Rabbit hutch

[ozarksnick]

I'd like to build a rabbit hutch in the near future.

I'd really like to see some photos of what y'all use. And I'd also like to see any good links to info y'all have as well.

It seems I just can't find good stuff on the internet anymore. Does anyone else think that's getting harder and harder every year?

Thanks.

[Dawgus]

http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/gg154/JudasButcher/homestead/?action=view¤t=217820430853_0_0.jpg

Hopefully I posted that right....lol

Mine is 2x6 feet wide each top and bottom, and 2 feet tall. I made the upper level for the breeding pair, and the lower for the young ones before they head off to the stew pot. The lower level will be easily converted to 2 seperate areas in the spring when I get more rabbits.( the top of that one is one door across the whole length-opens up) The top pair has 2 sets of doors each, one in the cage front, and another in the permanent nest boxes for cleaning. I put a pitched roof between the 2 levels, which has a flat tin top. The waste falls right off and into a gutter in the back, then right into buckets for the garden or compost pile. I really like the way I made it so tall since I'm 6'4"...makes it a lot easier to get to without stooping.
I kinda went overboard on it lol but what the hay, the lumber and wire was all a freebie.

[Dawgus]

grrr http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/gg154/JudasButcher/homestead/?action=view&current=217820430853_0_0.jpg

thats the pic

[mtwildflower]

would you mind posting a few more pictures of your hutches so that I can see how you built them?

Would you mind sharing your plans?

TIA!

[bee_pipes]

grrr http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/gg154/JudasButcher/homestead/?action=view&current=217820430853_0_0.jpg

thats the pic

http://i247.photobucket.com/albums/gg154/JudasButcher/homestead/217820430853_0_0.jpg

Good looking job there Dawgus!

Regards,
Pat

[machinemaker]

personally I prefer all wire hutches inside of a wooden enclosure. The wire bottoms, sides and top are easier to keep clean and to keep your rabbits healthy. The rabbits will not chew the wire like they do wood and the wire hutches keep your rabbits out of there poop and not having parisites. Wire hutches are easy to make, if you can find a local supplier for welded wire. Here in the Denver area, walker feed still sells wire by the foot, and will cut the panels for free if you give them a list of what you need. They also have the cheapest feed I have found in the region.
kent

[Backwoods_Bob]

I'll throw in a few shots of my hutches -

I make 'em out of cedar poles cut from our land, scrap lumber, scrounged roofing metal and hinges.

About the only stuff I had to buy was the 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth for the floor of the cages.

They are basically just small pole buildings divided up into wire bottomed cages.
Where I live, they need to handle significant snow loads, so they are built pretty substantial.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o320/etdbob/animals/P6070294.jpg


http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o320/etdbob/animals/P6070295.jpg

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o320/etdbob/animals/P1040062.jpg

[fnfredux]

i see you wear a side arm...bears????

[otterbob]

I'd like to build a rabbit hutch in the near future.

I'd really like to see some photos of what y'all use. And I'd also like to see any good links to info y'all have as well.

It seems I just can't find good stuff on the internet anymore. Does anyone else think that's getting harder and harder every year?

Thanks.

Ozarxsnick,

You and I have similar thoughts on cost of meat production .
Build your own hutches to a design you like at a comfortable height for you.
A few things I have found that work best for "me" :
1} All wire or all wire inside a wood frame.
2} Minimum 30 inches wide minimum 36 long { 42 inches long is a little better }
3} Rubber water bowls from the feed store ! unless you are in an area that does not freeze .
4} No more then one 8oz tomato sauce can of pellets a day for breeders that are not pregnant !
If you plan to not use pellets use the same amount of course ground mix of grain and add a large Hay rack/manger/crib to the end of each hutch.
5} Large hay rack/manger/crib on the end of each hutch. even if using pellets.
6} Be careful using "Fresh" greens or molded hay
7} I like to put my nest box inside the hutch only when needed, I have never liked nest boxes connected to the hutch.
8} Remove nest box when not needed, clean and store
9} Salt/ Mineral spools in every hutch
10} Roof over hutch area not roofed hutch, 3 sided shed as in one of the picture above is great . need good air flow but not wind on the critters.

That should give you a little to think about.

Otter Bob