DIY thermal hutch hugger

piggiemummy03x

piggiemummy03x

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hiya all, just wondering if i can make a hutch ‘cover’ myself out of thermal backing? would it be okay to just do the sides or will the back and top need doing too? any advice is welcome! will it be okay to leave on all year round too? thanks!
 
You may not need to insulate the hutch at all as you are heating the shed and the shed is insulated - it may well all just be warm enough anyway

I have made my own (I have also bought some).

I used silver foil insulation and taped it together with proper foil tape.
It needs to cover the sides, back and top. If it doesn’t then it isn’t going to work at holding warmth in.
(I also had a flap of some insulation which I pulled down over the front when it was very cold. Then blankets etc on top and down the front as well.
If you’re using your heater though then you may not want to do the front as if you are using your heater then you may simply stop the warmth of the shed getting into the hutch making it all pointless.)

You can probably leave it on (I did on my hutch) the reality is that in summer it’s not going to make that much of a difference - if the shed gets too hot then it’s too hot in there whether the hutch is insulated or not
.
 
Piggies&buns said:
You may not need to insulate the hutch at all as you are heating the shed and the shed is insulated - it may well all just be warm enough anyway

I have made my own (I have also bought some).

I used silver foil insulation and taped it together with proper foil tape.
It needs to cover the sides, back and top. If it doesn’t then it isn’t going to work at holding warmth in.
(I also had a flap of some insulation which I pulled down over the front when it was very cold. Then blankets etc on top and down the front as well.
If you’re using your heater though then you may not want to do the front as if you are using your heater then you may simply stop the warmth of the shed getting into the hutch making it all pointless.)

You can probably leave it on (I did on my hutch) the reality is that in summer it’s not going to make that much of a difference - if the shed gets too hot then it’s too hot in there whether the hutch is insulated or not
.
Click to expand...

thankyou, its just the heater dropped slowly last night down to 14 and i got a little worried. i suppose its been a week now though so they should be more acclimatised? and really, its less than 10 degrees i need to worry about isn’t it?
 
14 would not concern me.

Adding insulation around the hutch given they are in an heated shed probably isn’t going to change the temperature in the hutch by much given it’s your whole shed that you are heating. If the temp in the shed drops then surely given the whole of the front of the hutch is open then any warmth in the hutch is just coming out and colder air is coming in anyway.
Insulating the hutch is only going to make a real difference if there is a heat source actually inside the hutch itself (and not in the shed, such as in my situation) and you’re trying to trap that heat in and/or if you’re trying to keep out draughts (which you aren’t).

Therefore it goes back to what I have said before, keep the shed ticking over and then add extra hay in the hutch if you feel they need more to snuggle into on a colder night.
You may decide to throw a blanket over the hutch or even over half the front if it is dropping too low in the shed as it may help reduce transfer but I’m not sure even that is necessary at all with the shed being heated (and your shed is not getting too cold) and definitely not at this time of year/when it is starting to warm up anyway
 
Piggies&buns said:
14 would not concern me.

Adding insulation around the hutch given they are in an heated shed probably isn’t going to change the temperature in the hutch by much given it’s your whole shed that you are heating. If the temp in the shed drops then surely given the whole of the front of the hutch is open then any warmth in the hutch is just coming out and colder air is coming in anyway.
Insulating the hutch is only going to make a real difference if there is a heat source actually inside the hutch itself (and not in the shed, such as in my situation) and you’re trying to trap that heat in and/or if you’re trying to keep out draughts (which you aren’t).

Therefore it goes back to what I have said before, keep the shed ticking over and then add extra hay in the hutch if you feel they need more to snuggle into on a colder night.
You may decide to throw a blanket over the hutch or even over half the front if it is dropping too low in the shed as it may help reduce transfer but I’m not sure even that is necessary at all with the shed being heated (and your shed is not getting too cold) and definitely not at this time of year/when it is starting to warm up anyway
Click to expand...

fantastic! i can probably start to lower the temp they can be in now anyway cant i? they’ve been here for a week now! its sitting at 14/15 today in the day, am i right in thinking not put the heater on?
 
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