New cages for rabbits. Double rabbit hutches with mesh aviary
Many novice farmers wonder where to start raising rabbits. None special costs this activity will not require. First of all, it is necessary to arrange a place of residence for eared animals, prepare cages, drinking bowls, and feeders. All this can be easily done with your own hands. The main thing is to choose the appropriate design and size for the cage, prepare drawings, necessary tools and building materials.
First of all, you need to decide on the sizes. The most common are double designs with two separate sections. There are other types of cages: single-section, group for young rabbits, three sections or for a rabbit with babies. There are also original designs: from farmer Zolotukhin, from breeder Tsvetkov. Based on what will be built, materials are selected.
First of all, you need to decide on the type of cell, and then purchase the material.
Necessary tools for construction:
- hacksaw;
- hammer;
- corner;
- pliers;
- plane;
- screwdriver.
Any design requires a frame, walls, floor, ceiling and door. Most often, wood and metal mesh are used to construct cages. Each cell of such a grid should be no more than 2*2 cm and at least 16*47 mm in diameter (depending on the age and weight of the rabbits).
The minimum set of materials includes:
- large sheets of plywood;
- slate;
- screws and nails;
- bars;
- slats;
- durable galvanized mesh (with small cells).
To make the door, curtains and latches, as well as feeders and drinking bowls are additionally purchased.
The wood must be well sanded and sanded, and the ends of the mesh must be securely fastened. Be sure to remove all sharp edges so that the animal does not get hurt. It is better to cover all protruding wooden parts inside the cage with tin. Rabbits love to chew on wood to wear down their teeth. Therefore, you need to put twigs in their feeder more often. The walls and roof can be made of plywood and mesh, and thick blocks of wood are chosen for the main frame.
Attention. If the cage is located in an open space, on the street, then you cannot do without good roofing materials. But you shouldn't make a metal roof. In the summer, the sun will become very hot, which will lead to heatstroke in rabbits.
Most often, rabbit cages are made of wood and mesh. The frame is made of thick bars, the length of which depends on the location of the cage. If it is installed outdoors, then the length of the frame legs should not be less than 80-100 cm. For a cage standing indoors, 35-40 cm in length is sufficient.
Sizes and types of cells
First of all, you need to find or make yourself the correct drawing. It is important to remember that one cage is not enough to breed rabbits. You need to build three or four at once.
The average dimensions of a standard cage are:
- length 120-140 cm;
- width 70-80 cm;
- height 40-50 cm.
For young rabbits, a length of about 90 cm is sufficient, and other parameters can remain the same. It is customary to allocate at least 0.7 square meters per adult animal. m. area, for young animals - 0.2 sq. m. m.
There can be several types of cells:
- for young animals;
- for adult rabbits;
- for a female rabbit with offspring;
- for giant rabbits;
- solid wire;
- cells from Zolotukhin;
- cells from Tsvetkov;
- Rabbitax.
It is customary to keep female rabbits and babies together, and a separate house is built for older rabbits.
Standard two-story house It is not difficult to build for adult rabbits.
In the drawing it will look like this:
Drawing of a two-tier cage for rabbits. Cage for young animals
Grown-up rabbits, weaned from their mother, are kept together in groups of 10-20 individuals. When manufacturing cages, the following minimum dimensions are used: total area 300×100 cm and a ceiling height of 50-60 cm. It is advisable to make the floor in such a house from thin wooden slats, covering them on the side with a metal mesh (1.5 mm thick and a cell diameter of 15 * 40 mm). You can install a completely mesh floor, but make a separate warm room for the rabbits. In winter, it is carefully insulated with hay and straw.
Important: One rabbit should have at least 0.2-0.3 square meters. m. area.
Some farmers do not make separate housing for young animals, but place them in cages intended for adult animals. At the same time, it is calculated how many rabbits can be placed in one cage to provide them with comfortable conditions.
For adult rabbits
For medium-sized adult animals, cages with a depth of about 70 cm, a height of 60 cm and a length of at least a meter are suitable. A block design is used here, and each block, in turn, is divided by a grid into two cells. During the mating period, the partition should be removed, combining the two sections into one.
For adult rabbits, you can make a block of cages in 2 or 3 tiers. You can make a two-tier and three-tier cage. This will be a little more complicated, but it will save space on the site.
Any cage should have a separate place for sleeping, eating or walking. To do this, the cage is separated by a plywood partition with a hole (20x20 cm) located at a height of 15 cm from the floor. The sleeping compartment must have a solid wooden door, and the place for eating and walking is mesh. The resting place does not need to be made large. Ideal sizes, approximately 30x60x50 cm.
House for a female rabbit with offspring
You can often hear the opinion that a rabbit with babies needs a separate queen cell only in winter, and in summer an ordinary cage is enough. But you need to remember that in an open room, fenced only with a net, the female will be nervous and worried. This can have a negative impact on the health of the offspring. The queen house must have a closed, warm place for the nest and a large space for walking, with a mesh front wall.
This is one of the simplest and functional options house for a female with offspring:
The photo shows a two-tier cage for rabbits with hanging nesting compartments. The frame is made from strong bars, and the back wall and two side walls are made from plywood. The cage is immediately divided into two sections: a large one for walking and a small one for the nest. For each of them, separate doors are made (mesh and solid wood). The walls, floor and ceiling in the queen cell should be double, according to the sandwich principle. You can lay foam or straw between them. The roof is covered with slate.
House for giant rabbits
Cages for these large animals must be significantly larger than usual. Adults can grow up to 60 cm in length and reach a weight of 7.5 kg.
There are many giant breeds:
- butterfly;
- German Risen;
- grey;
- Belgian;
- ram;
- white;
- Viennese blue.
The minimum dimensions of a house for one rabbit should be as follows:
- height 55-65 cm;
- length 0.9-1.5 m;
- width 70-75 cm.
If possible, it is better to increase the parameters of the home.
For young rabbits, a special group cage is built, 40-50 cm high and about 1.2 square meters in area. m. Considering the considerable weight of the animals, the floor is well strengthened. It is also made from galvanized mesh, only thicker. To prevent such a floor from sagging, a sheathing is made under it from bars located at a distance of 3-4 cm from each other.
It is recommended to keep giant rabbits in spacious cages with a solid floor. Some rabbit breeders install a solid wooden floor in their cages and place plastic trays underneath. But cleaning such a cage will have to be done at least twice a day.
All wire cage
This is the most budget option for rabbit housing, which can be installed both outdoors and indoors. These lightweight and durable cages take up little space and are easy to clean and maintain. To make them, you will need two types of mesh: a larger one for the walls and ceiling (diameter 2.5*5 cm) and a smaller one for the floor (1.5*5 cm). The frame is built from durable timber, with legs 50-70 cm long. In winter, such a structure is placed in an insulated shed, and in summer it is taken outside.
Cages for rabbits from Zolotukhin
The famous breeder N.I. Zolotukhin developed his own, original, simple and inexpensive design of housing for rabbits. There is no need for daily cleaning in the cages, and the animals in them feel comfortable and get sick less.
Zolotukhin's cell is a three-story structure with a sloping plywood floor. The mesh is laid on the floor only in a small space near the back wall, without a tray. The second tier is shifted relative to the first by the width of this grid. The third one is located in the same way. The front wall (common to all three floors) forms a slope. Each compartment is equipped with a tilting feeder.
This is what Zolotukhin’s three-tier cage looks like from behind. To build a cage you will need: wood, straight slate sheets, metal mesh, polycarbonate and tin. A wooden frame, partitions and doors of the queen cell are pre-fabricated. Mesh is used for cage doors and the back of the floor. The floor itself is made of slate, and the back wall is made of polycarbonate. All wooden parts located inside the cage are covered with tin.
Cage dimensions:
- height 150 cm;
- width 200cm;
- depth about 70-80 cm;
- floor slope 6-8 cm;
- mesh width in front of the back wall is 15-20 cm;
- door size 40*40 cm.
Each floor is divided by a partition into two sections, and between them there is space for a hay barn.
Cells from Tsvetkov
Experienced farmer A. A. Tsvetkov proposed the idea of a two-story mini-farm for rabbits, consisting of 4 separate sections. A distinctive feature of such cages are: two gravity feeders, two hanging queen cells, original systems ventilation and manure removal.
The frame is built from coniferous timber and must be painted with white nitro paint. To make a hay barn, moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of at least 8 mm is suitable. The inside of the hay barn is lined with metal mesh, which also acts as a door in each section.
The photo shows rabbit cages made according to the drawings of farmer Tsvetkov. All wooden parts sheathed with sheet metal, the cone for collecting manure is covered with slate mastic. For the roof you can use slate or roofing felt. The water in the drinking bowls is heated using a boiler.
Rabbitax cells
Rabbitax cells come in different designs and modifications. The simplest ones are small two-section options. There are also environmental models based on air flow redirection technology.
There are even real farms for rabbits "Rabbitax", in which more than 25 individuals live and breed at the same time. You can find a huge number of varieties of such cells on sale. You can make Rabbitax yourself. You can take the drawings of rabbit breeder I. N. Mikhailov as a basis.
Rules for making a cage
To make the rabbits comfortable and comfortable in the new house, during construction you need to follow a few simple rules:
- all wooden protruding parts inside the cage are covered with tin;
- It is better to use slate for roofing;
- Antiseptics, varnishes and impregnations cannot be used;
- for the floor, take a mesh with cells with a diameter of 1 * 2.5 cm to 2.5 * 2.5;
- the frame is built from durable wooden beam(not less than 5*5 cm);
- back wall The cages are made of plywood.
The floor in rabbit cages is made of wooden slats or mesh. How to build a rabbit hutch
When a drawing has been selected, materials and tools have been prepared, construction can begin. First you need to assemble a frame from timber and lay a mesh floor. In outdoor conditions, the floor will have to be insulated and there will be removable trays underneath (for cleaning).
Next, install the back wall made of plywood. It should be lower than the front one. It is also advisable to make the side walls of plywood. IN double cage a hay barn is set up in the middle. And the front wall can be made of mesh, with a door. If the cage will always be located outside, then it is worth taking care of an insulated compartment for sleeping. The sloping roof is covered with slate.
What do we place inside the cage?
The internal contents of the cell may vary. It depends on who will live in it. So, for a female rabbit with babies, it is necessary to arrange special queen cells and nesting compartments. When keeping young animals in groups, warm nesting rooms will also be needed. Often special indoor enclosures for walking are set up for them. Each cage must have bunkers, drinking bowls, feeders, and hay barns.
It is advisable to place the feeder and drinker outside the cage so that the rabbit cannot chew them. Choosing a place to install the cage
Before you begin construction, it is important to decide on the placement of the cage. This should be a comfortable place, protected from draft winds. You should not install a rabbit house on the south side, because in summer the animals will suffer from the heat. It is necessary to strictly observe the size of the cage, depending on the breed and number of rabbits. For ease of cleaning, the cages have a removable roof.
If the animals live on the street all year round, then it is better to make the floor from wood in the form of a retractable tray. And then fill the sheathing of slats on top. Feeders and drinkers can be removable. The walls and ceiling are insulated with foam plastic, and a heated floor is installed in the uterine compartment.
We offer video instructions for viewing that will help you build cages for rabbits with your own hands.
How to build a rabbit cage yourself? This question usually arises among beginners who decide to start rabbit farming. Experienced farmers usually develop designs that are convenient for themselves, making it easier to care for animals.
Cells can be different in structure and made from various materials. They are made completely simple or additionally equipped with “conveniences”, such as running water or heating. In the construction of the cage, much will depend on the planned number of rabbits, their breed and size, on the availability of retreat materials and on the place where it will be installed, on the desire and ability to equip it with various devices, as well as on the ability to work with carpentry and plumbing tools.
Rabbit cages can be located in utility rooms, such as a barn, or directly on the street. Therefore, they can be divided into three types according to their location and the method of breeding rabbits:
- Year-round outdoor placement of cages, when animals are constantly outdoors.
- Keeping pets indoors all year round.
- A combined breeding option, that is, in winter the rabbits are kept indoors, and with the onset of warm weather they are transferred outside.
Experienced rabbit breeders believe that the most in the best possible way Breeding these animals involves keeping them outdoors all year round, as this promotes the development of immunity to various diseases and the formation of healthy, high-quality hair. In addition, when raising rabbits outdoors, the productivity of females significantly improves, which increases the number of rabbits in the litter and their endurance.
Street cages
Rabbit cages are most often installed outdoors if breeding is planned. large quantity animals – one hundred or more individuals.
The convenience of setting up rabbit hutches in outdoor conditions lies in the availability of more space and the ease of caring for your “menagerie”, since each of the cages needs periodic cleaning.
To build outdoor cages, fairly durable materials are used, since the structure must be reliable and stable - these qualities will help protect rabbits from adverse natural factors, as well as from penetration of predatory animals - dogs, foxes, cats or rats - into the cages.
It is advisable that the building be located under a canopy with a large front canopy so that any precipitation, as well as direct sunlight, do not bother the pets too much.
If the rabbits will be outside all year round, then it is necessary to take care of insulating one of the parts of the cage. These animals tolerate low winter temperatures well, but it would still be a good idea to create comfortable conditions for them and a special place where they can bask on especially cold days and nights.
Cages placed indoors
Cages placed in windproof areas can be made entirely of metal mesh, fixed on a wooden frame, have a wooden slatted floor. If breeding pets is carried out indoors, it is important to think carefully about the convenient disposal of their waste.
Combined rabbit breeding option
In another case, if funds and space allow, cages are built in two places - both on the street and in a barn. This method of farming is unlikely to be suitable for those farmers who raise a large number of pets, since installing winter and summer cages will require a fairly large area.
Cell design and size
Rabbit cages can be single-tiered or multi-tiered. In addition, their design may vary depending on the main purpose - for breeding, for raising young animals or for keeping adult pets.
Single-tier and multi-tier structures
Cells can be single-tiered or multi-tiered, but they are arranged in no more than three tiers.
- Single-tier cells
Single-tier buildings are raised above the ground by 700÷800 mm and covered with a roof made of slate or metal sheet. If this option of buildings will be located on the street, then it is better to choose slate roof, since the metal heats up quickly, and rabbits do not tolerate extreme heat very well.
To collect and dispose of animal waste, a metal tray made in the form of a drain is often installed in a single-tier cage for the convenience of its regular cleaning.
- Multi-tiered cells
More often, multi-tiered cages are practiced, which can have two or three tiers, and on each of which a different number of sections are placed. Such structures are most often made of bars, boards and galvanized mesh, and are used for breeding rabbits both outdoors and indoors.
Such cage designs are called sheds - in them, tiers with sections are located on top of each other, which helps to significantly save space.
A two-tier design is considered the best option, as it will allow for comfortable care and monitoring of pets.
It is recommended to raise the shad above the ground by 500÷600 mm when installed indoors, and by 700÷750 mm when installed outdoors. This cage is considered the best for keeping rabbits, so it is used most often.
When building multi-tiered cages, there must be a space of at least 150 mm high between each of the tiers. An inclined one is installed above the cells metal roof. In the space between the tiers and under the lower tier, inclined tides are fixed. They are necessary so that rabbit waste does not fall into the lower cages and does not linger on the lower roof, but flows to the ground or into a common or separate drain for each tier located at the back of the structure. At each of these ebbs, sides are bent on the sides to prevent waste from falling beyond this plane.
Some owners prefer to use removable plastic trays, which are mounted on skids under the slatted floor and can be removed for cleaning and rinsing.
Another option is for the trays to be installed directly in the cages. In addition, sometimes cages are made with a solid floor. Both of the latter options are probably still not very convenient, since the bedding in the cages will have to be changed quite often - once every two to three days.
Cages for breeding
In cages intended for breeding, special chambers are installed on the sides, or space is provided for installing a mobile queen cell. In a design with a stationary compartment, the walls, removable floor and ceiling are made solid, since it must be well insulated and not blown through by drafts, otherwise the rabbits will die.
The floor in the rest of the cage, where the food section is located, is made of wooden blocks or metal mesh.
The mobile queen cell is a completely closed box with a round hole for entry. The box should also have an additional side door to allow it to be cleaned and dried.
A mobile queen cell is convenient because it can be rearranged, if necessary, into different cells, and it is also easier to clean and change bedding.
This chamber is insulated with dry, mold-free hay or shavings. It is not recommended to use small sawdust, as they can get into the respiratory tract of the rabbits, and they will die.
If breeding is carried out in winter, then a few days before it is recommended to place electric heating pad to create comfortable conditions for the rabbit.
During the cold season, it is often impossible to do without heating the uterine tract, so instead of a heating pad, you can also use a regular light bulb, which is kept constantly on during this period. It is placed in a compartment located behind the wall of the uterine chamber. Having chosen this heating option, it is necessary to take care of fire safety, so the chamber where the lamp will be located must be sheathed with a thin metal sheet.
Another way to heat this part of the cage is a heating cable for the “warm floor” system, which is fixed to the bottom of the queen cell, and a removable floor panel is placed on top of it. When using this option, it is imperative to ensure that the cable located in the cage is solid, without splicing. This system, installed according to all the rules, allows you to regulate the temperature in the uterine compartment depending on the outside temperature - it can be connected to a thermostatic regulator.
For cages located indoors in barns, it is best to make queen cells mobile so that they can be taken outside for thorough cleaning, ventilation and drying in the sun. If a built-in uterine chamber is planned, then the floor must be removable.
Each section of cells of this type usually has a length of 1000÷1200 mm, a depth of 550÷650 mm, a height on the front side of 550÷600 mm and 400÷450 mm on the rear wall. The built-in uterine chamber is made 350÷400 mm wide.
Cages for young animals
Cages for young animals should be designed to accommodate 8÷20 rabbits at a time, aged from three to five months. A group cage is made with an area of approximately 0.25 - 0.3 m² per pet, with a wall height of at least 350 mm.
If the cages are made multi-tiered and installed on the street, then they must be raised above the ground by at least 700÷750 mm.
In cages for young animals, the warm nesting compartment should also be well insulated for winter period, in approximately the same way as for newborn rabbits. For insulation, hay or straw is used, laid 15÷20 mm thick. You should not choose for insulation artificial materials, as they have a bad effect on the development and growth of babies of all breeds of rabbits.
Cage for adult rabbits
For adult rabbits of medium-sized breeds, cages are made with sections 600÷700 mm deep, a façade height of 600 mm and a length of 1000 mm - this minimum dimensions for the comfortable development of an adult animal. The same block design is used for these cells; each block contains two cells separated by a wall.
It is also necessary to provide for the union of these cells into one, for example, for the mating period - for this, the partition between them is made removable. It is recommended to make the floor in cages for adults from galvanized mesh.
It is very important to take into account that pets must move freely inside the cages, since their growth and development will depend on this.
Cage with aviary for walking
This cage design is well suited for keeping young animals or for rabbits of reproductive age. The cage consists of two compartments - an area completely enclosed by walls and a roof and a mesh enclosure. The two compartments are connected by a round or rectangular entrance cut into the rear wall of the cage with solid surfaces. Rabbits in such cages have the opportunity to move freely and safely, which is beneficial for their development and growth.
The dimensions of such structures may vary, but usually the depth of a closed cage is 600÷650 mm, and the depth of the enclosure is 800÷1000 mm. Most often, a regular single-tier block is built, consisting of two separate cages, and then, if there is space behind it, a mesh enclosure is attached to it.
Cages for giant rabbits
Large rabbits of the “giant” meat-skin breed require a special approach, since not standard cages are built for them, but those with more significant parameters. Individuals of this breed grow to sizes from 550 to 650 mm in length, and their weight ranges from 5.5 to 7.5 kg. These numbers must be used as a starting point when drawing up a construction design drawing.
For one adult “giant” rabbit, you will need a cage measuring at least 960 mm in length, 700 mm in depth and 600÷700 mm in height.
For young animals of this breed, in one litter of which there are on average eight rabbits, you will need a cage of 1.2 m², at least 400 mm high.
Since “giant” rabbits have quite a lot of weight, the floor of the cage should be reinforced - it is also covered with galvanized mesh, but made of thicker wire, for example, 2÷2.2 mm. In addition, to prevent the mesh from bending under the weight of the animal, when making the floor, you must first secure bars measuring 30×30 mm, laid at a distance of 35÷40 mm from each other, and then lay and secure a metal mesh on top of them.
Some farmers lay a solid floor in their cages, but in this case, the most the best option will install plastic or rubber trays in them. If you choose this option for arranging the cage, then you will have to clean it of waste daily or once every two days.
California rabbit cage
This breed of rabbits (a hybrid of the New Zealand breed, the Soviet chinchilla and the Russian ermine) is quite popular due to its ease of care and resistance to negative winter temperatures. In size, adult individuals of the Californian breed are smaller than “giants” and their length is 450÷500 mm, but their weight sometimes reaches up to 4.5÷5 kg. The cage for these rabbits should be approximately 0.4÷0.5 m² in size. The paws of pets of this breed are covered with coarse hair, so they will be quite comfortable in cages with mesh or slatted floors.
When California rabbits are raised exclusively for meat, they are often kept in a pit measuring 2000x2000 and 1000 mm deep. The walls of the pit are reinforced with slate, a plank or mesh floor is laid on the floors, a low fence is installed around the pit and a roof is built.
An earthen niche is made in one of the walls of the pit, which is not reinforced in any way. It is necessary to create conditions close to the natural habitat of these animals. Rabbits will happily dig holes in the ground, and with proper care they will reproduce well and raise young on their own.
Feeders and drinkers for rabbit cages
To make caring for your pets easier, it is worth considering a convenient supply of food and water for them. There are many different designs, both feeders and drinkers. They can be purchased ready-made or even made yourself.
Drinking bowls
Rabbits need a lot of clean water and if you pour it into a bowl that is not fixed at a certain height, then various debris will fall into it, or, even worse, a rabbit, stepping on it with its paw, will simply knock it over and spill water.
It is very important to decide on the choice of material from which the drinkers will be made. For example, if you install products made of thin plastic, they will not last long time, because rabbits will chew them. In metal cans, water will quickly become dirty and cloudy. Therefore, experienced rabbit breeders have developed several simple designs that allow them to constantly provide for animals required quantity water.
Automatic drinkers
This type of drinker is often used both on large farms and in small households. The design of this drinking bowl consists of a bowl connected to a container filled with water. Moreover, the bowl is in the cage, and the container is located outside, so it is easy to replenish it with new supplies of fresh water.
The principle of operation of such devices is quite simple - as the water decreases from the bowl, a new portion of liquid will flow into it from the container. In this case, the float system is triggered - there is little water left in the bowl, so the valve installed in the container opens and the drinking bowl is replenished with water. It is quite difficult to make such a drinking bowl yourself, but it can be purchased ready-made.
Nipple drinkers
The nipple type of drinker is convenient and practical, since in this case the animals cannot spill the water - it remains in the tube until the rabbit begins to drink, performing sucking movements.
The disadvantage of this water delivery system is that when low temperatures The water in the container and in the tubes freezes quickly, so this drinking bowl can only be used in the warm season.
Vacuum drinker
There are several ways to make a drinking bowl from a regular plastic bottle, and they should be considered, so the manufacturing process can be carried out independently.
The operating principle of this design is based on the laws of physics, and to make it, you need to proceed as follows:
- A bowl having flat bottom, sides approximately 50 mm high and elongated shape fixed to the cage at a height of 100 mm from the floor, so that half of it is inside the cage and the other remains outside.
- A regular plastic bottle of two or one and a half liters is filled with water. The bottle is then closed with a cap or even a piece of paper, which is pressed firmly to the neck. Next, the container is quickly turned upside down and placed in a bowl. The neck should not reach the bottom 2÷3 mm. The bottle is then secured to the cage using wire or clamps.
- The lid is carefully unscrewed (if paper was used, it is simply pulled out), and the bowl is filled with water by about ⅔. As your pets drink water, water will flow from the bottle into the bowl, filling it to its previous level.
Throttle drinker
This drinker works on the principle of a conventional hand washbasin, that is, when you press the throttle installed together with the valve in the bottle cap, water begins to flow down the throttle through the resulting hole.
There should not be a hole in the lid big size, but the throttle should move up and down easily in it. Can be used as a valve rubber gasket, well holding the throttle and closing the hole in the bottle cap in a calm state.
The bottle with this device is fixed vertically on the cage, at a height of 250÷300 mm from the floor.
Hanging drinker
This is a very simple version of a drinking bowl, made from a plastic bottle; it is suspended on wire holders at a height of 250÷300 mm from the floor. To make such a drinking bowl, a cutout is made in the side of the bottle, 100÷120 mm wide and almost the entire length of the bottle, 50÷60 mm away from the lid and bottom.
The drinking bowl is fixed on the outside of the cage so that the hole cut in the bottle is turned inward. In the cage at this level, part of the mesh wall is also cut out so that the rabbits can easily reach the water. Such a drinking bowl will have to be replenished with water quite often, but it is extremely simple to manufacture.
Feeders
It is advisable to plan the feeders at the stage of drawing up the drawing of the entire structure. Feed supply devices can be of three types:
- Senniki are most often located between two adjacent cells and have a V-shape. They are made together with the structure of the cell itself - they, in fact, are its integral part. Fresh grass or dry hay is placed in these feeders, and the rabbits pull it out through the lattice walls.
- Feeder for filling feed. This product is necessary for rabbits to enrich their body with minerals and vitamins, which contributes to the rapid growth of animals. This food is especially important in winter time when there is no grass, fresh vegetables and fruits.
Feed troughs can be made from sheet metal, plastic pipe used for sewerage, or other materials. An important condition, which must be fulfilled for efficient work This device is responsible for the correct and reliable fastening of the container to the cell wall. The principle of operation of such a device is that food independently enters a bowl located in the cage from a container fixed outside it, as it decreases.
- A device for vegetables, fruits, tops and other fresh shredded products can be made of any material. It is made spacious and easy to clean. The feeder must be kept clean, otherwise harmful insects may grow in and around it, which can cause various diseases in animals.
Making your own multi-tiered cage
Before purchasing materials, it is recommended to draw up an accurate drawing of a cage or multi-tiered complex. It is necessary to foresee the location of feeders and drinkers on the plan, especially in cases where they will be built into the overall structure.
In this case it is presented step by step description manufacturing three-tier cage 1400 mm wide, 1900 mm high and 600 mm deep.
For work you will need the following materials:
| Name of materials or components | Size, mm | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Board | 100×30 | 10 m |
| timber | 50×30 | 27 m |
| Plywood 15 mm | Standard | 1÷2 sheets |
| Metal grid | Wire 0.7 mm, mesh 25×25 mm | 8 m² |
| Metal galvanized sheet | Thickness 0.6÷0.9 mm | 3 m² |
| Self-tapping screws | 50 | 300÷500 pcs. |
| Nails | 60÷70 | 100 pieces. |
| Latch locks for queen cells | Standard | 6 pcs. |
| Hinges for securing the hinged doors of the queen cell. | 12 pcs. |
The table below describes the cage installation process step by step:
| Illustration | Brief description of the operation performed |
|---|---|
 | From the purchased boards it is necessary to make parts for mounting the frame: - 100×30×2250 mm – 4 pcs.; - 50×30×1340 mm – 12 pcs.; - 50×30×540 mm – 12 pcs.; - 25×30×540 mm – 72 pcs. |
 | Six identical frame frames measuring 1340x600 mm are assembled from prepared lumber. |
 | Making frames is easy. First, one is assembled with precise dimensions and squareness, and then it is used as a template for making the rest. To assemble each frame, you will need two beams measuring 50x30x540 mm and two beams measuring 50x30x1340 mm. Smaller bars are secured between two long ones using two self-tapping screws at each connection |
 | The result of installation should be six neat, even frames of the same size. |
 | The next step is to position the frames and fasten them onto boards measuring 100x30x2250 mm, laid at a distance the width of the frame. The distance between the frames forming the frame and the floor of the cage of each tier should be 400 mm. The space left between tiers is 180 mm. The first tier should be raised above the ground by 400 mm. The frames are secured with two self-tapping screws, screwed in along the diagonal intersection line at the joints of the frame frame and side boards. |
 | The next step is to fasten the frames along the top edge with two boards laid parallel to the bottom ones. It is important here to ensure that the frames are perfectly vertical. To check their verticality, a building level is used. |
 | Next, the blocks for installation of the grated floor are prepared. Their size should be 25x30x540 mm. |
 | The distance between the sheathing bars should be 15÷20 mm (lightwise). They are installed inside the frame frame, and through it, on the side, secured with self-tapping screws on both sides. |
 | The floor of the cells on all three tiers is lined in exactly the same way. If it is planned to make a queen cell on one of the tiers, where breeding occurs, and where the rabbits will be kept until a certain age, then in this place the floor of the cage should be solid and removable. The arrangement of the queen cell was described above. |
 | Will each of the tiers be divided into two separate cells? between which a hay box is mounted in the shape of the Latin letter V. Hay or grass for rabbits will be placed here. The sennik is formed from four bars, which are installed on both sides of the frame. The size of the hay is 150÷200 mm in the upper part, and 6÷8 mm in the lower part. Naturally, it is necessary to achieve a clear correspondence in the location of the inclined crossbars on both sides of the frame. |
 | To ensure that the doors have the correct rectangular shape, a hay barn can be made from boards by cutting one of their sides at a certain angle and connecting them at the bottom from the inside of the cage. Thus, the outer edge of the hay barn will be smooth and will act as a wall to which the door will adjoin. In addition, the front parts of the hay barn can be cut from plywood 15 mm thick. |
 | The frame of the hay barn is sheathed inside along installed bars (or cutouts made at an angle in boards or plywood) with a mesh of 0.7 mm wire having cells of 25 × 25 mm. |
 | If you plan to make a queen cell in the cage, then it is separated from the cage by a plywood or plank wall with a small entrance. To make it easier to attach this wall, additional bars are mounted into the structure, to which the plywood jumper will be attached. |
 | The entrance to the wall can be round or semicircular, but it must be located at a height of 100-120 mm from the floor of the cage - this distance must be maintained so that the rabbits cannot get into the large cage until they can overcome this height on their own. The width of the entrance to the queen cell should be approximately 150 mm. After the hole is cut, it must be cleaned sandpaper, since its edges must be absolutely smooth. |
 | The width of the queen cell is usually 300÷350 mm. The jumper wall is fixed to the bars, then the same wall is mounted on the outside of the cage, and then the roof panel is fixed. If in the main space of the cage the roof can be covered with a metal mesh, then in the queen cell it should be continuous. Lastly, a bottom made of plywood is placed in the queen cell compartment. However, it should not be secured to the lower bars with self-tapping screws, since after the rabbits grow up and are moved to other, more spacious cages, the bottom part is removed from the uterine chamber, washed, dried and put in place for the next birth. |
 | The final stage in the installation of the queen cell is the installation of a hinged external door on it across the entire width of the chamber. At the bottom, the door is secured to the beam with two metal hinges. |
 | A latch lock or latch is installed in the middle of the upper part of the door panel. |
 | Next, the cage door frame is made from 30x30 mm bars. It is made according to the size of the opening formed in the cell wall. The door frame bars are fastened together at the corners with two self-tapping screws. |
 | The illustration shows finished frame the door in front of it is covered with a metal mesh. |
 | The mesh is fixed to the frame using staples and a stapler - such fixation will be quite sufficient. |
 | A door with a mesh installed on the inside looks like this. |
 | Hinges on mesh doors can be mounted at the bottom (in which case the door will be hinged), or on one side of the opening (in which case it will be hinged). It all depends on ease of use in specific conditions. |
 | If the cages will be installed under a roof, for example, in a barn or other indoor utility room, then the walls and roof of the cages can also be lined with mesh. When installing the structure outdoors, the side and rear walls and roof must be covered with plywood or boards |
 | It is very important to make the correct tides under each tier of cages so that animal waste from the upper cages does not fall into the lower ones. To make ebbs, a metal sheet is used, on which the edges are folded on the sides - these sides should have a height of 80÷100 mm. The ebbs are attached to the front lower part of the frame under the cage, and its other edge is laid on the rear wall of the lower cage and extends beyond it by 300÷350 mm. Thus, the ebb tides are inclined and protrude back beyond the structure so that they do not interfere with the approach to the rabbitry from the front side. |
 | The result should be something like this cell. In terms of complexity, this design option can be called the simplest and most accessible even for beginners. |
If you understand the principles of constructing cages for rabbits, then when drawing up a drawing, if desired, you can make your own adjustments. But it is still necessary to always keep in mind that any adult rabbit requires at least 0.5 m² of living space. It’s even better to adhere to the recommended section sizes, about 1000 mm in length, 600÷ 700 in depth, and from 400 to 600 mm in height.
Raising rabbits requires patience and knowledge of their physiology. Without this, results will not be achieved. In winter, rabbits feel better in a heated room specially allocated for them, which is called a rabbitry. For home breeding small will do.
What should a rabbitry be like?
In order for rabbits to feel normal, not get sick, grow well and reproduce quickly, they need to create a certain atmosphere. They are demanding of living conditions and often get sick in poor conditions. To prevent this from happening, they need the following conditions:
- The optimal temperature is 14-16°C. The temperature in the rabbitry is determined in a place remote from heating devices, walls, windows and doors. Both overheating and hypothermia have a negative effect. When the temperature drops, more feed is required, which is unprofitable. But a gradual rise or fall in temperature is not as destructive as sudden changes. From all this it follows that it is necessary to build an insulated rabbitry, with the possibility of heating and air conditioning. The most justified are rabbit hutches built using insulation mineral wool(thickness is calculated depending on the region). No less attention should be paid to the insulation of the floor and ceiling. The roofing material may not be insulated; it must provide protection from moisture. In this case, it is necessary to take care of the insulation of the ceiling. The cheapest way is to pour a layer of expanded clay onto the ceiling, apply a layer of clay mixed with straw on top, and then you can even throw fallen leaves onto the dried clay for additional thermal insulation.
- Rabbits are demanding of air humidity - it must be maintained at 60-75%.
- Drafts have a negative effect on the health of rabbits. This is another argument in favor frame buildings- with proper construction there should be no drafts. However, the rabbitry must have ventilation because they need fresh air and the gases that come from the rabbits' urine and feces must be removed. But the air speed should not be more than 0.3 m/s. Usually, an inlet opening is made, covered by a movable grille at floor level in one corner of the rabbitry, and an exhaust pipe under the ceiling in the other. IN exhaust pipe you can install a gate. Using a movable grille and a damper, you can regulate the speed of air movement in the rabbitry depending on weather conditions. If natural ventilation is not enough, fans are installed in the exhaust or supply pipe with the ability to regulate the speed of rotation of the blades (there should be several modes).
- The second factor that affects the state of the atmosphere in a rabbitry is the regularity of cleaning and the design of the cages. About the cells - a little lower, and here - about cleaning. It should be regular - at least 2-3 times a week. The main indicator is the presence or absence of a strong odor.
- In order for less ammonia to be released, it is necessary to organize the collection of stool so that urine is separated from feces. If the collection goes into trays under the cages, they have a slope and a trench through which the urine is drained into a separate container. If waste is collected through gutters into a pit (with large numbers of rabbits), the ditches must be made so that urine leaks into a lower gutter separated by a mesh. This is a rather difficult task, since one part is separated from the other using a mesh, and it often gets clogged. To keep everything in working order, you have to clean it often.
Construction of a rabbitry is a serious matter
The rate of weight gain and fur density are also affected by the illumination of the rabbitry and the length of daylight hours. Rabbits are most active at dusk and at night. Bright lighting is undesirable for them. A sufficient level of illumination is 50-70 lux for adults, 25-30 lux for fattening young animals. At the same time, the duration of daylight hours is 16-18 hours, so in winter lighting is required, but dim. To make the lighting more comfortable when servicing the rabbitry, install several additional light bulbs above the cages, but connect them to the second switch (or to the second key). Another option is to install a brightness control (dimmer). It is installed instead of a regular switch and allows you to change the illumination by turning the control knob.
Rabbit cages
The easiest way to keep rabbits is in cages under a canopy in the open air. But this option is available in regions with more or less mild winters. Often this type of keeping is practiced at the beginning of a rabbit breeder’s “career,” but gradually they come to the conclusion that a rabbitry is necessary. It’s just that during the winter the livestock often decreases greatly, feed consumption increases significantly, and the gain is very small. It turns out that it is more profitable to build a rabbitry and heat it.
Dimensions and design of rabbit cages
The size of rabbit cages depends on the breed. The larger the rabbits, the more space they require. On average, the height of the cage is 500-700 mm, the roof can be sloped back, then the height at the back is 50-100 mm less. The depth of the cage is 50-70 cm. The width is more difficult - cages of different sizes are made for males and females. In cages for female rabbits, it is advisable to fence off the queen cell - a closed, small-sized volume in which the female rabbit will build a nest. Without taking into account the queen cell, the length of the cage for males and females is the same - 500-800 cm.
There are several options for constructing a queen cell:
- A cube made of boards is placed in spacious cells suitable size, in which a hole is made for passage.
- Immediately, during construction, part of the cell for the queen cell is fenced off.
- There are wide removable doors on the sides of the cage. Before the female rabbit has offspring, the doors are removed and the queen cell is hung (reliable fastening is required).
The optimal dimensions of the queen cell are: depth 80 cm, width 60 cm, height 40 cm (or whatever the size of your cell is). It is advisable to make a shelf inside the cell or above the queen cell. On it the rabbit will hide from the annoying little ones. In this case, she will not accidentally trample them, as happens if there is no shelf.
Queen cell hung to the cage for a female rabbit
A hole is made from the queen cell into the main cell. It should not start level with the floor; there should be a threshold of at least 5 cm. In the first days, it will keep the babies inside the queen cell.
How to make a floor
Regardless of the type of keeping rabbits, the cage must be dry. Therefore, a solid floor is very rarely made; it is better to make a slotted one, with large gaps, or from a metal mesh with a small cell. If the floor is made solid (from a piece of moisture-resistant plywood or OSB), then it is made inclined towards the back wall (you can also towards the front, but this is less convenient). A grate or mesh is nailed into the back of the floor, through which urine pours out and excrement falls out.
It is better to make the floor in a rabbit cage double - the first level is made of wooden slats or a metal grid
It is much better to make a double floor - the first is lattice, the second is solid. For a slatted floor, take wooden planks 20-25 mm wide and fill them with a gap of 15 mm. All waste, both liquid and solid, normally falls through such gaps. Instead of slats, you can use a rigid mesh with thick wire and small cells.
Mesh floor made of galvanized wire - also performed well
The lower level of the floor - the pallet - is often made of galvanized iron, preferably from a single piece. In this case, a slope is formed (usually in the center of the cell or between two adjacent ones), and a gutter is formed in the center. The height of the pallet is 25-35 mm. Less is inconvenient, more is not necessary.
To make the metal last longer, it can be treated with drying oil. If it is necessary to splice pieces, make the connection so that everything drips off, and it is advisable to lubricate it bitumen mastic- so that sewage does not flow onto the floor of the rabbitry.
Cages for female rabbits are queen cells on the sides. The lower level of the floor is made of galvanized steel and has a trough for urine drainage and ease of cleaning.
At the same time, the lower tier of the floor must be movable so that it can be pulled out and washed/cleaned. To do this, corners are stuffed onto which a sheet of metal rides, like on a sled.
It is not necessary to make the lower tier of the floor for each cell. It can be common to two or three located nearby. If these are cages for rabbits, you usually end up with a common tray for two cages, with queen cells on each side. If cages of young animals for fattening or males are located in a row, three cages can be combined.
Sometimes they are also used as a lower floor. flat slate. But in this case, the drain can only be organized backwards or forwards and only into the gutter that runs along the cage - the sheet cannot be bent in any way.
Doors
Doors are usually made with mesh. A frame is made from a block onto which a mesh is stretched. Tighten the nails or screws so that their points do not stick out inside the cage. It is better to stuff the mesh so that it is flush on the side of the cage. This way there is less chance of rabbits chewing through the door. Those who are more comfortable with welding weld the frame from small corner, the eraser is pulled onto steel wire 3-4 mm in diameter and this wire is welded to the door.
In terms of size, a larger door is more convenient - it will be more convenient for you to maintain the cage. Constipations are ordinary hooks or latches; they are also made in the old fashioned way with a piece of a block that spins on a nail driven into its middle. But this type of constipation is very unreliable.
One of the most simple options constipation for rabbit cages
If carpentry is not your thing, to make the door stiffer, you can fill the block diagonally. It will prevent the door from warping (as in the photo above). Please note that the bar is padded on the outside - this will prevent rabbits from chewing on it.
Roof
You can cover rabbit cages with any inexpensive material. But we must remember that overheating and hypothermia are destructive for rabbits. Therefore, simply throwing a piece of metal or any material based on it will not work. It is better to use a material with low thermal conductivity. For example, you can stuff plywood (moisture-resistant, construction), OSB and any other similar material.
If the cages will be placed on the street, without a canopy, on sheet material you need to lay down something to protect it from precipitation. In more northern areas or when installing the cage in the shade, you can lay roofing material or more modern material for waterproofing. It can not be fused, but glued to bitumen mastic.
Another option is to lay slate, preferably wave slate. Moreover, it is better to raise it above the cage by 15-25 cm. This will create air gap, it won't be hot in the cage. And the resulting gap can be used for drying/withering grass. Dried in the shade, it retains more nutrients.
Sennik, drinking bowls, feeders
For rabbits you don’t need much equipment - a hay barn, feeders for bulk small feed, drinking bowls. The design of the drinking bowls should be such that they can be easily removed - they need to be washed and the water changed. For these purposes, they usually adapt some kind of trays, under which they are made from a strip of metal." seat", fixed on the door (the most convenient option) or on the wall, close to the door.
There is one very good option for a drinking bowl from the “cheap and cheerful” category. A cutting is used as a “cup holder” sewer pipe with a diameter of 100 mm. Trimming height - 80-100 mm. A trimmed 2-liter bottle is inserted inside this ring. plastic bottle. The bottle is cut flush with the “glass holder”, only a strip 2-3 cm wide and 5-7 cm long remains so that the glass can be easily pulled out.
Senniks are made either between two cages, bevelling adjacent walls in the shape of the letter V. This method is more convenient when building cages for rabbits (seen in several photos above). The second option for cages of males and young animals is to make one of the walls (or part of the wall) lattice-like, and attach a piece of plywood, OSB, a board made of planks, etc. to it on hinges. Fix it in the desired position using a hook, rope, or wire.
In principle, if there is not enough space on the side, such a canopy can be made in the front, on the door. It’s just that in addition to the drinking bowl, they often nail/make a feeder on the door.
Feeders are made by anyone using whatever they can. Some people have plastic or metal trays attached, others make them out of wood, they even try to make them out of drywall. An interesting option seemed to be an attached piece of a large-section plasterboard profile (pictured below).
You can make a feeder out of wood, but the edges must be covered with tin.
If you have some tinsmithing skills, you can make a feeder from galvanized sheet metal.
To get rid of the dusty part of the feed, several small holes are made in the bottom of the feeder.
What materials are the frame and walls made of?
The frame for cages in a rabbitry is made of wooden beams or from a load-bearing (wall) galvanized profile for plasterboard; welded frames made of metal pipes are quite rare. They are the most reliable, but also the heaviest. More suitable for permanent installation in a rabbitry.
The lightest cells are made from profiles, but the choice of materials is very limited - heavy ones cannot be used. When using timber, there are no questions about the weight of the material, but there is a problem - rabbits chew the wood. Therefore, they try to make cells so that there are fewer protruding corners - smooth surfaces they can't chew.
As you saw in the photo, the walls of rabbit cages are made from different materials - plywood, OSB, wooden boards and planks. They often use whoever has what. The most problematic areas are covered with tin or a mesh is pulled over the top - this also prevents the wood from being chewed. There are cages that are almost entirely made of mesh. Young animals for fattening feel good in them.
Photo report on the manufacture of a cage for a rabbitry from a galvanized profile
This option is suitable for those regions where wood is expensive or for those who have a lot of profile remains after construction/repair. When making cages, the dimensions are adjusted to the existing molding - small deviations in one direction or another are acceptable, but the rabbits should have room in the cage.
This cage was built for a female with rabbits up to 20 days old. It consists of two sections. The main part is 55*75*55 cm, the mother liquor is 35*55*30 cm. The racks have a reinforced profile; the crossbars are covered with ordinary work - as usual with drywall - the pieces are secured with self-tapping screws (fleas).
The floor in the main part is made of a block 2 cm thick and 5 cm wide. The planks are attached to the profile with self-tapping screws. The screws must be screwed in so that they can be easily unscrewed - if (or rather, when) the strip is chewed, it will be easy to replace with a new one.
In the queen cell the floor is solid, without cracks. If in winter you are not sure that your rabbitry will be warm enough, it is better to make a double floor in this part and fill the gap with insulation - even expanded clay. In this case, even with a sharp cold snap, the babies will not freeze - their mother usually warms them from above. If it is warm from below, they will not get sick.
The height of the queen cell is 20 cm lower than the main cell. From the inside, in the cage, there is a shelf on which the rabbit will escape from the annoying little ones.
To prevent the external joints of the plywood from being chewed, we cover them with perforated metal corners. You just need to look for the ones that are thicker. We cut the edges of the corners at 45° so that they do not ride up or stick out.
Photos of rabbit cages for installation in a rabbitry and outdoors
Cages in a rabbitry are rarely placed in three tiers - the lower ones are difficult to maintain
Wire walls, pipe frame. Only the back wall is blank - so that there are no drafts
Many livestock farms and private entrepreneurs are increasingly paying attention to rabbit breeding. Breeding these furry animals is quite a profitable business. So to speak, practically waste-free, since rabbit droppings are highly valued in agriculture as fertilizer.
Types of cages for rabbits
The single-section version of the cage is a spacious enclosure with doors, equipped with drinkers and feeders. The room is designed for one individual or, if the section is large, for walking young animals. A single-section rabbit cage is convenient for breeding animals in small quantities for your needs.
Did you know? Rabbits are considered silent animals, but these animals often use various sounds to explain their condition. A contented, peaceful rabbit makes purring sounds, pleasure can be indicated by short clicks, aggression can be signaled by growling or grunting, fear can be indicated by chattering teeth, and if the furry one screams, it means he is in pain.
The cages, consisting of two sections, are separated by a V-shaped mesh feeder. In such a rabbit house you can keep a couple of animals by opening the flap between the sections when mating is planned.
The cages, consisting of three sections, allow you to keep three individuals (a male and two females); between the sections there are opening flaps. If necessary, one of the females can be allowed in to the male living in the central section. After communication& - divide again.
Cage type state farm "Klenovo - Chegodaevo"
The design of these cages is 240 cm long and 65 cm wide. The material for making the floor in such cages is wood, in a solid sheet or in a slatted manner. Feeders and drinkers are located inside the cages on the floor. There are insert boxes that are used as queen cells with removable feeders and bowls for babies.
Important! Little rabbits are gradually accustomed to adult food. The kids are grated carrots, steamed grain and given fine soft hay.
The convenient design of a two-tier mini-farm was developed and implemented by I. N. Mikhailov. There are two floors of cages on the frame-stand. The roof is made of translucent materials.
The installation of feeders and drinking bowls makes it possible to provide animals with food and water for a week. This arrangement of two-tier cages for rabbits is convenient for those who cannot devote time to animals every day. 
Cells designed by Zolotukhin
Zolotukhin’s design is a three-tier enclosure, two sections per tier. The upper tiers are shifted to the width of the grid of the lower floor obliquely, a kind of protrusion of the floor made of plywood or a flat sheet of slate.
A stationary queen cell is not provided: For a female with offspring, a portable hole is inserted for the winter. In the summer, the female with the rabbits is located in the hay, but is separated from the rest of the animals by a partition.
The feeder in the form of a tray is inserted into the door frame, which allows you to pour food without opening the door.
Does it make sense to purchase an industrial cage?
For large-scale rabbit breeding, factory-produced rabbit cages will save time on self-production cells. Such cages have many advantages: a clear design, equipped with convenient drinkers and feeders, trays for feces, nests for individual individuals.
The factory nets provide convenient queen cells for females with offspring. Drawings of rabbit cages are constantly being improved, designs are supplemented with innovative ideas, more convenient and rational designs are being invented for both the cages themselves and various devices for animal life.
The lack of factory cages in the frequent defects in the production of any parts of the house, the discrepancy between the size of the cage and its future location.
On the other hand, when making a cage for domestic rabbits yourself, the size of the cages is proportional to the space of their further location. Depending on the number of animals, the type of cage and the placement of partitions, drinking bowls, and feeders are selected.
It is possible to choose a material that is more convenient for you when making both the entire cage and the tray, feeders and other things.
Making your own cage
Before making housing for animals, you need to decide on the size of the premises: for adult males, females and cubs, for each individual rabbit the footage necessary for normal development and maximum comfort is determined.
Professionals advise calculating the area of a flock for rabbits so that there is at least 0.12 square meters per adult. It is advisable to immediately provide for all the nuances: partitions, location of drinkers and feeders, location of pallets.
Three-tier cages for rabbits will be optimal for a large number of animals; the project drawings will easily fit both a nursery for young animals and separate sections for males and females.
The advantage of such sheds is significant space savings and the ability to install the structure on the street or in a utility room.
Interesting!Newborn rabbits are naked and blind, and already on the twentieth day of life they can feed on their own.
Choosing a location for cells
It doesn’t matter what design you have in mind: small cages for rabbits or three-tier sheds, the main thing is correct choice of location.
The best place for an aviary would be a slightly shaded area, for example, in a garden among trees. In this case, the animals will be protected from drafts and overheating.
Professional rabbit breeders advise keeping furry pets in outdoor conditions: the animals develop immunity to diseases, the quality of the coat improves, as well as the reproductive function and endurance of the offspring.
A good option is near the wall of a large utility room with a protruding visor that will create additional protection from precipitation and direct rays of the sun. When kept outdoors, take care to insulate the cages in winter.
Two-story cages for rabbits can also be located indoors. In this case, carefully consider the removal of waste products: animals should not suffocate from the smell of their own feces.
Size and drawing
The dimensions of the proposed premises depend on the breed of animals and their number (take into account the offspring). The average premises have the following dimensions:
- length– 120-150 cm;
- width– 60-80 cm;
- wall height– 35-50 cm.
When developing a drawing, take into account houses for females with offspring and rooms for young animals, consider the location of feeders and drinkers, convenience for you when cleaning cages, partitions that open for mating.
Think about how to insulate an outdoor space for animals. You might like the idea of adding a mesh aviary to the main house.
Required tools and materials
For the construction of cells it is better to use for the main parts of the room natural materials: wooden blocks, boards and slats, plywood sheets.
For the roof of the houses, it is advisable to use a slate base rather than metal. Metal sheets They heat up quickly, as well as freeze in winter.
For individual parts you will need: galvanized mesh, door hinges, hooks and latches for doors. Tools and small parts:
- metal scissors;
- screws and screwdriver;
- nails and hammer;
- pliers;
- grinder, saw;
- tape measure, pencil and level.
Attention! The design of outdoor cages must be reliable against the penetration of predators: foxes, dogs or rats.
Building a cell: step-by-step instructions
Once you have decided on the dimensions, selected the necessary materials and prepared the tools, you can begin construction. To make your work easier, consider what is offered to you