Start with making the bottom frame out of two inch by four inch lumber. Standing the two by fours on edge, create a rectangle shaped frame three wide by eight feet long. Add cross braces using two by four pieces, every sixteen inches on center. In all four corners add a two by four vertically that overall is six feet long.
Center the frame so that the six foot two by fours form legs with three feet showing below and three feet (-) above the frame. Measure from one end of the rectangular fame approx. thirty two inches which should be where the second cross brace occurs. At that intersection of main frame and cross brace, add two more six foot legs. Using galvanized screws for assembly will make the frame good and strong. Place screws through the main frame and cross braces into the legs. All the legs should be pressure treated lumber as they are in contact with the ground and will last a great deal longer.
Now install two by fours around the perimeter of the two by fours on top of the main frame. It basically should match the main frame. At this point if the entire assembly is not rock steady add some additional braces to the legs to stabilize the unit. Once this is done you will now create the hutch portion of the project.
Using non-pressure treated plywood as the rabbit will be in constant contact with the plywood, we are going to build a box on one end of the frame. At the end where you installed the inside legs at thirty two inches, install a plywood floor piece on the main frame. Using our dimensions it will be three feet wide and thirty-two inches long. Now install pieces for the two sides. They will be thirty-two inches long and and three feet high each. Install a piece of plywood for the roof.
Leave a couple of inches of plywood hang over the sides so rain sheds off without hitting the sides of the hutch. If you can get fancy and make a slight pitch to the roof so much the better. When you are all done with the hutch, install some type of roofing materials to keep your rabbit good and dry.
The last two pieces of the hutch or box are basically the same but serve different functions. The end facing the remaining part of the rectangular frame must have a door that you can open and close at night to keep the rabbit inside his/her hutch box. A neat way to do this is to cut out a door about twelve inches wide and twelve inches wide in the center of the end piece.
Mount the cut piece of plywood back in the hole on a piano hinge on the top edge of the plywood. Install a screw eye in the outside face of the door at the bottom center. Tie a good heavy string to the screw eye, run it up over the top of the hutch box for now. The opposite end of the box will have a much larger door with a good solid latch, mounted on a longer hinge to allow you to access the inside of the hutch box for cleaning.
Swing this door to the side so it will remain open while you work. With this combination of doors you can allow the rabbit into the run area, close that door and open the clean out door without having to watch the rabbit the entire time. You have one more plywood piece to install. Cut one more panel the same size as the other two end panels and create a matching door to the clean out door.
This panel is installed on the last end of the rectangular frame or the end of the entire assembly. This door will allow you to feed the rabbit and clean out the run area. Make sure everything is nailed or screwed securely and nothing projects out that can harm the rabbit. Using 3/8″ hardware cloth (the holes are 3/8″ x 3/8′) wrap the remaining floor, wall and roof of the run area making sure no wire ends protrude where the rabbits paws can reach them.
The ends of hardware cloth although somewhat soft to our hands to bend, easily can puncture the soft paw pads of a rabbit. Fold all all ends over to prevent any injuries. Fasten the hardware cloth with good fence staples leaving no openings that varmints can get in and harm the rabbit. Take the string you tied to the inside door, pass it through the hardware cloth and over the the top of the hutch and tie it to a second screw eye.
By pulling on the string you can open the inside hutch door each morning to let the rabbit out of it’s box. Just wrap the string around the screw eye to hold the door open all day. Place some bedding in the box, a water bowl in the run and some rabbit food and grass for the rabbit to eat and your good to go. The rabbit poop will generally fall through the bottom of the run for easy cleanup. Have fun with your rabbit and give it plenty of attention. A point of fact. Young rabbits can easily be paper trained if kept inside.