FAQs - Old

Is everything I need in a connection kit? 

Yes - two doors which can both be closed or opened, link to or dis-engage from the pipe. Plus full Instructions. ADD a pipe sleeve for a dart hole from the fox (recommended), and pipe hoops to secure on soft ground soft ground. 

Does Runaround connect to wood or brick?

Yes. All our doors can also be linked to wood. It is just the screws that lengthen for that usually. We send for approx 10mm thickness. If the wood is especially thick we make bespoke screws to fit for brick for instance. 

What is the best connection? 

The deluxe connection kit. This has a mesh tunnel or two or more in the centre. The rabbits can eat grass there and then have two directions to flee to. It suits them and it is easy to move and gives you a lot of leverage for moving a run that is located at the end. 

What about digging? 

Rabbits are naturally designed to dig. They don’t do it in order to escape in every case. An old rabbit of ours dug her first burrow after 7 years in order to keep cool in a very hot weather. We kept her run over this hole so she could sit down there in comfort. Another rabbit dug a reasonably long tunnel but later filled it in (after two weeks). We left it out of curiosity but kept an eye on her. 

The skirt around all Runaround is a dig deterrent from the outside. Frequently moving the run or a supply of forage (grass and herbs and hay mixed in a hay tube for example) occupies rabbits and deters digging. Covering a digging area is good - maybe a mesh tunnel on a soft border with a deep mesh floor covered in soil. Rabbits will choose the easier soil to dig in. The hay hutch can be filled with soil and the clear dig is another option. 

Why link areas? 

Both rabbits and guinea pigs are tunnel living creatures who journey from chamber to chamber underground and are used to numerous exits. This is how they evade capture and as prey animals they need to escape, so like more than one exit. Being cornered or trapped can make them very afraid. 

Fox Issues

The rabbit is a prey animal and needs to be able to hide. The fox will perhaps pierce the pipe if a rabbit in it is visible to him - this is where the pipe sleeve seems to work very well. Clearly there are more persistent types of fox - town ones being more desperate since the wheelie bin but the idea of allowing bunnies to hide safely and well is the best policy. Being trapped in one area suits the fox. He can terrorise a trapped bunny simply by walking around the outside of his run or hutch even if it is secure. Bunnies naturally hide in the wild so we include hiding places such as simply 2ft of buried pipe, a pipe sleeve, a hay hutch, or a top box where the elevated rabbit can settle and watch until the coast is clear. 

Often they will choose the pipe to hide in. The reason is it's dark, it goes around their bodies protectively and it is a route not a dead end.

Foraging 

Rabbits and guinea pigs eat all day and have to keep eating for their well being. They should be eating 80% or more grass and hay. All other foods are a treat and manufactured nuggets must be kept to no more than a egg cup full each a day. Don’t use a bowl as you would for a dog. They like to search for their food. Scatter it around the run in different parts of their set up. Hide nuggets in hay tubes amongst the hay. Pick grass for them when there is a lack of it. Move the run regularly in summer to take advantage of the grass. Grass is a natural abrasive and keeps down the rabbit’s teeth better than anything else. Carrots are sweet and should be rationed to a small one per week per rabbit. Carrot tops are better. Whatever extra food you do give your rabbits it should all be eaten quickly and be gone so as not to attract rats going into the run. Supply limitless quantities of grass and hay for nibbling all the time though.

 How do you cut the wood?

Mark and drill the 4 screw hole locations and cut the wood by drawing in the centre of the door then drilling around it until the centre pops out. You can use a jigsaw. Use the actual door as a template. It is the best way as you can locate the whole door position better. 

Do we give our bunnies / guinea pigs 24 hour access?

Yes we give ours 24 / 7 access as we feel their being able to move about is a key part in their safety and well being. In the wild they would hide until safe to emerge so with the appropriate dart holes (such as a hay hutch, buried pipe or a pipe with a pipe sleeve on it) they have a way to evade being seen and this tends to put the fox off. 

Can I link to an existing opening? 

You can - this will save cutting the mesh on an existing run. You can choose from a Larger Clover with the same fixings for your chosen pipe or a connector plate. Larger clovers go up to 300mm. Connector plates can be anything up to 4ft by 33 inches high. 

Can Runaround Link to any mesh?

Yes - but not the typical bendy chicken wire which is not strong enough for rabbits as they can bite out of it. Your mesh may be finer than ours (3mm thick) but it may be a closer mesh and be stronger for that. The door is a strong item and will strengthen rather than reduce strength so long as your mesh is fixed to the wood or wire well enough. If you see a weakness there then maybe replace a panel with a connector plate or add one over your mesh if you are unsure of its strength.

Shipping 

We use APC for most deliveries and they are an overnight courier. As most of our products are large but light, it is cost effective to order more things together. Our £12 standard delivery charge can cover anything from a 4ft pipe to a deluxe connection kit (2 x 12ft pipes and a mesh tunnel). Carriage costs may be more for North Scotland or islands, Isle of Man and Jersey for example, but we research to try to find the best value for you. 

If you ever consider shipping to be incorrect we are very happy to look into it. There may be cheaper couriers who take longer but we prefer to be sure you receive your parcels quickly and safely with complete tracking.

Orders from Abroad 

We can ship to countries in the EU and Switzerland. For further afield especially the USA and Australia please contact us so we can look for the best shipping. We do make a door to fit the USA pipe which was kindly researched by a customer in the States. This pipe is just slightly bigger than our 6 inch pipe. 

Product name as sold by the Orange Box shop: 6 in. x 20 ft. Core x Drain Pipe Solid by ADS Advanced Drainage Systems. Model # 6510020, Internet #100197931, Store SO SKU #160963 as of June, 2018. It will set you back $70.00 due to the special order. 

This pipe is not perforated but you could choose perforated. This pipe may be available elsewhere.