Do-it-yourself rabbit cages are multi-story. How to make a cage for breeding rabbits - step by step instructions with drawings. Other types of drinkers are also successfully used.

The content of eared has long been practiced by industrial farms and ordinary people who have decided to organize a small farm on their site. Keeping fluffy animals is a pleasure, as they do not require constant attention and are quite easy to care for. In order for the business to succeed, animals should be provided with comfortable living conditions. Today we will tell you what cages for rabbits you can make with your own hands.

When choosing a place for the future residence of animals and installing their cage houses, you need to pay attention to some parameters of the selected territory.

Cages for eared wards can be placed:

• on the street;
• indoors.

Of course, the first option is suitable only for those farms that are located on the territory of the southern regions with a consistently warm and mild climate. Otherwise, in winter, the animals will not survive on the street without shelter. If you and your rabbits are planning to live in just such a fertile place, consider the following rules.

1. The norm of air humidity, which is well tolerated by rabbits, has an upper limit of 75%. They will not be able to physically transfer it to a larger percentage, they will begin to wither and get sick. Based on this, a dry place should be chosen for installing the cells, located far from water bodies, best of all on a hill.
2. There are recommendations regarding the sun's rays. Eared people like to bask under them only in cartoons, in life it will only bring harm and lead to epidemic diseases and death of animals. To prevent direct sunlight from falling on the cells, install them in the shade of garden trees or organize canopies. If rabbit breeding is your life's work, you can plant a bush fence that will scatter the sun's rays, passing through itself.

During warming, pay attention to those cages that are prepared for pregnant rabbits and newborn rabbits.

Enclosed room requirements for rabbits

Growing, breeding and feeding rabbits

Building a comfortable cage for rabbits is less than half the battle. It is equally important to properly organize the process of keeping, feeding and breeding rabbits. Read to find out what features exist in the process of raising rabbits and what is the difference in the way they are kept.

Let's start building

Before starting construction work, you need to choose the right materials that will be used in its process.

Necessary materials

When creating dwellings for rabbits, it is better to give preference to natural materials in order to bring the keeping of animals as close as possible to natural conditions. Therefore, as the basis for the cages, it is necessary to choose high quality wooden bars, which are additionally treated with antiseptics.

Additionally, to build cells, we need:

• boards and quality wood;
• thin plywood;
• welded wire mesh;
• slats made of wood, 3-4 centimeters wide;
• metal wire of medium thickness;
• wide plastic pallets according to the size of the cages;

It is best to sheathe the inner surface of the cage walls with plywood, as it is a moisture-resistant and strong material. Chipboard, for example, is not suitable for this purpose, as it absorbs moisture and collapses from swelling.

What are rabbit cages

All rabbit cages are built according to some general principles, however, they still have differences. All the nuances of the construction depend on what breeds and individuals of the rabbit people will live inside the cells under construction. Your farm will have at least a few species, and here's why.

As you can see, cells can differ in many ways, depending on the characteristics of future residents. However, for each of them there is a general construction instruction, which varies depending on the purpose. Let's start reviewing it.

Important nuances

Before voicing the instruction itself, we will discuss some important points. The standard dimensions of a spacious rabbit cage are:

• 120-170 centimeters long;
• about 50 centimeters in height;
• 70-80 centimeters wide.

As a rule, if the cell parameters change, then only the length is reduced. Height and width remain standard, since it is these parameters that are most comfortable for care.

Mixing rabbits of different sexes in the same cage is prohibited, as this can lead to:

• uncontrolled mating;
• difficult-to-track pregnancies;
• fights between males for the attention of females;
• fights of females for the attention of males;
• strangulation by warring females of each other's offspring.

Instructions for self-building a cage for rabbits

So, let's move on to the step-by-step instructions for building a cage for rabbits. We propose to consider housing for eared, consisting of two sections. In one of them, adults will live, in the second - female queens with offspring. For a while, until you have a nursing female with cubs, you can put houses for rabbits in the nesting compartment, in which they will hide when they are in a bad mood and want to take a break from fluffy cohabitants.

Let's start building.

Step 1

Take the prepared wooden bars and treat them with antiseptics. This is necessary to prevent the decay of the tree and the penetration of harmful microorganisms into its structures, which can further spoil the health of the eared.

Remember, the composition of antiseptics should be as gentle as possible and not contain a large amount of chlorine, which burns wood and destroys its structure. This is important, since the exploitation of cells is merciless and it is necessary that they serve for a long time.

Step 2

Take a wooden beam prepared ahead of time and saw it so that you get parts with the following parameters:

• 4 beams of 1.5 meters;
• the same number of bars of 55 centimeters;
• two pairs of bars of 70 centimeters.

Instead of four bars 55 centimeters long, only two and two more 35 centimeters can be made. The smaller ones will be set up as frame pieces for the back of the cage where we will place the queen nest.

Step 3

Connect the shortest and half-meter bars together to make two identical figures. If the parameters of the bars for the frame of the front and back of the cage are the same for you, then you get a rectangle, if different - a trapezoid.

Step 4

Now connect the rectangles together using pieces of wood 70 centimeters long. You should end up with a wooden frame structure that resembles a large box in shape.

Step 5

Let's start installing the floor. It can be made from several different materials. We present a comparative table of the pros and cons of each of them.

A good solution would be to use combinations, for example, the first layer can be made from a metal profile welded in the usual way, without small and frequent holes. The second layer is made from a fine mesh. The profile will prevent it from deforming and such a floor will last a long time.

It is impossible to make the floor non-mesh in the main compartment, since animal feces will pass through the holes and accumulate in the tray under the cage.

Install the selected material on most of the future floor of the cage and fix it with fasteners. Leave 40-50 centimeters blank

Step 6

The rest of the unfilled space under the floor must be made of wood and solid, as there will be a rabbit's nest. It is best to screw a board to the bars, always well polished, so that the animal does not get injured. At the junction of the cells and the board, screw in a metal rail and weld the mesh to it.

Step 7

Let's move on to wall coverings. The back is also made of boards sanded and impregnated with sparing antiseptics. The front is made mesh so that you can watch what your pets are doing. Leave the ceiling uncovered.

Step 8

We sheathe the plank walls from the inside of the cage using plywood. The material must be multi-layered and of good quality. The thickness can be any, but it is not necessary to take a very thick sheet so as not to make the structure too weighty.

You can fasten plywood with self-tapping screws or nails. The main thing is that the sharp part of the nail does not come out from the outside and does not injure you when caring for the cage.

Step 9

We are building a roof. To do this, we need a sheet of plywood and hinges, as on doors or cabinets. At the beginning, we fasten the hinges to one of the upper bars of the frame, then we put a sheet of good plywood on them. Here it is better to choose a thicker material, because the roof of the house will constantly rise and fall. Make sure it fits snugly. If there are large gaps between the frame and the roof, harmful drafts cannot be avoided.

If it was not possible to fit the lid tightly to the frame, do not despair. Take some felt or synthetic winterizer and cover the roof around the perimeter. This can be done even if there are no gaps, since in winter such insulation is useful for eared ones.

Step 10

At the junction of the mesh and boards, install a plank that goes from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall. Make a hole of medium size beforehand so that the rabbits can move freely from one cage to another.

Step 11

Place the cages on the supports that have been previously installed in the rabbitry. Now, from the bottom of the cage, mount the pallet. It can only match the size of the mesh part of the floor, since the feces of the rabbit and baby rabbits will not seep through the wooden floors.

Step 12

Now install feeders and drinkers inside the cages. They can also be made with your own hands from wood, in the form of small troughs. Be sure to find a place for hay. Some rabbit breeders place it in makeshift hanging structures so that the rabbits can reach it and at the same time not trample it, turning it into bedding.

Now that you've learned how to make the easiest version of rabbit cages, let's turn our attention to other popular options.

family cage

The family dwelling for the eared no longer consists of two, but of three sections. A male sire with good quality characteristics of health and appearance is settled there. Females settle in the lateral compartments, and the male in the middle compartment. Manholes are being equipped between the rooms, this time with valves. This is necessary so that at the moment one of the females is ready to conceive, release her to the inseminator, and then do the same with the other rabbit.

This cell construction option is considered very effective for breeding thoroughbred animals, as it allows you to pre-sort individuals that are suitable for each other and track upcoming pregnancies.

Construction features

Let's name some points in the construction of cages from three sections that will help you with the construction.

Cages for rabbits in two tiers

The construction of a two-tier structure of rabbit cages is not too different from a single-tier one. Such a structure will have the following parameters:

• height of 2 - 2.5 meters;
• width of 1.4 meters;
• along the edges of the structure, every 10 centimeters are given over to the installation of feeders.

Dimensions may vary depending on your idea, but making a smaller cage is not rational.

Building instructions

So, we proceed to the construction of a two-tier cage.

A photo	Step
	Step 1. In the same way as in the first instruction, we connect the bars to make four frame frames. Each of them will serve as the bottom and top for two cages. We also saw off eight bars of the same height for the corner parts of the cell "skeleton".
	Step 2 We make floors for cages. Most, as in the case of a single-tier structure, will be mesh, the smaller one will be solid, from the board. At the back wall we leave a small distance of about 10 centimeters, where we will place a drain for animal waste. This distance should be closed with a dense mesh with larger cells than the main one for the floor.
	Step 3 The back wall is made of boards, then sheathed from the inside with plywood. The side and front walls are also equipped with a mesh with medium-sized cells.
	Step 4 With the help of rails and metal plugs, we separate inside the house for eared compartments, leaving a place between them for a sennik in the shape of the English letter “V”.
	Step 5 We fasten metal sheets to the waste slope compartment that go to the pallet under the cage. Each cage has its own collection of feces and is installed so that it can be pulled out and cleaned. For the upper tier, it is placed on the ceiling of the lower tier, and for the lower tier, it is placed on special corners of the stand mounted in the holding frame for cages.
	Step 6 We equip roofs for each of the tiers of plywood, nailed with felt or dense linoleum.

To care for animals in cages, make a hinged back wall or roof.

Video - Cage for rabbits, independent construction

Cell according to the Mikhailov method

To date, there are many popular ways of breeding eared. One of the most effective is Mikhailov's mini-farm. Features of the mini-farm are as follows. It allows you to get a large number of healthy offspring and grow them into productive sexually mature individuals with minimal attention from the farmer.

Design features of the Mikhailov mini-farm allow you to achieve the following positive effects.

Cleansing of cells occurs without human intervention. And we are talking not only about animal feces, but also about food waste containing harmful fumes. Rabbits do not inhale them and remain healthy. Due to the fact that such a high level of hygiene is maintained inside the rabbit houses, insect carriers of infection do not fly inside, as they simply have nothing to profit from.

Adding food and adding water to the feeders occurs once a week. Yes, now you are relieved of the need to constantly monitor the presence of these nutrients in the cells of the wards every day. The fact is that the feeders are constantly filled by themselves, as the food from the feeders is eaten. Another plus is that in winter the water in the drinkers is automatically heated.

The areas for pregnant and calving rabbits with offspring are also warmed up in frosts, which allows you to cross animals all year round and ensure the health of newborns.

The internal structure of the cell is as close as possible to natural conditions, which provokes the connection of instincts in animals. So, the mother liquor resembles an animal hole, since it is located below the main level of the cell, and the entrance to it really imitates a rabbit hole. The ceiling in the nesting compartment is tilted, as if it really is not a cage, but an eared dugout.

Open areas of the wall alternate with closed ones so that rabbits can get privacy and take a break from attention from humans or other animals.

Mikhailov's cage is also equipped with hinged doors that allow the rabbits to take the rabbit in unnoticed or, vice versa, add it. This is necessary when the birth of too small or large litter in one individual. If there are too many cubs, the mother can kill or eat several alive. In this case, it is imperative to transplant the cub and transfer it to the uterus in which a small offspring was born.

The part of the cage that is installed to the north is insulated. The south side, on the contrary, is equipped with ventilation so that fresh air enters the houses. The roof is equipped with a pipe through which gases from animal feces are emitted. Feeders and drinkers are sealed so that waste does not get into them.

Design Considerations

The area of ​​each cell is 1.4 m 2 . Inside is placed up to 25 heads. The main structural element is a shed - a shed, consisting of several tiers of rabbit cages in one or two tiers. Such a shed can contain 70 houses. If we take this number as a basis, then queens will live in 35 of them, and adult males and young rabbits will live in the rest.

It is customary to make about two rows of cells, occupying together 8.5 m 2. These cells have only one roof.

Implemented cell "Mikhailov"

The shelf life of Mikhailov's mini-farm is about 20 years. Further, it will have to be updated or completely replaced with a new design.

Necessary materials

We warn you, if you do not have sufficient experience in construction, it is easier to purchase a Mikhailov cage. But if you are sure that you can handle it, stock up on the following materials:

• sheets of plywood;
• paint;
• nails;
• roofing iron;
• wooden beam;
• boards;
• ruberoid;
• Fiberboard soft and hard;
• picket fence.

Assembling the stand

Assemble the stand by carefully examining its image in the photo. In the horizontal section of the stand there will be a supporting part for a makeshift transformer compartment, as well as shelves for tools and a bench. A rectangular hole is also arranged here, leading from a sealed tank to a hopper for collecting excrement, which flows into it along the shaft walls. The shaft is covered with fiberboard and roofing felt, resistant to frost and moisture.

Walking area and nests

Two pairs of racks are mounted on the stand, the cross section of which should not exceed 10 centimeters. They will be supported by a tier below, consisting of several compartments, in which the rabbits are caught for inspection or deposited.

The walking compartment is equipped with a drinking bowl and a feeder. In its lower part there is a hole measuring 20 by 20 centimeters, which goes into the mine. The floor is lined with a fence laid on slats, which are upholstered with strips of metal to protect against rodents. The flooring is made at an angle of 45 degrees.

The nest compartment is equipped with a hinged door, which leans back and forms a free area for interacting with the rabbits. The location of the bottom of the mother liquor goes down relative to the level of the main floor by 9 centimeters. Outside, the walls of the house for mother and baby are insulated with any available materials. The entrance to the department is also insulated. For its arbitrary overlap, a view is installed.

Drinkers and feeders

The drinker is represented by an automatic structure. The water trough itself can be anything, even a plastic bowl, even a wooden one. This bowl has outlets from several 5 liter canisters. Centimeter holes are drilled in each canister lid so that the water drains down gradually and only when the rabbit has drunk enough so that the trough does not overfill.

What size the area of ​​​​the drinking compartment will have directly depends on the capacity and size of the canister itself, as well as the trough. The door to the compartment is made of plywood and metal sheet. One end of the watering trough should be hidden from the rabbits in order to install a small electric heater there, which automatically starts working when the air temperature drops below + 8 ° C.

A feeder is installed next to the drinker, into which compound feed in granules is poured. It is installed in a small gap between the parts of the flooring, in which the disposal device is located. Waste gets into it - crumbs and flour, as well as pellets trampled by rabbits. And from there they roll into the disposal.

The feed bowl for roughage is located at the top and bottom of the farm. From the outside of the cage, a tank is hung to it, in which hay and vegetables are laid.

Installation of the upper tier

The upper tier can serve as a mother and jigging level. In the first case, it is made at an angle, in the same way as described above. In the second, they are divided into two sections of different sizes, into which small rabbits will then be placed.

The length of the upper tier is 25 centimeters longer than the lower one. A drinker and a feeder are also installed in each of the sections according to the methods described above.

Roof

The roof is made inclined, a pipe for ventilation of the premises is mounted on top of it. This pipe is necessary to remove accumulations of harmful fumes from the cell, which are released during the life of the eared.

Bottom part

At the bottom of the cage is equipped with a box into which rabbit droppings are poured. This allows the use of animal excrement for gardening purposes and eliminates the need for the farmer to constantly clean the cages from faeces.

Mikhailov's cage is an effective option for the rabbit breeding business. This design requires minimal labor and time costs from the farmer. So, it takes about half an hour a week to care for animals - to fill the feeders, drinkers and clean the trays. The eared ones kept in such a farm gain such weight in three months of their life that rabbits in the usual content can only get at 6-8 months.

Cages for rabbits Zolotukhina

Another famous farm concept for efficient rabbit breeding. Nikolai Ivanovich Zolotukhin studied the life of rabbits in natural conditions from an early age and, in the prime of his career, developed this amazing structure that increases the efficiency of raising rabbits by activating their natural instincts.

Zolotukha cage farm has three tiers, it is made quite simply. Let's start reviewing the instructions for its manufacture.

To build a cage, we need:

• wooden bars;
• boards;
• metal grid;
• sheet iron;
• quality polycarbonate;
• slate.

Building instructions

So, first of all, let's determine the dimensions of the future cell:

• the width of the rabbit dwelling is 2 meters;
• building height - 1.5;
• the depth of the structure is not more than 80 centimeters;
• rear floor slope - 5 centimeters;
• the mesh at the back wall takes 20 centimeters;
• doors are made in the form of a square with 40 centimeters of length on one side.

Let's start building.

A photo	Step
	Step 1. Scaffolds for cells are assembled according to the method already familiar to you. Each of them is divided into two equal halves, between which there is a small distance for placing a sennik.
	Step 2 For the floor this time, not a mesh is used, but a durable slate. When laying and attaching sheets of slate to the frame, expect that you need to retreat 20 centimeters from the back wall. This space is covered with a welded mesh, through which the feces of the eared will leave.
	Step 3 Now let's start making the walls. The back walls are made from carbonate sheets at a certain angle. The upper part of each of the walls is mounted to the end of the slate floor of the next tier in height. At the topmost tier, it is straight. Thanks to this design, rabbit droppings roll over the walls of each of the tiers and eventually fall into the pan.
	Step 4 We make a door for queen cells and feed compartments. In the first case, we prepare it from wood and insulate it to create the necessary conditions for the rabbits. In the second - we make from the grid.
	Step 5 Nests for summer content are also made with mesh walls. They are separated from the remaining space by a wooden partition, which can then be removed and a spacious cage for young animals can be obtained. Winter queen cells are wooden, with closed walls. The entrance to it is also wooden, with a closing hole, the lower part of which is in contact with the floor. Hay is spread on the floor.
	Step 6 We make feeders. These devices are a tray that occupies most of the cage wall located in front. The feeder is inserted into the cage only one third, its bottom is made at an angle. This is necessary so that the feeder can be filled from the outside without opening the cage. A drinker is also installed inside.

Zolotukhin cells are famous and have been successful for many decades. The ease of manufacture makes them popular and the rabbit breeding effect is amazing.

Cages for dwarf rabbits: step by step instructions

Not only farmers can make a cage for a rabbit, but also those who have chosen this cute animal as their pets. Of course, it is easier to buy such a structure, but it costs a lot of money, which can instead be spent on buying vitamins and food for the eared.

Making a rabbit house with your own hands will take very little time and will not require serious labor.

Step 1. Assemble the cage frame according to the mechanism described above. This time the wireframe parameters will be as follows:

• length - 1 meter;
• the height of the bars for the back wall is 55 centimeters;
• the height of the bars for the side walls is 70 centimeters;
• frame width - 70 centimeters.

Step 2 Assemble the frame so that there is a distance of 15 centimeters between the lower end of the back wall and the future floor.

Step 3 Nail wide wooden slats to the bottom of the cage or install a welded mesh from a metal profile. This support is needed to stiffen the future mesh floor. When the rails or profile are installed, mount a fine mesh on top.

Step 4 Make cage walls. The back can be made from plywood or boards, and the rest from a metal mesh with medium-sized cells. Make one of the walls also plywood or wood and cut a hole in it for the door.

Step 5 Make a door from a wooden frame and metal mesh and put it on hinges to the hole.

Summing up

Now you know many of the most popular ways to build rabbit cages. The choice of the option that suits you will be based on the following nuances:

• starting budget;
• rabbit breeding experience;
• region of residence;
• livestock size, etc.

The main requirement is high quality construction

So, for example, cages using the Mikhailov mini-farm method will help to minimize labor costs and loss of time for caring for animals, however, it is very difficult to place this serious structure inside the barn, which makes the use of the structure in regions with long cold winters almost impossible. In addition, the equipment of such a cage requires money and construction experience. Beginning rabbit breeders will not benefit from spending so much money, especially if they are not sure that they want to keep rabbits for many years.

Zolotukhin's cages do not require large financial costs, but they imply that the number of rabbits contained in them will not be small. Therefore, this option is not entirely rational for farmers starting out in the rabbit business.

Many people, regardless of age, want to take care of someone. But if everything is clear with adults, then for children, care is most often expressed in the desire to have a pet. Traditionally, kids ask for cats or dogs, but not all parents agree to this.

An excellent option for a pet will be a decorative rabbit, whose good looks and unpretentiousness in care can bribe at once. And in order to significantly save on the purchase of everything necessary for keeping the animal at home, we bring to your attention detailed instructions for creating a cage for a rabbit with your own hands.

General requirements for cages for decorative rabbits

It doesn't matter if you buy a ready-made cage in the store or are going to show your talents as a handyman and build a home for a rabbit with your own hands. In any case, you should be aware of the requirements that are put forward in both cases.

So, the requirements for rabbit houses come down to the following list:

1. One of the main rules - the floor in the cage should not be slatted. Decorative rabbits do not have pads on their paws, so pets will easily fall through the bars and fall into the lower pan that serves as a toilet. To ensure comfort in the case of a slatted floor, it will be necessary to lay a rug or lay boards to make the rabbit's movement around the cage comfortable. But it is better to immediately choose a cell with the correct gender.
2. When creating a cage or buying it, you need to pay attention to the material from which it is made. An important parameter of the cage is its strength, because rabbits gnaw everything and can easily bite through plastic twigs.
3. All surfaces in a rabbit's home must be environmentally friendly. So, it is unacceptable to cover the cage with varnish or paint, because these are chemicals that can provoke poisoning in pets who are very fond of chewing something.
4. Be sure to use a floor mat to prevent the development of inflammatory processes on the hind legs of rabbits, which are more sensitive to hard surfaces. The following can act as a softener for the floor: sawdust or shavings torn into small pieces of paper or a rug. If you use sawdust, then the cage must be equipped with thresholds along the side walls to prevent the substrate from spilling out.

Important!Newspapers cannot be used as bedding, since lead is added to the ink, which is a toxic substance, and even a small dose of this chemical element is enough to lead to irreparable consequences. It is also not recommended to use carpet, which also contains harmful substances, for bedding.

What is better to make

Let us dwell in more detail on those materials that are preferable to use when creating a cell with our own hands, and consider their positive and possible negative sides.

Floor

A sheet of ordinary plywood or chipboard is best suited for flooring. If you want to make your pet's home as environmentally friendly as possible, then you should use a solid board (not glued, since the adhesive material is often toxic).

Metal mesh or rods as a floor covering, as already mentioned, cannot be used - your pet simply will not be able to move on them. On top of a wooden floor, it is recommended to pour a layer of sawdust, which will be an excellent natural and environmentally friendly substrate for bedding.

So, there are several options for building materials that are suitable for cage flooring: wooden board, plywood, chipboard or OSB, plexiglass, plastic.

Solid wood board has a number of advantages over other materials, namely:

• strength and wear resistance;
• environmental Safety;
• non-slip coating;
• pleasant appearance (which is important when the cage is in your house).

Among the shortcomings of the board can be identified:

• the need for additional machining to remove notches, burrs and other irregularities;
• in the absence of varnishing (and this cannot be done to ensure the safety of rabbits), the tree will still be traumatic, because driving a splinter on such a floor is as easy as shelling pears.

Did you know? Decorative rabbits are not as simple as they seem. The rate of tooth growth in these pets can amaze anyone - in a year, the front incisors grow by 10 cm (and sometimes even more). Therefore, rabbits constantly need solid food and special sharpening toys to help them keep their teeth in good condition and normal size.

Chipboard or OSB will be alternative flooring materials. They have approximately the same positive aspects, except for environmental safety, because these building materials contain chemical adhesives, which pushes chipboard and OSB to second place.

Plexiglas is also a very interesting and relatively inexpensive material. But its slippery coating will not go well with the paws of furry animals, and therefore it is better not to use such material for the cage floor. It may be suitable for walls or ceilings, but not for floors.

Plastic has excellent characteristics in use, but it cannot be classified as an environmentally friendly material, since it is all a product of chemical processing. Although plastic has no equal in care - it is very easy to clean, and you won’t have to remove the burrs from the tender paws of rabbits.

Walls

If we talk about the material that is best suited for walls, then wooden blocks will be the best solution. They will serve as a good, strong and reliable frame. And from the inside they can be closed with a metal mesh, which is sold in hardware stores. Such a mesh will perform a restraining function so that the pet cannot roam freely around the apartment, and also carry out ventilation, which is also very important for small fur-bearing animals.

Another option for the walls is Plexiglas, which we talked about earlier, but you will have to drill a lot of ventilation holes in it, and this will add extra work. Therefore, in choosing the optimal, safe and durable wall material, we recommend environmentally friendly solid wooden beams to which a metal mesh is attached.

How to make a cage with your own hands

Now we will understand all the intricacies of assembling a cage for decorative rabbits with our own hands.

Dimensions

The first thing to start with is to understand for yourself what size of the cage you would like to make, because it is not at all necessary to be limited to a miniature space where the pet will be cramped and uninteresting. A house for your pet should meet all the needs of these small but nimble balls of wool. Standard sizes are considered to be at least 1 m in length and about 45–60 cm in width. But in such dimensions, the rabbit will be cramped, and therefore, he will have to leave his cage for 3-4 hours daily to walk around the apartment and stretch himself.
In any case, be guided by the sizes that you agree to allocate for your pet, as well as your own imagination. The house does not have to be large in terms of floor space. It can be vertical and consist of several "floors" for the entertainment and movement of the rabbit.

Tools and materials

For the successful installation of a cage for a decorative rabbit at home, you need to prepare the necessary materials and tools. So, among the necessary tools you can include:

• a hammer;
• nails;
• saw;
• self-tapping screws;
• scissors for cutting metal.

And from building materials should be prepared:

• sheets of plywood, chipboard or other material of your choice;
• wooden bars;
• metal mesh;
• door hinges;
• soft floor covering.

Step-by-step instruction

Building a cage for a decorative rabbit includes 8 main stages:

1. The first step is to create a drawing, according to which you will assemble the cage. You can also use the finished drawing.
2. Now you should do the floor, on the basis of which the whole house will be built further. To make the floor, take a sheet of plywood, OSV or chipboard (or boards to size) and cut a rectangle of the desired size out of it. The main requirement for the floor is strength and stability so that it can withstand the weight of the animal and does not become the culprit of falling and bruising your pet.
3. The next step is to equip the floor with a sheet of tin, thanks to which it will be much more convenient to clean the cage. Cut a 0.2 mm thick sheet of tin to fit the floor.
4. Next, proceed to the assembly and installation of the walls of the house. Three of them can be made deaf from the same material that was chosen for the floor. It is impossible to make all four walls deaf, since the house must have lighting and ventilation.
5. Assemble the front wall from wooden slats with a section of 2 × 2 or 1.5 × 1.5 cm. Insert a metal mesh between the bars. It can be made with your own hands from wire. At the bottom of such a wall, provide a side made of cardboard or the material from which the floor is made. The rim will prevent the floor substrate from spilling out.
6. Connect the walls to each other, after which the entire structure is attached to the floor with self-tapping screws.

Important!Correctly select the length of the screws, according to the thickness of the selected tree. Self-tapping screws should not protrude beyond the wood, so as not to injure the animal. If you made a mistake with the length of the screw, use a file to grind off the sharp edge.

7. The front or side wall must have an opening door. It is assembled from wooden bars, the space between which is filled with the same metal mesh. Such a door is hung on metal hinges using self-tapping screws.
8. To organize the second tier, a sheet of plywood of such a size should be attached to the walls with self-tapping screws so that it is 15–20 cm shorter than one of the sides. This is necessary so that the rabbit can move freely from tier to tier. A ladder should lead there, which is also easy to make from slats and floor material: with an interval of 5 cm, use a hammer to hammer wooden slats onto a rectangle of plywood, chipboard or other material.

How to equip a cage for a rabbit inside

But with a cage alone, you will not be able to provide your pet with proper comfort. He still needs to provide a variety of attributes: a drinking bowl, a feeder and a secluded place where he can hide or sleep. The presence of a secluded place is very important for a pet, especially in the first months of his life in a new place, because he will need to get used to a new place and new unfamiliar creatures next to him.

As for the feeder and drinker, they must be made of heavy material. Another option would be to attach the dishes to the floor. Such precautions are needed due to the fact that rabbits are very playful and active creatures, and therefore, during the game, they can overturn or throw up objects.
As a floor substrate, it is best to use wood chips or sawdust. Any dense material (tin, cardboard, rug, etc.) should be laid on top of the main floor. This will allow you to more conveniently clean up after the long-eared.

Did you know?When the time comes for the rabbit to lamb, she begins to equip the nest for her children. Don't be surprised if your pet is actively tearing out its fur in the chest or abdomen. This is how the maternal instinct manifests itself.- the female lines the nest with her fluff so that the babies are warm and comfortable.

Of course, do not forget about. It can be both purchased and homemade things. For example, you can buy a ball woven from branches or straw, which will not only be a good toy to drive, toss or roll on the floor, but also an excellent sharpener for your teeth. You can weave a toy with your own hands, if you have time and desire.

Additional equipment of the cage with a kind of nest from a cardboard box will be needed if you are breeding rabbits. The box should be slightly larger than the rabbit herself.

How to disinfect rabbit cells at home

The issue of disinfection is one of the most important, because your pet must live in a clean and safe environment. Therefore, the procedure for disinfection and general cleaning in a rabbit cage should become routine for you.

Before disinfection itself, attention should be paid to the overall cleanliness of the house. You need to clear the long-eared cage of accumulated droppings, dirt, dust, bedding or other debris. All surfaces in the cage must be perfectly cleaned before the disinfection procedure.

To perform general cleaning in the rabbit's dwelling, you will need some auxiliary equipment:

• brush (an old toothbrush will do);
• broom;
• spatula or scraper for cleaning waste products;
• bucket, box or other container for collecting garbage;
• tank for spraying the substance;
• the drug itself.

Among the most popular and effective are:

• "Glutex";
• 5% solution of iodine in alcohol;
• "Virkon";
• Ecocid C.

• burnt lime treatment;
• burning with fire;
• cleaning with hot lye;
• washing with a solution of "Whiteness".

The issue of cohabitation of a person and a rabbit is solved very simply by equipping a special cage for a pet. In order not to spend a lot of money on a house from the store, you can easily equip yourself with no worse dwelling for a rabbit, taking into account the tips given in this article. With the help of step-by-step instructions for creating a cage for decorative rabbits at home, you can quickly and easily make a completely comfortable house for your pet.

Video: Do-it-yourself 2-story rabbit cage. Step-by-step instruction

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Depending on the age and size of the pet, cage parameters may vary. For example, rabbits of the "" breed will require special cages. Certain breeds will also need their own special cages.

The length of the cage for females with hatching should be 175-185cm, width - 1m, height - 60-70cm. During the hatching period, it is important that the female feel comfortable. Rabbits are incredibly afraid of dampness and drafts. Position the cages so that they are not under constant sun exposure. The facade of the cell must be placed to the east or west. Dig the post into the ground (to a depth of 0.6-0.8m), place stationary cages. Portable cages can be placed on stands or on wooden goats. At the level of 70-80cm from the ground, single-tier cages can be installed. In order for rabbits to move easily in cages, the structures must be free. For rabbits weighing over five kilograms, cages with a length of 130-150 cm, a depth of 70 cm, a back wall height of 40-45 cm, and a front wall height of 55-60 cm will be required.

Group cages are used for transplanted young animals. In such cages, from eight to twenty rabbits can be kept at the same time.

From three to five animals under the age of three months or two to three rabbits over the age of 3 months are kept in individual cages.

For one rabbit, the cage area should be at least 0.5 square meters. m, not less than 35 cm - the height of the walls.

When making group cages, consider the number of individuals, because each animal will need at least 0.15-0.20 square meters. m.

Outdoor cages for keeping rabbits are one-, two-, three-tiered. From the surface of the earth to the cells of the lower tier should be 35cm.

In winter, when you need to take care of suckling rabbits, you should cover the floor in the nesting compartment with straw. A layer of straw - up to twenty centimeters.

Choose non-artificial materials for making the cage. Synthetic materials have a bad effect on the development of rabbits - this rule is important for all breeds of rabbits.

Cage for adult rabbits

Since large cages are needed for a female with a hatch, then for an ordinary rabbit a cage with the following parameters will be enough: width 60-70cm, height - 60cm, length -100cm. These are the minimum cage sizes for one adult.

Rabbits are growing and they will need bigger cages. For adult rabbits, cages with the following parameters will be suitable: width - 60-80cm, height - 50cm, length - 120-150cm. Farmers say that in such a cage, an adult will feel free and will have personal space. The experts agreed that the floor of the cage should be mesh or slats. In appearance, the cage should resemble a block consisting of two cages, each of which can contain an adult.

It is possible to protect the feeding and nesting compartments of the cage with a wall, although the pet will not get lost and will find food.

Even when choosing cells, you need to consider gender. A rabbit cage will not fit a rabbit, although they will be of the same species. Consider the dimensions of the cage and the external conditions when creating the cage.

Two-tier shed - a row of cages placed in one or several tiers. Details about. A two-tiered shed is a suitable choice - it reduces the working area, does not complicate the control and care of pets. This design is used in the southern regions or on the street. But such an aviary can be organized in a barn or for the use of summer keeping of rabbits. Shed should not stand on the ground. It is preferable to place it at a height of 50-60cm. Given the size of the pet, the width of the shed should be up to 2m, and the depth should be up to 1m. You can also make a two-tier shed yourself. You will need boards, slate and a strong steel mesh. They build a shed on a one-way principle. A concrete foundation will increase the stability of the structure. The improved design includes the presence of a manure channel and pallets. Sheds are the best way to keep rabbits. The arrangement of the shed allows you to keep several pets, makes it easier to care for rabbits.

It is important to make a blueprint of the cage and add additional houses or even rows of houses for new pets in the future. In sheds, all cells are the same in size, the houses are covered with a canopy, placed close to neighboring structures and placed one above the other. The convenience of this design is that rabbits will spend spring and summer outside.

In winter, rabbits in sheds are fed with specially heated water. Usually a nursery for grass or hay is arranged between two houses. The cages have non-waste bunker feeders - they need to be loaded for 3-8 days. The bunker feeder can be made from steel sheets. In the spring and summer, the sheds use an automatic water supply for the rabbits to drink. The passage in the shed is located at a slight slope from the central to the exit. The back walls of the cell form the walls of the shed. Sheds have small windows with bars. In winter, the windows with bars are closed with folding doors. Doors are made from the inside of the cells. Be sure to hang drinkers and feeders. A suspended road for trolleys (for transporting feed) is equipped along the middle aisle.

You will need a double cage with a mother liquor. The mother liquor is a removable compartment where babies up to a month old will be. It is also called the feed section. Most of such a cell is called feed. Between the cells there should be a hole, 17x20 cm in size. A similar design is suitable for a male and a female, for two rabbits with babies. A solid wooden partition or mesh will separate the compartments. It is best to make the floor from wooden slats (1.5 cm step), then the manure will fall into the lower pan.

Rabbits do not live long and they should be comfortable in the house. You should not overly save on materials, because healthy pets will fully recoup the costs. A double cage with a mother liquor includes a nursery, a door to the nesting compartment, a mesh door, a folding drinker and a feeder, a support post, a feeder axle.

The designs should be such that it is not necessary to constantly open the doors to fill them. Sawdust or small shavings are not suitable for bedding - the dust from them will cause the rabbit to sneeze.

Double cages with mesh aviary

To build a double single-tiered cage with a mesh aviary, you will need 0.6 sq. m grid (cells 35x35mm); lumber - 0.2 cu. m, 1.3 sq. m of metal mesh (cells 18x18mm) - if it is not there, then an all-welded mesh (cells 16x48mm) will do. Similar designs are needed for non-pregnant rabbits of reproductive age. They can also contain adult rabbits, young animals, weaned from the uterus.

Cages for rabbits with devices for laying feed for 1-2 weeks

These are advanced cells, they are made from various building materials. Features: in the center there are structures for the breeding stock, and along the walls there are enclosures for young individuals. Designs can be two-, three-tiered. But make sure that feces and urine do not fall from the upper cells.

For the uterine compartment: 40x70x60cm, for the light compartment: 60x70x60cm. Autodrinkers, feeders, nurseries for grass and hay are located in a bright compartment. Install a mesh or rack grille at a height of 5-10 cm in the uterine compartment and at a height of 10-15 cm from the floor in the light compartment. In summer, you need to clean the cages more often, because worms form in the manure.

Cages for rabbits Zolotukhina

Zolotukhin Nikolai Ivanovich - a well-known rabbit breeder, developed his own concept for keeping rabbits.

There are no pallets in such cages, the floor is made of boards or slate, the back walls are mounted at an angle, there are no special queen cells, grain feeders are fixed on the doors, only a narrow strip of a mesh floor is along the rear walls of the structure. Cell sizes: 70x100 cm, cells are placed one above the other in several tiers, queen cells are also placed. So that the rabbits do not fall out through the open door, they put a board in front of the mother liquor. The mother liquors are placed one above the other. Common to all structures put a separate opaque door. The mother liquor is located in the cage itself, only part of the removable board is fenced off.

Sizes of cages for rabbits "giants"

The breed of large rabbits of the meat-and-skin direction was called the “gray giant”. Required design dimensions: width 35cm, length - 60cm, height - 40cm. You can make a more spacious cage: height - 61cm, length - 96cm, width - 68cm. The gray giant rabbit lives in areas with different climatic conditions.

Sizes of cages for fattening rabbits

The following design will fit: width 50cm, length 70cm, height 30cm. To make a rabbitry, you will need a soldered mesh, the cells must be square. You will need wire rod, diameter 6mm. Thinner wire should be wrapped around the joints on the structure. In such structures, water is supplied through teat drinkers, and there are also small feeders with a supply of food. Approximately a week fatten animals. During this period, they should be carefully looked after.

Cage dimensions for Californian rabbits

Californian rabbits are easy to care for. This is a hybrid of Russian ermine, Soviet chinchilla and New Zealand breed. The dimensions of the structure can be 1.5 times smaller than for the "grey giant" rabbits. These rabbits can tolerate the cold well even without bedding. For a cell with a queen cell, 0.4 sq. m, for one individual - 0.3 sq. m. It is easy to keep them. On the paws of Californian rabbits - hard wool. When placing individuals in grid blocks, settle pets of the same age - this will make it easier to care for, feed, and conduct veterinary examinations.

To breed Californian rabbits solely for meat - keep them in a pit. It is very easy to equip a pit, and the living of these rabbits in a pit will be as close as possible to the natural conditions of their habitat.

To arrange a rabbit pit, you need to dig a hole with approximate dimensions of 2x2x1m, strengthen the walls with slate or concrete, lay a mesh or plank floor, enclose the hole with a fence, and make a roof. California rabbits will burrow, mate, breed, raise young.

To avoid degeneration of rabbits - do not allow closely related mating. The rabbit breeder is obliged to supply water, feed, periodically conduct selection selection. To avoid closely related mating - the first generation that has grown to puberty, obtained from a specific male, must be caught and replaced with other rabbits.

California rabbits eat dairy products, fish or meat meal, and various protein supplements well. In winter, pets should have warm liquid to drink. Permanent access to water is a must for rabbits.

In recent years, it has become very popular with farmers to breed California rabbits. This breed is easy to breed on specialized farms. European rabbits are the ancestors of this individual. Initially, breeders set themselves the task of breeding a meat breed of rabbits with good skins. This breed is one of the most famous meat breeds of rabbits. 7-8 rabbits - the average fertility of rabbits. When breeding, rabbits can bring 11-12 rabbits. The rabbits are white (grayish) at birth, and by the age of 3.5-4 months they become similar in color to adult rabbits. In two months, newborn rabbits gain two kilograms of weight. Adult rabbits weigh 4.7-5.2kg, rabbits - 4.5-5kg. If you cross white New Zealand rabbits with Californian rabbits, you can achieve excellent breeding results. Rabbits of this breed have lowered legs. California rabbits are successfully bred on slatted floors. The tail of the California rabbit is close to the body, the chin is symmetrical, the head is planted on a short neck, a wide back and shoulders, a cylindrical body of medium length.

This breed may also be called the "California White Rabbit" because it is pure white in color. However, the tips of the ears, tail and paws may be colored brown or black. Usually such a rabbit weighs no more than 5 kg. If it weighs more, it is obese. The paws of the rabbit are thick and short, the eyes are pink, the skeleton is strong and light. The length of the ears does not exceed 10 cm. Experienced breeders advise beginner rabbit breeders to pay attention to breeding California rabbits, because they are not difficult to keep.

The length of the coat is approximately 3 cm, the length of the body is 50 cm. The head is rounded, not large. The rabbit's coat is shiny and thick. California rabbits can also be bought for entertainment, because they have a peaceful disposition, a cheerful character. With proper care, California rabbits can live up to ten years. However, due to their large size, such individuals will be difficult to keep as ornamentals. For their maintenance, rooms with a moderate, constant air temperature, with lighting are suitable. You can feed them with hay, grass, cereals, flour, vegetables, cereals.

Optimal cage sizes for rabbits

Cells with dimensions will be suitable: length - 120-150cm, width - 60-80cm, front wall height - 45-50cm, the door should be mesh, dimensions 65x70x50cm, slatted or mesh floor.

Sizes of industrial cages for rabbits

The designs of industrial cages are modular, which, taking into account the stages of the process cycle, allows you to add new designs to the existing ones. Dimensions: 2x2x1x7m, there are ten uterine compartments, 40x92cm in size. To facilitate access to the boxes - there are spring-loaded covers. The operator, using the lifting covers of the partitions, can easily clean the rabbit section in the section, perform weaning, individual therapy, palpation, insemination. To remove litter, all cages have removable corner panels.

Breeding rabbits is a very profitable and not particularly difficult task. They do not need special care and unusual conditions of detention, which is why you can have a couple of eared animals in your summer cottage.

A large number of novice farmers are engaged in raising rabbits. And first of all, what is worth getting is cages for domestic rabbits. They are not only purchased, but you yourself can easily make cages for rabbits with your own hands.

These eared animals do not need special conditions of detention. It is for this reason that cells do not have to be bought: they can be built with your own hands. Advantages of homemade houses:

Advantages of factory cages:

1. Perfect design, taking into account the necessary conditions for the life of domestic rabbits
2. The building contains drinkers, trays, feeders and nests.
3. They are constantly in the process of improvement, the designs become more complicated: by purchasing a factory cage, the farmer can be sure that this equipment is modern.

But the acquisition of ready-made cells quite expensive pleasure, while homemade cages for rabbits are budget.

Types of rabbit cages

With a serious desire to engage in the cultivation of rabbits, you need to build not one room, but several. To provide housing for rabbits, you need build a complex. It is installed both outdoors and in the barn - it depends on the natural conditions of the region.

Drawings of cages for rabbits can be developed independently, and they can also be found on the Internet or in a magazine.

Cages for keeping males. Males should be placed in individual houses. This should be done in order to avoid fights, competition for food, and unplanned mating. The size of the cage should not interfere with the free movement of the rabbit. If the males live in cramped quarters, they will soon become lazy and obese. Such consequences can affect reproductive function: rabbits will not give birth.

Cells for keeping rabbits with cubs. Such cells should be spacious. They line up in one tier and consist of two compartments - this is the main and uterine. In order for the rabbits not to freeze in winter, you need to insulate the uterine compartment.

Cages for rearing rabbits. These cages will be populated with rabbits that have reached the age of 2-3 months and have not gained proper weight when fed with a rabbit. In order to give the female the opportunity to acquire new offspring, the grown-up rabbits are placed in a separate cage and fattened until they reach a suitable weight.