If you decide to have rabbits, this is a profitable occupation: they are unpretentious, do not need special food, multiply and grow very quickly. But you will definitely need cages for rabbits. I will tell you in what conditions these fluffy rodents should be kept, and what kind of houses should be for them.
Condition 1. Rules for keeping rabbits
There are two cell locations:
- indoors, for example, in an extension to the house or a separate barn;
- outdoors.
If the cages are placed outdoors, follow these rules:
- Homemade rabbits do not like direct sunlight. Therefore, their houses should be placed in the shade of trees or protected by an artificial fence that will scatter the rays of the sun.
- Humidity of the ambient air should be no more than 60-70%. Install the cages in an elevated and dry area, away from water bodies.
- Drafts often cause rabbit diseases. Animals should not be exposed to air currents exceeding 30 m/s.
- Cages must be well ventilated. Evaporation from the secretions of rabbits should not harm their health.
- It is highly desirable to install rabbit houses facing east.
For the winter season, the cells should be insulated, the temperature inside should vary from +10 to +20 ° C. Particularly carefully insulate the nesting compartment for queens and their offspring.
- in winter, the room should be illuminated for no more than 10 hours;
- the walls must be plastered;
- be adequately ventilated;
- the best option if the south side of the room will be equipped with a window on the entire wall.
- cages can be made at a height of 80-100 cm from the floor, so the rabbits will be protected from the bites of rats and mice, and it will be easier for you to care for your pets.
Condition 2. The design and dimensions of the cage
Cells must be of a certain size and design.
Rabbit dimensions
The size of the cells depends on:
- from the breed of rabbits;
- schemes for their maintenance (“battery” cages, mini-farm, industrial economy, etc.);
- standard values: young animals need 0.12 m² of area, males - 0.17 m², and females - 0.5 m².
Common cage sizes for rabbits:
- for rabbits - 50 × 70 × 30 cm;
- for adults - 50 × 100 × 30 cm.
Most often, houses are made in two cells. In such paired rabbitries, the nest compartments are adjacent to the outer walls of the cages. They communicate with the feeding zones through passages (manholes) measuring 17 × 17 cm.
Features of the rabbit house
Doors are placed on the front side of the rabbitry: two mesh doors in the paddocks and two deaf doors in the nesting boxes. Between them are placed drinking bowls and nurseries. Feeders are attached to the front side of the mesh doors.
The entire area of the cage for keeping rabbits is divided into a walking compartment and a nesting area (deaf corner). The size of the area for walking can be different, but most often it is 50 cm in width and length.
The shelter, beloved by the animals, is a box 25 cm wide and 50 cm long. Rabbits sleep in it, and also hide in bad weather or when they feel danger.
The zakut is tightly sheathed and only a removable door is hung from its front side. The hole is made in the wall, which is adjacent to the walking compartment.
Rabbit cages are made with a slatted or mesh floor. This is necessary so that their waste can freely fall into the pallet placed under the floor.
The height of the front side of the house should be 50-55 cm, and the back wall should be given a height of 30 cm. In other words, the roof of the cage should have a slope. With a tiered arrangement of rabbitries, it will simultaneously play the role of a pallet for the upper cages. Therefore, the roof must be sheathed with galvanized sheet iron.
What materials to use?
The best option for cell building- use eco-friendly wood and products of its processing.
- A wooden beam is well suited for the construction of the frame.
- The walls can be sheathed with plywood or boards. Chipboard is unsuitable for this, this plate absorbs moisture, swells from it and begins to crumble.
- To equip the floors, use a welded mesh with a mesh size of 1.5 × 1.5 cm.
- For flooring, you can also use wooden or plastic slats 2-3 cm wide. Fill them in 1.5 cm increments with each other. So the waste of rabbits will freely fall into the pan.
- The step should not be more than the given figure. Otherwise, the paws of the animals will get stuck in the cracks, and they can break them.
When making a house for a rabbit with your own hands, remember one important condition. Materials for its construction must be smooth, without burrs, splinters and other inclusions that cause injury.
Cell manufacturing steps
I will describe to you how the simplest cage for closed rabbits is made. According to this scheme, you can build an open-air house, but then you will have to use OSB.
The design of the cell must be displayed in the drawing. Draw it, focusing on the dimensions of a single rabbitry: length 150 cm, width 70 cm and height 70 cm.
But it is better if the rabbit cage is a steam room, so you will save building materials. Then the framework should look like this:
- length - 300 cm;
- width - 70 cm;
- height in front 120 cm, and behind - 100 cm.
Tools and materials
Before you make a cage for a rabbit, prepare the materials:
- two sheets of plywood, 150 × 150 cm in size and 1 cm thick;
- 10 wooden blocks, 3 m long and 3 × 5 cm in size;
- 3 m² of galvanized iron mesh, with cells 1.5 × 1.5 cm;
- 1 kg of self-tapping screws, 3 and 7 cm long.
And, of course, you will also need the appropriate tools.
Building a rabbit house
| Image | Instruction |
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Step 1. Frame construction
Assemble the frame on a firm, level surface. Dimensions of the base of the house: length 3 m, width 0.7 m, height 1.2 m in front, 1 m in the back. The frame must have legs. Screw the grid onto the floors of the structure with your own hands. You can fasten it without reaching the edges of the structure, there will be queen cells. Their floor must be solid. |
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Step 2. Work on the queen cells.
First, make the back wall out of plywood: cut it to the size of the frame and screw it to the beam with screws. |
Rabbit cages differ depending on which animals and in what quantity will live in them. Correctly building rabbit houses is a whole science, and we will try to figure it out further.
The optimal cage sizes, in particular for young animals, are calculated by the number of heads that will live there. Both replacement young stock and commercial stock usually keep seven heads in one compartment. The length of such a house is on average from 2 to 3 meters, the width is 1 meter, the height is up to 60 cm. After fertilization, I plant the females separately - one individual in one house.
The dimensions of the cage where the pregnant rabbit is planned to be settled are as follows: 120x70x60 cm. For some farmers, the size of the cage structures may be smaller, but it is necessary to strive for just such parameters. If the mother liquor is retractable, its dimensions must match in height and depth with the main compartment. The length of the uterine compartment along the front wall is 40 cm, the depth is 70 cm, the height is 60 cm.
At home, the arrangement of the cage in which adult males will live can be one- or two-section. The dimensions of the cells per section are from 80 to 110 cm and a width of at least 60 cm. The dimensions of the cage into two sections: length up to 130 cm, the width is the same as that of a single section. Thus, the aft part of the two-section structure accounts for 90 cm, and the nesting part - 40 cm. Adult rabbits in a one-section house can contain 2-3 heads, in a two-section house - 5-6 heads each.
In groups, male young animals are kept only up to 3 months, then they are planted one at a time. Dimensions of a single bachelor's dwelling: 70x70x60 cm (length-width-height).
Instruction
Making cages with your own hands is not difficult, because for their construction you will need the simplest materials. Step by step following the instructions - and now the house for fluffy pets is ready! In the following video, the farmer talks in great detail about the size and construction of rabbit houses. This design was made according to the Zolotukhin method.
Materials and tools
- wooden boards or timber;
- slats;
- Chipboard and plywood;
- sheathing for protruding wooden parts (for example, thin tin);
- roof covering material (polycarbonate, smooth slate, linoleum);
- strong mesh for walls, sennik and part of doors;
- hammer, nails, self-tapping screws, screws, screwdriver, hinges, valves, feeders and drinkers;
- measuring tape.
Manufacturing
Step-by-step instructions will help you not to confuse anything and quickly finish the job.
- We knock together a rectangular frame from a bar. If there are several separate tiers, a distance of 10-15 cm must be left between each (for a pallet).
- Between the front and rear beams we fill the transverse rails, the first tier will be held on them. We do the same with the next ones.
- We pin the side "legs" made of boards to our rectangles. The legs are measured in advance so that there is a margin of height of 30-40 cm from the ground. So the cells will be convenient to take by the bottom for carrying and cleaning.
- Next, from the rails and screws, we twist the doors, upholstered with a net. We fasten the mesh from the inside with a construction stapler. Do not forget to make an inclination on the front side of the door to fit the sennik.
- The doors are hinged and a small latch is attached, it is most convenient to make a top-down folding door.
- The sennik is made in the form of the letter V, covered with a mesh.
The final stage
- Next, we build a cell mother liquor with blank plywood walls and with a removable plywood bottom. This bottom can be removed and dried after the grown young. After you can use plywood again.
- We also make the door of the mother liquor deaf, fasten it to the hinges.
- Under each tier we place an inclined pallet. We tilt to the back wall so that it is convenient to remove manure.
Such homemade cages will serve the rabbits for more than one year. They can be moved from the barn to the street in the summer, and even build higher tiers. But as practice shows, three tiers are usually enough.
Watch the step-by-step construction to make cages for rabbits according to the indicated instructions in the next video. Making this method will take you literally half a day.
Other types
Other types of rabbit houses include a design for a rabbit with a nest. This is an autonomous structure, which does not imply any tiers, and is built separately. As you can see in the photo below, it is portable and can be both outdoors and indoors.
Manufacturing instructions
You will need the same tools and materials as when assembling ordinary rabbit dwellings. Unless the grid will need less - only on the door of the general compartment. Next, we offer a short step-by-step instruction for assembling a cozy rabbit house for mom and young.
- Based on the dimensions (we take the same ones that are indicated at the beginning of the article, 120x70x60), we put together a frame.
- We make side and back walls from thin boards or plywood.
- After that, we separately assemble the door for the mother liquor and the door for the main compartment. On the second - we nail the grid.
- We put the doors on hinges, fasten any form of a valve and a handle for opening.
- The final step is the roof. We cover it with a water-repellent material, you can take linoleum, polycarbonate, but not iron, so as not to heat up in the heat.
That's it! You can take such a house for a female and cubs into the garden, or put it in the summer kitchen so that the pets are always under supervision. The following drawings will best represent what the cells look like.
Photo gallery
Video "German houses for rabbits"
The cells in the video are made using German technology. They are intended for single keeping of adults or for young animals up to 3 months.
To keep a rabbit you need a cage. Almost an axiom. But this axiom is not easy to put into practice in all regions, since there are no factory cages for sale there, and it is expensive to order from afar. There is only one way out: to make a cage yourself. From this article you will learn how to make a cage for rabbits with your own hands using the schemes of Tsvetkov, Komov-Kuzmin, Mikhailov and Zolotukhin as an example, comparing the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Cell models, drawings for them, how to choose the material for the cell
The simplest cages: four walls, a pallet, a box for a nest, often do not satisfy rabbit breeders who breed animals in large quantities. Such cages are troublesome to keep clean, I want more automation. Professional zootechnicians and amateur rabbit breeders are trying to improve cages and automate the process of caring for rabbits to the best of their ability. To date, several projects of rabbit cages are known, named after their designers:
- Zolotukhin;
- Mikhailov;
- Komova-Kuzmin;
- Tsvetkov.
Each project has its advantages and disadvantages in design, cost of materials and use.
Characteristics of rabbit cages of various projects.
Comparison of the schemes of Tsvetkov, Komov-Kuzmin, Mikhailov and Zolotukhin with a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of each.
| Project name | Material | Advantages | Flaws |
| Mikhailov's professional cages | Metal; some craftsmen make from wood | Forced ventilation with top ventilation pipe; winter heating of the mother liquor and heating of the drinking bowl; convenient manure collection system | A very complex project with many unnecessary details, in which even a specialist gets confused; "dead" zones that are difficult to clean and collect dirt; other disadvantages are the same as in the Tsvetkov project |
| Professional cages Tsvetkov | Metal, sometimes wood | Electric heating of the drinker is provided, a convenient manure collection system; simpler design compared to Mikhailov cells | Floor pallet assembly; urine and smeared manure remain on wide slats; development is intended for the forest zone; lack of high-quality wind protection; occupy a large area; drinkers are very dirty |
| Amateur project of Komov-Kuzmin | metal or wood | The manger is closed with a door; vacuum drinkers | Absence of a mother liquor; lack of electric heating of the drinker; |
| Project Zolotukhin | wood or metal | One of the simplest projects available for beginners; solid floor in the middle of the cage; tilting feeder | Requires insulation in winter; with wind draft from below; |
| Cage from the lattice folk design | Metal grid | Easy to make; very hygienic and hassle-free when cleaning; can be made in any size; well suited for fattening beef herds | Unsuitable even for a very warm climate with positive winter temperatures: newborn rabbits die |
Tip #1 From Odessa practitioners: when using "Tsvetkovo" or "Mikhailovsky" cages, to eliminate the smell, pour a tablespoon of used engine oil into each bucket. The oil film on the surface of the contents of the bucket will not allow the smell to spread.
The difference between Mikhailov's cells and Tsvetkov's cells is noticeable only in the drawings.
Drawings and appearance of Mikhailov cells.
There are a lot of details in the drawings and it is often impossible to understand what belongs to what, while a good drawing should be “transparent”.
There are a lot of details in the drawings and it is often impossible to understand what belongs to what, while a quality drawing should be “transparent”
Mikhailov's cages on a rabbit farm in a forested area where trees dampen the wind. Almost a copy of the Mikhailov cell with the same design flaws is the Tsvetkov cell. But the blueprints for this cage project are simpler. Separate drawings are devoted to individual details. In this case, the author did not try to fit the entire cell on one sheet.
Drawings of Tsvetkov's cell and its appearance
General drawing of Tsvetkov's cell 
Above is a drawing of manure-collecting cones, below is a general view of the cells. 
The mother liquor is provided in two versions: as a full-fledged mother liquor and a practically open box. The second option would be preferable in the summer, the first in the winter, since heating is normally provided in the winter mother liquor. 
The hopper feeder as a whole does not differ from similar feeders from other manufacturers. 
The drinker has a fairly successful design that does not allow rabbits to get into the water with their paws. The nursery is designed in such a way that the rabbit cannot eat all the hay at once or scatter it around the cage, but is forced to pull food out of the bunker one by one, eat constantly, while spending less hay than in a traditional nursery. 
In 3D projection onto cells, the structure of these cells becomes more understandable. Left - front view with hopper feeders, left - rear view with queen cells. 
Working cells standing in the steppe regions. Very large open openings on the front of the cage provide animals with fresh air, but in winter the wind chills the cages. Tip #2 Experienced rabbit breeders living in open spaces use polycarbonate sheets to protect the cages from the cold, which are screwed to the cages in winter.
The cells of Komov-Kuzmin and Zolotukhin are much closer and more understandable to a simple amateur, since they were created by amateurs. Even simpler is a lattice cage, but it is also the most unsuitable for rabbits.
The Komov-Kuzmin cage essentially repeats the standard two-section cage for amateur rabbit breeding 
The Zolotukhin cell is even simpler. Even a novice rabbit breeder can repeat it. Instead of a mother liquor, it contains a simple partition. How to make a cage for rabbits with your own hands
As a material for cells, you can use:
- wooden boards;
- plywood;
- metal sheets;
- galvanized welded fine mesh;
- stone or brick.
Polycarbonate sheets as the main material do not need to be used. In summer, they will create an increased temperature inside the cell. In addition, plastic cracks under the influence of sunlight.
Characteristics of a building material suitable for the manufacture of cages
| Material | Characteristics |
| Board | It retains heat well in winter in the absence of cracks; in summer it keeps a cooler microclimate than on the street; of the shortcomings - it cracks under the influence of weather conditions; damaged by insects |
| Plywood | It has greater strength than a board due to its structure; the plywood sheet has no gaps that need to be sealed; of the minuses - warps under the influence of external conditions and is affected by insects |
| A metal sheet | There are no gaps; galvanized sheet is slightly exposed to weather conditions; of the minuses - both in summer and in winter in a cage without thermal insulation, standing in an open space, hell: icy in winter, hot in summer |
| Metal grid | Putting a rabbit in such a cage is like leaving him to just live in the open. The net does not protect against anything, and since there are often no shelters in such a cage, the rabbit experiences additional stress in it. |
| stone or brick | It is quite suitable for southern regions with mild winters and hot summers: the stone keeps cool in summer and warm in winter, but it is better to put such cells under a canopy; of the minuses - such cells cannot be cleaned properly |
Practically unsuitable for breeding cells. Suitable only for fattening for slaughter. Insulation used for cages
Heaters must be chosen harmless to humans and animals. Preferably also cheap. Such heaters can be
Breeding rabbits is a profitable and uncomplicated activity. These animals do not require special care and exceptional conditions of detention, so 2-3 eared fluffies can be settled in a summer cottage or even in an apartment.
Many novice farmers are engaged in breeding rabbits. And the first thing you should buy for a rabbit farm is cages.
Rabbits are animals that do not require special conditions of detention. That's why you don't have to buy houses for them: you can make them yourself.
Advantages of houses made by hand:
- during construction, all the features of the premises, its location and conditions of detention are taken into account;
- significantly reduce the cost of arranging a rabbit farm;
- independent production of cells will help to avoid marriages, which are often allowed at the factory.
An example of a homemade house in the photo.
Advantages of factory cages:
- ideal design, which provides optimal conditions for the life of animals;
- the structure is equipped with nests, drinkers, feeders, pallets;
- factory products are constantly being improved, their designs are becoming more complicated: buying a finished cage, a farmer can be sure that he will become the owner of modern equipment.
Factory houses are shown in the photo.
Cell types
If you are seriously going to start breeding rabbits, then you will have to build several rooms:
- for fattening rabbits;
- for keeping rabbits with cubs;
- for males.
In order to provide a home for the rabbits, you need to build an entire "housing complex". It can be installed both on the street and in the barn: it all depends on the natural conditions of a particular region. Drawings for creating cages can be developed independently or found ready-made in specialized magazines and on the Internet.
Cages for males
Males are housed in separate houses. This avoids fights, fights for food, and unplanned mating (if males and females are kept in the same room). The dimensions of the house should be such that the rabbit can move freely inside it. If the males are crowded, they will become lazy and obese. And this can affect the reproductive function: rabbits will stop producing offspring.
Houses for rabbits with rabbits should be spacious enough. They are located in one tier and consist of two compartments: the main and the uterine. So that in winter the cubs do not freeze, the uterine compartment must be carefully insulated.
Rabbits at the age of 2–3 months are settled in such houses if they could not gain the necessary weight during their stay with their mother. To give the female the opportunity to give birth to new rabbits, the grown-up cubs are placed in a separate room and fattened to the desired weight.
Cell types
Now there are a lot of modifications, but the two-section cage is still the most popular design for keeping rabbits.
You can make a house for adult animals with your own hands. It will take several hours to create a home, but you can be sure that the room meets all the requirements for keeping fluffy pets.
The finished cage for adult animals is shown in the photo.
Stages of work:
- Make a house frame from 4 wooden beams. It must be rectangular; its dimensions are equal to the length and width of the future product.
- Put the house on legs. To do this, take 4 beams: 2 of them should have a length equal to the height of the front wall + 30 cm, and another 2 - the height of the back wall + 30 cm. cm). Screw them to a rectangular base so that it rises 30 cm above the floor. These will be the legs.
- Attach a galvanized mesh to the rectangular floor base so that it covers the middle part of the room. On each side, leave a space of 35-40 cm long for nesting compartments. Cover the floor in the nests with plywood of a suitable size so that it slightly grabs the mesh.
- Install the side and back walls of plywood and complete the frame of the house. To do this, fasten between the front side bars 1 long bar at the very top.
- Separate the nest compartments from the rest of the room with rails. Install dividers between these rails and the back wall: plywood sheets with holes cut into them. Holes are needed so that the rabbits move freely between the nesting and feeding compartments. Attach a roof to each nest.
- Divide the room into 2 sections with a transverse beam. Make feeders out of plywood and screw them on opposite sides of the dividing rail.
- To keep the bottom well, turn the structure over and secure the mesh with nails and battens.
- Make a hopper for feeders from 4 sheets of plywood, which should be slightly smaller than the house in height. The bunker should look like a "V" and widen at the top. Attach it between the feeders so that after pouring the feed from this funnel is freely fed into the feeders.
- Closer to the back wall, make a manger for coarser food: hay and grass. Their width should be 30 cm. To make it convenient for rabbits to pull blades of grass out of there, make walls of wire rods on both sides.
- Attach the roof to the cage. It should protrude slightly above the cage. In the middle where the feeders are located, build a slider door that you can pull out to add food. For convenience, attach a wooden or metal handle to it.
- Attach the doors, which are made of rails, to the front wall. Stretch the mesh between the slats. Nest compartments can be left without external openings, or solid wooden doors can be used for them.
Drawings for the manufacture of such cells are easy to find.
Houses for three-month-old rabbits
Up to three months of age, rabbits are kept in groups of 6–8 individuals; therefore, group dwellings are used for their maintenance. They are made in the same way as double houses. The only difference is that for a large number of rabbits, a different feeding system is required: they simply cannot eat together from a small feeder.
Stages of work:
- The frame of the house is made in the same way as the frame of double cages for adult animals. However, it is not necessary to divide the room into two sections. The cage will consist of nesting and feeding compartments. In this case, the nesting compartment should be 1.5 times smaller than the feed one.
- Cover the floor of the nest compartment with wood planks and separate it from the stern with a plywood wall with a hole for the movement of animals. The outer wall of the nest must be made of plywood.
- The floor and front of the aft compartment are made of mesh. In front of you need to attach a door made of rails.
- Place a feeder along the entire length of the feed compartment. It should be located in such a way that part of it is in the cage, and part is outside (for the convenience of laying hay). It is made of mesh so that it is convenient for animals to pull out the grass. It is better to raise the feeder 3-4 cm above the floor so that the food is not contaminated with the waste products of the rabbits.
There are ready-made drawings for the manufacture of such cells.
Two-tier (three-tier) shed
Two-tier and three-tier structures are made in the same way as two-section houses for adult rabbits. But in this case, several cells are arranged one above the other in tiers.
Stages of making a two-tiered shed:
- Make 3 rectangular frames. They will become the floor and roof of future cells.
- Strengthen them on long bars. Connect the first rectangle with the bars so that legs 30 cm high remain below. Fix the next rectangle at a height of 50 cm above the previous one, the third at a height of 10 cm above the second.
- On the first and third rectangles, fix the galvanized mesh, which will be the floor for the aft compartment. Equip both houses in the same way as a regular two-section cage.
- The second rectangle will simultaneously serve as a roof for the lower house and a pallet for the upper one. Between the second and third rectangles, you need to install a removable box, into which waste from the upper house will be poured through the grid.
Thus, you can make not only a two-tier, but also a three-tier shed. If you make several of these structures, then you will get a real rabbit farm.
How a multi-tiered structure for keeping rabbits may look like can be seen in the photo.
House for a rabbit with a nest
To make a house for a rabbit with a nest with your own hands, you need to take into account some features of this structure. The house for the rabbit is built separately from other buildings. It is good if it is portable so that the animals can be moved from the street to the barn.
Stages of work:
- Put together a frame for the house, make a back wall and side walls from plywood. This structure should have two compartments: the main and the uterine.
- For each of them, make a separate door: to the compartment for the rabbit - from the mesh, to the mother liquor - from plywood or thin boards.
- So that the rabbits do not freeze, insulate the mother liquor. It is advisable to make a double floor, walls and a roof in it, in the space between which insulation must be laid: polystyrene foam, straw or any other material. If the winters are very cold, then the “warm floor” system is suitable: a heating pad is placed between two levels of the floor. The wire from the unit is taken out so that the animals do not gnaw it.
- The roof is covered with a water-repellent material.
The photo shows what a house for a rabbit with a cub should look like.
Do you need a house with a paddock?
If the owner of the rabbit farm has a large green area at his disposal, then walking houses in this case are a great option. They look the same as ordinary rabbit houses, only on the back wall they have a door through which the rabbits are let out for a walk.
A place for walking can be made with your own hands. Behind the cage you need to equip a large aviary. Its frame is made of wooden slats, and the walls are covered with a dense mesh. It is better to place the aviary on the sunny side: rabbits spend most of their lives in dark cages, and they simply need the sun.
Advice! If your farm is safe enough for the rabbits to graze on the grass, then the runhouses can be made without legs. Then the animals will be able to eat pasture. And when the grass in the aviary runs out, the rabbit dwelling can simply be moved to another place. If on the farm there is a possibility that mice, cats or martens will get into the aviary, then the aviary will be equipped on stilts.What is the advantage of walking cages? The fact is that rabbits need space to run. If they have the opportunity to be in the fresh air and periodically stretch their paws, then they will get sick less, gain weight faster and multiply more actively. In addition, the fur of such animals will be much more fluffy and shiny than that of their sedentary relatives.
A house with a paddock can be the same as in the photo.
Place for a house
The choice of a place for a house depends on the climatic conditions of the region. If winter frosts in your area are very rare, then rabbit houses can be safely placed on the street. However, you should choose a place where there are no drafts and excessive humidity: rabbits are prone to colds.
Advice! You can keep rabbits indoors, but the ideal option is a combined content: in summer, rabbit houses are exposed to fresh air, and in winter they are sent back to a barn or house.If you install shed cages, then it is advisable to arrange them in two rows and turn the facades to each other. An adult must pass freely between the rows.
Rabbits do not like intense lighting, but if the houses are in a barn, then the room must be equipped with several lamps. They should illuminate the rabbit dwelling for 8-10 hours a day.
materials
For the manufacture of cells with your own hands, it is recommended to use the following materials:
- wood (bars, slats, plywood);
- galvanized mesh with a small mesh size (it depends on the size of the rabbits);
- plastic for finishing works;
- slate or shingles for the roof, if the cage will be located on the street.
It is not recommended to use metal for arranging rabbit cages. Under the rays of the sun, this material is very hot, and in the cold season it freezes. In such a dwelling, rabbits will feel uncomfortable, start to get sick and stop breeding.
Tools
To make a house for rabbits with your own hands, you will need the following tools:
- a hammer;
- roulette;
- wood saw;
- plane;
- scissors for cutting the mesh;
- pliers;
- nails, screws, self-tapping screws, corners;
- screwdriver and screwdriver;
- sandpaper.
Cell dimensions
The size of rabbit cages depends on the size of the animals. A single cage for a male rabbit should have a width of at least 0.6 m and a length of 0.8–1.1 m. If the rabbits are large, then the size of the section should be increased. One rabbit weighing more than 5 kg requires a room with a length of 1.3 to 1.5 m.
The size of the room for young animals depends on the number of rabbits. They can be placed 5-8, and with a compact landing - 12 individuals per house. In this case, the width of the cages should be 1 m, the height should be from 0.35 to 0.6 m, and the length should be 2–3 m.
In any case, one adult rabbit should not have less than 0.5–0.7 m2, and one cub - less than 0.15–0.2 m2.
After studying these simple recommendations, you can easily equip your rabbit farm. If you make animal houses yourself, then the enterprise will cost a small amount. And rabbits bring considerable income: after all, not only the tender meat of these animals is valued, but also their wool and manure.
Almost every owner of a country house has a small farm. Someone prefers to breed cattle, someone a bird, and someone likes to deal with fluffy and charming rabbits. But for any economy it is worth considering comfortable conditions of detention. If you opted for rabbits and decided to make cages for them with your own hands, you should decide in advance on the location of the cages, their size and internal content.
On your own backyard, cages with livestock can be placed:
- outdoors;
- indoors, such as a barn.
All cages for rabbits, depending on their location and breeding method, are divided into three types:
- year-round outdoor accommodation;
- year-round maintenance indoors;
- combined maintenance (in the summer in the open air, in the winter - in the barn).
Many rabbit breeders believe that the best option for placing cages is to arrange them outdoors. Such content has a positive effect on animals, contributes to the development of immunity to diseases, the presence of a beautiful and high-quality hairline. Farming outdoors increases the productivity of females, increases the number of rabbits in one litter and contributes to their endurance.
When choosing a place to install a cage, it is worth considering:
- air humidity. It should vary between 60-75%. That is, the place should be chosen on a hill and away from water bodies;
- exposure to direct sunlight, which negatively affects animals. It is better to place the cages under trees or behind an artificial fence;
- the presence of drafts, which are a common cause of rabbit diseases. Air movement must not exceed 30 m/s. Do not forget about high-quality ventilation in the cages. Otherwise, the fumes will undermine the health of your pets.
street cages
All rabbit cages may differ in:
- sizes;
- structures;
- manufacturing materials.
They are simple, bunk with additional amenities, such as heating. Which cage you need to build for your farm depends largely on the breed of rabbits, their size, the availability of building materials and personal preferences.
The advantages of arranging rabbitries on the street include:
- the presence of a large space;
- convenience in caring for animals;
- the ability to build convenient and affordable designs.
For the construction of street cages, you will need to prepare reliable materials. They must be resistant to moisture, frost and sudden changes in temperature.
Important: the cage for rabbits must protect animals from predators such as dogs, cats, foxes, rats.
To prevent your pets from being bothered by direct sunlight and precipitation, make a canopy with a large visor over the building. If you are breeding animals all year round, you need to take care of warming one of the parts of the cage. Despite the fact that these animals tolerate low air temperatures well, it is necessary for them to create a cozy and warm place where they can bask.
Important: special attention is paid to the insulation of queen cells and the department with small rabbits.
Cells placed indoors
Structures placed in sheds can be made from a single metal mesh fixed on a wooden frame. The floor must be made of wood.
If you are raising rabbits indoors, it should be:
- well plastered;
- ventilated;
- illuminated in winter - at least 10 hours.
It would be nice if on the south side of the barn there was a window on the entire wall.
Combined breeding option for rabbits
For the combined version of breeding animals, mobile cages are most suitable. In the warm season, it will be convenient to take them out into the street, and in the cold season - to install them indoors.
If funds allow, two variants of cages can be made: one for the street, the other for the barn. But this option is unlikely to suit those who breed a large number of animals.
Cell design and size
Cages for rabbits are single or multi-tiered. Depending on who they are intended for (kindergarten, young animals, adults), their design depends.
Single-tier and multi-tier structures
Single-tier cages are placed above the ground at a distance of 80 cm. The roof of the structures is covered with slate or metal sheet.
Important: if the cages are located on the street, it is better to cover them with slate, as the metal is very hot, and these animals do not tolerate heat well.
For the convenience of caring for animals, it is better to make a pallet with a chute for easy cleaning. In single-tier structures, metal pallets are installed for pet waste.
Multi-tiered cages can consist of two or more tiers. Each tier contains the required number of sections. They can be made from bars, galvanized mesh and boards. These materials are suitable for both outdoor and indoor rabbitry construction.
Tiered items are often referred to as sheds. In them, the tiers are placed one above the other. This helps save space. The ideal option is two-tier structures. They provide convenient care and monitoring of pets.
When building multi-tiered cages, there should be a space of at least 15 cm between each tier. A metal roof must be installed above each cage, and sloping ebbs should be installed in the space between each tier. This is necessary so that the animal waste does not fall on the lower tiers, does not linger on the roof, but flows into drains specially arranged behind the cages.
Some prefer to use removable plastic pallets in cages. They are convenient and easy to use. Such pallets can be installed directly in the cages themselves, or on skids under the slatted floor.
Cells for okrol
In cages for kindling, it is necessary to install special cameras on the sides or provide a place for a mobile mother liquor. If you opted for a stationary department, then the removable floor, walls and ceiling are made solid. They must be well insulated so that young offspring do not die from cold and draft. In the rest of the cage, the floor can be made of metal mesh or wooden bars.
The mobile mother liquor is a completely closed box with an entrance hole. This box should have an additional side door so that the mother liquor can be conveniently cleaned and dried. This design is convenient in that it can be rearranged as needed in different cells. They are also much more convenient to change the bedding and clean up. The building is insulated for rounding with shavings or hay.
If you are expecting offspring in the cold winter, the mobile mother liquor should be placed on an electric heating pad to create comfortable conditions for the rabbit a few days before the addition.
In winter, it is almost impossible to do without heating the uterine department. If you do not have an electric heating pad, you can use an ordinary light bulb, which should be kept constantly on during this period. The light bulb must be placed in a compartment that is located behind the wall of the uterine chamber.
Attention: having opted for heating the mother liquor with an electric light bulb, take care of fire safety. The chamber in which the lamp will be located should first be sheathed with thin metal.
There is another method of heating this part of the cage using a heating cable for underfloor heating. It is fixed at the bottom of the mother liquor, and a removable floor panel is laid on top of it.
Important: giving preference to such heating, make sure that the cable is intact, without defects. Such a heating system can be connected to a thermostatic regulator. This will allow you to adjust the temperature in the uterine compartment, depending on the weather conditions.
If the cells are in a barn, it is better to use a mobile cell. Then it will be easier to ventilate and clean them on the street. If you decide to make a built-in uterine chamber, the floor in it must be removable.
In two-section single-tier cages, the length of each section should be at least 100-120 cm, and the depth should be 55-65 cm. The width of the built-in uterine chamber should be 35-40 cm.
Cages for young animals
Young rabbits are called rabbits, aged from three to five months. They are kept in groups of 8-20 pieces. The height of the walls of the cages must be at least 35 cm. The total area is calculated based on the fact that one animal should be 0.25 square meters.
Multi-tiered cages for young animals are installed outdoors and rise from the ground by 75 cm. If the floor is made of wooden bars, it is recommended to install a metal mesh on top. Thus, you will protect the rabbits, who will gnaw at the tree and scratch it with their paws. For older rabbits, you can make a mesh floor.
In winter, cages with young animals must be well insulated. For this, hay or straw is used, laid 2 cm thick.
Cage for adult rabbits
Cages for adult rabbits of medium size should be 60-70 cm deep and 100 cm long. These are the minimum dimensions for comfortable breeding of animals. They can be made according to the same block structures. That is, in each block there are two cells separated by a wall.
For mating animals, it is worth considering combining two cages into one using a removable partition. For adult rabbits, the floor is recommended to be made of galvanized mesh.
Attention: adults must move freely around the cage. Their growth and development will depend on this.
Cage with aviary for walking
Cages with an aviary for walking are suitable for both young animals and rabbits of reproductive age. Such a design should consist of two separate compartments with a partition, a roof and a mesh enclosure. The two compartments are connected by a round or square entrance carved into the rear wall of the structure. Thanks to the convenient design, the animals move easily inside, which favors their proper development and growth.
The size of the cage with a paddock can be any. Well, if its depth will vary within 60-65 cm, and the depth of the enclosure - 80-100 cm. Such structures consist of single-tier blocks consisting of two separate cells. A mesh aviary is attached to the back of the cages if there is space.
Cages for giant rabbits
Since the giant breed belongs to large rabbits, the cages for them must also have the appropriate size. Giants grow to considerable sizes. Their length is 55-65 cm, and their weight varies from 5.5 to 7.5 kg. When building housing for large breeds, it is worth starting from the weight and height of animals.
For one adult, a cage is needed, with dimensions: 96 cm in length, 70 in depth, and 60-70 cm in height.
For young giants, housing can be a little easier. Eight animals need a cage with an area of 1.2 square meters. m. Its height must be at least 40 cm.
Important: giant rabbits have an impressive weight. Therefore, the bottom of the cells should first be strengthened. In the manufacture of a mesh floor, preference is given to a thick wire, 2 mm thick. To prevent the mesh from bending under the weight of the animals, it is necessary to fix the bars under it. If you plan to install plastic or rubber pallets in cages, it is better to make a solid field under them.
Cage for California rabbits
Californian rabbits are quite popular among breeders. They are absolutely unpretentious in care and resistant to severe frosts. Adult individuals reach a length of up to 50 cm, and their weight ranges from 4.5 to 5 kg. The cage for this breed should be 0.5 sq.m. Since the paws of this breed are covered with hard hair, the floor can be made slatted or mesh.
If you breed rabbits only for meat, they can be kept in a hole that is 200 by 200 cm in size and about a meter deep. The walls of the pit should be pre-strengthened with slate, and lay boards or a grid on the floor. For safety, a small fence and a roof are being built around the pit. This method of breeding animals is as close to natural as possible, and gives good results. Rabbits love to dig holes in the ground. With proper care, they will delight the owners with numerous offspring.
Making cells with your own hands
Having decided to build cozy houses for rabbits, it is necessary to decide in advance on the type of construction, its dimensions and materials of manufacture. You will need to prepare:
- hacksaw;
- a hammer;
- corner;
- plane;
- screwdriver.
Any type of cage will consist of: frame, walls, floor, ceiling and doors. As a rule, in the construction of houses for these animals, a metal mesh or natural wood is used.
As for materials for construction, you should prepare:
- large sheets of plywood;
- slate;
- nails and screws;
- bars;
- slats;
- galvanized mesh.
For the manufacture of doors, you will need to additionally prepare curtains and latches.
Having chosen a tree as the main building material, it should be sanded and sanded in advance. All sharp edges are processed so that the animal does not get hurt. Since rabbits grind their teeth on wood, there should always be branches in the cages. Otherwise, they will simply gnaw their homes.
Feeders and drinkers for rabbit cages
In addition to building cells, it is necessary to carefully consider their internal arrangement. Food and water should be supplied to the animals in a comfortable way. Feeders can be either purchased ready-made in the store or made on your own.
Rabbits need plenty of clean water every day. If you simply pour it into a plate, dirt and debris will get into it, or animals will constantly spill water. When choosing a drinker, you should decide on its:
- manufacturing materials;
- location;
- volume;
- construction type.
Attention: if the drinker is made of thin plastic, the animals will quickly gnaw through it. And in metal cans, the water will become cloudy and polluted.
Automatic drinkers
Automatic shelves are most often used on farms where there are a lot of living creatures. This design is quite simple and consists of: a bowl connected to a container. The bowl of water is always inside the cage, and the container is outside. It is easy to use and durable.
The principle of operation of this drinker is quite simple: as the water decreases from the bowl, a new portion from the container enters it.
Attention: making such a drinker with your own hands is quite difficult. It is easier to buy it ready-made in the store.
Nipple drinkers
Nipple designs are practical and comfortable. The liquid does not spill into them and remains in the tube until the animal begins to drink. The only drawback of such a product is that in the cold season the liquid can simply freeze in the tube.
Vacuum drinker
A vacuum drinking bowl can be easily built with your own hands from a simple plastic bottle. You can make such a drinker as follows:
- A bowl with a flat bottom should be fixed at a height of 10 cm from the floor on the cage so that one half of it is inside the structure, and the other is outside.
- We take a simple plastic bottle of one or two liters and draw water into it. We close the bottle with a lid, turn it upside down and place it on a bowl. We fasten the bottle to the cage with clamps or wire.
- Carefully unscrew the lid, and the bowl will automatically fill with water. As the animals drink water from the drinker, it will be replenished with new liquid up to a certain level.
Choke drinker
The throttle drinker works on the principle of a conventional washbasin. You can also make it yourself. To do this, you need to take a plastic bottle, make a small hole in the lid and attach a choke. A rubber gasket can be used as a valve. It will hold the throttle well and block the hole in the cover.
The drinker is attached in a vertical position to the cage at a height of 30 cm from the floor.
Hanging drinker
A hanging drinker is also made from a bottle. It is suspended in a horizontal position on a wire, at a height of 30 cm from the floor. For the manufacture of this design in the bottle, it is necessary to make a cutout, 10 cm wide along the entire length, stepping back only 5 cm from the bottom and the lid of the product.
The hanging drinker is attached outside the cage - with a cut hole inside.
feeders
It is worth considering the design of feeders at the design stage of cage construction. You can feed rabbits with:
With the right approach to breeding rabbits, you can achieve high results. If the cages are built in accordance with all norms and requirements, and feeders, drinkers and queen cells are correctly located in them, your pets will feel as comfortable as possible, they will quickly develop and gain weight.
