# Anyone ever converted a carpot?



## DENALI (Mar 25, 2008)

Around these parts you can buy those kit carports for $595. I was thinking that might make a good start to a rabbit hutch setup. Was hoping some here have done this that can advise as to its feasibility. Thanks.


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## ladysown (May 3, 2008)

are you talking about tarp with steel supports?

if so, that's what my rabbits are housed in.


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## DENALI (Mar 25, 2008)

ladysown said:


> are you talking about tarp with steel supports?
> 
> if so, that's what my rabbits are housed in.


No its like this:


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

I have what is refered to as 'garage in a box'. It was on sale at menards for 275$
it is a tarp building with steel tube supports. It is 12X20. My husband put in wood footings and mounted the steel legs to the wood. we are very windy here and he was afraid we were building a giant kite!
this is the first year I have it. we got it built late this past fall. he mounted extra 1x4's the length on the roof on the inside and along the side on the inside to put up hanging cages. they hook on the rear boards, and attach to the roof boards with chain. It actually works rather well. The front zips shut or rolls up like a garage door.

the problems I have found..when its windy, the tarp walls move and freak some of the rabbits out. Ive lost a couple litters to stomping to death during high winds. also, I had to buy cheap tarps and put them behind every cage, since rabbits pee out the sides, I wanted to keep the pee off the tarp walls. Also, when it is 30 and sunny outside, if the door is down, it will be 70 inside the building. I am worried about over heating when summer gets here. we dont have a solution yet.
And the biggest problem, I learned as soon as all the cages were in, the building isn't big enough..sigh...


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## AllEarsRabbitry (Feb 15, 2010)

I have the tarp with steel supports as a temp. set up. It gets HOT here so I had to double tarp it. I managed to keep it 85 or under with the cooler and fan on high all summer (it gets over 100 here) and it kept the rain out for the winter. However, I had a stray dog break in and kill 2 rabbits, left one so injured he had to be euthed, and left the other with no back toes (ate them off through the cage), therefore ruining her show career. 

We are in the process of converting a trailer into a barn. Our Uncle turned the one he kept into an office and actually has his daughter living in it right now (he put in a half bath, she showers in the house). It's fairly narrow, about 8 feet wide after insulation. Ours is a big shorter then his as well, his is 32' ours 26.5 feet (well, it will be after insulation - lol). We are adding more ventilation then he has (he just has 3 windows - we are doing several vents, whirlly birds, an exhaust fan, but less windows. We are also making custom security screens so we can leave the doors open in good wheather. 

Anyway, good luck!


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## AllEarsRabbitry (Feb 15, 2010)

Ok, well, what you want is different then the tarp set up I have. It's like what I had before we moved. 

It may work, depending on where you at. If it gets hot where you're at, the metal roof will make it 10 degrees warmer, unless you put it under lots of shade. I also will never have an open barn again. At our last home, we didn't have a problem. We only have an acre here, but the field next door is empty and a lot of the neighbors let their dogs roam. We are working on fencing in our property, but Jason and I do not believe in doing things by credit so it's taking a while to save (we do have a house payment and a school loan payment, but thats it). It's expensive to fence in an acre - lol.

It could work though =)


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## Honorine (Feb 27, 2006)

I keep this link in my favourites, I'd like to do something similiar one day-

http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/showthread.php?t=277023


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## klickitat (Dec 26, 2008)

I just had an 18x21 set up for this reason. Mine is the A-Frame style with 6" overhang though. I am siding the building with CDX plywood and painting it red to protect it.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

I have a couple of them that I use for my sheep
One is open on the ends and one side, and the other I completely enclosed to turn it into a "barn". Both are 18 X 36










When you order the buildings, you can order extra sheets of the metal to enclose the sides. Its as cheap as siding, and much easier to put up.
I used metal on the ends also, but did the framing myself.



















They have withstood 90 mph winds with no damage


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

mine isnot like that at all. the ceiling is all tarp, not metal. If I knew how to post a stupid photo, I would.


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## stranger (Feb 24, 2008)

DENALI said:


> Around these parts you can buy those kit carports for $595. I was thinking that might make a good start to a rabbit hutch setup. Was hoping some here have done this that can advise as to its feasibility. Thanks.


 here's a complete garage that is free shipping. I don't have one but do see more of them around here all the time and they're still up with 4 ft of snow last winter.
http://www.csnsheds.com/ShelterLogic-778-X-SHG1121.html


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

I have a Shelter Logic 12 X 20 like the one pictured that I keep my tractor in.
If the Sun is shining, it's about 20* warmer inside than outside, and that's with one end open all the time. It's a good shelter for the money, but I dont think rabbits would do well in one

The white metal buildings don't heat up that way


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## klickitat (Dec 26, 2008)

I took the family up on the east end of the county for a drive yesterday and saw no less than a dozen of these metal carports set up for animal use. Most were set up for horses.


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

I just bought a garage in a box yesterday. It is 12' x 20'. I like it cuz I can roll up both ends for ventilation. We get alot of wind which is good and bad. Good cuz it should blow the heat out, bad cuz I'm a little worried that the tarp will shred. we figured if the tarp is crap then we would just turn it into a greenhouse. Hope it works out well. For 350 it works.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

that is exactly what I have. The 12X20 shelter logic tarp garage, except mine has a peaked roof, not round. I am very worried how the rabbits are going to fair this summer. It gets hot fast when the sun shines. We are extremely windy, and so far no shredding problems. we put it up last fall. DH did put in a wood foundation, and bolt the poles to the wood. also, any cage that is real close to the tarp, I duct taped the corners, so when the tarp moves, it doesnt rub a hole in it. But on mine, only one end opens. If both did, I think it would be a big difference.


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

I think I got exactly what you have (but I thought both ends opened). Mine isn't done yet as I'm to the "two man" stage and hubby had to work. I'm glad it's held up to the wind for you. I hope it does for us too. Thanks for the cage taping tip- I would never have thought about that. How did it hold up to the snow?


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

Hubby says that ours has a drive through


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

there wasnt a whole lot of snow issues. Chris put a 2x4 along each side of the roof, the long way as an extra support. more for the hanging cage chains, but it helped to keep from bowing when it snowed. I will see if I cant get a photo on here so you can see. I just have trouble getting photos posted here. such a hassle.

also, the flaps around the bottom, we left unsecured, that way the wind could blow across the floor. it definetely is colder on the bottom 3 feet of the building. I put side blocks (old feed bags) on the sides of the lowest cages to block any potential floor wind. when it snowed, snow came in around the bottom, and it also snowed through the top. The end tarps wrap around the poles, so its a tight cover, but snow got around the cracks and dusted everything very lightly. also, the ceiling condensates when it gets sunny, then freezes at night, then the ice spreckles break off and fall on stuff. I covered all the top cages with feed bags so they dont have 'ceiling sprinkles' on them.


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## Terry W (Mar 10, 2006)

I have used the Shelter Logic 'garage in a box' for two winters now--Under the trees, at the edge of woods-- no anchors-- it hasn't even budged- even when tornado strength winds blew through a few times last summer. The tarp is very strong- the dark green color blends well with summer foliage, too, helping to keep it 'hidden' from the road. UNder shade-- it does not warm up during the summer days the way it would if in the direct sunlight. And it stays about 15 degrees warmer than ambient temps in the winter...


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

I'm so glad the tarp is holding up for you gals!!! Good to know about the snow and condensation. It's funny that ours is green also (which I like) but the box said it's gray. lol

We are going to be planting a hybrid willow windbreak (North-South) and the garage (facing East) will be right in front of it, we are hoping that the willows will get taller than the garage by this winter. There are no mature trees right where we are going to put it, so hoping the willows will provide some afternoon shade. Can the sides be rolled up a bit to allow a good breeze to go throught the bottom in all directions? 

So far Mark is liking it so much (cuz of what you gals are saying) that we may be getting another one in a few months for equipment storage. 

I would love to see pics of your setups with the shelter logic. 

I was thinking of doing what our moderator was doing (modified colony) with a greenhouse but on a much smaller scale. I don't have to worry too much about stray dogs or cats- Angel (dobe) keeps dogs away and buns are bigger than our cats- lol. I am a bit worried about *****/possums/coyotes/bear at night.


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## lonelyfarmgirl (Feb 6, 2005)

the sides do not roll up. there is a pole about 6 inches above ground level that runs parallell to the ground. holds the sides tight. I am going to attempt to post some photos of it I took today. mine is gray btw.


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## laughaha (Mar 4, 2008)

well, we got ours up and finished. Once you get the tarp on, it looks quite big on the inside. Ours does have the "drive-through" roll up doors. One door is facing east and the other west, so we should have a nice breeze whenever we want, I hope. Ours is definitely a dark green. So far I like it alot.


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