Rabbit hutch for silkie...need advice

[LindsayB]

Okay...So long story short...I bought a buff silkie pullet from another BYC member a few weeks ago. It did not work out having her in the same coop/run with our 2 easter eggers. I finally talked my husband into having a separate smaller coop for her and a friend. (we're going to wait and get her a friend once we finish the hutch. either another silkie or a serama. something smaller that won't pick on her.)

DH and I went to a feed store near the house just to look at some coops and found a hutch. It supposed to hold 2 rabbits or 2 bantam sized chickens but I really don't see that. Right now its only big enough for Charlotte (our new silkie lol)
We got the hutch at a really good price and its built well. The whole bottom floor of it pulls out for easy cleaning and it came with an optional wire floor for rabbits. We were thinking about converting the hutch into a 2 story coop. I want to somehow put a ramp going from the ground up into the hutch part and add wire around the legs to make the "run" area. Then I could put a hanging feeder and waterer down there and out of the living area.

I'm going to keep roosting/nest area where the wooden door is just like it is now. Should I use the wire floor for the second story or just keep it the way it is and cut a hole out for the ramp? I would really appreciate any ideas ya'll have about this. I need help!

here are some pics of the hutch, its on our patio right now but once we are done with the bottom floor it will go next to the fence in our yard.

she looks really big in the picture b/c shes right up against the front lol

This brick is the ONLY thing she will roost on! Silly girl...

It even has a shelf inside for the chicken/rabbit to sit on.

 

[LindsayB]

nobody has any ideas for me...

Now I'm thinking about moving the hutch into our main coop/run and still adding the wire around the bottom and the ramp. I wonder if she would be happier being around the other girls even though she won't really be within reach of them.

Ugh, I don't know...All I know is I need to add more space to this silkie coop AND get her a friend asap...

 

[guard278th]

Is go a little bit taller on the run due to having a not so steep ramp

 

[VelvettFog]

Is the brick in the nesting box? If so, I'd move it.

I'd build an upper story and put a roost there - what are the dimensions of this unit?

VF

 

[LindsayB]

She likes to sleep inside the nesting area, I don't have a nest box in there yet. I just put the brick in there for her to sit on, but I think she would rather just sit on the floor...

Must be a silkie thing. I did take the brick out this morning though...

guard- I'm not quite sure I understand what your saying...If I made it taller wouldn't the ramp be steeper?

I would really like to keep everything the same. just add a ramp to go to the bottom and add wire around the bottom legs. The house came with an optional wire floor, should I use that instead of a solid floor with shavings? just in the area where she is sitting in the pictures.

The whole thing is 4ft long and 2 1/2ft wide

 

[Ramblin Rooster]

I was thinking of doing that. Where did you buy the hutch and how much did it cost??