How to build comfortable cages for rabbits. Cages for rabbits: drawings with dimensions and descriptions Correct rabbitry

Farming and animal husbandry has always been a profitable occupation, especially if you do it throughout the year. Rabbits of various breeds are especially popular among animal breeders - they are easy to keep, they are unpretentious, they eat simple and affordable feed. The only difficulty is that their maintenance requires cages, which, in order to save money, will have to be made by hand.

Is it necessary to keep rabbits in cages?

Rabbits intended for home and industrial breeding are undemanding to the area on which they will be kept. This is largely due to their behavioral characteristics - in the wild, animals use small burrows as a place to rest and sleep.

Daylight hours, temperature and humidity play a much greater role. These indicators directly affect both the behavior and health of the animal, as well as the dynamics of its growth and weight gain. A temperature of 12–18 o C and an air humidity of 60–75% are optimal for keeping most breeds.

In a household, it is customary to keep rabbits in two ways:

in isolation - in cages or sheds;
freely - in open-air cages or walking.

The cellular method allows you to clearly control the amount of food intake of the animal, thereby reducing feed consumption and preventing overeating of the animal. In addition, the content in the cages helps to control the mating of rabbits. Breeding of animals occurs clearly and according to the plan that the breeder foresaw.

In addition to this, the cellular method helps to avoid infection of the entire population of rabbits due to the ingress of any infection to one or more individuals in the herd. The content in the aviary is most often used on European farms. This method is as close as possible to natural conditions, when the animal itself equips its own home. Unlike the cage method, the aviary method is more complicated and requires not only a large area of the site, but also constant monitoring of the livestock.

It is ideal if the breeder combines these two methods, but only professionals who have been doing this for decades can achieve such conditions in modern realities. For novice breeders, we recommend using the cellular method of keeping, as the most simple and effective.

Depending on the climatic conditions in the region where it is planned to engage in animal husbandry, cages for keeping rabbits can be located directly on the street or in utility rooms. Therefore, taking into account the location of the cells, they can be classified into three types:

Some owners have two types of cages at their disposal. Some are always located in the utility room and have a convenient mesh bottom system that allows you to quickly and conveniently clean them. The second ones are erected along the fence or wall of the building and are a winter version with a canopy.

This option has a lot of advantages, but not all breeders are available, since keeping a large number of animals requires a considerable area of \u200b\u200bthe site. Therefore, for most people living in central Russia and trying their hand at animal husbandry, it is recommended to keep rabbits exclusively on the street.

Year-round keeping of rabbits on the street allows animals to develop immunity to various infections and diseases. And also fresh air favorably affects the formation of a healthy and lush hairline.

Cell types

Conventionally, cages for rabbits can be divided into two large groups. The first includes cages that differ from each other in the type of construction, which determines their size and ease of use for the animal breeder. The second is the cells used for a specific purpose to solve certain problems.

By design

Depending on the design, cages for rabbits are divided into the following types:

Often you can find combined cage options, when an aviary for walking is attached to the classic single-tier version. Usually, for two cages or sheds, an area no larger than 200x100x60 cm is enough.

For multi-tiered structures, it is possible to arrange an exit point directly to the harvest or the ground through special manholes. But this option is used extremely rarely, since factory cages are not equipped with such a system, and not every rabbit breeder can make it on his own.

By appointment

By purpose, cages for rabbits are classified into the following types:

Video: a review of a two-tier street cage for rabbits

Necessary materials

To make cages for okrol, young and adult rabbits, you will need the following material:

edged board - 30x100x3000 or 30x150x300 mm in size. Necessary for sheathing the side and rear walls of the cage. Can be used for sheathing a portable mother liquor;
wooden bars - 40x40x3000 or 50x50x3000 mm in size. It will be needed for the manufacture of the frame, legs and other elements of the cell. If desired, you can use rectangular bars;
To assemble the cage frame, an edged bar with a section of 40 × 40 or 50 × 50 is used.
moisture resistant plywood - 9 or 12 mm thick. It will be required in the manufacture of the floor in the cage, wall cladding and other solid elements. It is better to use sheets of 150 × 3000 mm;
steel pipes - with a section of 20 mm. They are rarely used, but with the ability to work with a welding machine, they allow you to assemble a strong and durable frame. It is not recommended to use for floor assembly and the manufacture of other elements that will come into contact with the body of animals;
steel mesh - galvanized fine mesh with a mesh size of 15 × 15 or 20 × 20 mm. It is necessary for the manufacture of doors, covering some walls and constricting a place for dumping waste;
For sheathing walls and doors in a cage, it is better to use a galvanized mesh with a cell of 20 × 20 mm
galvanized sheet - with a zinc coating with a thickness of 120 microns. It will be required in the manufacture of roofing, floor cladding and other elements in some types of cages. It is better not to use for roofing in street cells;
corrugated slate is a traditional roofing material. For facing the roof of street cages, it is better to use old slate, which will significantly reduce the total cost of the structure.

To assemble the cage frame, galvanized self-tapping screws 70 mm long are used. Fastening boards and plywood takes place on self-tapping screws 30–50 mm long. If desired, galvanized nails of the appropriate length can be used. Fastening doors, feeders and other rotary elements is carried out on ordinary furniture or door hinges.

Cell dimensions and drawing up a drawing

Before proceeding with the manufacture of a cage for rabbits, you need to decide on its parameters, which are selected taking into account the age, size and breed of the animal. We talked about large rabbit cages above. After the parameters are determined, it will be necessary to draw up a draft of the future cell in the form of a drawing.

The table below can be used to determine the average cage size for normal rabbits. It indicates the range of length, width and height for cages, taking into account the age of the animal.

Table: cage parameters for rabbits depending on their age

In order to create a drawing of a future structure, you can use both regular office paper and graph paper. On paper, you should schematically depict the frame and the main elements of the cell while maintaining proportions. Opposite each element, you need to indicate its size in any convenient bit depth.

Schematic representation of a single-tier cage for rabbits from bars and boards

As an example, consider a few drawings that can be found on the Internet. The first drawing shows a single-tier wooden cage. The frame of this cage can be assembled from a cut bar 50 × 50 mm. For sheathing the frame, a 30 × 100 mm edged board is used.

The design of a single-tier cage consists of two compartments separated by a partition in the form of a V-shaped feeder made of mesh. On the sides of the cage are solid doors on hinges. If desired, the doors can also be made of mesh.

Drawing of the most popular cage design with a V-shaped feeder

The second drawing shows a two-tier cage with a frame made of edged timber. The front wall of the cage is made in the form of a door made of a bar and a mesh, and grain feeders are located on the sides of the structure. Compartments for keeping rabbits are also separated by a feeder. A photograph of a cage made according to this scheme can be seen in the "Construction of a two-tier cage" section.

Building cages for rabbits with your own hands

All the options for rabbit cages described below can be made by hand without much experience with a construction tool. In addition to materials for making cells, it is necessary to prepare a hacksaw for wood or a jigsaw, a screwdriver, a hammer, a planer, metal scissors, pliers, a construction tape measure and a pencil.

How to build a three-tiered cage according to the Zolotukhin principle

Three-tier cage according to N.I. Zolotukhina can have a different size, which is selected based on the size of the competitive breed of rabbits and the free space where the structure is planned to be located.

Up to 6 adults can live in one cage according to Zolotukhin technology

In our example, we will describe the technology for assembling a three-tier cage 190 cm high, 140 cm wide and 60 cm deep. This multi-section design will be enough to contain six adult rabbits.

Cell construction technology according to the Zolotukhin principle consists of the following:

From a cut bar 40 × 40 or 50 × 50 mm, it is necessary to make 12 long and short blanks. The length of short blanks - 540 mm, long - 1340 mm. From plywood, you will need to prepare 3 canvases 1340 × 480 mm.
From the prepared blanks, 6 frame frames are assembled. For assembly, a screwdriver and galvanized self-tapping screws 50–70 mm long are used. When assembling, smaller bars are placed between longer pieces. Fasteners are twisted into the end of short blanks. The number of fasteners - 2 pieces for each workpiece.
For the installation of frame frames, you will need to make 4 blanks from a 30 × 100 mm board. The length of the blanks is 2250 mm. The resulting boards are laid on the floor, after which a frame is placed on them with the end side and fixed with 2 self-tapping screws on each side. By a similar principle, boards are attached from the opposite side. The step between the tiers depends on the height of the cells, but not less than 40 cm. When fastening, it should be borne in mind that there should be a gap of 10-15 cm between the tiers for the installation of pallets.
Drawing of a three-tier cage with a mother liquor and a V-shaped feeder
Next, the assembled frame is placed in a vertical position. A plywood sheet prepared earlier is laid on the support frame of each tier. At the front corners, small spacers 1.5–2 cm high are placed under the plywood. The plywood is attached directly to the frame using self-tapping screws 30 mm long. Mounting step - 25–30 cm.
Spacers will provide a slope of the floor to the rear wall. For their manufacture, you can use an edged board or the remains of the bars. To do this, it is necessary to saw off a workpiece 10–15 cm long and cut it diagonally. If possible, you can use a hacksaw for wood or a planer.
A steel mesh must be fixed to the gap between the plywood and the frame along the back wall. An appropriately sized piece of mesh is prepared using metal shears. Next, the mesh is attached on the back side. For this, metal staples and small screws are used.
To strengthen the cage frame, you can use a steel profile and corners
To make a partition, which will also play the role of a feeder, you will need to prepare 6 blanks from a 50 × 50 mm bar. This can be done using a tape measure, marking the center along the horizontal frame guide. Then from the center it is necessary to measure the distance to the upper points at an angle of about 25 or about 30.
One of the ends of the blanks must be sawn off at an appropriate angle. After that, the resulting bars are attached to the frame using self-tapping screws 70 mm long. Between the installed V-shaped frame, a mesh with a cell of 25 × 25 mm is stretched. To fit the mesh, metal scissors or pliers are used.
The back and side walls of the cage are sheathed with a board of 30 × 100 mm. If desired, they can be sheathed with plywood, but it will cost a little more. If the cage is going to be used outdoors, then the sheathing is carried out from the inside. This will make it possible to insulate the structure.
The bottom for cages is made of slats or mesh
After sheathing, proceed to the manufacture of doors. In order for the doors to have the correct rectangular shape, it will be necessary to prepare 6 blanks from the bars, which are fixed in a vertical position, stepping back from the feeder 20–30 cm. After that, the space between the feeder and the blank is covered with a mesh.
For the manufacture of doors, a bar 40 × 40 mm is used. To do this, it is necessary to measure the distance from the screwed workpiece to the side wall, as well as the height between the floor and the ceiling. Then prepare 4 bars for each door. The bars are fastened together with self-tapping screws 50 mm long. The door, as well as part of the front wall, is covered with mesh.
Before fixing the door to the frame, you must choose the direction in which it will open. After that, depending on the direction, two hinges should be attached to the side or bottom of the door. Finally, the door is attached to the side post or bottom rail of the tier. As a lock, you can use a mini-espagnolette made of metal.
Schematic arrangement of a cell with a mother liquor and a floor according to Zolotukhin's technology
To install pallets under each tier, you will need to prepare supports from the bars. To do this, 4 square blanks measuring 50 × 50 mm are sawn off from the bar. The blanks are attached to the side racks of the frame so that 5-7 cm remain between the tier and the pallet. For the manufacture of the pallet, a steel sheet is used, which is bent along the perimeter by 1.5–2 cm.
At the final stage, roof sheathing is carried out. To do this, the roof is hemmed with a wooden board 30 × 100 mm. A crate is mounted on top of the board in increments of 10–15 cm. Slate is laid on the crates. If necessary, the roof is insulated with expanded polystyrene.

It should be noted that the design of the Zolotukhin cell may have a slightly different form. Sometimes, the feeder is built directly into the door. To do this, the frame of the feeder is made of galvanized metal, which is then mounted so that its lower part goes into the cage.

The design of street cages also has a slightly different look. The cage is almost completely sheathed with board or plywood. The size of the door is minimal. In addition, it is rational to provide a mother liquor or other space protected from the cold inside the cell.

In addition to feeders for hay and grain, it is necessary to provide drinking bowls. These can be both ready-made products with a separate tank and a water supply system, and handicraft inventions according to their own scheme.

Drinking bowls for rabbits can be made from any plastic container with a cork

As finished products, drinking bowls with a nipple are most often used, when several tubes leave the water tank at once. In places of supply to the cage, the tubes are branched with a tee. The end of a tube with a nipple is brought into the cage, when pressed, the rabbit can freely drink water.

For self-production, we recommend using a regular plastic bottle with a nipple screwed into the cap. If the bottle is small, then it is better to fix it inside the cage. If desired, a hose can also be connected to the bottle, into which the end with the nipple will be inserted. In this case, the bottle can be taken out.

Video: building a three-tier lumber cage for rabbits

Create a two-tier cage

Bunk cages are most commonly used for keeping rabbits in utility rooms or as summer options. They are easy to manufacture and repair due to their lightweight design, much like what we described above.

The sequence of actions in the construction of a two-tier cage is as follows:

As an example, let's take the drawing of the cage, which we gave as an example in the section "Cage Size and Drawing". Recall that this is a design with a total height of 2000 mm. The length of the tier is 1400 mm with a standard cage depth of 600 mm.
To assemble the frame frames, it is necessary to prepare 8 long and short blanks. The length of short bars - 600 mm, long - 1400 mm. You can immediately prepare the material for the racks. To do this, it is necessary to saw off 4 blanks from a board 30 × 100 mm, each 200 cm long.
Grain feeders can be attached directly to the side doors of the cage
Then the resulting bars are fastened into frames using self-tapping screws 70 mm long. The resulting frames are mounted on racks of boards. The lower frame is fixed at a distance of 500 mm from the ground level. The distance between the tiers is 15–30 cm. At a distance of 20 cm from the side racks of the frame, vertical guides from 50 × 50 mm bars are fixed.
For the manufacture of feeders, it is necessary to prepare a blank for the bottom of plywood measuring 200 × 600 mm. For each tier, 2 blanks are needed. Next, plywood is attached to the bottom of the cage close to the side posts. After that, the side walls are sheathed.
Plywood is also used to sew the inner wall of the feeder, but the size of the canvas should be 10-15 mm smaller. The gap between the wall and the bottom is necessary for the free sedimentation of grain as it is consumed.
The V-shaped feeder is easy to manufacture and does not take up free space inside the cage
Two approaches can be used to make the bottom. In the first case, the bottom is made of slats 30 × 50 mm, which are fixed in increments of 3–5 mm. In the second, the bottom is made of plywood and mesh, as described in the technology above.
In the center of each tier, V-racks of the hay feeder are mounted. For this, 8 blanks are prepared, which are then fixed on self-tapping screws at a convenient angle. The walls of the feeder are covered with a mesh with a mesh size of 20 × 20 mm.
Doors are made from 40 × 40 mm bars. To do this, you will need to measure the distance between the grain feeders. In our case, it is 100 cm. Next, 4 blanks 100 cm long and 4 blanks 60 cm long are taken. Then two short blanks are placed between the long ones. The resulting frame is fastened with self-tapping screws 70 mm long.
An example of fastening a feeder with grain to a cage door
To hang the door, you will need to fix two hinges on the bottom edge. After that, the door is carefully placed in the opening, and the hinges are screwed to the horizontal guide. A steel bolt or deadbolt is used as a lock.
For the manufacture of pallets, galvanized sheet is used. For this, a canvas measuring 144 × 64 mm is prepared. The edges of the sheet are bent to a height of 1.5–2 cm along the perimeter of the canvas. Pallets are placed under each tier. Previously, supports made of bars measuring 50 × 50 mm are attached to the frame racks.

At the end, the rough surface of the roof is mounted. To do this, the edged board is fixed in increments of 5–7 cm. A galvanized sheet or old slate is laid on top of the board.

How to build a portable cage

Typically, a portable cage is a single-tier structure made of wood. In some cases, the cage can be used as a daily option only, when the structure does not have a bottom. For example, we will give the technology for manufacturing a single-tier portable cage with a mother liquor. It can be used both as a stationary option for okrol, and as a mobile cage that can be taken out into the street as soon as it gets warmer there.

The process of building a mobile cell with a mother liquor consists of the following steps:

To make a cage, you will need to prepare 2 blanks 110 cm long and 2 blanks 130 cm long. Smaller sizes can also be used. The main thing is that the distance from the ground to the bottom of the cage is at least 50 cm.
The resulting blanks are fastened together using a horizontal guide, the length of which is 60–70 cm. The guide is attached at a distance of 50–60 cm from ground level.
The frame for the cage can be assembled both from a 3 mm thick edged board and from 50 × 50 mm bars
To assemble the side racks into a single frame, you will need to saw off 2 boards 140–160 cm long. Again, either option is possible. The main thing is that each section should be at least 60 cm long.
One of the prepared boards is laid on a horizontal jumper between the uprights and fixed with self-tapping screws 50 mm long. The second board is attached to the back of the frame so that its top edge is the same height as the first board.
The back wall of the assembled frame is hemmed with plywood or edged board. For the manufacture of the bottom in the uterine sections, it is necessary to prepare blanks from plywood measuring 30 × 60 cm. The sheets are laid close to the vertical side posts and fastened to self-tapping screws 30 mm long.
If it is planned to insulate the cage, then it is better to cover it from the inside
Next, the side walls of the frame are hemmed. To strengthen the structure, vertical guides are prepared with a length equal to the height of the cage along the front wall. The guides are attached immediately behind the floor of the mother liquor.
For filing the inner wall of the mother liquor, a plywood sheet is used, in which the hole is propylene with the help of an electric jigsaw. The canvas is attached from the mother liquor to self-tapping screws.
A bar 30 × 30 mm 50 cm long is attached to the hemmed side wall of the frame. A plywood sheet 30 × 60 cm in size is laid on it. Self-tapping screws 30 mm long are used to fasten the plywood.
In the middle of the cage, a spacer from a board 30 × 100 mm is mounted. In the upper part of the cage, two spacers are also mounted at a distance of 10 cm from the center. Between the spacers, blanks from a cut bar 30 × 30 mm are fixed. Then the space between the bars is covered with mesh.
The rest of the floor in the cage is also covered with a galvanized mesh with a cell of 20 × 20 mm. A board 140 cm long is mounted in the upper part of the frame between the two upper posts. The open front part of the hay feeder is hemmed with a board 30 × 100 mm.
For the manufacture of doors to the mother liquor, a plywood sheet is used, in the upper part of which a small window is sawn through. For the manufacture of doors to the main part of the cage, bars of the appropriate section are used, which are fastened into a frame.
Ready-made version of a portable single-tier cage with two queen cells
The door to the mother liquor and the cage is covered with mesh from the inside. After that, two galvanized loops are attached to them. At the end, the doors are fixed on the vertical racks of the frame.
The roof is hemmed with moisture-resistant plywood. The plywood sheet should protrude 10–15 cm beyond the frame. Self-tapping screws 50 mm long are used for fastening.

If necessary, the queen cell in the cage can be made removable. To do this, you will need to make a mother liquor frame from 30 × 30 mm bars of any convenient size. Then the frame is sheathed with plywood. The resulting box can be placed directly in the cage shortly before the birth.

Cage for young animals

Cages for rabbits can be both common and single. The first option is most often used, since it is easier to manufacture. When designing, it should be taken into account that the size of the total cell directly depends on the intended offspring.

For the manufacture of cells, you can use any technology that has been described above. For example, the most successful option for a small farm would be a single-tier structure with two sections.

For its manufacture, it will be necessary to assemble frame frames from a cut bar, which are then fixed on vertical racks from the board. Unlike the frames that are used when assembling cages for adult rabbits, their size is somewhat larger. As a rule, the size of one section is at least 120x60 cm. Ideally, if the size of the section is 150x100 cm.

When designing cages for young animals, it should be borne in mind that one individual should have at least 0.15 square meters of area

The further assembly process is similar to the options described earlier: a feeder is installed in the middle of the structure, the floor is hemmed or fitted, the side and back walls are sheathed. After that, the doors are assembled and hung. In conclusion, a roof made of board or plywood is mounted.

Features of the winter maintenance of rabbits

Rabbits, unlike poultry, tolerate sub-zero temperatures quite easily, however, they need to provide comfortable conditions in order to prevent frostbite and the occurrence of colds. With proper insulation, the cage can not be transferred to the utility room even at a temperature of -20 ° C.

When warming, heat-insulating material is laid between the walls of the cell

with constant exposure to low temperatures in rabbits, fertility decreases, and reproductive functions also deteriorate. To reduce the effect of cold, it will be necessary to carry out a full-fledged warming of the cells. For this, modern heat insulators with a thickness of 3 cm or more are used, which fit into the space between the walls of the cage;
if there is no extra money, then natural materials that can be prepared in the summer are suitable as a heater. These include: moss, foliage of trees and shrubs, needles, thin branches. Sufficiently collected material should be thoroughly dried in the shade. A dry heat insulator, according to a similar principle, is laid between the walls of the cell;
in each separate section of the cage, a compartment fenced off from the main part should be provided. It is made according to the principle of a box, when the frame is sheathed with a board or plywood. To enter the compartment, a cut is used in one of the walls;
to avoid a decrease in reproductive functions, a lamp with artificial lighting should be provided in each cage. This will allow to achieve an increase in daylight hours, which will favorably affect the fertility and activity of the animal. If necessary, a heating cable is laid in the cage, which is connected to the rear wall or queen cell;
The nutrition of rabbits in the winter should be high-calorie with a high content of concentrated and roughage. The main sources of vitamins and minerals are carrots and beets. It is allowed to feed rabbits with boiled potatoes.

The process of making cells is simple and will not cause any particular difficulties even for people who have little use of a hacksaw or a screwdriver. The general principle of assembly is easy to understand by studying just a couple of instructions. The main thing is to correctly calculate the size and draw up a cage drawing - this will help to avoid most of the mistakes that beginners have.

Living in your own house outside the city limits attracts many: fresh air, the absence of the usual fuss and, of course, physical labor, which brings certain results. It does not matter what exactly you will grow on your site. You can limit yourself to just flowers. When you hold in your hands a banal cucumber that you yourself have grown, you experience an unusual feeling of pride and joy from unity with nature. And you know for sure that you have created a pure product. Gradually, an idea arises, and not whether to have chickens or rabbits. For rabbits, for example, you can build a rabbitry with your own hands. But first, think about whether you are ready to keep these animals?

Meat. Rabbit meat is a dietary product useful for people of all ages. It contains a set of amino acids that promote protein synthesis in the human body. In addition, it is a low-calorie and natural food.
Liver. Let one animal contain only 100 grams of liver, but this is a real delicacy.
Skins. Dressing skins requires not only additional time and knowledge, but also special preparations. It is not a fact that you will want to spend your time on their search and application.
Bones and other waste. These products can be boiled and, in the form of stew, given to the dog.
Manure. In terms of its qualities, this manure is superior to pig and cow manure, but inferior to horse manure. In spring and autumn, it can be added to the soil, and it will respond to you with a glorious harvest.
Communication. Even a simple contemplation of these cute fluffies gives a lot of positive emotions.

But in the last point of advantages there is already a catch. It is also worth talking about the disadvantages of rabbit breeding:

Slaughter. Yes, rabbits will have to be killed. Even if this is a medium-sized farm, hiring someone to do this work does not make sense.
Mortality. These animals often get sick and rarely get cured. Especially in the summer, when the epidemic wave sets in.
Accommodation. In this article, you will read how to make a rabbitry yourself, so this problem can be ignored.
Food. What horrible these picky animals will not eat. They eat up to 30 times a day, but more often they simply spoil food and drink, mixing with waste. Conclusion: there should be a lot of quality food.
Reproduction. Despite the theoretical fecundity of these animals, in practice there may be many offspring, or may not be at all.
Breed. To maintain the level of livestock, a change of the male producer is required every six months.

Here are the main disadvantages of rabbit breeding. If you add to them time-consuming cleaning, rodent control and the daily presence of owners in the care of pets, it becomes clear that rabbit breeding is not an easy task. If such prospects do not scare, let's talk about the placement of animals.

Rabbit meat is useful for the elderly, for children, and even for the sick: it is a real dietary low-calorie product

Killing a rabbit is not so easy: you get used to these animals, but there is a way out of the situation. You can breed decorative rabbits for sale

Planning for the future

How to build a good rabbitry without knowing how many individuals will live in it? If you just want to get animals “for testing”, one rabbit with offspring is enough. They will easily manage 1-3 cells on the site. In order for the supply of meat to be regular and uninterrupted, 20-30 individuals of different ages of various categories are needed.

To get started, you can get a few rabbits and take care of them during the warm season to determine how this activity fits your plans.

Optimal rabbitry sizes

If you need to accommodate two adults, it is enough to build a two-section room. Design options:

length from 140 cm;
width within 60-70 cm;
height from 50 to 70 cm.

Bunker drinkers and feeders are placed along the edges of the structure. This makes it harder for animals to get into them with their paws. An inclined net is placed between the sections, in which hay can be placed. This internal structure is called a sennik. To save space on the site, the rabbitry can be arranged in two tiers. In addition to being compact, this design allows you to add feed to animals faster and speeds up the cleaning process.

A small cage of two sections is perfect for keeping a couple of rabbits: this building has everything they need for them

A room for young animals is being built, focusing on the following parameters:

length approximately 200 - 300 cm;
width up to 100 cm;
height in the range from 35 to 60 cm.

For young individuals, whose age does not exceed 2 months, it is necessary to calculate the actual volume of cells, based on the total number of animals. One such rabbit needs a minimum area of 0.12 m2.

The female and her offspring

To accommodate a female with offspring, you need at least 0.6 m2 of area. For newborn rabbits, a special nest box is placed in the cage, which should have the following parameters:

length 35 cm;
height 30 cm;
width 25 cm.

In such a box, the mother and her rabbits will feel calm.

The simplest nest box looks like this, it's easy to build. You can put hay or sawdust inside to make the kids feel cozy.

What building material should be used?

To build a rabbitry, you need a relatively inexpensive, but durable material. Keep in mind that for all their cuteness, your future pets are rodents. And this means that they will absolutely definitely try on the tooth any structure.

Rabbits are rodents, so the inner bars made of wood must be protected from their encroachments. It is easy to make protection from tin

If you want those parts of the frame that are made of wood to last more than one season, cover them with metal. In order not to buy it specifically, for these purposes, you can adapt tin from beer cans or galvanized steel for roofing. This additional work will not take much time, but the useful life of the cells will increase by ten years, or even more.

The most inexpensive and simple material for the frame is wood bars, the cross section of which is 50x50 mm. Wood should not be impregnated with an antiseptic. This impregnation is toxic enough to poison young animals. Dry the frame well. This increases its durability.

A rabbit hutch with a frame made of well-dried wood can be considered the most economical design: it will last you more than one season.

For the roof of each tier of the structure, it is necessary to take moisture-resistant material. Flat or wavy slate is perfect for this purpose. If the building will be located on the street, do not take metal for its roof. This material has the unpleasant property of getting very hot in the sun. As a result, the cage will actually turn into an oven.

Now you need to choose the material for the sheathing of the frame. For this purpose, a galvanized chain-link mesh is best suited, the cell size of which is 20x20 mm. By the way, the chain-link itself got its name from the word "rabbit" pronounced in English.

For the side of the structure, its doors and facade, a steel mesh is used. The compartment for laying hay - a sennik, located between the sections, must be made from a grid, the cells of which are 50x50 mm in size. This makes it easier for the animals to get to the food they need.

For the bottom, a flat galvanized mesh with cells of 25x25 mm or 10x25 mm is used. Its laying is carried out on load-bearing wooden rails. This solution allows you to clean up much faster. Through sufficiently large cells, the feces of rabbits simply fall through. It does not stick to wood or galvanized surfaces, which would have to be scraped off every time. The accumulation of manure occurs either in a special receiving hopper, or on the ground, if it rolls down the sloping surface of the roof of the lower tier of the structure.

As a rule, continuous rabbitry flooring is not used. The reason is that wood immediately absorbs caustic urine, and feces simply stick to it. As a result, the microclimate in the cage worsens, and the boards begin to rot quickly. Therefore, it is better to make the bottom trellised. For this, planed bars for the floor are used. The gap between adjacent bars does not exceed 1 cm.

In this photo, the slatted floor is clearly visible, each slat is reliably protected from the teeth of a rodent by small strips of metal

Rabbits do not tolerate drafts and can get sick. To prevent this from happening, the back wall of the structure is made deaf. To create it, you can use polycarbonate, boards, plain plywood or OSB board.

If the structure is located on the street, its supporting frame is made of metal. So, the supporting structure is welded from a corner with parameters 45x45 mm. After that, it is simply filled with finished sections assembled from a stamped mesh. It is necessary to fix the grid on frames welded from a steel bar. Another option is a wooden frame. How to make it, read below.

You need to know that corns may appear on the paws of animals, they bring suffering to the animal. To prevent this from happening, you can install a small plywood sheet on the floor to protect the paws. But such plywood must be periodically removed, cleaned and dried thoroughly.

An element such as plywood is needed only in those cells whose floor is completely made of a flat chain-link. It is necessary so that rabbits do not have corns.

The net cannot protect animals from rain or snow. It is better to place such a cage under a slate canopy or in a barn.

A little about the Zolotukhin method

Nikolai Ivanovich Zolotukhin has been breeding fur-bearing animals for many years, he studied their habits well and, summarizing his experience, created his own method for effectively equipping rabbitries.

The combined floor looks exactly like this: a slightly sloping large solid front and a 15-20 cm wide mesh at the back wall of the rabbitry

Zolotukhin offers:

Make the floor combined: its front part will be in the form of an inclined flooring made of flat slate, and the back part must be made of steel mesh;
The feeders into which the grain is poured are made not just bunkers, but of a rotary design: in this case, it will be easy not only to fill them, but also to clean them out.

Such a non-standard floor surface was chosen by Zolotukhin not by chance, but on the basis of reliable statistics and his own observations. Approximately 95% of rabbits urinate at the back of the cage. Just where the grid is located. 70% of stool gets there. The rest of the feces are scattered all over the floor, but it is dry, so it is much easier to sweep it out.

A simple rotary feeder from Zolotukhin differs from the usual bunker in that it can be deployed by slightly pulling it towards you

Nikolai Ivanovich uses a bedding that would absorb moisture only to teach the young to urinate at the back wall of the room. It is always dry in his buildings, and he has to spend less time cleaning than others. For details on the Zolotukhin method, see the video.

Let's start building a rabbitry

In order to accurately calculate the consumption of materials required for the installation of a rabbitry, you need to either use a ready-made drawing or make your own sketch based on the dimensions suggested above. After purchasing the material, you can get to work.

This is a drawing of a two-tiered two-section cage in which four adult rabbits can be kept. It is equipped with an intersection hay, drinkers and bunker feeders.

If the frame is wooden, we cut the slats to size and connect them with self-tapping screws. Make sure there are no distortions. To do this, we check horizontal surfaces with a level, and vertical surfaces with a square. First, assemble the front and rear frames. Now, using short jumpers of the ceiling and floor, we connect them into a single structure.

If you look at the rabbitry from the side, you can clearly see how exactly its roof should be made so that it is sloping

The frame is ready. Now we install the bars of the sennik and doors. We lay the rack floor, not forgetting that the gap between its elements should not exceed 10 mm. After completing this work, we cut the mesh and plywood to attach them to the frame with self-tapping screws.

Now we lay the roof. For the first level of the roof, you can use a moisture-resistant sheet QSB. We cut it so that the edge of the sheet protrudes 10-15 cm beyond the dimensions of the cage. For the construction of the second tier, we take wavy slate. It is attached to the inclined bars of the frame itself.

It remains only to install OSB doors, drinkers and bunker feeders. Work completed. Watch the video, it will help you in your work:

All-weather version with insulated compartments

Another rabbitry, this time all-weather, is presented by a master who made it with his own hands. Below we provide a drawing of the structure and a video made by the author himself.

Another version of the rabbitry, this time it is equipped with warm compartments, which helps fluffy animals to successfully survive the cold and bad weather.

Video clip with instructions:

Animal business is perhaps the most profitable business practiced by many residents of rural settlements. Most often involved, for example, rabbits. In order for this occupation to bring a certain income, special attention should be paid to the place where the pets will live. Therefore, we recommend that you learn how to make a cage for rabbits with your own hands. The step-by-step instruction provides for important nuances that are indispensable in the process of making enclosures for pets.

Read in the article

Do-it-yourself types of cages for rabbits: photo examples and description

In order to make rabbit cages correctly, it is important to choose the right materials for this.

In general, all enclosures differ in the type of construction. Let's get to know them better.

Cage for a domestic rabbit with a mother liquor. This is a tall building, which is divided into two parts. One serves for feeding, the other for resting animals. Separates, there is a manhole for convenience.
Nursery of Mikhailov and Zolotukhin. The features of this design are precisely the multi-tiered, as well as the absence of a mesh pallet. There is a movable feeder that makes it easier to pour.
An aviary with a fence for walking animals. It is a wooden frame structure. Usually performed on legs. There is enough space for walking. Such cells can be installed simply on. Such an active development of rabbits makes them healthy and hardy.

When arranging cells, it is important to understand that they must be strong with no holes. This will protect pets from predators entering them and.

Rules for choosing a place to install a cage for rabbits: nuances for beginners

In order for the animals to feel good, the choice of the location of the enclosures must be made with the utmost responsibility. This applies not only to open outdoor conditions, but also when placing fences indoors.

Pets are allowed to live outside, subject to certain requirements. How healthy and reproductive the family will be depends on them. For example, when arranging outdoors, it should be borne in mind that the humidity of the air should not exceed 75%. Otherwise, the animals will begin to wither and die.
It is not allowed to install cages in places of strong drafts. This negatively affects the offspring, and will also cause diseases of the ears and eyes. This requirement is important to comply with even when arranging a house for eared animals inside.
You can not create too tight enclosures. For example, temperatures above 23ºС contribute to the active reproduction of bacteria inside cells in biological waste. After that, mass infection of rabbit families begins.
The temperature of the stay of animals should be observed when installing the dwelling in the room. The lower limit should be 10ºС, no less. If this condition is not met, it is necessary to turn on, it is also allowed to insulate wooden cages for rabbits with foam plastic.
It is not recommended to leave the cells on the ground and under the open sun for a long time. Animals do not take long stays in such conditions very well. Again, this affects their health.
The content of rabbits should be combined: in warm weather outside, and when it's cold - indoors.

Don't forget about cell lighting. If they are located indoors, then several must be equipped. In the dark, animals see poorly, often malnourished.

How to make a cage for a decorative rabbit with your own hands

Many simply do not dare to create a large farm, but prefer to take care of miniature animals. To organize the home of decorative pets, you need to consider some step-by-step recommendations.

It is worth using durable material for the manufacture of the structure. It is better not to use plastic fences in cages, as pets can damage the walls and escape.
Natural sawdust is suitable as a filler and bedding. Do not put torn newspaper or pieces of carpet. They contain harmful substances that cause poisoning in animals.
The floor must be flat, otherwise the pets will fall between the twigs, since there are no pads on their paws.
As a pallet, you must use a shallow trough, it is useful for waste and toilet for rabbits.

It is ideal to use natural wood and metal when creating cages for capricious animals. It is forbidden to use varnish and paint for processing. Even the slightest waterproofing can affect the health of miniature beauties.

Drawing with the dimensions of a homemade cage for rabbits

When you have read all the rules and stocked up with the necessary equipment, you can begin to develop a drawing (project), which will become the basis for manufacturing. Let's, first of all, deal with the size of cages for rabbits, made by hand. Usually, parameters of 100 × 60 cm are sufficient. If necessary, you can make a larger frame, for example, if you plan to breed families of animals. If the space is catastrophically small, you can make two or three-tier cages for rabbits with various entertainment options: descents, manholes, and so on.

For an example, you can study the drawing below. This is the best option for keeping rabbits at home.

Instructions for making cages for decorative rabbits with a photo

Having decided on the dimensions, you can get to work. To make the whole process as clear as possible, follow each photo step.

Illustration	Action Description
	We prepare the entire list of tools. We will need metal scissors, a paint knife, a pencil, a tape measure, and. We use wood as a base.
	We assemble a wooden frame according to the accepted dimensions, connect it or with screws. In the middle we place several crossbars at the same distance.
	We fix the mesh on top of the base, cut off the excess with scissors for metal. We fix the edges with a stapler.
	We make walls from plywood, fasten a bar to their lower edge and use it to fasten it to the workpiece.
	We attach bars to the sides of the cage that will hold the back wall.
	We mount the bars along the ends of the side walls in full length, twist them with self-tapping screws from the inside. They will have a roof.
	We install the front mesh wall, after attaching the mesh to the bars. The bars should be outside, as rodents will spoil the wood over time. We will use two identical side sections. In the middle we leave a place under the door.
	We fasten hinges and a latch to the outside of the door.

If necessary, we fasten the legs to the aviary and cover it with material so that it is convenient for dwarf rabbits to move around.

On a note! If the cage will be located on the street, and precipitation is possible inside, it is necessary to make a roof from slate sheets installed at a slope.

How to make cages for a rabbit in two tiers with your own hands

Bunk cages for rabbits are usually considered a summer option. However, they are often used when animals are kept indoors. Such structures are easier to repair due to their low weight and the possibility of transportation.

We prepare drawings on our own

In order to create a two-story cage, you will need to complete the correct drawing. It is cheaper to do it yourself, based on the parameters of the place where the aviary will be located. It is advisable to install low structures so that it is convenient to feed the pets. The recommended height of cages with the second tier should be no more than 1.5 m.

At the same time, the height of the first floor of such structures should be about 70 cm together with the legs.

Instructions for making a dwelling for rabbits

Let's stock up on the necessary material, and, based on the details of the drawing, we will begin the production of a cell in two tiers.

It will take 8 long and the same number of short bars of wood. We immediately prepare the racks, determine their height according to the drawing above.
All bars form a single frame, which is connected from several parts by.
Do not forget to leave the distance between the tiers. A gap of 10-15 cm will be enough.
We assemble the upper cell in the same way. You can be guided by the construction technique from the previous section.
Leave a gap in the middle to install a V-shaped feeder. They are fixed with self-tapping screws to the end bars of each cage on one tier.
We cut the back wall to the size of the frame and fix it with screws. You can also use a similar sheet of plywood as the bottom.
Doors are more convenient to do with the method of opening upwards. This will make it easier to clean inside the cage.

At the end of the construction of two identical cells, they are joined together. To withstand the gap, racks are made, which are interconnected with long self-tapping screws and overlapping planks on the back side.

On a note! In order to facilitate the process of assembling the rabbit frame, you can use old window frames. However, instead of glasses, it is still necessary to sew in a mesh. This is done so that in the summer the animals do not die from the heat.

Mesh Rabbit Cage: An Elementary Algorithm

Structures made of steel mesh are quite convenient and practical. It is advisable to keep a large number of families in them. In order to build them correctly, you need to know the exact dimensions of the compartments, which will be enough to create new offspring and their further development.

Dimensions on drawings

The size of the cells, as well as the size of the rods, may differ depending on the type of structure. According to the standards, it is recommended to make the walls and the top using a mesh with 2 mm rods. As for the floor, it is rational to use a canvas with a wire size of 3 to 4 mm. The cell size should be 20×20 mm². This will prevent possible limb injuries in animals.

Step by step instructions in the video

The mechanism of work is rather complicated, since it is necessary to clearly understand what size of the part needs to be cut off, and where to leave some margin. In order not to get confused in the process of self-production, we recommend watching a video on how to create cages for rabbits with your own hands.

No. 24. You can place cages on racks, previously placed on the steps

Mikhailov's rabbit cages: do it yourself

A large cage for a rabbit makes it possible for animals to develop quickly and actively, in a family of which there are about 8-10 individuals. So the animals grow comfortably and get sick less.

Possible drawings and diagrams of Mikhailov cells

Drawers for collecting manure are best covered

Pay attention to what is the design feature. Check out the sizes. In appearance, the cell is significantly different from ordinary buildings. Often, in one building, four separate compartments with feeders are equipped.

A cone-shaped bottom is made at the bottom of the mini-farm. It is designed for convenient cleaning of the cage from feces. Inside the structure there is a feeder, a compartment for water and a nest for rabbits.

Stand assembly

How to make a stand for a cage for rabbits according to Mikhailov? All novice farmers have to return to this issue again and again. For beginners, it is very important to follow some tips.

The basis of the farm must be assembled from durable materials. It is desirable that it be metal or solid wood bars.
It is better to equip a sewer compartment from plywood sheets. It is done at an angle. The design must support the weight of the farm with pets well.
Additionally, the cage is reinforced with stainless material if the racks are made of metal.
In mini-farms, automatic drinking bowls and feeders should be equipped.

Such a structure is convenient for breeding young animals of different breeds. Animals are protected from cold and falls. The design provides a lot of free space.

Walking and nesting area: production features

How to make a cage for rabbits with the arrangement of a walking room is one of the important issues that should be addressed when creating Mikhailov's mini-farm. It is ideal to make this zone as a stern area, to equip a bunker container for food and a canister drinker.

Equipping two mini-farms side by side, you can make a single roof of tiles

Flooring is best done from slats. Its cross section should be 20 × 45 mm. It is better to additionally upholster them with metal strips. The floor is made at an angle of 45º. This approach will provide convenient collection of feces.

How the upper tier and roof are mounted

Homemade cages for rabbits are designed for keeping 25 individuals. The optimal area is 1.4 m². This is enough for the full development of families. The internal volume provides for the presence of several compartments, the side and front walls should be made of mesh with medium-sized sections. The back of the frame is made in a closed way. To do this, it is better to use a solid sheet of plywood. The roof surface is covered with corrugated slate, having previously laid a sheet as a ceiling. The farm is being built with a lean-to.

Rules for the design of the lower tier

The lower compartment is mounted on a rack, the tier is divided into sections, one of the long sides remains closed. The department must be present: walking room and nesting. The front side is opposite to that installed in the upper tier. Between all compartments, it is necessary to equip manholes with light dampers, which must be made hanging for ease of movement of rabbits.

What are the best cages to buy for rabbits: an overview of popular options

When breeding domestic rodents, there is not always enough time to build farms for them on your own. Therefore, we recommend paying attention to the factory options for the cells shown in the table below.

Illustration	cell name	Peculiarities	Average price as of June 2019, rub.
	Cage for rabbits (KRB-1)	welded mesh; two compartments; metal carcass; moisture resistant plywood; hopper feeder 3 kg.	12390
	Cage for fattening rabbits (KR-VP-O-4Ya)	8 nipple drinkers; 10 liter canister; 8 feeders; the presence of silicone hoses; manure collection tray.	20890
	Cage for rabbits with queen cells and fattening KRV-PO-Ya2	intended for the premises; removable mother liquor; dimensions 150×150×60 cm; has an open design.	16990
	Bunk cage for rabbits (KRB-2Ya-2.0)	galvanized metal; metal carcass; there are senniks; 4 nipple drinkers; 4 bunker feeders.	22890
	Cage for rabbits, two-section, fattening	galvanized construction; queen cells are absent; suitable for outdoor content; 2 individuals are fed.	18000

In this publication, the HouseChief editors told their readers about how to build a cage for rabbits in various ways. If you still have questions, ask them in the comment form. Be sure to rate the article and share your opinion.

Breeding rabbits requires patience and knowledge of their physiology. Without this, it will not be possible to achieve results. In winter, rabbits feel better in a heated room specially designated for them, which is called a rabbitry. For home breeding, a small one is suitable.

What should be rabbitry

In order for rabbits to feel normal, not get sick, grow well and multiply quickly, they need to create a certain atmosphere. They are demanding on the conditions of detention, under poor conditions they often get sick. To prevent this from happening, they need the following conditions:

The optimum temperature is 14-16°C. The temperature in the rabbitry is determined in a place remote from heaters, walls, windows and doors. Both overheating and hypothermia have a negative effect. When the temperature drops, more feed is required, which is disadvantageous. But a smooth rise or fall in temperature is not as detrimental 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 rabbitries built according to, with mineral wool insulation (thickness is calculated depending on the region). No less attention should be paid to the insulation of the floor and ceiling. Roofing material can be without insulation, 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 on the ceiling, apply a layer of clay mixed with straw on top, and then you can even throw on dried leaves on the dried clay - for additional thermal insulation.
Rabbits are demanding on air humidity - it is necessary to maintain 60-75%.
Drafts have a negative effect on the health of rabbits. This is another argument in favor of frame buildings - with proper construction, there should be no drafts. However, the rabbitry must be ventilated because they need fresh air, and the gases that are released from the urine and feces of rabbits must also be removed. But the speed of air movement should not be more than 0.3 m / s. Usually they make an inlet, taken with a movable grate at floor level in one corner of the rabbitry and an exhaust pipe under the ceiling in the other. A damper can be placed in the exhaust pipe. With the help of a movable grate and a gate, the speed of air movement in the rabbitry can be adjusted depending on the weather conditions. If natural ventilation is not enough, fans are placed in the exhaust or supply pipe with the ability to control the speed of rotation of the blades (there must be several modes).
The second factor that affects the state of the atmosphere in the rabbitry is the regularity of harvesting and the design of the cages. About 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 to release less ammonia, it is necessary to organize the collection of feces so that the urine is separated from the feces. If the collection goes to the trays under the cages, a slope and a chute are made in them, along which the urine is drained into a separate container. If waste is collected through gutters into a pit (with large numbers of rabbits), ditches should be made so that urine seeps into a lower, meshed gutter. This is a rather difficult task, since one part is separated from the other with a mesh, and it often clogs. To keep everything in working condition, you have to clean it often.
Building a rabbitry is a serious scale

The rate of weight gain and the density of the fur are also affected by the illumination of the rabbitry and the duration 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 the backlight is obligatory, but dim. To make it more comfortable when servicing the rabbitry, install several additional bulbs above the cages, but turn them on to the second switch (or to the second key). Another option is to install a brightness control (dimmer). It is installed instead of a conventional switch, 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 content is practiced at the beginning of the "career" of the rabbit breeder, but gradually they come to the conclusion that the rabbitry is necessary. It’s just that during the winter the livestock often decreases greatly, the feed consumption increases much, and the weight 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 the cages for rabbits depends on the breed. The larger the rabbits, the more space they need. On average, the height of the cage is 500-700 mm, the roof can be sloping back, then the height at the back is 50-100 mm less. The depth of the cage is 50-70 cm. It is more difficult with the width - cages of different sizes are made for males and females. In cages for rabbits, it is desirable to fence off the mother liquor - a closed, small-sized volume in which the rabbit will make 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 the device of the mother liquor:

In spacious cells, a cube of boards of a suitable size is placed, in which a hole is made for passage.
Immediately, during construction, a part of the cell for the mother liquor is fenced off.
Wide removable doors are made on the sides of the cage. Before the rabbit should have offspring, the doors are removed, the queen cell is hung up (reliable fastening is necessary).

The optimal size of the mother liquor: depth 80 cm, width 60 cm, height 40 cm (or as it turns out according to the dimensions of your cell). It is desirable to make a shelf inside the cage or above the mother liquor. On it, the rabbit will hide from the annoying baby. In this case, she will not accidentally trample them, as happens if there is no shelf.

Hung to the cage queen cell for a rabbit

A hole is made from the queen cell into the main cell. It should not start at the level with the floor, there should be a threshold of at least 5 cm. In the early days, it will keep the babies inside the mother liquor.

How to make a floor

Regardless of the type of rabbit keeping, the cage must be dry. Therefore, a solid floor is made very rarely, it is better - slotted, 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 net is nailed to the back of the floor, through which urine is poured out, excrement falls out.

It is better to make the floor in a rabbit cage double - the first level is made of wooden planks or a metal grate

It is much better to make a double floor - the first is slatted, the second is solid. For a slatted floor, take wooden planks 20-25 mm wide, stuff them with a gap of 15 mm. All wastes, both liquid and solid, normally fall through such gaps. Instead of planks, you can use a rigid mesh with thick wire and small cells.

The floor is mesh made of galvanized wire - also showed itself well

The lower level of the floor - the pallet - is often made of galvanized iron, preferably from a single piece. At the same time, a slope is formed (usually in the center of the cell or between two neighboring ones), and in the center - a gutter. The height of the pallet part 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 drains, and it is advisable to coat it with bituminous mastic so that sewage does not flow onto the floor of the rabbitry.

Cages for rabbits - queen cells from the sides. The lower level of the floor is made of galvanized steel, a chute is molded for urine drainage and easy cleaning.

At the same time, the lower tier of the floor must be movable - so that it can be pulled out and washed / cleaned. For this, corners are stuffed, on 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 get a common tray for two cages - on the sides of the queen cells. If cells of young animals for fattening or males are located in a row, three cells can be combined.

Still sometimes flat slate is used as the lower floor. But in this case, you can organize a drain only back or forward and only into the gutter that runs along the cage - the sheet cannot be bent in any way.

doors

Doors are made mainly with mesh. A frame is knocked down from the bar, on which the mesh is pulled. Twist nails or self-tapping screws so that their tips do not stick out inside the cage. It is better to stuff the mesh so that it is “flush” from the side of the cage. So there is less chance that rabbits will gnaw through the door. Those who are more friendly with welding weld the frame from a small corner, pull the eraser onto a steel wire 3-4 mm in diameter, and this wire is welded to the door.

The size of the door is more convenient than a large one - it will be more convenient for you to serve the cage. Constipation - ordinary hooks or latches, they also make a piece of bar in the old fashioned way, which spins on a nail nailed into its middle. But this kind of constipation is very unreliable.

One of the easiest options for constipation for rabbit cages

If carpentry is not your forte, to make the door stiffer, you can stuff a bar obliquely. He will not let the door warp (as in the photo above). Please note that the bar is stuffed on the outside - so the rabbits cannot gnaw it.

Roof

You can cover rabbit cages with any inexpensive material. But at the same time, we must remember that overheating and hypothermia are fatal 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, building), OSB and any other similar material.

If the cells will stand on the street, without a canopy, something needs to be laid on the sheet material to protect them from precipitation. In more northern areas, or when installing the cage in the shade, roofing felt or more modern waterproofing material can be laid. It can not be welded, but glued to bituminous mastic.

Another option is to lay slate, better - wave. Moreover, it is better to raise it above the cage by 15-25 cm. This will create an air gap, it will not be hot in the cage. And the resulting gap can be used for drying / drying grass. Dried in the shade, it retains more nutrients.

Sennik, drinkers, feeders

For rabbits, not so much equipment is needed - hay, feeders for bulk small feed, drinkers. The design of the drinkers should be such that it can be easily removed - they must be washed, the water changed. For these purposes, some kind of trays are usually adapted, under which they make a “seat” from a strip of metal, fixed on the door (the most convenient option) or on the wall, close to the door.

There is one very good version of a drinker from the category of “cheap and cheerful”. A piece of sewer pipe with a diameter of 100 mm is used as a "cup holder". Cutting height - 80-100 mm. A cut-off 2-liter plastic bottle is inserted inside this ring. 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.

Senniki are made either between two cages, by beveling adjacent walls in the shape of the letter V. This method is more convenient when building cages for rabbits (there are several photos above). The second option for the cages of males and young animals - one of the walls (or part of the wall) is made lattice, a piece of plywood, OSB, a shield knocked down from planks, etc. are attached to it on hinges. Fix it in the desired position with a hook, rope, wire.

In principle, if there is not enough space on the side, such a sennik can also be made in front, on the door. It’s just that on the door, in addition to the drinking bowl, they often nail / make another feeder.

Feeding troughs are made from what they can. Someone has plastic or metal trays attached, someone knocks them out of wood, they even try to make them out of drywall. The option seemed interesting - an attached piece of a profile for drywall of a large section (pictured below).

You can make a tree feeder, but the edges must be beaten with tin.

If you have some tin work skills, you can make a feeder from galvanized sheet.

To get rid of the dusty part of the feed, several small holes are made in the bottom of the feeder.

What materials to make the frame and walls

The frame for the cages in the rabbitry is made from a wooden beam or from a supporting (wall) galvanized profile for drywall; welded frames from a metal pipe are quite rare. They are the most reliable, but also the heaviest. More suitable for permanent installation in a rabbitry.

The lightest cells are obtained from the profile, but the choice of materials is very limited - heavy ones cannot be used. When using a beam, there are no questions about the weight of the material, but there is a problem - rabbits gnaw on wood. Therefore, they try to make cells so that there are fewer protruding corners - they cannot gnaw on even surfaces.

As you saw in the photo, the walls of rabbit cages are made from different materials - plywood, OSB, wooden boards and planks. Often used by anyone who has. The most problematic places are upholstered with tin or a mesh is pulled on top - this also does not make it possible to gnaw on wood. There are cells that are almost entirely made of mesh. In them, young animals for fattening feel good.

Photo report on the manufacture of a cage in 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 remnants of the profile after construction / repair. When making cages from the dimensions, they are adjusted to the existing molding - small deviations in one direction or another are permissible, but the rabbits should be spacious in the cage.

This cage was built for a female with rabbits up to 20 days old. It consists of two departments. The main part is 55 * 75 * 55 cm, the mother liquor is 35 * 55 * 30 cm. A reinforced profile goes to the racks, the usual work on the crossbars - as usual with drywall - pieces are fixed with self-tapping screws with a screw (fleas).

The floor in the main part is made of a bar 2 cm thick, 5 cm wide. The planks are attached to the profile with self-tapping screws. It is necessary to screw in the screws so that they are easy to unscrew - if (or rather, when) the bar is gnawed, it will be easy to replace it with a new one.

In the mother liquor, the floor is solid, without cracks. If in winter you are not sure that it will be warm enough in your rabbitry, it is better to make a double floor in this part, and lay the gap with insulation - at least expanded clay. In this case, even with a sharp cold snap, the kids 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 mother liquor is 20 cm below the main cell. From the inside, in a cage, it turns out a shelf on which the rabbit will escape from the annoying baby.

So that the outer joints of plywood do not gnaw, we close them with perforated metal corners. You just need to look for those that are thicker. We cut the edges of the corners at 45 ° so that they do not bulge or stick out.

Photo of cages for rabbits for installation in the rabbitry and on the street

In three tiers, cages in rabbitry are rarely located - the lower ones are difficult to maintain

Wire walls, pipe frame. Only the back wall is deaf - so that there are no drafts

The owners of fluffy, charming rabbits are asked, first of all, by the question - in what conditions should their pets live.

How to choose a place to install a cage

Let us first dwell on the backyard keeping of eared animals. There are two options:

open content (outdoors);
placement of cages indoors (for example, in a barn).

To select the location of the cells, you must follow the rules.

Air humidity should not exceed 60-75% (therefore, the cells are installed in a dry, elevated place, remote from water bodies).
Because the rabbits categorically do not perceive direct sunlight, then the cells should ideally be located among trees that give shade, or protected by an artificial fence that scatters direct sunlight.
Drafts are a common cause of illness in rabbits. Therefore, air movement exceeding 30 m/s is undesirable. However, cage ventilation is one of the rules that must be strictly observed. Otherwise, the fumes of the secretions will damage the health of your pets.

In winter, the places where rabbits are kept should be insulated so that the temperature fluctuates in the range of 10-20 C. Particular attention is paid to the insulation of queen cells and compartments for rabbits.

If animals are kept indoors, then it must be:

necessarily plastered,
well ventilated,
illuminated in winter no more than 10 hours.

Ideally, the animal cage should have a full-wall south-facing window.

It is also desirable to arrange cells in open space in accordance with the cardinal points - facing east.

And one more nuance - the cells must be installed at a height of 0.8-1.0 m from the ground. This will protect the rabbits from being bitten by domestic rodents and will greatly facilitate the maintenance of the cage by the breeder.

The classic version of the cage for keeping rabbits is a design of the following sizes:

50 * 70 * 30 cm - for young animals;
50*100*30 cm - for rabbits.

The entire space of the cage is divided into a walking room and a deaf corner, where rabbits of all ages find refuge in moments of "danger" and bad weather. The length of the paddock can vary, but is usually up to 50 cm long and wide. The rabbits' favorite shelter is a box 25 cm long and 50 cm wide. It is sheathed tightly, and only a removable door is attached to the front side. The manhole is located in the wall adjacent to the walking room, and is usually 17 * 17 cm.

The specificity of the structure of the rabbit cage is that a mesh or slatted floor is usually equipped for the free passage of waste into the tray under the floor.

The height of the front side of the cage is usually 55 cm, and the back wall is 30 cm. That is, the cage assumes a sloping roof, which, in the case of a “tiered” placement of cages, will also be a pallet for higher cages, and therefore it is usually upholstered with galvanized iron.

Materials for making cells

When choosing materials for the manufacture of cages, it is better to give preference to high-quality and ecological wood. For the construction of the frame, wooden beams are suitable. Board or plywood is well suited for wall cladding. Chipboard is unacceptable because it takes on water, swells and crumbles.

To arrange the floor, a welded mesh with cells of 1.7 * 1.7 cm is used, or wooden slats up to 3 cm wide. The slats are placed at a distance of 1.5 cm from each other, for free passage of waste into the pallet. If the distance between the rails is greater than the specified one, or the grid cells are larger, then this is fraught with fractures of the paws when stuck in large openings. Floor slats can be plastic.

One condition must be strictly observed - the material for the manufacture of cells must be smooth, without traumatic foreign inclusions.

Dimensions and drawings of a cage for rabbits

The sizes of cages for rabbits are directly dependent on:

rabbit breeds;
the chosen scheme of keeping (mini-farms, cells of the "battery" type, according to Zolotukhin
etc.);
normative indicators of the required space (for example, for rabbits - 0.5-0.7 sq.m.,
males will need - 0.17 sq.m., and young animals - 0.12 sq.m.).

In practice, houses of two connected cages 100 * 55 cm in size are often used. In these cages, the uterine compartments are adjacent to the outer walls of the cage and communicate with the aft compartments with manholes 17 * 17 cm. There are doors on the front side of the house: two solid ones in the nesting compartments, and two mesh ones in the walking spaces. Between them there are mangers and drinking bowls. Feeders are usually attached to the front side of the mesh doors.

Solid wire cage

This type of cage is designed to be placed in livestock-type premises and even in ordinary hay sheds. The walls and ceiling of the cells are sheathed with a mesh with cells of 2.5-5 cm, the floor - 1.7 * 1.7 cm.

The main advantage of these cells is the simplicity and accessibility of cleaning and disinfection. To do this, all you need is a good brush and a propane torch, which will help you easily get rid of unnecessary microorganisms and accumulations of rabbit fluff.

Solid wire cages take up much less space, which is also their advantage when running a farm.

Difficulties in building cells

The main problem in making a cage with your own hands is the lack of high-quality and detailed drawings, or the unjustified high cost of licensed options (for example, drawings from Rabbitax).

The second difficulty that the home master faces is the non-standard size of the building materials used. And as a result, the need to purchase materials on order. Added to this is the lack of experience in making cells, and the cost of materials is exorbitantly high.

Beginning craftsmen make similar mistakes when building cages:

saving material leads to tightness, which adversely affects the health and reproduction of rabbits;
the uterine or nesting compartment must be stationary (bunches scare the rabbit and can cause a crush of rabbits).

In order to reduce stress during the jigging of young animals, you can use a cage with a stationary shelter for rabbits, in which a hole measuring 12 * 12 cm will not allow the rabbit to constantly be with the rabbits. And the moment of separating the rabbits will no longer be so stressful.

N.I. cells are very popular. Zolotukhin. Their main the difference is the absence of pallets, i.e. flat slate solid floor, and the presence of a grid only on the back of the cells to a width of 15-20 cm. The staggered location of one cell above another helps to get rid of waste from the "upper floors" to the "lower". A characteristic feature is also the absence of nesting compartments. The rabbit is given the opportunity to build a queen cell from hay on her own. The feeders in the doors are mounted on rotating nails, thanks to their hinged design, they are easy to clean.

On our website there is an article dedicated to which you will find all the practical tips and recommendations from the author, in addition, you can get acquainted with the drawings and dimensions of the cells.

Cells from Tsvetkov

This is a kind of four-apartment house, with an equipped ventilation and "sewerage" system. There are also mounted queen cells and gravity feeders and drinkers. The hay manger is upholstered with galvanized mesh and fastened to the frame with nails. All vulnerable parts are reinforced with tin plates. In winter, the departments for young rabbits and queen cells are heated with conventional medical heating pads. Unusual is the turn of the face of the cell to the south.

Rabbitax for beginner rabbit breeders

Cells from the company Rabbitaks are distinguished by a peculiar decor and environmental friendliness of execution ( a system of redirection of air flows characteristic only for them). They are mainly intended for large farms. But there are acceptable options, for example, a cage of two compartments. For a novice master, the drawings are still complicated. And the main disadvantage is the high cost of manufacture.

Author's designs

I would like to note the cages for Mikhailov's rabbits. The main advantage of mini-farms is their compactness (the ability to keep 25 individuals on an area of 25 sq.m., taking into account the distance between the houses of 70 cm). The undoubted advantage is also the automation of waste collection in a sealed container. A significant drawback of Mikhailov's cells can be called expensive materials for construction and the undoubted professionalism of the performer.

The design of E. Ovdienko attracts attention. Its characteristic difference is the special gates that close the four-tiered structure, containing 24 cells, from wind and weather vagaries.

DIY cage for decorative rabbits

Decorative eared creatures can also perfectly exist in a DIY cage. For a simple solution, you need to decide on the question - how often your pet is expected to walk in open space. If the rabbit walks for at least 3 hours a day, then a cage size of 70 * 40 cm is sufficient. If your pet spends most of the time "at home", then the cage size should be 100 * 50 cm. Otherwise, you should follow the same building rules cells, as for rabbit farms.

Of all the above cages for rabbits, a novice master will be able to choose the best option for himself, combining ease of execution, ease of maintenance and acceptable cost.

If you decide to start a decorative rabbit, we recommend that you read the same, and is no less important.

See also the video - how to make a cage with your own hands.