What cages for rabbits are better to make. Optimal cage sizes for rabbits: drawings. Dimensions and design of rabbit cages

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 conditions household Rabbits are usually kept 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.

Ideally, if the breeder will combine these two methods, but to achieve such conditions in modern realities only professionals who have been doing this for more than a dozen years succeed. 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 middle lane Russia and trying themselves in 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 roof cladding in street cages, it is better to use old slate, which will significantly reduce the overall 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 building tools. 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-tiered 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 brackets 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.
On the final stage carry out roof sheathing. 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-manufacturing we recommend using the normal plastic bottle, into the cover of which the nipple will be screwed. 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 equal to 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 from edged board 3 mm thick, and from bars 50 × 50 mm
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 inner wall The mother liquor uses a plywood sheet in which propylene is cut 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 bars 30 × 30 mm 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. At proper insulation the cage can not be transferred to the utility room even at a temperature of -20 o C.

When warming thermal insulation material nestled between cell walls

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 are no extra funds, then they are suitable as a heater natural materials that can be prepared in the summer. 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 decline reproductive functions each cage must be provided with a lamp with artificial lighting. 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.

Live in country house brings a lot of positive aspects in the form of clean air, lack of noise and city bustle, the presence of a place for recreation and entertainment. It is also important that you can grow garden crops or breed pets on your own plot. This can become a source of organic products and help for the family budget. If you are interested in animal husbandry, then the best option than breeding rabbits, not to be found. However, the decision to grow eared animals alone is not enough. You will need knowledge on keeping fluffy beauties and comfortable cages where they can “work up weight”. Of course, ready-made rabbitry is easier to buy. However, we recommend making the cages with your own hands, since this makes it possible to choose the design and dimensions of the structure in strict accordance with personal preferences and the availability of free space for its installation.

Purpose and arrangement of the rabbitry

Today, two main systems are used to breed rabbits.

In insulated rabbitries closed type- this method is relevant for the northern regions and middle latitudes. At the same time, adults are kept in individual cages, and rabbits are kept in common cages, which are installed in a heated building.
In cages for outdoor use. At the same time, adult animals are placed separately from young animals, which are placed in group rabbitries and walking facilities.

Outdoor houses for rabbits can be single and multi-person. Most often, the cage is designed to accommodate one adult rabbit or several young animals.

The simplest cage for rabbits

The cage is divided into two parts: the aft compartment with an area of about 0.5 sq. m and a nesting "room" with an area of at least 0.25 sq. m. Often, the space for feeding is made common, having residential compartments on both sides of it.

Between themselves, the parts of the rabbitry communicate with the help of a round hole up to 20 cm high. The aft part is equipped with a feeder, and for convenience it is made trellised or covered with wire mesh. Access to this part of the cage is provided by a door measuring 40 × 60 cm.

The frame of the rabbitry is made of a strong bar or round racks with a thickness of at least 8 cm, and the cage itself is placed at a height of 70–80 cm from the ground. The wall material can be wooden planks, clay weaving, hardboard, plywood, etc. As a roof, slate is used, ruberoid or polycarbonate laid over the boards. Tin roofing is used only if the rabbitry is installed in a well-shaded area.

The floor of the cage is made of edged boards, with an inclination towards the back wall. In this place, a gap is left for the drainage of urine. An excellent solution is a narrow strip of metal mesh, located at the far end of the rabbitry floor.

Common designs and their features

Livestock specialists and amateur rabbit breeders have developed many models of cages for keeping rabbits. The most common designs of rabbitries are:

one-section cage;
construction with two sections;
rabbitry with mother liquor;
three-section (family type);
solid wire;
Mikhailov's mini-farm;
Zolotukhin cells.

The most successful and simple design, available for repetition with your own hands, can be considered a two-section.

Two-section cages are very convenient for keeping rabbits

To save space, the cells are installed in several tiers, forming the so-called shed. This design saves material and facilitates the care of animals. It is this system that is used in the designs of the rabbit houses of the famous rabbit breeders Mikhailov and Zolotukhin.

A double cage with a mother liquor (feeding compartment) is used to plant a rabbit during a birth. In the form of a mother liquor, a removable type nesting box is used - newborn rabbits are kept in it until they reach the age of one month. Between the aft compartment and the main part of the cage, a hole measuring 20 × 20 cm is arranged.

For the time of birth, the female is placed in a mother liquor. Often it is done in an ordinary cage, equipping a closed compartment with a manhole

Solid wire rabbitries are convenient in mass breeding conditions or on farms. Along with the advantages of simplicity and ease of maintenance, such cages also have a significant drawback - they require a separate room for installation.

In a family-type cage, you can place two females with young or two individuals of different sexes. The compartments between the compartments are made of mesh, slatted or solid wooden partitions.

Single-section cages, although they are the easiest to manufacture, are practically not used in private courtyards due to the low hygiene and aesthetics of the structures.

Before proceeding with the construction of the rabbitry, they prepare the tools and materials that will be needed in the work, as well as make the necessary measurements and draw up drawings of the future structure.

Tools and materials

To make a rabbitry, you will need the most common carpentry tool.

To build a rabbitry made of wood and a variety of improvised materials, you need to stock up:

wooden beam with a section of at least 60 × 60 mm;
planed boards 25–30 mm thick;
rails with a cross section of at least 25 × 40 mm;
plywood, OSB, plexiglass - for walls and partitions;
polycarbonate, tin, slate, soft tiles or roofing felt - for roofing;
mesh with cells no more than 40 mm for walls, doors and floors;
furniture dowels;
nails and screws;
door hinges, latches, carrying handles.

In the process of work, you will need the usual carpentry and metalwork tools:

hammer;
screwdriver or a set of screwdrivers;
drill with a set of drills;
hacksaw for wood and metal;
jigsaw;
grinder with a disc for woodworking or an angle circular saw;
chisel;
roulette;
joiner's square;
bubble level;
metal scissors.

When building a rabbitry, safety requirements should not be neglected. Be sure to use a protective shield or goggles for the eyes, and when working with a cutting tool, extreme care and caution must be exercised.

Calculation of the optimal cell size

When calculating the size of rabbit cages, they proceed from the conditions of their maintenance, the breed, the size of the rabbits, as well as the purpose of the rabbitry (mother liquor, structure for single or group keeping, structure with walking for young animals, etc.).

In the process of calculations, certain norms and recommendations are followed.

The length of the cage for lactating females should be from 170–180 cm in length and at least a meter deep. The height of the structure is assumed to be 60–70 cm. Rabbit houses are installed on poles or supports dug into the ground at a height of 70–80 cm from the ground.
The rabbitry for large individuals weighing more than 5 kg should be spacious - at least 130 - 150 cm long and 70 cm wide. The height of the front wall is 40–50 cm. The roof is sloping due to a decrease in the height of the rear wall by 10–15 cm.
Young animals are kept in cages for group keeping of 8–20 heads at a time. In separate buildings, 3–5 rabbits are placed, which are not yet three months old, and older animals are kept in an amount of 2 to 4 individuals per cage. For young animals, the height of the cage can be reduced to 35 cm, but the living area should not be less than 0.25 square meters. m.
Adult rabbits are placed in individual cages with a minimum size of 100 × 60 cm. If conditions permit, these dimensions are increased by 20–30 percent, which is especially important for sexually mature males, since limited mobility in cramped conditions leads to their infertility.
If a two- or three-tier shed is constructed from cages, then its width should not exceed 200 cm, and its depth should not exceed 100 cm.

Of course, when calculating the rabbitry, which will be made by hand, you can slightly deviate from these recommendations. Nevertheless, reducing the size in order to save space or materials is still not worth it - the animals should feel spacious and comfortable. At the same time, you will always not be at a loss - rabbits will gain weight faster and get sick less.

Variant drawings

Convenient, durable, and inexpensive, outdoor rabbit hutches can be made from a wooden frame covered with metal mesh or sheathed in solid material.

Simple rabbit hutch with hay bin Three-section cage for adults Rabbit hutch with nest compartments

The presented drawings and diagrams of rabbitries have dimensions from 45 to 100 cm wide and up to 2.5 meters long.

The cage frame is made of a wooden beam with a section of 50 × 50 mm or more, and doorway- from rails with a cross section of at least 25 × 50 mm. A plywood or plank roof with a slate or soft roll covering should protrude at least 150 mm beyond the perimeter of the frame.

The walls of the cells are made solid or covered with a steel mesh. At the same time, mesh, lattice or shield partitions are installed in rabbitries for group keeping. For this, bars 50 × 50 mm covered with mesh, slats 25 × 40 mm and boards with a thickness of 25 mm or more are used. The lower part of the rear and front walls has a 10 cm wide board corbel. The design of the rear and side walls should exclude drafts, therefore, depending on the installation location, these elements can be either solid or lattice.

Selecting the appropriate drawing and making necessary calculations, you can start making rabbitry.

Do-it-yourself rabbitry - instructions for making

Consider two models of rabbitries that are easy to make at home. The first design is a three-section type cage designed to contain two adults or females with young. The second model, which we propose to make, is a more complex two-tiered shed - Zolotukhin's rabbitry, well-known among rabbit breeders.

A simple three-section cage of the original design (with photo step by step)

The rabbitry can be a real decoration of the economic zone and a source of pride in the work done.

To build a rabbit cage, you will need minimal experience with plumbing and carpentry tools. In the process, you will need lumber, plywood or OSB, steel mesh, soft roofing and plexiglass. Despite the simplicity of design, the rabbitry has an original shape and is able to decorate the economic zone of a suburban area. At the same time, the design has natural ventilation, which is undoubtedly beneficial for the health of animals.

Frame construction

Placing cages at a distance from the ground will protect the animals and facilitate the feeding process. The installation height is taken such that not only adults, but also children can be involved in the care of animals.

Drawing of the frame of the rabbitry

A convenient shelf installed on the lower tier will be an excellent storage for hay and feed, which will always be at hand.

The supporting legs of the frame are made of a wooden beam with a thickness of at least 60 mm. Their height is 850 mm.

The boards of the upper frame and the supporting structure of the shelf are attached to the main racks with self-tapping screws. The elements of the lower trim are mounted at a distance of 372 mm from the ground. The work requires the use of a level and a carpenter's square to make the cage even and stable.
Mounting the bottom frame
For a cage with an additional compartment, a cutout is made in the front trim of the upper frame, after which the cut-off part is attached to its original place using a piano loop. In the future, this folding board will provide convenient access to the inside of the rabbitry.
Installing the piano loop
In order to fix the upper base and the shelf, support rails are screwed on the inside of the upper and lower frames. Precise fitting of these elements will give them the opportunity to perform another role - spacer bars for the supporting legs of the cage. This will reduce the rabbitry's wobbliness and greatly increase its stability.
Installation of spacer rails
From the boards, thick plywood or OSB, the cage base shields and the shelf are cut out. In order for these details to fall into place, figured cuts are made in the corners under the supporting legs of the rabbitry.
Adjustment of base and shelf boards
The shelf and base are mounted in place.

The final stage of the frame assembly - installation of base and shelf panels

How to make a main compartment

Drawing of the main compartment

The assembly of the rabbitry body begins from door frame. It is assembled from rails, reinforced with furniture dowels. Cutouts are made in the side jambs so that the door can move in the vertical direction.
The assembly of the elements of the main compartment of the rabbitry is carried out on dowels
The body of the sliding door is assembled from rails and covered with a mesh. Outside the door, furniture dowels are installed, which will serve as guides when it is opened. The door is installed in a box, for which the dowels are inserted into the slots on its side posts.
Door installation
On both sides of the door, a frame of nesting compartments is assembled. Mount the base of the rear and side walls.
They make rafters for making roofs. To do this, the slats are cut under acute angle and assembled in pairs with self-tapping screws. Install the rafters, attaching them to the upper crossbars of the frame.
Rafter manufacturing
Triangles are cut out of OSB or plywood, which are fixed in the openings between the middle compartment and the roof. According to the drawing, they are screwed to the rafters with self-tapping screws.
Fixing the lining of the main compartment
Rectangular roof elements are cut out of sheet material, after which they are attached to the rafters. In the back, a folding roof panel is made, for which a rectangular section of the roof is cut out and installed on a piano hinge.
Making a shield for covering the rear of the roof
After assembling the frame, the wood is treated with drying oil and painted. The piano loop located on the roof of the cage is protected with adhesive tape.

Cell sheathing and external arrangement

All walls are sheathed from the inside with a metal mesh, which is cut with scissors for metal, and fastened with self-tapping screws and a screwdriver.
Sheathing of the side elements of the frame
First, the sides are sheathed, after which the front wall of the rabbitry is installed. For ease of transportation, folding handles are screwed to the side elements of the frame. A latch is fastened to fix the folding board on the front board of the frame and a latch for fixing the door.
Valve installation
You can increase the aesthetics of the cage with a rabbit figurine, cut out of sheet lumber according to the presented template. After painting, it is installed on the front surface of the roof.
Rabbit pattern for cage decoration
The roof of the rabbitry is covered soft roof, which is attached to the plywood base with metal staples using a stapler.
Fastening roofing material with a stapler
To make a ridge, a narrow strip of shingles is cut off, after which it is glued with special glue for soft roofing.
The ridge is glued with special glue for soft roofing
To protect rabbits from drafts, a Plexiglas shield cut to the size of the side wall is used. It is attached to the frame of the frame at the bottom with furniture dowels, and at the top - with the help of a latch.
Installation of a protective screen made of plexiglass
Assemble and install the inner box for rabbits and ladders. After staining, these elements are installed inside the rabbitry.
Making an inner box that acts as a nest
The cage is installed in the chosen place and the rabbits are populated.

How to build a Zolotukhin cage with your own hands

The design of the cage, developed by the famous Russian rabbit breeder N. I. Zolotukhin, has become widely known due to its ease of manufacture, low cost and a number of improvements that make it easier to care for animals.

The rabbitry designed by N.I. Zolotukhin received recognition from many amateur rabbit breeders

Design features

General view of Zolotukhin cells

Zolotukhin's rabbitry is a three-tier shed of double cages. A design feature is that the floor at the rear wall of the house is made of mesh to a width of 20–25 cm and each upper tier is shifted back by exactly the same amount relative to the lower one. Since rabbits relieve themselves mainly at the far end of the rabbitry, their waste passes freely through the mesh cells and into a pre-installed collection container. This allows you to clean several times less often and reduce the maintenance time of each department.

Another variant of cells, in which, instead of shifting the upper tier, a slope of the back wall of the cell is made

Other advantages include the possibility of quickly converting an ordinary cage into a mother liquor and a feeder of a special design, which does not allow animals to transfer feed. The doors of the fattening sections provide the necessary ventilation, so you do not have to think about installing a forced air intake.

Due to the fact that the roof of the lower tier is the floor for the upper cages, it becomes possible to save roofing material, and the construction of a frame common to six cages reduces the consumption of lumber.

Dimensions and the correct layout of the rabbitry

Zolotukhin's cells are undemanding to the material. For their manufacture, the trimmings of boards and slats remaining from the repair, pieces of tin and polycarbonate, slate sheets and metal mesh are suitable.

The design of the Zolotukhin cell is extremely simple.

A well-known rabbit breeder says that exact dimensions and drawings are not needed to build a rabbitry. To build a cage, a scheme and approximate dimensions are enough:

To equip the queen cell, a partition with a manhole up to 0.2 m high is installed in the cage.

A 10-centimeter piece of board is nailed to the bottom of the hole so that the rabbits do not fall out of the nest.

Step by step instructions for making

From a bar with a section of at least 6 × 6 cm, cut out the front and rear support posts.
Four frames are made from the same timber. Of these, three structures serve as the base of the cages, and one - the roof of the rabbitry.
The frames are attached to the support posts, taking into account the height of the cages and the slope of the floor to the rear wall. In order to ensure proper geometric accuracy, a building level and a carpenter's square are used when assembling the frame.
When assembling the frame, you can use metal corners that will ensure the strength of the joints
Install vertical spacers, which divide each tier into nesting and aft compartments. These same elements will later serve as door frames.
Bottom frame trim
Install the floor of each tier of flat slate or boards connected in a groove or a quarter. At the same time, a 20-25 cm gap is left at the far wall.
A strip of metal mesh is mounted on the remaining part of the floor of each tier.
Installation of a mesh section of the floor at the rear wall of the rabbitry
Door frames are made from rails with a minimum section of 25 × 40 mm. Sheathe them with a metal mesh.
Doors are installed on hinges, valves are mounted.
Sheathe the rabbitry with panels cut from polycarbonate, plywood or OSB, as well as steel mesh.
Cell sheathing can be made of any material, for example, polycarbonate
Cover the cage with the chosen one roofing material. Under soft coverings ( shingles, roofing material) equip a continuous board crate.

Of particular note original design feeders. It is assembled from wooden slats in the form of a tray the size of two-thirds of the aft compartment. The outer frame of the feeder should be twice as high as the inner frame, and the bottom should have a slope of at least 35º. With this design, the side walls are sewn up with plywood triangles, located with the tops down. The feeder is installed directly in the door, bending the net inside the rabbitry. Attach the tray as follows: on each side through the door frame and upper part the side wall of the feeder is drilled through hole, in which a metal rod is installed (you can use a long nail). The design allows you to rotate the feeder for cleaning without opening the rabbitry door.

An excellent drinker can be made from an ordinary plastic bottle

Drinkers for rabbits are bought or made independently. The design of a plastic bottle screwed upside down to the mesh and a low water tank is very popular. Due to rarefaction, the liquid from the bottle flows out gradually, as it is consumed or evaporated in the summer.

Tips from an experienced rabbit breeder on creating quality houses (video)

As you can see, there are no pitfalls in the designs of rabbitries, so even the most complex cage can be easily made with your own hands. When starting to manufacture, it should be remembered that rabbitry may not be ideal in terms of aesthetics and geometry, but it simply must be safe for animals. Therefore, in the process of work, carefully treat wooden surfaces, bend the protruding ends of the mesh rods, remove the protruding parts of nails and self-tapping screws. In the process of breeding rabbits, carefully follow all the requirements for keeping and breeding, and they will surely repay you with a good appetite, excellent health and rapid weight gain.

This article is addressed to beginner rabbit breeders. I have compiled 7 detailed instructions on how to make DIY rabbit cages. You can breed both ordinary and decorative ones - the first for meat and skin, the second for mood.

Cages are most often made from plywood or chipboard, from which the walls and roof are made. The frame is made of boards or timber, which also act as "legs" or supports. If the cells are in the open air, then the roof is made from roofing material, for example, from a metal profile.

Video - building a cage for rabbits step by step

The first guide I want to put is this video material, in which it is accessible, understandable and without unnecessary movements and words shows the stages of building a three-tier cage for rabbits. The design is comfortable and practical. Plums are diverted on inclined pallets and the cages are always dry.

Rabbit cage drawing and general information

Knowing the necessary space for the life of one rabbit, you can calculate the future volume of the cage or aviary. It should also be noted that for better development, the rabbit also needs space for movement.

The figure gives general information about rabbits, their average height, length, minimal space for their life and walking area. The minimum width of the cage is the size of the rabbit in a stretched form, the minimum length of the cage is 3-4 rabbit jumps, the minimum height is so that the rabbit can stand on its hind legs and not touch the ceiling.

At the beginning, I will show a drawing of a simple rabbit cage for a small family. This cage can be made in order to raise several animals for food by the fall.

Another interesting drawing of a rabbit hutch with a walking area right on the ground. This design is mobile and can be moved around the site so that the rabbits always have access to greenery.

there is information for summer residents on how to build a cage for keeping domestic rabbits in just half a day. The cages are built from three-four-layer plywood and galvanized mesh.

The construction of a cage with bunker feeders and a nursery for roughage is well described. The floor is in a mesh cage, the roof is plywood. On this site you can see detailed photos, as well as find out the optimal dimensions of the structure.

Schemes and drawings of cages for rabbits

Here are the sketches different options"houses" for rabbits: cages, barrels and cells directly. The scheme of the cage for 2 adult rabbits is given. The drawing of a simple cage for young animals indicates the dimensions that will be useful to you when making it yourself.

Video - cages for rabbits Zolotukhin

You can watch a video with the participation of Nikolai Ivanovich Zolotukhin. He talks about the design of his upgraded rabbit cages. In these cages, the floor is made of flat slate, and the net (from 5 cm wide) is fixed only at the rear edge of the cage.

This allows you to make multi-storey cages and makes cleaning easier. A very rewarding experience! The master also talks about some important elements cages, for example, about the overturning feeder, which is convenient to fill and clean.

Mikhailov's Mini Farm - Blueprint

You can see Mikhailov's legendary mini-farm here:

In such mini-farms, professional breeders breed rabbits. You will see in the photo a detailed analysis of the design of the mini-farm. Drawings of cages for rabbits with dimensions are given.

In such cages, automatic drinkers and feeders for animals are equipped, which makes it possible to feed them without rationing. And as a result, such mini-farms are simply created for breeding animals. And this will increase the profits of farmers using Mikhailov's mini-farms!

This "apartment" house for rabbits from the portal "I-Farmer.ru"

made according to the drawings of Mikhailov's mini-farm. The master writes about the advantages and disadvantages of these cells. This experience he had after operating and caring for rabbits in these cages during one winter.

You will see unique photos author. Further, the author gives a photo of the phased development of his own cage project for rabbits. You can watch a video of making a drinker, feeder and nursery for roughage. Very interesting and unique stuff!

If you are a non-professional rabbit breeder, but just starting to breed rabbits, then this article is for you. Here is another author's model of the simplest one-story cage for rabbits with a drawing. This is more of a one-story residential complex for furry animals. The floor in the cage can be made of mesh or slats.

Video on making a cage according to this drawing

Discussion of the rabbitry with queen cells from the lining

the master posted a photo of a rabbitry with queen cells for 6 females. Very beautiful street cages from lining! Forum participants criticized the master. There was even an interesting dispute between them.

We recommend that you read the critical notes and take them into account when building cages for your rabbits! Moreover, the author put the rabbitry up for general discussion, which means that he wanted to ask the experts what needs to be fixed. Consider the advice of experienced rabbit breeders!

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

On your own personal plot cells with living creatures 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 breeders believe that the best option placement of cells is their arrangement in the open air. 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 common cause 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 an animal breeder all year round, you need to take care of the insulation of one of the parts of the cell. 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 given to the warming 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 to wooden frame. The floor must be made of wood.

If you are raising rabbits indoors, it should be:

well plastered;
ventilated;
covered in winter time- 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 combined option breeding animals most suitable mobile cages. In the warm season, it will be convenient to take them out into the street, and in the cold season - to install them indoors.

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

Cell design and size

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

Single-tier and multi-tier structures

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

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

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

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

Tiered items are often referred to as sheds. In them, the tiers are placed one above the other. This helps save space. The ideal options are bunk 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. Above each cage, it is necessary to install metal roof, and in the space between each tier - inclined ebbs. 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 stopped the choice on 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. At 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 provided to the animals in a comfortable way. Feeders can be purchased from ready-made in the store, and do it yourself.

Rabbits need daily in large numbers pure water. If you simply pour it into a plate, dirt and debris will get into it, or animals will constantly spill water. When choosing a drinker, you should decide on its:

manufacturing materials;
location;
volume;
construction type.

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

Automatic drinkers

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

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

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

Nipple drinkers

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

Vacuum drinker

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

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

Choke drinker

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

Igor Nikolaev

Reading time: 5 minutes

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Any practicing rabbit breeder will tell you how important it is to create comfortable living conditions for rabbits.

Since the most common method of keeping domestic rabbits is cage, provide good conditions life and facilitate cleaning will greatly help a properly designed cage.

Moreover, important aspect during its creation is the quality and safety of materials (including environmental).

There are two options here: either buy a ready-made house for a rabbit, or make it yourself.

The second option is not only less financially costly, but also more preferable, since the rabbitry built by the owner himself makes it possible to take into account the specific number of rabbits and the characteristics of their breed. Next, we will look at how to build a do-it-yourself rabbit cage.
The design of the cage for rabbits and materials for its manufacture with your own hands.
Whatever the design of the rabbit house you choose, its base is always the same and consists of the following main parts:
load-bearing frame;
walls;
ceiling;
doors.

Cages for these pets can be made from either wooden materials, or from a metal mesh, however, in no case should they be made of iron. This will greatly damage the health of your pets, because in the summer heat such a cage will heat up excessively, and in the winter cold, on the contrary, it will freeze thoroughly. Such cages for rabbits are absolutely contraindicated.

To make a frame with your own hands, as a rule, use thick wooden bars, given the fact that the legs of the cage should be at least 35 centimeters long (if you plan to put the cages indoors). If rabbits are planned to be kept on the street, then the height of the legs should be increased - from 70 centimeters to one meter. In addition to safety and comfort for the animals, this height of the rabbit dwelling will greatly facilitate its maintenance. The material for the walls is usually either plywood sheets, or wooden boards, or a metal mesh.
Rabbit cages are not completely made of mesh, as they need shelter protected from prying eyes. When arranging floors in cages and feeders, it is best to use a tighter mesh or wooden slats, because through the left cell, feed waste and animal waste products are well poured out. For the manufacture of the roof take the same materials as for the walls. When constructing a roof in industrial cages that stand outdoors, it must be covered with additional insulating materials(tile, roofing material) for protection from snow and rain.
It is important to remember that any detail in the cage must be made safe and smooth. The mesh should not have sharp ends, and the wooden parts should be carefully polished so that the animals do not have splinters and other injuries. These rodents are very curious and can climb anywhere.

The most popular cage designs for rabbits are:
ordinary cell (either without a mother liquor, or with a mother liquor);
design I.N. Mikhailov;
design by N.I. Zolotukhin;
a cage in which a walking aviary for rabbits is provided.

The first type of construction provides for two compartments: the first is for walking and feeding, the second is a shelter-nest. Between themselves, these sections are separated by a solid partition, in which a manhole is provided. The door to the shelter is made of solid wood, and the door to the feeding area is made of a mesh stretched over a frame. If free space allows, walking can be done separately from the feeding area (rabbit aviary). The entrance to such enclosures can be done both through the back wall of the cage, and from below, through the floor.
Housing with a separate enclosure is well suited for mating animals, since the large size of the enclosure allows you to increase the motor activity of animals, which not only has a beneficial effect on the general physical condition, but also improves their reproductive functions.
Industrial cages for rabbits according to the Mikhailov system are real mini-farms, as a result of which this design is considered the most difficult to manufacture and the most advanced. Almost everything is provided in such dwellings: heating of drinking bowls and mother liquors, ventilation system, shelves for rest. Distinctive feature cells of this design is a unique system for the removal of animal waste.
Mikhailov cell design
Wherever they shit, everything falls into one container. Also on such mini-farms, a bunker feeder for rabbits is used, which allows you to set food once or twice a week, as well as drip drinkers that dose the water supply from a large tank. Such a construction is the subject of a separate article. We are considering more simple options, which you can do with your own hands, although the use of a bunker feeder in them is also possible.
The Zolotukhinsky version differs from the others in that solid sheets of plywood or flat slate are laid on the floor instead of rails or a mesh structure. There is no waste tray in such cages. The whole trick is that the floor is arranged with a slight slope, and a mesh with a width of 10 to 20 centimeters is mounted on the back wall of the cage. Animal feces are removed through this mesh, since rabbits most often prefer to shit near the back wall.
Rabbit feeders in cages of this design are of a tilting type, and there is no need to remove them to clean them. It is enough just to tilt the feeder towards you and remove the remnants of food. A net must be placed in the feeder to prevent small rabbits from escaping through it.
Also, the Zolotukhin system does not provide for a summer mother liquor. The author proposes to fence off with a board 20 centimeters wide for the time of birth and subsequent feeding of the place right size which is filled with hay. The rabbit in this place will arrange a nest for herself. This breeding technique brings the rabbits as close as possible to the natural conditions of their life, which allows you to get rabbits with a more stable immune system. As soon as the rabbits grow up, the board is taken away, freeing up space for them to walk. In winter, this approach is unacceptable, and a closed mother liquor must be installed.
An important advantage of the Zolotukhinskaya design is that for its construction with your own hands you do not need to have special skills and use expensive materials.

For the manufacture of such a dwelling, affordable and cheap materials are needed: boards, mesh, plywood sheets or flat slate, as well as a small amount of sheet metal. A frame, a nest door and a solid partition are made of wood. For the device of the floor, plywood or slate (flat) is taken. Partitions for feeders and the outer door are made of mesh. Sheet metal is needed in order to cover protruding wooden parts from rabbits, which they like to gnaw. There should be no drafts in the nesting compartment, as well as a lot of light, so the door here is made solid. In the mother liquor, it is necessary to provide a threshold of at least 10 centimeters in height so that some rabbit does not fall out of it when the door is opened.
To prevent waste from the cells of the upper tier from falling into the lower ones, the back wall must be made straight there, and on the lower tier - with a slope.
Cells according to Zolotukhin
How to make a cage for rabbits?
The sequence of actions in making a cage for rabbits with your own hands is as follows:
first of all, a frame is made from wooden bars 5x5 centimeters, and a grid is mounted on the floor of the feeding compartment;
then the back wall and the solid floor of the nesting compartment are placed;
plywood sheets close the side walls and install a partition with a pre-cut hole between the aft and nest compartments. The size of the hole must be at least 20 centimeters in diameter;
a cover is installed on the nest;
a bar is attached to the frame in the middle of the cage, dividing it into sections, and then drinkers and feeders for rabbits are mounted (how to make a drinker for rabbits and how to make a feeder for rabbits are the topic of separate articles);
the resulting structure is turned over, and with the help of rails, the grid on the floor is finally fixed;
feed bins and a compartment for roughage are mounted. You can put rods, or you can - a grid with cells of 2x5 centimeters;
then a roof is installed on the cage and a movable door for feeders equipped with a handle;
mesh and solid doors equipped with latches are attached to the frame.

If the cages will stand in the open air, then it is necessary to cover the roof with a moisture-proof roofing material. To do this, a rack frame is stuffed onto the finished roof, to which the roof is attached (roofing material or slate). The roof should be sloped for sap water. For example, if the height of the front wall is 70 centimeters, then the back wall should be 60 tons.
Whatever design you decide to make, be sure to first make detailed drawings of cells with dimensions. Such a scheme will help you not to make mistakes during construction and to purchase the right amount of materials in advance. The mesh size of the mesh used in the manufacture of rabbit dwellings must exceed 2x2 centimeters. Animals can get stuck in larger cells.