Subsistence farming has always been profitable. You can keep chickens, pigs, and goats, but rabbits have always been especially popular, because they are unpretentious and do not require special food. But they definitely need special cages for rabbits; it is not customary to simply keep these animals in a barn.
Cell sizes
Before you build rabbit hutches, you need to find a blueprint to work from. You can find a ready-made one on the Internet or draw a drawing yourself. To do this, you need to know the size of rabbit cages. Beginning rabbit breeders should know that one cage is not enough for them to breed these animals. We need several houses for rabbits, at least three.
For adult rabbits
Two adult rabbits will fit in a two-section house. Her minimum dimensions: length – 140 cm (preferably 210-240 cm), width – 60-70 cm, height – 50-70 cm. Between the two compartments there is a feeder for grass and hay. The rabbit house can be made on two floors, which will help save space.
House of two sections for adult rabbits
Cage for young animals
In cages for rabbits, namely for young animals, baby rabbits are kept in groups. Making a cage is simple: the minimum dimensions of a home for young animals are: 200–300 cm by 100 cm, height – 35–60 cm. One young animal should have at least 0.12 square meters area. Sometimes separate cages are not made for young animals, but are kept in ordinary ones for adults, calculating the number of individuals according to the area they need.
House for a female rabbit with offspring
A house for rabbits with children for breeding consists of a feeding and uterine part, which are separated by a partition. There is a hole in it. It should be located slightly above the floor (10-15 cm) so that the rabbits cannot get out of the nest. Houses for rabbits (mother cell) have dimensions of 0.4 by 0.4 m and a height of 20 cm. It is placed in the uterine compartment just before the birth. Here is an approximate drawing of a cell with a queen cell.
Drawing of a cell with a queen cell
For giant rabbits
The size of the cage also depends on the size of the giant rabbits. If you have purchased giants, they will be cramped in standard enclosures; they need larger houses. To breed giant rabbits, you need a dwelling 0.75 m wide, 0.55 m high, and 1.7 m long. This is the minimum, it would be nice to make it larger.
Rules for making a cage
If you decide to build rabbit cages with your own hands, you need to know some rules so that you don’t have to make a new one in a few months.
- Rabbits are rodents, so for those who want to preserve cages for rabbits, it is better to protect all parts of the wooden frame that are located inside the cage by covering them with metal. This will only take a few hours, but the rabbits’ cage will then last 10 years longer.
- Antiseptic cannot be used. Pets can get poisoned.
- The roof should not be damaged by moisture. It is better to use slate for it. If your rabbits will live outside, do not make a metal roof. Under the influence of the sun, it becomes hot, and the animals will be uncomfortable in this stuffy space.
- For the frame of rabbit houses, timber (50x50 mm) is used. Can also be made from metal. Chain-link mesh, the cells of which are 25x25 mm, is suitable for cladding. The mesh is needed for the facade, for the sides of houses and doors. The back part is always made deaf, because... drafts are harmful to them.
- In order to build a floor, take a mesh with cells of 25x25 mm or 10x25. Because of this, feces do not accumulate inside the cell, but are collected in a special bunker or rolled down an inclined path to the ground. You will not see a solid floor in the rabbitry.
When building a rabbit cage, there are some rules you need to follow.
Rabbits have very caustic urine that soaks into the solid floor and causes the wood to rot. If not a mesh, then the floor can be covered with bars, between which there are gaps of 0.5 - 1 cm. Experienced rabbit breeders advise laying a small sheet of plywood on the floor. Then rabbits will not have pododermatitis. But it must be constantly taken out and washed and dried.
How to build a rabbit hutch
If you want to build correctly with your own hands, then this will help you step-by-step instruction. This is the simplest cage that can only be kept indoors. According to these instructions, it is possible to make cages for rabbits and for the street, but use OSB.
You can make the drawing yourself, focusing on the size of the rabbit cage: size 1.5 by 0.7 m and height 0.7 m. But it is advisable to make cages for rabbits in pairs, which saves material, so the frame is taken as a basis: 3 m by 0.7 m, 1.2 m in front and 1 m in back. It is not difficult to make a drawing of such a cage.
How to make a rabbit cage with your own hands? Here are the step-by-step instructions. Prepare all necessary materials:
- plywood, 2 sheets (* 1.5 by 1.5 m), thickness – 10 mm;
- bars, 10 pieces: length 3 m, 30*50 mm;
- metal mesh with 15 mm cells, 3 m;
- self-tapping screws 30 and 70 mm, 2 kg;
- tools for work.
Making the frame. On a hard, smooth surface we assemble a frame measuring 3 m by 0.7 m and a height of 1.2 in front and 1 m in the back of the structure. The frame must be on legs.
We attach a mesh to the floor of the future cage; it may not reach the edges of the cage, because there will be a queen cell there. The floor of the queen cell is solid.
We make the back wall: cut it to size and attach it with self-tapping screws over the entire area. Fix plywood sheets along the edges of the cage, where there is no mesh - these are future queen cells.
Start working on queen cells. To do this, attach a block located vertically, screw a wall to it, and make a hole in it according to the rules. The bars are attached to the walls of the queen cell, and the lid of the queen cell is attached to them.
Rabbit cage: making queen cells
Making a feeder: You need to make a feeding device. We attach a vertical bar in the middle of the cage, two feeders 7 cm high and 30 cm wide are attached to it. Two bars are attached above the feeder at a distance of 20 cm, these are guides. From plywood you need to make a frame for the feed, a special device, the top of which fits between the guides, and the bottom fits directly into the feeder.
Rabbit cage: making a feeder
Rabbit cage: feeder mounted on frame
Next to the main feeder there is a hay feeder, which is made of steel wire.
Rabbit cage: hay feeder
We cover the free space with plywood, install a roof with an overlap of 5 cm in front and 10 cm on each side and at the back. There should be a hole in the middle into which the food will be placed. It is better to install a lid on top to prevent rodents from getting into it. All that remains is to install doors 30 by 50 cm. To make them you need a mesh. The cage is ready.
If you don’t like this DIY rabbit cage design, there are detailed video instructions. There's a step-by-step explanation there. True, you will have to do the drawing yourself.
Many livestock farms and private entrepreneurs are increasingly paying attention to rabbit breeding. Breeding these furry animals is quite a profitable business. So to speak, practically waste-free, since rabbit droppings are highly valued in agriculture as fertilizer.
Types of cages for rabbits
The single-section version of the cage is a spacious enclosure with doors, equipped with drinkers and feeders. The room is designed for one individual or, if the section is large, for walking young animals. A single-section rabbit cage is convenient for breeding animals in small quantities for your own needs.
Did you know? Rabbits are considered silent, but these animals often use various sounds to explain their condition. A contented, peaceful rabbit makes purring sounds, pleasure can be indicated by short clicks, aggression can be signaled by growling or grunting, fear can be indicated by chattering teeth, and if the fluffy one screams, it means he is in pain.
The cages, consisting of two sections, are separated by a V-shaped mesh feeder. In such a rabbit house you can keep a couple of animals by opening the flap between the sections when mating is planned.
The cages, consisting of three sections, allow you to keep three individuals (a male and two females); between the sections there are opening flaps. If necessary, one of the females can be allowed in to the male living in the central section. After communication& - divide again.
Cage type state farm "Klenovo - Chegodaevo"
The design of these cages is 240 cm long and 65 cm wide. The material for making the floor in such cages is wood, in a solid sheet or in a slatted manner. Feeders and drinkers are located inside the cages on the floor. There are insert boxes that are used as queen cells with removable feeders and bowls for babies.
Important! Little rabbits are gradually accustomed to adult food. The kids are grated carrots, steamed grain and given fine soft hay.
The convenient design of a two-tier mini-farm was developed and implemented by I. N. Mikhailov. There are two floors of cages on the frame-stand. The roof is made of translucent materials.
The installation of feeders and drinking bowls makes it possible to provide animals with food and water for a week. This arrangement of two-tier cages for rabbits is convenient for those who cannot devote time to animals every day. 
Cells designed by Zolotukhin
Zolotukhin’s design is a three-tier enclosure, two sections per tier. The upper tiers are shifted to the width of the grid of the lower floor obliquely, a kind of protrusion of the floor made of plywood or a flat sheet of slate.
A stationary queen cell is not provided: For a female with offspring, a portable hole is inserted for the winter. IN summer period the female with the rabbits is located in the hay, but is separated by a partition from the other animals.
The feeder in the form of a tray is inserted into the door frame, which allows you to pour food without opening the door.
Does it make sense to purchase an industrial cage?
For large-scale rabbit breeding, factory-produced rabbit cages will save time on making cages yourself. Such cages have many advantages: a clear design, equipped with convenient drinkers and feeders, trays for feces, nests for individual individuals.
The factory nets provide convenient queen cells for females with offspring. Drawings of rabbit cages are constantly being improved, designs are supplemented with innovative ideas, more convenient and rational designs are being invented for both the cages themselves and various devices for the life of animals.
The lack of factory cages in the frequent defects in the production of any parts of the house, the discrepancy between the size of the cage and its future location.
On the other hand, when making a cage for domestic rabbits yourself, the size of the cages is proportional to the space of their further location. Depending on the number of animals, the type of cage and the placement of partitions, drinkers, and feeders are selected.
It is possible to choose a material that is more convenient for you when making both the entire cage and the tray, feeders and other things.
Making your own cage
Before making housing for animals, you need to decide on the size of the premises: for adult males, females and cubs, for each individual rabbit the footage necessary for normal development and maximum comfort is determined.
Professionals advise calculating the area of a flock for rabbits so that there is at least 0.12 square meters per adult. It is advisable to immediately provide for all the nuances: partitions, location of drinkers and feeders, location of pallets.
Three-tier cages for rabbits will be optimal for a large number of animals; the project drawings can easily fit both a nursery for young animals and separate sections for males and females.
The advantage of such sheds is significant space savings and the ability to install the structure on the street or in a utility room.
Interesting!Newborn rabbits are naked and blind, and already on the twentieth day of life they can feed on their own.
Choosing a location for cells
It doesn’t matter what design you have in mind: small cages for rabbits or three-tier sheds, the main thing is correct choice of location.
The best place for an aviary would be a slightly shaded area, for example, in a garden among trees. In this case, the animals will be protected from drafts and overheating.
Professional rabbit breeders advise keeping furry pets exactly at street conditions: animals develop immunity to diseases, wool quality improves, as well as the reproductive function and endurance of the offspring.
A good option is against the wall of a large utility room with a protruding canopy that will create additional protection from precipitation and direct rays of the sun. When kept outdoors, take care to insulate the cages in winter.
Two-story cages for rabbits can also be located indoors. In this case, carefully consider the removal of waste products: animals should not suffocate from the smell of their own feces.
Size and drawing
The dimensions of the proposed premises depend on the breed of animals and their number (take into account the offspring). The average premises have the following dimensions:
- length– 120-150 cm;
- width– 60-80 cm;
- wall height– 35-50 cm.
When developing a drawing, take into account houses for females with offspring and rooms for young animals, think about the location of feeders and drinkers, convenience for you when cleaning cages, partitions that open for mating.
Think about how to insulate an outdoor space for animals. You might like the idea of adding a mesh aviary to the main house.
Required tools and materials
For the construction of cells it is better to use for the main parts of the room natural materials: wooden blocks, boards and slats, plywood sheets.
For the roof of the houses, it is advisable to use a slate base rather than metal. Metal sheets heat up quickly, as well as freeze in winter.
For individual parts you will need: galvanized mesh, door hinges, hooks and latches for doors. Tools and small parts:
- metal scissors;
- screws and screwdriver;
- nails and hammer;
- pliers;
- grinder, saw;
- tape measure, pencil and level.
A rabbit cage can be easily built at home from scrap materials. But it is important to take into account the shape of the structure and its safety for furry residents. The success of rabbit breeding largely depends on these factors. What should an ideal abode for eared animals be like, what is best to build it from and how to do it correctly - you will learn about this later in the article.
What should a rabbit's home be like?
The development of pododermatitis and frequent injuries to the limbs in rabbits are the first signals of improper maintenance. In the future, such conditions will not in the best possible way affect the productivity of wards and their safety. Therefore, the breeder, in addition to feeding and watering, as well as animal stocking density, should pay close attention to the features of rabbit housing.
Ideally, cages for long-eared pets should provide reliable shelter from bad weather and at the same time be well ventilated and illuminated. Constant monitoring of exposure levels is important external factors, which largely depends on weather conditions, season and time of day. 
It is unacceptable for animal feces to collect inside. Many rabbit breeders solve this problem by installing a slatted floor. But, according to experts, it is in the mesh cells that the highest degree of injury is recorded. Therefore, such designs are extremely undesirable for rabbits.
These animals are very sensitive to air exchange and dampness. Excess ammonia and hydrogen sulfide have a bad effect on their productivity. Therefore, the air humidity in the rabbit house should correspond to 60 – 70 %.
Important! For rabbits, fine spinous straw or hay is strictly not recommended as bedding. Soft, awnless cereals are preferred. They are used from late autumn until spring. At other times of the year, it is necessary to cover the floor only in cages with pregnant females. And then they do this 5 days before the birth.
Their home should be inaccessible to rodents and predators. It can be built from used boards, plywood, bricks, carvings, and slate. Multi-tiered group structures are perfect for mass breeding of eared animals. On them, as on the simplest cells, it is recommended to provide a single- or gable roof. 
Experienced rabbit breeders advise:
- Choose dry and elevated areas for placing rabbit cages, away from sources of dampness and ponds, but in the shade of trees. This is due to eared intolerance to direct sunlight.
- Strictly monitor the ventilation of the structure and prevent the slightest drafts. In the houses of wards, air movement that exceeds a speed of 30 m/s is undesirable.
- For the winter, insulate the cages so that the temperature of keeping the animals corresponds to the range of +10...+20 °C.
- Make sure that in winter time indoor rabbit hutches were illuminated for at least 10 hours a day. Ideally, this problem can be solved by installing a window on the entire wall with east side designs.
- Install cages at a height of 80 – 100 cm from the ground. This is necessary to protect the wards from rats, and this solution will greatly facilitate maintenance.
Did you know? In Australia, rabbit breeding is prohibited by law, violation of which carries a fine of $30,000. This is due to the fact that local residents consider wild animals to be the most destructive pests. Every year they destroy agricultural crops and, with their vigorous activity, lead to the degradation of entire lands, causing damage to the population amounting to over 600 million dollars.
How to make a house for a rabbit with your own hands
Regardless of what type of cage you prefer, and how many individuals it will be designed for, its basis is: frame, walls, floor, ceiling and doors. But before you take up the tool, you need to thoroughly understand the required dimensions of the structure and make its drawings.
Design and sizing
Classic version The rabbit queen cell has dimensions of 70 x 100 x 60 cm. For young animals, the structure can be made according to the same parameters, shortening the length by 30 cm.
It is important for the builder to understand that the entire area of the structure for the female rabbit and her offspring will subsequently be divided into a walking area and a remote nook. The first zone in most cases is a square with sides of 50 cm.
And the second is a blind box with a length of 25 cm and a width of 50 cm. A removable door is attached to the front side of the structure, and a small hole at a height of 15 cm is provided on the wall adjacent to the walking space.
There must be a tray under the floor to collect feces. The floor can be made of densely placed wide slats. When using gratings, to avoid injury, be sure to cover them with a mat, leaving small gaps around the perimeter. 
Experienced breeders advise calculating the height of the rabbit hutch at 55 cm on the front side, and 30 cm on the back side. The slope on the roof can serve as a pallet if placed at the top of the second tier. For reliability, it will need to be galvanized.
Did you know? Rabbits chew 120 times per minute and have more than 17 thousand taste buds.
If you are planning to build a two-section house for adult rabbits, calculate its length within 140 – 210 cm, width 60 – 70 cm and height 50 – 70 cm. The sections will be separated by a V-shaped feeder for grass and hay. On the front side, provide 2 solid doors in the nesting compartments and 2 mesh doors in the walking areas.
Remember that the size of the cages largely depends on the breed of the wards and the way they are kept. Eg:
- rabbits about 0.5 is required – 0.7 square meters of area;
- adult males- 0.17 m2;
- young animals- 0.12 m2.
Materials and tools for work
You can build an abode for long-eared pets from any material that you have on your farm. But, according to experts, among all the available varieties, wood has proven itself best. It is environmentally friendly, durable, retains heat well and does not heat up in hot weather.
Did you know? The left rabbit's foot is revered as a talisman of good luck and happiness in many cultures around the world, including Europe, North and South America, Africa and China. It is likely that the belief in the magical power of the long-eared paw originated in European countries from 600 BC among the Celtic peoples.
Metal is absolutely not suitable for such structures. In winter, animals in such a house can freeze, and in summer they can overheat. Also worth avoiding using chipboard. This material quickly absorbs moisture, resulting in severe crumbling. 
Here is a list of tools and materials necessary for further work:
- 10 wooden beams 3 m long, 30 x 50 mm (for frame);
- boards or plywood sheets measuring 1.5 by 1.5 m, thickness ― 10 mm (for wall cladding);
- a meter piece of slate (for the roof);
- wooden slats 3 cm wide or welded mesh with cells 15 x 15 mm (for the floor);
- a metal sheet 1 m long (for the construction of a pallet);
- 4 canopies (for fastening 2 doors);
- boards (for a blind door);
- welded mesh with cells 2.5 x 2.5 cm (for the ventilation door in the walking area);
- metal rods (for a V-shaped hay feeder);
- electric drill;
- hammer;
- wood saw;
- roulette;
- pliers;
- construction stapler;
- square;
- pencil for marking;
- coarse sandpaper;
- 1 kg of self-tapping screws 30 and 70 mm, nails.
Step-by-step instruction
When everything you need is available, you can get to work:
- Cut the measured length of the beams. On a flat surface, put together the frame of the structure from the prepared blanks. In the case of a multi-tiered structure, be sure to provide a space of up to 15 cm after each of the tiers for installing a pallet.
- Connect the front and rear beams with transverse slats. This is the basis for the cell.
- Measure 4 legs for the rabbit house from the prepared wooden blocks. Pin them to the resulting wooden rectangle so that there is a height margin of 30–40 cm to the floor.
- Measure the slats for the door and use screws to connect them. Then cover the resulting frame with mesh. Fasteners are made from the inside using a construction stapler.
- Measure the required length of the boards and cut the blanks. Cover the frame of the cage with them.
- Hang the doors on the hinges and provide a latch on it. It is convenient when the structure opens from top to bottom.
- Inside the center of the cage, attach a V-shaped hay barn, dividing the space into 2 sections.
- Now you can start building the blind pen. Many rabbit breeders build it with a removable plywood bottom to prevent increased dampness inside the cage. Therefore, this part of the house must be made entirely of boards or plywood.
- Between the nesting and walking areas, install a plywood partition with a hole for residents to pass through.
- After that, make a solid door in the blind part of the cage, also attaching it to the hinges. Don't forget to attach a latch to it.
- Mount the roof from boards or slate. It is desirable that it be folding. Therefore, experienced owners advise using hinged hinges as fasteners.
- Now lay the floor at the bottom of the slatted structure, leaving 1.5 cm gaps between them. If you retreat more, animals can get stuck in the openings and injure their paws. As an alternative, a mesh with small cells is suitable, but then you will need to provide a mat.
- Build a low tray of appropriate dimensions from a metal sheet and place it under the cage. Some manufacturers advise placing this part at an angle to make cleaning easier.
Home improvement inside
After checking the safety of the finished cage, you can begin arranging it. First of all, pay attention to the floor. Rabbits often suffer from pododermatitis from mesh coverings. Therefore, if your structure is made of metal grating, be sure to cover it with a rug.
Products made from carpet and wool are absolutely not suitable for this, as they often cause disruptions in the gastrointestinal tract of the animal. Do not forget for a second that we are talking about a rodent that can taste everything within its reach.
After this, lay a thick layer of bedding on the floor. In the autumn-spring period, it is important for rabbits that their paws are protected from bedsores. Sawdust, coarse straw or soft, awnless hay are ideal for this. cereal crops. You should be especially attentive to the choice of material when keeping downy breeds. 
The awns caught in their fur cause discomfort and pain. Straw is preferable because it retains heat and is safe for the eared one. Remember that the larger the pet, the more bedding it needs. For adults, it is enough to lay a layer with a thickness of 12.5 –
15.5 cm.
In addition to the already provided cribs for hay and grass, you need to put a drinking bowl and a feeding trough in the animal’s cage. It is important that these containers cannot become overturned or become clogged with excrement. Therefore, experienced rabbit breeders advise acquiring a purchased drinking bowl, which is attached from the inside to front side cells. And you can build a feeder yourself.
To do this, attach a wooden block vertically in the cage and attach a wooden rectangle 7 cm high and 30 cm wide to it. Pin a guide block on top at a distance of 20 cm.
And after that, sew up the structure with plywood, so that the sheathing fits between the guide beams to the top, and at the bottom rests against the feeder, but does not block access to feed. As a result, you will be able to fill the structure through the top. 
House care
Rabbits are very sensitive to cleanliness in their abode. It is this factor that largely determines the health of pets. Therefore, the breeder regularly needs:
- remove manure from the pan (ammonia fumes have a very bad effect on the health of eared animals);
- change the bedding in the cage daily (otherwise the animal will get sick due to increased dampness);
- before each feeding, clean the feeders from food residues (rabbits differ hypersensitivity gastrointestinal tract);
- change water in drinking bowls every day;
- Every six months, carry out a general cleaning of the rabbit house and completely disinfect it.
Did you know? A two-kilogram rabbit can drink as much water as a ten-kilogram dog.
Getting rid of pathogenic microflora in rabbit cells is not so easy. Therefore, this process cannot be started. The rabbit breeder must understand that infections and viruses are extremely tenacious, infecting each new generation of animals that are bred under these conditions. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the death of livestock timely disinfection cages and all equipment. 
Disinfection of cells and all equipment Since the microbes living in the abode of long-eared animals are very resistant to high and low temperatures and quickly get used to pesticides, they can only be destroyed by special disinfection methods. All surfaces (both internal and external) of the rabbitry, all equipment involved in care, as well as the walls, floor and ceiling of the room in which the cage is located must be treated.
Did you know? Rabbits' eyes are designed in such a way that they can watch what is happening behind them without turning around.
First, the rabbits are transplanted from the structure, and only after that the space is cleared of feces, bedding and dirt. Then remove all the removable elements and use a hose to spray hot water wash the cage from the inside. Repeat this procedure with any detergents and a brush. The same is done with equipment, feeders and drinkers.
After the manipulations have been completed, the rabbit housing is left to dry and only then treated with disinfectants: Virocide, Ash Lye, Ecocide S, Formalin, Glutex, Virosan, Belizna, Virkon S, formaldehyde solution, soda ash or Bromosept-50. 
Now you can return all objects removed from the cage to their place and place pets in them. Their health is no longer in danger.
As you can see, you can build a rabbitry yourself from scrap materials at home. required sizes for a certain number of animals. The most difficult thing in this process is calculating dimensions and preparing drawings. We hope our article will help you resolve these nuances and quickly complete the construction.
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How to build a rabbit cage yourself? This question usually arises among beginners who decide to start rabbit farming. Experienced farmers usually develop designs that are convenient for themselves, making it easier to care for animals.
Cells can have different structures and be made from a variety of materials. They are made completely simple or additionally equipped with “conveniences”, such as running water or heating. In the construction of the cage, much will depend on the planned number of rabbits, their breed and size, on the availability of retreat materials and on the place where it will be installed, on the desire and ability to equip it with various devices, as well as on the ability to work with carpentry and plumbing tools.
Cell placement
- 1 Placement of cells
- 1.1 Street cages
- 1.2 Cages placed indoors
- 1.3 Combined version of rabbit breeding
- 2 Cell design and size
- 2.1 Single-tier and multi-tier structures
- 2.2 Cages for breeding
- 2.3 Cages for young animals
- 2.4 Cage for adult rabbits
- 2.5 Cage with aviary for walking
- 2.6 Cages for giant rabbits
- 2.7 Cage for Californian rabbits
- 3 Feeders and drinkers for rabbit cages
- 3.1 Drinkers
- 3.1.1 Automatic drinkers
- 3.1.2 Nipple drinkers
- 3.1.3 Vacuum drinker
- 3.1.4 Throttle drinker
- 3.1.5 Hanging drinker
- 3.2 Feeders
- 3.1 Drinkers
- 4 Self-production multi-tiered cage
- 5 Videos: interesting option rabbit cages
Rabbit cages can be located in utility rooms, such as a barn, or directly on the street. Therefore, they can be divided into three types according to their location and the method of breeding rabbits:
- Year-round outdoor placement of cages, when animals are constantly outdoors.
- Keeping pets indoors all year round.
- A combined breeding option, that is, in winter the rabbits are kept indoors, and with the onset of warm weather they are transferred outside.
Experienced rabbit breeders believe that the most optimal way to breed these animals is to keep them outdoors all year round, as this promotes the development of immunity to various diseases and the formation of healthy, high-quality hair. In addition, when raising rabbits outdoors, the productivity of females significantly improves, which increases the number of rabbits in the litter and their endurance.
Street cages
Rabbit cages are most often installed outdoors if you plan to breed a large number of animals - a hundred or more animals.
The convenience of setting up rabbit hutches in outdoor conditions lies in the availability of more space and the ease of caring for your “menagerie”, since each of the cages needs periodic cleaning.
To build street cages, enough durable materials, since the design must be reliable and stable - these qualities will help protect rabbits from adverse natural factors, as well as from penetration of predatory animals - dogs, foxes, cats or rats - into the cages.
It is advisable that the building be located under a canopy with a large front canopy so that any precipitation, as well as direct sunlight, do not bother the pets too much.
If the rabbits will be outside all year round, then it is necessary to take care of insulating one of the parts of the cage. These animals tolerate low winter temperatures well, but it would still be a good idea to create for them comfortable conditions and a special place where they can warm themselves on particularly cold days and nights.
Cages placed indoors
Cages placed in windproof areas can be made entirely of metal mesh attached to a wooden frame and have a wooden slatted floor. If breeding pets is carried out indoors, it is important to think carefully about the convenient disposal of their waste.
Combined rabbit breeding option
In another case, if funds and space allow, cages are built in two places - both on the street and in a barn. This method of farming is unlikely to be suitable for those farmers who raise a large number of pets, since installing winter and summer cages will require a fairly large area.
Cell design and size
Rabbit cages can be single-tiered or multi-tiered. In addition, their design may vary depending on the main purpose - for breeding, for raising young animals or for keeping adult pets.
Single-tier and multi-tier structures
Cells can be single-tiered or multi-tiered, but they are arranged in no more than three tiers.
- Single-tier cells
Single-tier buildings are raised above the ground by 700–800 mm and covered with a roof made of slate or metal sheet. If this option of buildings will be located on the street, then it is better to choose slate roof, since the metal heats up quickly, and rabbits do not tolerate extreme heat very well.
To collect and dispose of animal waste, a metal tray made in the form of a drain is often installed in a single-tier cage for the convenience of its regular cleaning.
- Multi-tiered cells
More often, multi-tiered cages are practiced, which can have two or three tiers, and on each of which a different number of sections are placed. Such structures are most often made of bars, boards and galvanized mesh, and are used for breeding rabbits both outdoors and indoors.
Such cage designs are called sheds - in them, tiers with sections are located one above the other, which helps to significantly save space.
A two-tier design is considered the best option, as it will allow for comfortable care and monitoring of pets.
It is recommended to raise the shad above the ground by 500–600 mm when installed indoors, and by 700–750 mm when installed outdoors. This cage is considered the best for keeping rabbits, so it is used most often.
When building multi-tiered cages, there must be a space of at least 150 mm high between each of the tiers. A sloping metal roof is installed over the cages. In the space between the tiers and under the lower tier, inclined tides are fixed. They are necessary so that rabbit waste does not fall into the lower cages and does not linger on the lower roof, but flows to the ground or into a common or separate drain for each tier located at the back of the structure. At each of these ebbs, sides are bent on the sides to prevent waste from falling beyond this plane.
Some owners prefer to use removable plastic trays, which are mounted on skids under the slatted floor and can be removed for cleaning and rinsing.
Another option is for the trays to be installed directly in the cages. In addition, sometimes cages are made with a solid floor. Both of the latter options are probably still not very convenient, since the bedding in the cages will have to be changed quite often - once every two to three days.
Cages for breeding
In cages intended for breeding, special chambers are installed on the sides, or space is provided for installing a mobile queen cell. In a design with a stationary compartment, the walls, removable floor and ceiling are made solid, since it must be well insulated and not blown through by drafts, otherwise the rabbits will die.
The floor in the rest of the cage, where the food section is located, is made of wooden blocks or metal mesh.
The mobile queen cell is a completely closed box with round hole to enter. The box should also have an additional side door to allow it to be cleaned and dried.
A mobile queen cell is convenient because it can be rearranged, if necessary, into different cells, and it is also easier to clean and change bedding.
This chamber is insulated with dry, mold-free hay or shavings. It is not recommended to use small sawdust, as they can get into the respiratory tract of the rabbits, and they will die.
If breeding is carried out in winter, then a few days before it is recommended to place electric heating pad to create comfortable conditions for the rabbit.
During the cold season, it is often impossible to do without heating the uterine tract, so instead of a heating pad, you can also use a regular light bulb, which is kept constantly on during this period. It is placed in a compartment located behind the wall of the uterine chamber. Having chosen this heating option, it is necessary to take care of fire safety, so the chamber where the lamp will be located must be sheathed with a thin metal sheet.
Another way to heat this part of the cage is a heating cable for the “warm floor” system, which is fixed to the bottom of the queen cell, and a removable floor panel is placed on top of it. When using this option, it is imperative to ensure that the cable located in the cage is solid, without splicing. This system, installed in accordance with all the rules, allows you to regulate the temperature in the uterine compartment depending on the temperature outside - it can be connected to a thermostatic regulator.
For cages located indoors in barns, it is best to make queen cells mobile so that they can be taken outside for thorough cleaning, ventilation and drying in the sun. If a built-in uterine chamber is planned, then the floor must be removable.
Each section of cells of this type usually has a length of 1000×1200 mm, a depth of 550×650 mm, a height along the front side of 550×600 mm and 400×450 mm along the rear wall. The built-in uterine chamber is made 350×400 mm wide.
Cages for young animals
Cages for young animals should be designed to accommodate 8–20 rabbits at a time, aged from three to five months. A group cage is made with an area of approximately 0.25 - 0.3 m? per pet, with a wall height of at least 350 mm.
If the cages are made multi-tiered and installed on the street, then they must be raised above the ground by at least 700–750 mm.
In cages for young animals, the warm nesting compartment should also be well insulated for winter period, in approximately the same way as for newborn rabbits. For insulation, hay or straw is used, laid 15–20 mm thick. You should not choose for insulation artificial materials, as they have a bad effect on the development and growth of babies of all breeds of rabbits.
Cage for adult rabbits
For adult rabbits of medium-sized breeds, cages are made with sections 600–700 mm deep, a front height of 600 mm and a length of 1000 mm - these are the minimum dimensions for the comfortable development of an adult animal. The same block design is used for these cells; each block contains two cells separated by a wall.
It is also necessary to provide for the union of these cells into one, for example, for the mating period - for this, the partition between them is made removable. It is recommended to make the floor in cages for adults from galvanized mesh.
It is very important to take into account that pets must move freely inside the cages, since their growth and development will depend on this.
Cage with aviary for walking
This cage design is well suited for keeping young animals or for rabbits of reproductive age. The cage consists of two compartments - an area completely enclosed by walls and a roof and a mesh enclosure. The two compartments are connected by a round or rectangular entrance cut into the rear wall of the cage with solid surfaces. Rabbits in such cages have the opportunity to move freely and safely, which is beneficial for their development and growth.
The dimensions of such structures may vary, but usually the depth of a closed cage is 600×650 mm, and the depth of the enclosure is 800×1000 mm. Most often, a regular single-tier block is built, consisting of two separate cages, and then, if there is space behind it, a mesh enclosure is attached to it.
Cages for giant rabbits
Large rabbits of the “giant” meat-skin breed require a special approach, since not standard cages are built for them, but those with more significant parameters. Individuals of this breed grow to sizes from 550 to 650 mm in length, and their weight ranges from 5.5 to 7.5 kg. These numbers must be used as a starting point when drawing up a construction design drawing.
For one adult “giant” rabbit, you will need a cage measuring at least 960 mm in length, 700 mm in depth and 600×700 mm in height.
For young animals of this breed, in one litter of which there are on average eight rabbits, you will need a cage of 1.2 m², at least 400 mm high.
Since “giant” rabbits have quite a lot of weight, the floor of the cage should be reinforced - it is also covered with galvanized mesh, but made of thicker wire, for example, 2×2.2 mm. In addition, to prevent the mesh from bending under the weight of the animal, when making the floor it is necessary to first secure bars measuring 30×30 mm, laid at a distance of 35×40 mm from each other, and then lay and secure a metal mesh on top of them.
Some farmers lay a solid floor in their cages, but in this case, the most the best option will install plastic or rubber trays in them. If you choose this option for arranging the cage, then you will have to clean it of waste daily or once every two days.
California rabbit cage
This breed of rabbits (a hybrid of the New Zealand breed, the Soviet chinchilla and the Russian ermine) is quite popular due to its ease of care and resistance to negative winter temperatures. In size, adult individuals of the Californian breed are smaller than “giants” and their length is 450×500 mm, but their weight sometimes reaches up to 4.5×5 kg. The cage for these rabbits should be approximately 0.4 x 0.5 m in size. The paws of pets of this breed are covered with coarse hair, so they will be quite comfortable in cages with mesh or slatted floors.
When California rabbits are raised exclusively for meat, they are often kept in a pit measuring 2000 x 2000 and 1000 mm deep. The walls of the pit are reinforced with slate, a plank or mesh floor is laid on the floors, a low fence is installed around the pit and a roof is built.
An earthen niche is made in one of the walls of the pit, which is not reinforced in any way. It is necessary to create conditions close to the natural habitat of these animals. Rabbits will happily dig holes in the ground, and with proper care they will reproduce well and raise young on their own.
Feeders and drinkers for rabbit cages
To make caring for your pets easier, it is worth considering a convenient supply of food and water for them. There are many different designs, both feeders and drinkers. They can be purchased at finished form or even do it yourself.
Drinking bowls
Rabbits need a lot of clean water and if you pour it into a bowl that is not fixed at a certain height, then various debris will fall into it, or, even worse, a rabbit, stepping on it with its paw, will simply knock it over and spill water.
It is very important to decide on the choice of material from which the drinkers will be made. For example, if you install products made of thin plastic, they will not last for a long time, as rabbits will chew them. In metal cans, water will quickly become dirty and cloudy. Therefore, experienced rabbit breeders have developed several simple designs that allow them to constantly provide for animals required quantity water.
Automatic drinkers
This type of drinker is often used both on large farms and in small households. The design of this drinking bowl consists of a bowl connected to a container filled with water. Moreover, the bowl is in the cage, and the container is located outside, so it is easy to replenish it with new supplies of fresh water.
The principle of operation of such devices is quite simple - as the water decreases from the bowl, a new portion of liquid will flow into it from the container. In this case, the float system is triggered - there is little water left in the bowl, so the valve installed in the container opens and the drinking bowl is replenished with water. It is quite difficult to make such a drinking bowl yourself, but it can be purchased ready-made.
Nipple drinkers
The nipple type of drinker is convenient and practical, since in this case the animals cannot spill the water - it remains in the tube until the rabbit begins to drink, performing sucking movements.
The disadvantage of this water delivery system is that when low temperatures The water in the container and in the tubes freezes quickly, so this drinking bowl can only be used in the warm season.
Vacuum drinker
There are several ways to make a drinking bowl from an ordinary one plastic bottle, and they should be considered so that the manufacturing process can be carried out independently.
The operating principle of this design is based on the laws of physics, and to make it, you need to proceed as follows:
- A bowl with a flat bottom, sides approximately 50 mm high and an elongated shape is fixed to the cage at a height of 100 mm from the floor, so that half of it is inside the cage and the other remains outside.
- A regular plastic bottle of two or one and a half liters is filled with water. The bottle is then closed with a cap or even a piece of paper, which is pressed firmly to the neck. Next, the container is quickly turned upside down and placed in a bowl. The neck should not reach the bottom 2-3 mm. The bottle is then secured to the cage using wire or clamps.
- The lid is carefully unscrewed (if paper was used, it is simply pulled out), and the bowl is filled with water by about ?. As your pets drink water, water will flow from the bottle into the bowl, filling it to its previous level.
This drinker works on the principle of a conventional hand washbasin, that is, when you press the throttle installed together with the valve in the bottle cap, water begins to flow down the throttle through the resulting hole.
There should not be a hole in the lid big size, but the throttle should move up and down easily in it. A rubber gasket can be used as a valve, which holds the throttle well and covers the hole in the bottle cap in a calm state.
The bottle with this device is fixed vertically on the cage, at a height of 250–300 mm from the floor.
Hanging drinker
This is a very simple version of a drinking bowl, made from a plastic bottle; it is suspended on wire holders at a height of 250–300 mm from the floor. To make such a drinker, a cutout is made in the side of the bottle, 100×120 mm wide and almost the entire length of the bottle, 50×60 mm away from the lid and bottom.
The drinking bowl is secured with outside cells so that the hole cut in the bottle is turned inward. In the cage at this level, part of the mesh wall is also cut out so that the rabbits can easily reach the water. Such a drinking bowl will have to be replenished with water quite often, but it is extremely simple to manufacture.
Feeders
It is advisable to plan the feeders at the stage of drawing up the drawing of the entire structure. Feed supply devices can be of three types:
- Senniki are most often located between two adjacent cells and have a V-shape. They are made together with the design of the cell itself - they are, in fact, its integral part. Fresh grass or dry hay is placed in these feeders, and the rabbits pull it out through the lattice walls.
- Feeder for filling feed. This product is necessary for rabbits to enrich their body with minerals and vitamins, which helps rapid growth animals. This food is especially important in winter, when there is no grass, fresh vegetables and fruits.
Feeders for mixed feed can be made of metal sheet, plastic pipe, used for laying sewers or from other materials. An important condition that must be met for efficient work This device is responsible for the correct and reliable fastening of the container to the cell wall. The principle of operation of such a device is that food independently enters a bowl located in the cage from a container fixed outside it, as it decreases.
- A device for vegetables, fruits, tops and other fresh shredded products can be made of any material. It is made spacious and easy to clean. The feeder must be kept clean, otherwise harmful insects may grow in and around it, which can cause various diseases in animals.
Making your own multi-tiered cage
Before purchasing materials, it is recommended to draw up exact drawing cells or multi-tiered complex. It is necessary to foresee the location of feeders and drinkers on the plan, especially in cases where they will be built into the overall structure.
In this case, a step-by-step description of the manufacture of a three-tier cage with a width of 1400 mm, a height of 1900 mm and a depth of 600 mm is presented.
For work you will need the following materials:
The table below describes the cage installation process step by step:
| Illustration | Brief description of the operation performed |
|---|---|
 | From the purchased boards it is necessary to make parts for mounting the frame: - 100×30×2250 mm – 4 pcs.; - 50?30?1340 mm – 12 pcs.; - 50?30?540 mm – 12 pcs.; - 25?30?540 mm – 72 pcs. |
 | Six identical frame frames measuring 1340×600 mm are assembled from prepared lumber. |
 | Making frames is easy. First, one is assembled with precise dimensions and squareness, and then it is used as a template for making the rest. To assemble each frame, you will need two beams measuring 50x30x540 mm and two beams measuring 50x30x1340 mm. Smaller bars are secured between two long ones using two self-tapping screws at each connection |
 | The result of installation should be six neat, even frames of the same size. |
 | The next step is to position the frames and fasten them onto boards measuring 100 x 30 x 2250 mm, laid at a distance the width of the frame. The distance between the frames forming the frame and the floor of the cage of each tier should be 400 mm. The space left between tiers is 180 mm. The first tier should be raised 400 mm above the ground. The frames are secured with two self-tapping screws, screwed in along the diagonal intersection line at the joints of the frame frame and side boards. |
 | The next step is to fasten the frames along the top edge with two boards laid parallel to the bottom ones. It is important here to ensure that the frames are perfectly vertical. To check their verticality, a building level is used. |
 | Next, the blocks for installation of the grated floor are prepared. Their size should be 25?30?540 mm. |
 | The distance between the sheathing bars should be 15×20 mm (lightwise). They are installed inside the frame frame, and through it, on the side, secured with self-tapping screws on both sides. |
 | The floor of the cells on all three tiers is lined in exactly the same way. If it is planned to make a queen cell on one of the tiers, where breeding occurs, and where the rabbits will be kept until a certain age, then in this place the floor of the cage should be solid and removable. The arrangement of the queen cell was described above. |
 | Will each of the tiers be divided into two separate cells? between which a hay box is mounted in the shape of the Latin letter V. Hay or grass for rabbits will be placed here. The sennik is formed from four bars, which are installed on both sides of the frame. The size of the hay is 150×200 mm in the upper part, and 6×8 mm in the lower part. Naturally, it is necessary to achieve a clear correspondence in the location of the inclined crossbars on both sides of the frame. |
 | To ensure that the doors have the correct rectangular shape, a hay barn can be made from boards by cutting one of their sides at a certain angle and connecting them at the bottom from the inside of the cage. Thus, the outer edge of the hay barn will be smooth and will act as a wall to which the door will adjoin. In addition, the front parts of the hay barn can be cut from plywood 15 mm thick. |
 | The frame of the hay barn is sheathed inside along installed bars (or cutouts made at an angle in boards or plywood) with a mesh of 0.7 mm wire with cells of 25×25 mm. |
 | If you plan to make a queen cell in the cage, then it is separated from the cage by a plywood or plank wall with a small entrance. To make it easier to attach this wall, additional bars are mounted into the structure, to which the plywood jumper will be attached. |
 | The entrance to the wall can be round or semicircular, but it must be located at a height of 100–120 mm from the floor of the cage - this distance must be maintained so that the rabbits cannot get into the large cage until they can overcome this height on their own. The width of the entrance to the queen cell should be approximately 150 mm. After the hole is cut, it must be cleaned sandpaper, since its edges must be absolutely smooth. |
 | The width of the queen cell is usually 300×350 mm. The jumper wall is fixed to the bars, then the same wall is mounted on the outside of the cage, and then the roof panel is fixed. If the main space of the cage can be covered with a roof metal mesh, then in the queen cell, it should be continuous. IN last resort A bottom made of plywood is placed in the queen cell compartment. However, it should not be secured to the lower bars with self-tapping screws, since after the rabbits grow up and are moved to other, more spacious cages, the bottom part is removed from the uterine chamber, washed, dried and put in place for the next birth. |
 | The final stage in the installation of the queen cell is the installation of a hinged external door on it across the entire width of the chamber. At the bottom, the door is secured to the beam with two metal hinges. |
 | A latch lock or latch is installed in the middle of the upper part of the door panel. |
 | Next, the door frame for the cage is made from 30×30 mm bars. It is made according to the size of the opening formed in the cell wall. The door frame bars are fastened together at the corners with two self-tapping screws. |
 | The illustration shows finished frame the door in front of it is covered with a metal mesh. |
 | The mesh is fixed to the frame using staples and a stapler - such fixation will be quite sufficient. |
 | A door with a mesh installed on the inside looks like this. |
 | Hinges on mesh doors can be mounted at the bottom (in which case the door will be hinged), or on one side of the opening (in which case it will be hinged). It all depends on ease of use in specific conditions. |
 | If the cages will be installed under a roof, for example in a barn or other outbuilding indoors, then the walls and roof of the cages can also be lined with mesh. When installing the structure outdoors, the side and rear walls and roof must be covered with plywood or boards |
 | It is very important to make the correct tides under each tier of cages so that animal waste from the upper cages does not fall into the lower ones. To make ebbs, a metal sheet is used, on which the edges are folded on the sides - these sides should have a height of 80×100 mm. The ebbs are attached to the front lower part of the frame under the cage, and its other edge is placed on the rear wall of the lower cage and extends beyond it by 300–350 mm. Thus, the ebb tides are tilted and they protrude back beyond the structure so that they do not interfere with the approach to the rabbitry from the front side. |
 | The result should be something like this cell. In terms of complexity, this design option can be called the simplest and most accessible even for beginners. |
If you understand the principles of constructing cages for rabbits, then when drawing up a drawing, if desired, you can make your own adjustments. But it is still necessary to always keep in mind that any adult rabbit requires at least 0.5 m? living space. Better yet, stick to the recommended section sizes, about 1000 mm in length, 600? 700 – in depth, and from 400 to 600 mm – in height.
And at the end of the article, there is a video in which the rabbit breeder shares the secrets of the design of improved cages:
In order for rabbits to grow and develop well, it is important not only to feed them properly, but also to provide them with comfortable living conditions. That is, build comfortable, spacious housing for the animals. The sizes of cages for rabbits may vary. It all depends on what breed they are intended for.
Minimum dimensions
The cages are made in such a way that per head there is at least:
- for sexually mature female rabbits - 0.5-0.7 m2;
- repair rabbits - 0.17 m2;
- young animals - 0.12 m2;
- breeding males - 0.3-0.5 m2.
A large rabbit (giant, flander) will need a home measuring at least 0.75 (w) x 0.55 (h) x 1.7 (d) m. Smaller animals (chinchilla) - 0.6 x 0.45 x 0.9 m. Cage sizes for dwarf and dwarf rabbits ornamental breeds will be appropriate.
What should the design be?
Typically, rabbit cages are built on a timber frame. The back and side walls, as well as the roof, are made of thick plywood or boards. The front part is made of mesh with a fine mesh (for example, 2.5 x 5 cm). The floor of the cage should be sloping. It is also made from mesh (1.5 x 5 cm) or slats packed parallel to each other. A tray is installed under the floor to collect manure. This design will allow you to keep the “room” clean. The lid, if the cages are installed outdoors, should be made pitched and protruding forward by about 20 cm and on the sides by 10 cm. It is covered with slate or corrugated sheets on top.
The cage should be raised above the ground by at least 70-80 cm. Caring for animals with this arrangement is much easier. And the animals themselves will be protected from attacks by dogs and small rodents entering the cage. Very often, cells are arranged in rows of several tiers. One dwelling can be used for either one or two adult rabbits (or several small ones).
Hanging removable drinkers and feeders are hung on the front side. It is best to make them rotating. This will make feeding the rabbits easier. In addition, animal feces will not fall into the feeders. Next, let's look at what the “rooms” for the queens should be, as well as the size of the cages for keeping rabbits and breeding them.
Cages for rabbits
Housing for sexually mature females is divided into two parts: feeding and uterine. As a partition, use plywood with a hole cut into it with a diameter of 20 cm. It should be located above the floor at a height of approximately 10-15 cm. This is necessary so that small rabbits do not crawl into the aft part. The floor in the queen cell is made not from slats or mesh, but from solid plywood. The front door of the queen cell is made of board or plywood. For the stern part it is made of mesh. Before breeding, the queen cell itself, measuring 0.4 x 0.4 m and 20 cm high, is installed in the nesting compartment.
Standard double option
In addition to multi-tiered ones, long cages are often used in private households. A couple of animals are placed in them at once. Dimensions of cages for double rabbits:
- in length - 210-240 cm;
- width - 65 cm;
- in height from the facade - 50-60 cm;
- height from the rear wall - 35 cm.
Queen cells are located on the sides of such cells. The remaining part houses the aft compartments. The floor in them is made of lattice, and in the nesting compartments it is solid. In the middle of the cage there are mangers made of V-shaped mesh, designed for distributing roughage. Drinkers and feeders for grain are hung on the doors.
Cages with aviaries
Such dwellings are usually arranged for young animals. Walking is very beneficial for teenage rabbits. After all, these animals are naturally very active and love to move a lot. The dimensions of cages for rabbits, designed for two animals, and with an enclosure are usually as follows:
The enclosure is located along the back wall and has the same height as it - 60 cm. The cage and the paddock are separated by a removable partition.
Group cages for young animals
There are other types of similar structures. Of course, in this case we also select specific sizes cages for rabbits. Drawings are drawn up, for example, in such a way that the housing turns out to be:
- length equal to 2-4 m;
- wide - 1 m;
- with a front wall height of 50 cm;
- rear - 40 cm.
In this case, the back and side walls and lid are made of thick plywood, and the front and floor are made of mesh. The length of the visor is 30 cm.
Cages for California rabbits
This breed is Lately is becoming more and more popular in our country. It's all about the very good adaptability of Californian rabbits to weather conditions any regions. They have very thick fur on their paws. Therefore, they do not freeze in winter. For animals of this breed, housing is arranged in the same way as for any other not too large one. The optimal cage sizes for California rabbits are 120 x 60 x 60 cm.
Cells of N. I. Zolotukhin
This option has recently attracted great interest among rabbit breeders. N.I. Zolotukhin has been breeding furry animals for more than 60 years and has independently designed two types of rather convenient and practical cages for them - three-tiered and pyramidal.
The main feature of the first option is solid plywood floors. Only a 15 cm wide strip is made of mesh at the back of the cage. Biological feature rabbits is that they go to the toilet in this place (70% of all feces and all urine are collected here). To prevent waste products from falling on the heads of animals from the lower tiers, the rear wall of the cage is made inclined. That is, the grid on the floor protrudes beyond the plane of the complex. The back wall is made of opaque polycarbonate.
The floors of the pyramidal variety of Zolotukhin cells have the same design. However, in this case, the tiers are simply shifted relative to each other by the width of the mesh strip. As a result, the complex takes on a pyramidal shape when viewed in profile.
Another feature of Zolotukhin’s cages are folding feeders. They do not spin on hinges or some complex device, but on ordinary nails. The size of Zolotukhin's rabbit cages is not too large - approximately 70 x 100 cm. However, the animals feel very good in them. When keeping rabbits in cages designed by this farmer, it is not necessary to carry out thorough weekly cleaning. It is enough to sweep completely dry floors from time to time. Manure is cleared from the back of the tiers from the ground 1-2 times a year.
Sheds
So, now you know what size rabbit cages should be. Drawings of such structures are presented on this page. Now let's see where to place the finished cells. Of course, you can put them right on the street. In this case, tiers are usually placed under trees. With this arrangement, in summer the animals will be protected from direct sunlight, and in winter - from the piercing wind. However, it is better to install cages in special sheds. This is the name for structures with a gable roof, the side walls of which are formed by the rear walls of the tiers. That is, the cells are installed in two rows with the facades facing the inside of the resulting room.
Shed doors are made with swing doors. They are often double. In this case, in addition to solid panels, a mesh door is installed. In summer, the wooden doors open. The screen door remains closed. As a result, the animals receive more light and fresh air. On the south side there is usually an enclosure for walking young animals.
Rabbit barn
It is not necessary to install the cages exactly in the shad. Protect animals from rain, snow and severe frosts You can also arrange a comfortable shed for them. The most important thing when drawing up a project for such a structure is to ensure that there are no drafts in it. Rabbits cannot tolerate them at all. It is best to make the roof of a barn pitched. In this case, it will be possible to dry and store hay on it. Floors are usually arranged slightly inclined towards the entrance. With this design it will be more convenient to clean.
Be sure to install several windows in the barn. For good development rabbits need Fresh air and a lot of light. Inside the shed there must be a corner designed for storing equipment.
Cages for young animals are usually placed along the walls. The rabbits' homes with queen cells are in the middle of the barn.
What you need to know
The required dimensions of cages for fattening rabbits, keeping queens and breeding rabbits during production must be observed. If you put a large animal in a small “room”, nothing good will come of it. Deprived of the opportunity to move freely, the animal will develop poorly. The discomfort in the cages also affects the rabbits' ability to reproduce. In addition, with high crowding, the risk of developing various kinds infectious diseases.
As you can see, making cages and even a shed for rabbits yourself is not at all difficult. Comfortable homes for these animals are quite simple design. The optimal size of cages for rabbits depends only on the body constitution of that particular breed.