took a shower.

You know what? I think I'm just going to go to sleep.

Probably in this chair.


* Slip form stone work is stone veneer done by smashing rocks up against the inside of a set of forms and then backfilling the forms with cement. Therefore the mason works blind, and cannot see the final face until he or she is done. Also, with this system, rocks can and will pop off the face and need to be shoved back in, as well as chipping off the excess cement that has oozed out between the rocks. It's really not a very good method at all, but if you want to learn more you will just have to Google it cause I am actually writing this a 10 at night and feel like I have been run over by a freight train. 

Want more Rabbit Hutch Adventures? Or course you do Here's Part 2.

 

11 comments:

  1. :) Hope you got some sleep! I loved how you were distracted with King in the midst of your post. It's been a while since he's made an appearance here and it's good to know that he's still in top form ;-)... Also, hilarious about the bunnies avoiding the frozen bottles of water ;-)

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  2. I wonder if you guys ever get a chance to just sit still and read a book or something. My youngest wants rabbits and I've looked at hutch plans online so I totally know* exactly what you must be doing! Can't wait to see some photos of the project.

    *by "know" I mean I actually have no idea and still live in a land where farms are mystical places where all the animals frolic in the fields and work together to solve problems for the common good.

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    1. Yes. In the dead of winter. When there is no snow on the ground.

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  3. Excellent planning on your part to cement in the hutches. Mother nature can huff and puff but she won't blow that house down!

    Our neighbors have a ton of rabbits that live in their barn (which is an old house.) Except they eat them, which is creepy and frightening, but practical. Because they breed like......well.....rabbits.

    could we maybe see a picture of that concrete job when it's all done?

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    1. I'm also super intrigued with how the cement turns out - can't wait to see it?

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    2. Hey Holly, I have a bloggy award for you at my post. I imagine that you are all a flurry of activity but check it out when you get the chance.

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  4. King is back! I love stories that involve King. And I'm sure the slip form will look fantastic when it's done, because you are the Queen!

    I'm so impressed that after all that, Scott took the time for the important things in life: Beer. Shows that you are a couple with your priorities straight. Beat the crap out of yourselves with hard labor, and then: Beer, and writing. nice.

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  5. Oh my gosh, I'm tired just reading this post!

    And also?

    "...because you never know when you could need another cage for something in a hurry because life is unpredictable like that"

    That might be my new life's philosophy!

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  6. I'm exhausted just from reading that! I swept the front room today and was like "I am NOT doing THAT again!"

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  7. Wow Holly, yet again you've made me feel massively unproductive. I cant wait to see your Bunny Mansion. Good idea making a spare room, you never know when Ryan & I will decide to bring a bunny home to live in our bathroom until we get bored of it and drop it off at your house.... on that note, how do you feel about miniature chickens?

    You're writing always makes me smile.. Now I've got to stop blog reading and plan out tomorrow so It'll be more productive than today.

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    1. Oh god what have you done? :) First a duck and now miniature chickens?

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