Do-it-yourself rabbitry: diagrams, dimensions, drawings and step-by-step instructions for building a corral for rabbits (115 photos). How to build comfortable rabbit hutches How to make a rabbit hutch at home

If desired, with minimal time and effort, you can build a cage for rabbits yourself. It is enough to choose the most suitable design, purchase materials, develop a scheme or take a finished one from the Internet.

Hand-made production of rabbitries is a profitable alternative to the expensive services of craftsmen, since improvised materials can serve as the basis for the design.

The first thing to pay attention to in the production of nurseries is the design. The parameters and quality of the final building will depend on the chosen design.

There are several varieties of rabbits:

single-tier;
bunk;
three-tier;
multi-tiered;
monolithic;
portable;
sheds;
nurseries according to Zolotukhin, Tsvetkov, Rabbitaksu.

Nurseries differ in materials (wood, plywood, metal profiles) and the breed of pets. In the latter case, rabbitries are distinguished for rabbits and rabbits, for decorative breeds, dwarfs, etc.

Nurseries are designed for warm and cold seasons, for this special seals are placed in them, buildings are closed from precipitation.

How to make cages for rabbits with your own hands?

For rabbit breeding, it is enough to have a strong cage with heaters at home.

When building nurseries, the following rules and recommendations should be considered:

Place animals of the same species, sex, weight and characteristic habits in one cage.
Place individuals with offspring in buildings with two compartments and tiers.
Standard nursery parameters: length about 80-120 cm, height about 50 cm, width about 70-80 cm.
It is better to keep young animals together with everyone in the group compartment.
The number of rabbits in one cage is calculated based on its size.

Place to stay

It is worth deciding on the location of the rabbitry before moving on to the construction stage, since then it is difficult to transfer it. The place should be protected from drafts, wind, sun.

It is especially important to choose the right place for construction if it will be located outdoors.

Important! If the nursery is located on the street around the clock, it is important to take care of the roofing materials. It is best to exclude the use of metal for the roof, it is worth taking more dense and heat-resistant materials. Suitable wood or slate.

In this case, it is better to make a wooden floor with a retractable pallet, which is upholstered with a grate on top. The front and rear walls of the rabbitry are insulated with polystyrene foam, and a heated floor is installed for the winter.

What materials are most often used to make cells

Rabbits are divided into types according to the material used for production.

In self-production at home, improvised materials are used:

wood;
slate;
corrugated board;
brick;
metal profile.

Additionally, insulation, plastering, grinding will be required. Often the rabbitry consists of a wooden frame and a solid wire mesh, which serves as a door and is equipped with latches, curtains.

Stages of creating a cage for rabbits

The construction of a two-section rabbitry goes through the following steps:

Frame assembly.
Upholstery of walls with plywood sheets.
Floor covering.
Mounting walls between zones.
Installation of doors, mother liquor.
Mounting a nursery.

Final stage - installation of feeders and drinkers, covering the floor with branches for the convenience of pets.

cage frame

For home-made frames, a solid wooden beam is often used, which is sheathed on top with wood, oriented strand board or slate.

The frame is assembled according to a pre-prepared scheme, it is recommended to pre-treat the timber with an antiseptic. To fix the beams, self-tapping screws of different sizes are used (from 25 to 75 mm).

Note! Since rabbits are rodents, they love to gnaw on wood and can grind down the upholstery inside, so it is recommended to upholster the cage with metal or slate.

From above, the frame after assembly can be painted with a special primer paint. If the cage is located on the street all year round, it is recommended to install it on wooden bars-legs. The optimal length of the legs of the frame varies from 80 to 100 cm. For an indoor nursery, legs 30-40 cm long will suffice.

Roof installation

Depending on the design chosen, various roofing materials are used for the manufacture and installation of the roof. Often the roof for rabbitries is made from layers of slate.

Installation of slate sheets involves the creation of a certain angle of inclination. Since the frame is usually made of wooden beams, it is important to mount the roof in such a way that its edges do not extend beyond the frame by more than 5 cm. So the frame of the cage structure will be reliably protected from precipitation and decay.

Slate leaves are fastened together with nails with wide caps or self-tapping screws. Some interior cage designs provide for a simple galvanized mesh roof.

Mother liquor device

It is a special structure for the rabbit, necessary to ensure maximum offspring. This is a special design that separates the common nest from the environment where the rabbits will be.

For use plywood sheets, boards, slats, hinges and insulating material, which is most often ordinary sawdust.

The process of installing a mother liquor does not require much effort and skill. The frame itself is made according to a ready-made scheme, slats are used for edging, a workpiece is hammered together, insulated and a layer of plywood is stuffed on top. It is important to ensure that there are no gaps in the manufacture. The finished walls of the frame are fastened with self-tapping screws.

Feeder device

Feeders for eared pets can be bought ready-made or made with your own hands. Drawings can be found on the Internet or prepared independently.

There are different types of feeders depending on the materials, shapes and designs:

ceramic bowls;
nursery feeders;
gutters;
bunkers;
cup feeders.

For the production of feeders with their own hands, they use tin, wood, metal profiles, plastic, slate and plexiglass. The choice of material depends on the type of cage and its location (inside or outside).

You can also make a feeder from improvised materials (for example, from a tin can). The feeder is placed inside the nest. When making it yourself, it is important to ensure that the feeder does not have sharp corners, edges and notches.

Types of cages for rabbits, drawings, dimensions, description

Different types of cells are distinguished based on such parameters as the breed of rabbits, conditions of detention, size. According to the general parameters, external and stationary types of cells are distinguished.

The most extensive classification is the division of cells according to the breeds of inhabitants:

General / group- represent an extensive nest, designed for a different number of rabbits (from 10 or more), the size varies from 60 to 120 cm. The design includes several departments for pets of the same weight, age, temperament.
Individual- a house for one adult pet is suitable for demanding and pugnacious males who need personal space.
mother liquors- houses for rabbits with cubs. Usually they are installed inside a group nest in the form of a box, they are a closed space with one opening.
sheds- a compact design with two tiers and sides, the cages adjoin each other with back walls, this design comes in different sizes, it is used for young and adult pets.
Individual designs by Mikhailov, Zolotukhin, Tsvetkov - designs developed on an individual basis according to the personal drawings of the creators are distinguished by ergonomics, simplicity and compactness.

Cells from Zolotukhin: features and benefits

The famous rabbit breeder Nikolai Zolotukhin has developed his own design of a cage for eared pets, which is distinguished by ease of manufacture and maximum protection of animals from external negative factors.

Standardly, such a cage involves the construction of two floors and can accommodate 3-6 adult pets.

A distinctive advantage of the rabbitry is security, the inclination of the feeder, the practicality of cleaning.

Its standard sizes are:

width - 2 m;
height - 1.5-2 m;
depth - 60-80 cm;
back mesh - 15-20 cm;
door - 40x40 cm.

The design of the cell according to Tsvetkov implies a two-tiered mini-farm with 4 cells. Such a cage is equipped with hanging mixed feeders and drinking bowls, in which the water is automatically heated, with hanging queen cells.

Among the design features of A. A. Tsvetkov, there are:

two-tier device, 2 compartments per tier;
the cage is intended for arrangement in the open air;
the presence of bunker feeders and drinking bowls;
availability of ventilation and purification systems.

Sawdust, foam plastic, peat or tree bark are used as cell heaters. For roofing use roofing material or slate. The frame of this design is made of a solid wooden beam, painted with white paint, insulated and protected with plywood sheets.

- the simplest and most affordable option, made from a metal mesh. Such a cage is significantly different from a wooden cage in terms of practicality and payback.

It does not require regular maintenance and repair, has high strength, eliminates damage to the material by pets. For the manufacture of the structure, a solid metal wire with a diameter of 1.5-1.8 mm and a cell size of 12x50 mm is used.

Important! In a metal cage, the common nest must be separated from the feeder section by a partition covered with a thin layer of metal.

This design is arranged rectangular or square and eliminates the possibility of sagging material.

A cage made of a metal mesh is suitable exclusively for arranging indoors, because in winter the metal cools down and heats up in summer, which negatively affects the condition of pets.

The small cage excludes the arrangement of a queen cell, which makes it suitable only for breeding males. The compact design is spacious and consists of 2 tiers that can accommodate up to 8 adult residents.

The compact cage does not take up much space, but is open, so it is only suitable for arranging in the summer or indoors.

In compact-type cages, it is impossible to put hay without climbing a ladder. Such a cage requires frequent cleaning due to the open design and the rapid accumulation of waste in the lower tiers.

The simplest design

For the manufacture of the simplest design, additional materials and special tools are not required. It consists of 2-3 tiers, can accommodate up to 8-9 pets.

However, this design has more disadvantages than advantages. It does not have the ability to install a nipple drinker, there is no hay section, it requires regular cleaning and an internal feeder.

Do-it-yourself two- or three-tier cage for rabbits: step-by-step instructions with photo examples

The bunk cage is the most common and simplest design.

A two- or three-tiered cage is installed as follows:

Make a structure frame from bars 70 cm high and 120-150 cm long.
Insulate the finished frame with plywood sheets.
Referring to the cage drawing, leave space inside for arranging a common nest and.
Install nest and mother liquor.
Install baffles between nest and feeding area.
Install a slate roof, mount hinges for quick access.
Install a wooden door in the nest box.
Install a mesh metal door in the aft compartment.
Lay the floor of wooden slats, cover the top with a metal fine mesh.
Install the bottom tray under the cage.
Put insulating materials (hay, sawdust, polystyrene).
Install a feeder and drinkers.

Design Features and Benefits

Two- and three-tier cage designs are considered the most convenient and beneficial for breeding pets. The cage is designed with maximum comfort for the animals, there are feeders for mixed feed, hay and fruits inside.

The design does not require regular cleaning, allows you to keep the compartments clean when keeping up to 25 adult pets. For rabbits and rabbits, a separate compartment is allocated below.

High-quality, reliable and comfortable cages for rabbits will not be difficult to make with your own hands at home. With the necessary materials, you can build a practical mini-farm that will serve as a pet house for many years.

In order for the cage to perform its functions and bring maximum benefit, it is recommended to choose the type and design of the rabbitry, taking into account the breed, age and weight of the individuals. Comfortable conditions of keeping will help to grow healthy, strong and active animals without diseases and behavioral defects.

For the growth and rapid reproduction of rabbits, it is necessary to provide comfortable conditions for them. It is important to know how to properly build and equip a house for maintenance.

Having a sufficient amount of necessary information and minimal experience in construction, it is not difficult to build a rabbitry with your own hands.

How to choose a seat

When choosing a site for the construction of a rabbitry, factors are taken into account:

Distance from residential and commercial buildings by 15 m or more.
Flat surface. It is preferable to choose a hill with a slight slope or a flat surface. The soil should be dense enough to quickly absorb water.
The presence of protection from drafts, winds (trees, shrubs, fences), otherwise consider installing an additional barrier.
No noise.

When choosing a place for rabbitry in a hole, the following is important:

groundwater flow rate: it must be below 1.5 m from the surface;
lack of accumulation of rain and flood waters;
the presence of shade, barriers to sunlight;
soil quality: it is desirable to choose clay soils in which rabbits cannot dig long holes; sandy or rocky soils are absolutely not suitable;
Smooth surface.

Common designs of rabbitries and their features

Most breeders prefer closed structures equipped with:

ventilation;
heating;
artificial light.

Sections for separate living of animals are installed in rows in the room. In each section, devices for food and water are equipped.

Depending on the number of animals, rabbitries are divided into types:

single;
from 2 sections;
single-tier;
multi-tiered.

Some breeders near the exit from the house equip a walking area, limit it on all sides with a high mesh fence.

Tiered mini-farms

Mini-farms are a single structure, consisting of several sections located in several rows one above the other. They can be placed directly outdoors or inside a farm building.

, as they allow growing the largest number of individuals on a minimum area. For the northern regions, mini-farms are also suitable, but for the winter they are transferred inside the building.

Features that are taken into account when building a mini-farm:

the bottom row must be raised 1 m above the ground (installed on legs): this allows you to keep warm;
airing of the 2 upper tiers occurs naturally;
on the lower tier, where air movement is less, artificial supply and exhaust ventilation is required.

Organizing a rabbitry in a pit - the most cost-effective option, the main thing is to choose the right place.

Main stages of construction:

Digging a hole of the right size. For example, a pit 2x2 m is required. Its depth should not be less than 1.5 m, otherwise the rabbits will be able to dig a hole to the surface of the earth and escape.
Carrying out ventilation. A pipe with a diameter of about 15 cm is discharged through the roof.
Floor organization. The bottom is covered with sand, then a mesh or slats are laid. The top layer is drainage (for example, dry straw), which must be changed as it gets dirty.
Protection of walls from destruction. 3 walls are lined with bricks or covered with durable material, such as slate. The 4th wall is partially left open so that the rabbits can make a hole in it.
Pit lighting. Conduct electricity or move the roof to allow light to enter.

Sometimes rabbits do not dig a hole (loss of instinct after a year of living in other conditions), in which case the owner himself should start digging it with a shovel. A hole is dug at a height of 15-20 centimeters from the floor, its width should be enough to accommodate 2-3 rabbits.

All-weather version with insulated compartments

Comfortable conditions in winter are provided by additional insulation of the compartments. The most affordable insulation is foam, this material crumbles easily. Styrofoam is laid on the outside of the back and side walls so that rabbits cannot reach it and gut it.

In the pit, the walls are insulated with straw, which is laid between the slate and the soil.

Basic principles to follow when creating a rabbitry

Rabbit housing must meet the following requirements:

Suitable temperature setting. In winter, the temperature should not fall below 0 0C. At +14…+16 0С animals actively develop and multiply. The minimum temperature in the mother liquor is +10 0C.
Moderate lighting for 16-18 hours. The lack of light when rabbits are kept indoors leads to a slowdown in reproductive functions, development and weight gain, and a decrease in the animal's immunity. With prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, pets develop hypothermia, mucous membranes and eyes become inflamed. When kept outdoors, the rabbitry is placed in the shade or a special canopy is arranged above it from the sun.
Air ventilation. A special system of air inflow and outflow is necessary when closed or, on the lower tier of the mini-farm.
Strength. The structure must be strong, this must be taken into account during construction.
The presence of nests. In the mother liquor, it is necessary to make a container for nesting or a separate nest with an exit.

In cages, the rear and outer walls on the sides are made of opaque material. Intersectional partitions, front walls and a door are installed from a grid. A metal or wooden mesh is laid on the floor, leaving room for a tray to collect feces and food residues.

From the outside, a drinking bowl and a feeder are attached to each section.

Size selection

What to consider when calculating the size of the rabbitry:

and her living with rabbits until they are 20 days old. It must make a separate nest with dimensions of 40x40x30 cm.
A young animal needs at least about 0.1-0.2 m2 of space, comfortable living - 0.5 m2.
The compartment for the active male should not be less than 1 m2.

Minimum dimensions of a standard 2-section cage:

length - 1.4m;
width and height - 0.5 m each.

The values given are for normal rabbit breeds. For large individuals, larger sections are needed.

Tools and materials

In the manufacture of rabbitry, a standard set of tools is used:

drill;
hacksaw for metal or wood (depending on building materials);
drill;
welding machine, if the frame is supposed to be assembled from metal corners.

Construction materials:

wooden bars or metal corners - for the construction of the frame;
stainless metal mesh or wooden slats - for the floor;
thick boards - for side and rear walls;
fine-mesh mesh - for intersection partitions, front walls and doors.
roofing material or slate, boards - for roofing;
corners, fasteners - for fastening knots.

An example of rabbitry drawings with dimensions

The place between the sections is called a sennik, green fodder is laid there.

Original ideas in the implementation of the rabbitry

An experienced rabbit breeder Zolotukhin offers a number of interesting ideas:

Combined floor. It consists of 2 parts: the front is a slightly inclined surface of flat slate, the back is a mesh surface. As a result, waste products will slide along the slate onto the grate, and through it fall into a special tray. This solution greatly simplifies the process of cleaning the floor, increases the comfort of living.
Rotary feeders. Advantages - the ability to turn in the right direction.
Automatic water and feed supply.

Warming

In regions with cold winters, it is necessary to provide for additional heating of the rabbitry.

There are several options:

At the bottom of the compartment, a “pocket” is made of plywood, into which an electric heating pad is installed. Periodic switching on of the heater in the minimum mode is provided by a transformer.
Heating and simultaneous lighting provide infrared lamps.
Heat guns of 1.5 kW will come in handy; in severe frosts, it is enough to turn them on at night.
You can install batteries, heat to which is supplied from a residential building.

Feeders and drinkers

Rabbits are active, so the feeders and drinkers should be correctly positioned on the outside of the cages and made closed.

The design of the feeders may be different. For dry food, options made from wood materials are suitable, but stainless steel feeders are also suitable.

Experienced rabbit breeders prefer bunker-type feeders, the contents of which are enough for the animal for a day.

You can make a convenient drinker yourself.

Assembly order:

Make a through hole (diameter 2-3 mm) with an awl or nail in the neck of a plastic bottle with a capacity of 0.5 liters.
Pour water into the bottle, screw on the cap.
Take an oblong container (a jar of sprats, yogurt), put the bottle in it with the neck down.
Fasten the structure to the front wall with pliers and wire.

A wide range of quality drinkers is offered for sale, they come in 2 types : nipple and cup.

To prevent poisoning and disease of rabbits, the water in the drinkers should always be clean. Feeders should also be washed regularly.

Nuances in the manufacture of rabbitry

Important tips when organizing a rabbitry:

When erecting a frame, one should not save on self-tapping screws and corners; fasteners ensure the stability of the structure.
Plywood, OSB are not suitable for rabbitry walls, animals quickly gnaw through such materials. Otherwise, they should be covered with metal sheets.
The inner surface of the rabbitry must be safe: nails, sharp objects and cutting edges should not stick out, animals can get hurt about them.

Step-by-step instructions for creating a rabbitry for beginners

How to make a rabbitry:

No. p / p	Step	Photo
1	Collect the floor. Assembly order: frame made of wooden bars; fixing the flooring from a metal grate or wooden slats. Under the floor there should be a metal tray, which is removed, cleaned of urine, droppings, food residues
2	To obtain the rear and side walls, sheathe with thick wood or metal sheet. For observation of animals, lattice windows can be inserted into the side walls
3	Organize sections. Install and fix internal partitions
4	Make a feeder out of stainless steel and wood
5	Install a front wall of wooden slats or metal mesh, equip a drinking bowl and a feeder
6	To make a door measuring 25x40 cm in the form of a wooden frame, inside of which a mesh is stretched. Fasten the door on 2 hinges, close it with a latch
7	Build a sloping roof (for water drainage) with a canopy about 25 cm wide

Conclusion

Having decided on the independent construction of a house for rabbits, you must first find out what conditions these animals require for rapid development and reproduction.

Under unfavorable conditions, growth slows down, individuals stop reproducing, become weak.

Almost every owner of a country house has a small farm. Someone prefers to breed cattle, someone a bird, and someone likes to deal with fluffy and charming rabbits. But for any economy it is worth considering comfortable conditions of detention. If you opted for rabbits and decided to make cages for them with your own hands, you should decide in advance on the place of installation of the cages, their size and internal content.

On your own backyard, cages with livestock can be placed:

on open air;
indoors, such as a barn.

All cages for rabbits, depending on their location and breeding method, are divided into three types:

year-round outdoor accommodation;
year-round maintenance indoors;
combined maintenance (in the summer in the open air, in the winter - in the barn).

Many rabbit breeders believe that the best option for placing cages is to arrange them outdoors. Such content has a positive effect on animals, contributes to the development of immunity to diseases, the presence of a beautiful and high-quality hairline. Farming outdoors increases the productivity of females, increases the number of rabbits in one litter and contributes to their endurance.

When choosing a place to install a cage, it is worth considering:

air humidity. It should vary between 60-75%. That is, the place should be chosen on a hill and away from water bodies;
exposure to direct sunlight, which negatively affects animals. It is better to place the cages under trees or behind an artificial fence;
the presence of drafts, which are a common cause of rabbit diseases. Air movement must not exceed 30 m/s. Do not forget about high-quality ventilation in the cages. Otherwise, the fumes will undermine the health of your pets.

street cages

All rabbit cages may differ in:

sizes;
structures;
manufacturing materials.

They are simple, bunk with additional amenities, such as heating. Which cage you need to build for your farm depends largely on the breed of rabbits, their size, the availability of building materials and personal preferences.

The advantages of arranging rabbitries on the street include:

the presence of a large space;
convenience in caring for animals;
the ability to build convenient and affordable designs.

For the construction of street cages, you will need to prepare reliable materials. They must be resistant to moisture, frost and sudden changes in temperature.

Important: the cage for rabbits must protect animals from predators such as dogs, cats, foxes, rats.

To prevent your pets from being bothered by direct sunlight and precipitation, make a canopy with a large visor over the building. If you are breeding animals all year round, you need to take care of warming one of the parts of the cage. Despite the fact that these animals tolerate low air temperatures well, it is necessary for them to create a cozy and warm place where they can bask.

Important: special attention is paid to the insulation of queen cells and the department with small rabbits.

Cells placed indoors

Structures placed in sheds can be made from a single metal mesh fixed on a wooden frame. The floor must be made of wood.

If you are raising rabbits indoors, it should be:

well plastered;
ventilated;
illuminated in winter - at least 10 hours.

It would be nice if on the south side of the barn there was a window on the entire wall.

Combined breeding option for rabbits

For the combined version of breeding animals, mobile cages are most suitable. In the warm season, it will be convenient to take them out to the street, and in the cold season - to install them indoors.

If funds allow, two variants of cages can be made: one for the street, the other for the barn. But this option is unlikely to suit those who breed a large number of animals.

Cell design and size

Cages for rabbits are single or multi-tiered. Depending on for whom they are intended (kindling, young animals, adults), their design depends.

Single-tier and multi-tier structures

Single-tier cages are placed above the ground at a distance of 80 cm. The roof of the structures is covered with slate or metal sheet.

Important: if the cages are located on the street, it is better to cover them with slate, as the metal is very hot, and these animals do not tolerate heat well.

For the convenience of caring for animals, it is better to make a pallet with a chute for easy cleaning. In single-tier structures, metal pallets are installed for pet waste.

Multi-tiered cages can consist of two or more tiers. Each tier contains the required number of sections. They can be made from bars, galvanized mesh and boards. These materials are suitable for both outdoor and indoor rabbitry construction.

Tiered items are often referred to as sheds. In them, the tiers are placed one above the other. This helps save space. The ideal option is two-tier structures. They provide convenient care and monitoring of pets.

When building multi-tiered cages, there must be a space of at least 15 cm between each tier. A metal roof must be installed above each cage, and sloping ebbs must be installed in the space between each tier. This is necessary so that the animal waste does not fall on the lower tiers, does not linger on the roof, but flows into drains specially arranged behind the cages.

Some prefer to use removable plastic pallets in cages. They are convenient and easy to use. Such pallets can be installed directly in the cages themselves, or on skids under the slatted floor.

Cells for okrol

In cages for kindling, it is necessary to install special cameras on the sides or provide a place for a mobile mother liquor. If you opted for a stationary department, then the removable floor, walls and ceiling are made solid. They must be well insulated so that young offspring do not die from cold and draft. In the rest of the cage, the floor can be made of metal mesh or wooden bars.

The mobile mother liquor is a completely closed box with an entrance hole. This box should have an additional side door so that the mother liquor can be conveniently cleaned and dried. This design is convenient in that it can be rearranged as needed in different cells. They are also much more convenient to change the bedding and clean up. The building is insulated for rounding with shavings or hay.

If you are expecting offspring in the cold winter, the mobile mother liquor should be placed on an electric heating pad to create comfortable conditions for the rabbit a few days before the addition.

In winter, it is almost impossible to do without heating the uterine department. If you do not have an electric heating pad, you can use an ordinary light bulb, which should be kept constantly on during this period. The light bulb must be placed in a compartment that is located behind the wall of the uterine chamber.

Attention: having opted for heating the mother liquor with an electric light bulb, take care of fire safety. The chamber in which the lamp will be located should first be sheathed with thin metal.

There is another method of heating this part of the cage using a heating cable for underfloor heating. It is fixed at the bottom of the mother liquor, and a removable floor panel is laid on top of it.

Important: giving preference to such heating, make sure that the cable is intact, without defects. Such a heating system can be connected to a thermostatic regulator. This will allow you to adjust the temperature in the uterine compartment, depending on the weather conditions.

If the cells are in a barn, it is better to use a mobile cell. Then it will be easier to ventilate and clean them on the street. If you decide to make a built-in uterine chamber, the floor in it must be removable.

In two-section single-tier cages, the length of each section should be at least 100-120 cm, and the depth should be 55-65 cm. The width of the built-in uterine chamber should be 35-40 cm.

Cages for young animals

Young rabbits are called rabbits, aged from three to five months. They are kept in groups of 8-20 pieces. The height of the walls of the cages should be at least 35 cm. The total area is calculated based on the fact that one animal should be 0.25 square meters.

Multi-tiered cages for young animals are installed outdoors and rise from the ground by 75 cm. If the floor is made of wooden bars, it is recommended to install a metal mesh on top. Thus, you will protect the rabbits, who will gnaw at the tree and scratch it with their paws. For older rabbits, you can make a mesh floor.

In winter, cages with young animals must be well insulated. For this, hay or straw is used, laid 2 cm thick.

Cage for adult rabbits

Cages for adult rabbits of medium size should be 60-70 cm deep and 100 cm long. These are the minimum dimensions for comfortable breeding of animals. They can be made according to the same block structures. That is, in each block there are two cells separated by a wall.

For mating animals, it is worth considering combining two cages into one using a removable partition. For adult rabbits, the floor is recommended to be made of galvanized mesh.

Attention: adults must move freely around the cage. Their growth and development will depend on this.

Cage with aviary for walking

Cages with an aviary for walking are suitable for both young animals and rabbits of reproductive age. Such a design should consist of two separate compartments with a partition, a roof and a mesh enclosure. The two compartments are connected by a round or square entrance carved into the rear wall of the structure. Thanks to the convenient design, the animals move easily inside, which favors their proper development and growth.

The size of the cage with a paddock can be any. Well, if its depth will vary within 60-65 cm, and the depth of the enclosure - 80-100 cm. Such structures consist of single-tier blocks consisting of two separate cells. A mesh aviary is attached to the back of the cages if there is space.

Cages for giant rabbits

Since the giant breed belongs to large rabbits, the cages for them must also have the appropriate size. Giants grow to considerable sizes. Their length is 55-65 cm, and their weight varies from 5.5 to 7.5 kg. When building housing for large breeds, it is worth starting from the weight and height of animals.

For one adult, a cage is needed, with dimensions: 96 cm in length, 70 in depth, and 60-70 cm in height.

For young giants, housing can be a little easier. Eight animals need a cage with an area of 1.2 square meters. m. Its height must be at least 40 cm.

Important: giant rabbits have an impressive weight. Therefore, the bottom of the cells should first be strengthened. In the manufacture of a mesh floor, preference is given to a thick wire, 2 mm thick. To prevent the mesh from bending under the weight of the animals, it is necessary to fix the bars under it. If you plan to install plastic or rubber pallets in cages, it is better to make a solid field under them.

Cage for California rabbits

Californian rabbits are quite popular among breeders. They are absolutely unpretentious in care and resistant to severe frosts. Adult individuals reach a length of up to 50 cm, and their weight ranges from 4.5 to 5 kg. The cage for this breed should be 0.5 sq.m. Since the paws of this breed are covered with hard hair, the floor can be made slatted or mesh.

If you breed rabbits only for meat, they can be kept in a hole that is 200 by 200 cm in size and about a meter deep. The walls of the pit should be pre-strengthened with slate, and lay boards or a grid on the floor. For safety, a small fence and a roof are being built around the pit. This method of breeding animals is as close to natural as possible, and gives good results. Rabbits love to dig holes in the ground. With proper care, they will delight the owners with numerous offspring.

Making cells with your own hands

Having decided to build cozy houses for rabbits, it is necessary to decide in advance on the type of construction, its dimensions and materials of manufacture. You will need to prepare:

hacksaw;
hammer;
corner;
plane;
screwdriver.

Any type of cage will consist of: frame, walls, floor, ceiling and doors. As a rule, in the construction of houses for these animals, a metal mesh or natural wood is used.

As for materials for construction, you should prepare:

large sheets of plywood;
slate;
nails and screws;
bars;
slats;
galvanized mesh.

For the manufacture of doors, you will need to additionally prepare curtains and latches.

Having chosen a tree as the main building material, it should be sanded and sanded in advance. All sharp edges are processed so that the animal does not get hurt. Since rabbits grind their teeth on wood, there should always be branches in the cages. Otherwise, they will simply gnaw their homes.

Feeders and drinkers for rabbit cages

In addition to building cells, it is necessary to carefully consider their internal arrangement. Food and water should be supplied to the animals in a comfortable way. Feeders can be either purchased ready-made in the store or made on your own.

Rabbits need plenty of clean water every day. If you simply pour it into a plate, dirt and debris will get into it, or animals will constantly spill water. When choosing a drinker, you should decide on its:

manufacturing materials;
location;
volume;
construction type.

Attention: if the drinker is made of thin plastic, the animals will quickly gnaw through it. And in metal cans, the water will become cloudy and polluted.

Automatic drinkers

Automatic shelves are most often used on farms where there are a lot of living creatures. This design is quite simple and consists of: a bowl connected to a container. The water bowl is always inside the cage, and the container is outside. It is easy to use and durable.

The principle of operation of this drinker is quite simple: as the water decreases from the bowl, a new portion from the container enters it.

Attention: making such a drinker with your own hands is quite difficult. It is easier to buy it ready-made in the store.

Nipple drinkers

Nipple designs are practical and comfortable. The liquid does not spill into them and remains in the tube until the animal begins to drink. The only drawback of such a product is that in the cold season the liquid can simply freeze in the tube.

Vacuum drinker

A vacuum drinking bowl can be easily built with your own hands from a simple plastic bottle. You can make such a drinker as follows:

A bowl with a flat bottom should be fixed at a height of 10 cm from the floor on the cage in such a way that one half of it is inside the structure, and the other is outside.
We take a simple plastic bottle of one or two liters and draw water into it. We close the bottle with a lid, turn it upside down and place it on a bowl. We fasten the bottle to the cage with clamps or wire.
Carefully unscrew the lid, and the bowl will automatically fill with water. As the animals drink water from the drinker, it will be replenished with new liquid up to a certain level.

Choke drinker

The throttle drinker works on the principle of a conventional washbasin. You can also make it yourself. To do this, you need to take a plastic bottle, make a small hole in the lid and attach a throttle. A rubber gasket can be used as a valve. It will hold the throttle well and block the hole in the cover.

The drinker is attached in a vertical position to the cage at a height of 30 cm from the floor.

Hanging drinker

A hanging drinker is also made from a bottle. It is suspended in a horizontal position on a wire, at a height of 30 cm from the floor. For the manufacture of this design in the bottle, it is necessary to make a cutout, 10 cm wide along the entire length, retreating only 5 cm from the bottom and lid of the product.

The hanging drinker is attached outside the cage - with a cut hole inward.

feeders

It is worth considering the design of feeders at the design stage of cage construction. You can feed rabbits with:

With the right approach to breeding rabbits, you can achieve high results. If the cages are built in accordance with all norms and requirements, and feeders, drinkers and queen cells are correctly located in them, your pets will feel as comfortable as possible, they will quickly develop and gain weight.

Experienced rabbit breeders are well aware of how important it is for rabbit cages to be of the correct design and made of high-quality and safe material. Since it is on these factors that their ability to reproduce depends. The cage can be purchased ready-made or you can make it yourself. The latter option is preferable, since the breed and the number of animals placed in it are taken into account during construction.

Required materials and cell design

Regardless of what kind of nursery will be built, they all have the same basis:

frame;
walls;
ceiling;
doors.

A rabbit cage is made of wood or mesh, but never iron. In the heat, it will be very hot, and in the cold, animals can freeze to it.

The frame is built from thick beams, while the length of the legs should be at least 35 cm. If the nursery will stand outside, it is better to make them even higher - from 70 to 100 cm. protected from predators. The walls are made of plywood, boards or mesh. For the floor in the feeders, slats or a net are used, since waste is well woken through them. The roof is made from the same materials as the walls. If the industrial rabbit hutch is to be outdoors, then an additional roof will be required to protect it from precipitation.

Every detail in the kennel must be smooth and secure, with no splinters or sharp ends at the net so that the animals cannot get hurt.

Types of cages for rabbits

Nurseries differ among themselves according to the type of construction:

conventional with or without a mother liquor;
I.N. Mikhailov;
N.I. Zolotukhin;
with an aviary for walking.

In the first version, the cage has high legs and two separate places for feeding and nests. They are separated from each other by a solid partition with a manhole. The door to the nest is made of solid wood, and the door to the feeding area is made of a frame with a mesh. If there is free space, then an aviary for walking is added to the cage. You can enter it through the back wall, or arrange it from below under the housing, as in the photo below.

Often, nurseries with an aviary are used for mating, since active movement not only has a positive effect on the health of rabbits, but also improves their reproductive abilities.

Mikhailov's industrial cells are considered the most complex and advanced, they look like small farms. They provide ventilation, shelves, heated mother liquor and drinkers, as well as a unique waste disposal system - everything is poured into one container.

Below is a photo of a drawing of a Mikhailov cage for rabbits, according to which it can be made by hand.

Cell N.I. Zolotukhin

The main difference between the nurseries of this author and others is that they use plywood or flat slate instead of a grid or slats for the floor, and there is also no pallet. The floor is installed with a slight slope. A mesh is mounted along the back wall with a width of 10-20 cm. Feces and urine are removed through it, especially since in most cases rabbits relieve themselves at the back wall.

Tilting feeders are used to clean them, it is enough to tilt it towards you, and not completely remove it from the cage. Be sure to divide it into half with a net so that the rabbits cannot climb through.

Zolotukhin also proposes not to equip the mother liquor for the summer. It is enough just to fence off the required size with a board with a width of up to 20 cm, and put hay in a corner. The rabbit will make her own nest. Thanks to this method of rearing, the conditions for living in a cage for rabbits are as close as possible to natural ones. As a result, rabbits are born less susceptible to infectious diseases. As soon as they grow up, the board is removed, resulting in more space for walking. In winter, instead of a board, it is necessary to install a house for a rabbit with offspring.

In the video below, Zolotukhin talks about the principle of action of cages for rabbits, made with his own hands according to the method he invented.

To build cages using the Zolotukhin method, you do not need to have certain skills and expensive building materials. Enough mesh, boards, flat slate or plywood, as well as sheet metal. The frame, nest doors and partitions are made of wood. The floor is slate or plywood and mesh. Mesh is also used for doors in feeders. Sheet metal is covered with bars and other protruding wooden places so that rabbits do not gnaw them. A lot of light and drafts should not get into the nest, so the door is made solid, and not made of mesh. A threshold at least 10 cm high is nailed to the edge of the floor in the mother liquor so that the rabbits cannot fall out when the door opens.

The back wall of the upper tier is made straight, and the lower one is inclined so that the waste from the upper tier does not fall into other cells, but rolls down the wall outward.

Stages of creating a cage for rabbits

Step-by-step instructions on how to make a do-it-yourself rabbit cage with a built-in queen cell and feed bins:

The roof of the cage and a sliding door with a handle for feeders are mounted.
Doors with mesh and solid doors for nests, as well as latches for them, are fixed to the frame.
If the nursery will stand on the street, then an additional waterproof roof should be made. To do this, a frame of slats is already nailed to the existing roof, and roofing material, for example, slate, is fixed to it. Do not forget about the slope, so if the height of the nursery in front is 70 cm, then it should be 60 cm at the back wall. This is necessary to remove precipitation from the roof.

Before you start making a cage for rabbits, you need to draw up detailed drawings with dimensions.

The proposed option is convenient in that it has a large-capacity feed hopper. It holds at least 6 kg of feed. Also, this design allows you to install additional tiers. The main thing is to put a pallet between them for collecting waste or an inclined surface along which they will roll into a container. But do not make too many tiers, as the food is poured from above.

The mesh size for rabbit cages should not be larger than 2x2 cm, otherwise they may fail and get stuck.

Before you start making a cage for rabbits with your own hands, you should decide on a place to install a nursery. It must be protected from strong winds. It is undesirable to establish a nursery on the south side, since in the summer the animals will be under the heat of the sun all day. Also, the breed of rabbits affects the size of the cage, some of them are noticeably larger than others. The optimal cage size for rabbits of different colors is 150x70x70 cm. It varies depending on the number of animals. It is better to make the roof removable, so it will be much more convenient to disinfect the cage.

If the rabbits will live in the nursery in the winter, then the floor is best made of wood. The lower part is made solid in the form of a pallet, so it must be extended. And on top of it, a floor is installed from slats stuffed in 1.5 cm increments. It is better to make feeders and drinkers removable so that it is more convenient to clean them. In order to prevent the offspring from freezing in winter, the walls should be additionally insulated with any thermal insulation, for example, foam. The insulation must be hermetically sealed in a film so that it does not draw water into itself. In the uterine department, you can lay a heating system with a warm floor or a heating pad.

For dwarf and decorative rabbits, other nurseries are made, and always with an aviary. A cage for such rabbits is most often built with their own hands in the form of a house, with many ladders and shelves. If the pet will live in the house, then it is best to purchase a ready-made option, as they have an attractive appearance.

Step-by-step instructions for building a cage for rabbits - video

In care, rabbits are quite unpretentious. They are universal in matters of nutrition, do not require special conditions of detention. But, before proceeding with the breeding of such living creatures, it should be remembered that the animals breed extremely quickly. Therefore, the ability to make cages for rabbits with your own hands will be very useful for the owner of a rabbit farm.

Types of cages for rabbits

On the Internet, you can find a large number of options for how to build a cage for rabbits yourself. But, before using one of them, it should be remembered that such constructions involve division into several types. A standard rabbit farm should be equipped with at least three of them:

rabbitries for individual maintenance of males;
separate enclosures with a uterine compartment for a rabbit and newborn babies;
common spacious houses for keeping young animals until puberty.

Also, such structures are divided among themselves on the basis of the design solutions used. So, if there is space, they are equipped with an attached walking area. In the absence of free space, the cells are made bunk. Different options also differ from each other in the design of the roof, floor, materials used.

For males

When making cages for males with your own hands, it should be borne in mind that with the approach of sexual hunting, they become quite aggressive. During this period, with a common content between rabbits, fights often occur for territory and food. Therefore, to suppress the aggressive manifestations of adults, they are seated in individual cages. This measure will also allow better control of the breeding process of living creatures.

But when building an individual aviary, care must be taken to ensure that it is spacious enough. The animal needs constant activity to maintain its shape. If there is no place for it, the rabbit will become fat, which will affect the functioning of the genital organs and reproductive function in general. The sizes of cages for rabbits of this category suggest the following values:

length - approximately 120 cm;
width - varies between 70–75 cm;
height - about 60 cm.

When calculating sizes for rabbits of large breeds, all values \u200b\u200bare doubled.

For a rabbit with offspring

A rabbit with young animals has completely different physiological needs. Therefore, the house for her suggests a different design. It includes two departments:

Uterine compartment. Here the female gives birth to babies, warms them and feeds them. A mother liquor is made of solid material, further blocking all the cracks and holes with a heater. A thick layer of bedding is laid on the bottom. The minimum dimensions of the mother liquor are 40x40 cm. If necessary, such a compartment is supplemented with a separate door.
Aft compartment. Suitable for mounting drinking bowls and containers under the feeder. It is also made spacious so that the rabbit can move freely. The aft compartment can be supplemented with mesh walls.

The compartments are connected to each other by a small passage. It is placed at least 10 cm above the floor surface. Such a moment is a precautionary measure against the fall of newborn babies into the cold feed compartment.

For young animals

The grown up rabbits are moved to the house for group maintenance. In this case, making a cage for rabbits with your own hands is also easy. The main thing is to accurately calculate its dimensions.

length - 250–300 cm;
width - 100–120 cm;
height - 30–45 cm.

If necessary, the group method of keeping is also implemented in the cages listed above. But the number of animals in this case is calculated taking into account its area.

Bunk structures

The solution to the lack of free space on a rabbit farm is a two-story house for rabbits. This design practically consists of two conventional cages installed one on top of the other. Nevertheless, it differs in certain features, among which:

The presence of a common V-shaped sennik dividing each floor into compartments.
The presence of a pallet between the floor of the second tier and the ceiling of the first. To accommodate it, the cells are connected with a small gap, and not end-to-end.
Placement under the floor of a special container for feces.
Each tier has two compartments.

They make a two-story cage for rabbits with their own hands in accordance with the step-by-step instructions:

Four identical rectangles are made from iron corners or thick timber.
The first rectangle is sheathed with a fine-grained mesh and installed on legs, the height of which is at least 30 cm. For this purpose, long wooden bars are used.
Further on the bars with a distance of 50 cm from each other, two frames are installed. One of them serves as a roof for the first tier, so it is covered with wooden boards.
At a height of 10 cm from the second rectangle, a third one is mounted. It is also covered with mesh.
On top of the floor, again with a step of 50 cm, the last rectangle is attached. It is covered with a board. If the rabbitry is planned to be placed on the street, an additional layer of roofing material is laid on top.
The side walls are covered with boards, plywood or mesh.
For the left niche between the first and second floors, a box is made and installed for the accumulation of rabbit manure.
Under the bottom of the first tier, a suitable sized container for feces is selected and also placed under the finished structure.

Aviary sizes can vary greatly. But the minimum length is 2.4 m. The width is at least 1.5 m. The height of the structure ranges from 1.8 to 2.2 m.

In general, a standard cage of this type can accommodate 4 animals. If necessary, a third floor is installed above the second floor, which significantly expands the capacity of the structure.

Walking

If the owner of the rabbits has enough space on the site, it is recommended to make cages with walking. In this plan, two combined branches are also assembled. The front is the standard option above. The difference lies only in a special passage made in the back wall and connecting the first section with a large closed enclosure.

This design is beneficial from the position that the animal has more room for activity. In addition, he receives fresh air and sunlight. All this contributes to the growth of the productivity of the rodent and the improvement of the quality of its wool.

Walking is made approximately as follows:

A hole is made in the back blank wall of the main compartment.
Behind the main house, two more bars are dug in at the right distance.
With the help of rails, the frame of the enclosure is constructed, connecting them with new dug-in bars and rear supports of the main compartment.
A grid is installed on the rails.

It is worth noting that if the aviary is used only in the warm season, the legs can be omitted. It will be installed on the ground. This option is also good because fresh vegetation appears through the cells of the floor, which animals eat with pleasure.

Walking rabbit cage

The minimum dimensions for a rabbitry with a walking aviary are 200x100x60 cm. They can be increased as desired. The main thing is that there is enough space inside for active walks of animals.

Arrangement of cages for rabbits

In addition to how to make a rabbit hutch, you should also consider where to install it. In this regard, there are also several recommendations.

The specific location of the rabbit houses is chosen, taking into account the weather conditions of the area. If the climate is warm and does not involve severe frosts in winter, enclosures are installed outdoors. Moreover, this type of livestock content is implemented year-round.

If the winters are cold, then only in the summer the enclosures are located outside. With the onset of cold weather, they are transferred to a warm barn.

Each of the options also has a number of features. For outdoor placement:

the cells are installed with a dense back wall in the direction from where the wind most often blows in the region;
during installation, choose places where there are no drafts;
install houses on a certain hill, on which moisture does not accumulate after heavy rainfall;
the roof is mounted so that water during rain does not get inside the cells;
when placing the houses in two rows, they are placed with the front part to each other at such a distance that a person can freely pass between them.

When transferring the livestock of rabbits indoors, the following rules should be followed:

there is not enough natural light in the barn, so it must be supplemented with electric lamps evenly installed throughout the ceiling;
artificial lighting in the room should be maintained for about 8-10 hours a day;
windows and other openings in the walls should be located above the installed cages to avoid drafts;
if the temperature in the barn drops very low in winter, wood, electric or gas heating should be taken care of.

Important! Also, when located inside the barn, rabbitries are still installed on supports. This will reduce the amount of dust getting inside.

Materials and tools

Before proceeding with the selection of a suitable material, a detailed drawing of such a project should be developed. Already worked out drawings of cages for rabbits are freely available on the net. The finished plan will allow you to accurately calculate the required volumes of material and not miss significant nuances in the assembly of the structure.

When preparing suitable materials, one should also take into account the fact that rabbits are rodents by nature. They easily damage the components of a fragile structure. Therefore, excessive savings here can lead to the fact that in a month or two the enclosure will have to be repaired or completely changed.

wooden products: long timber, slats, boards;
plywood;
slate plates;
fine mesh;
nails, screws or staples to fix all elements.

There are also a number of important points that will significantly increase the life of the structure and will be useful for living creatures:

Many breeders make the roof out of metal sheets. This approach is fundamentally wrong. In the summer heat, iron gets very hot, and excessive heat worsens the well-being of rabbits. It is better to take slate, tiles or ordinary boards covered with roofing material on top.
All wooden elements inside the enclosure should be sheathed with tin. Otherwise, the rabbit will sharpen its teeth on them and quickly become unusable.
The mesh for the rabbitry is taken with a hole size of 25x25 mm. Such material will be convenient for the movement of the rodent, but will not allow it to get out.
Additionally, it is recommended to lay a sheet of plywood on the floor. This coating will prevent the appearance of problems with the health of the paws of the rodent. In addition, after a certain time it is enough just to take it out, wash it thoroughly, dry it and can be used again.

It is also not recommended to use metal corners and crossbars as the basis of the frame. In winter, they can freeze, which will reduce the temperature inside the rabbitry. But the advantage of such elements is their strength.

Based on the selected materials, the necessary tool is selected. The minimum set in this plan includes:

hacksaw;
construction tape measure;
hammer;
metal scissors;
sandpaper;
screwdriver;
plane;
pliers.

When using metal elements, a drill and a welding machine may also be needed.

DIY manufacturing

The specific algorithm for making a rabbit cage is based on the drawings used by the owner. For example, let's analyze the simplest version of rabbitry, for which you need:

10 wooden blocks with a thickness of at least 30 mm;
2 large sheets of plywood;
3 m metal mesh;
self-tapping screws.

The assembly of the structure takes place in the following stages:

From the bars we assemble a rectangle with dimensions of 3x0.7 m. At the end of the assembly, we fix it to the vertical bars, which will also play the role of legs. Moreover, the height of the rear vertical bars is 1 m. The front ones are left a little longer (1.2 m).
Part of the cage on both sides is allocated for queen cells and lay out their floor with a solid board. We cover the remaining area of \u200b\u200bthe base with a prepared grid.
We mount the back wall from the boards using self-tapping screws.
At the required distance from the walls, we fix the vertical bars that limit the uterine compartment. To them, across the base, we install a plywood wall with a hole made. From above we mount the cover of the mother liquor.
In the center of the rabbitry we have a hay feeder. We make it from two frames connected in the shape of the letter "V". We install steel wire vertically on the frames with a wide step.
Next to the hay feeder, we mount a standard feeder and drinker of a suitable size and design. We fix them permanently.
The sides of the cage are sheathed with plywood.
In front we make frames for future doors. We make them from a board, sheathe them with a mesh and fix them on loops.
Install the roof on top. The ideal material for it is slate. The roof is mounted under a slope with a snug fit to the vertical bars. At the same time, it protrudes 10 cm beyond the side and back walls, and 5 cm beyond the front wall. In the center we make a hole for laying hay and feed. We close it with a door made separately.

Attention! At the end of the work, with the help of pliers, all protruding parts of the mesh are bent, protruding wooden elements and sharp corners are sanded with sandpaper.

A carefully designed and manufactured rabbit cage will provide the animal with a comfortable living environment and help maintain its health. In addition, the well-thought-out design greatly simplifies the process of cleaning up after rodents. But before its manufacture, you should carefully study the main points of such work.