Rabbitry Design: Looking for Critiques!

[BarredCometLaced]

I have been laying out plans for a possible future rabbitry.

This would be the main caged area for the does. The cages are 48x30. The cages will have slant boards under them that allow the manure to slide out of the openings in the wall, like this (http://www.oneacrefarmrabbits.com/photos/Rabbity/IMG00024-20110321-0757.jpg) . The black mats in the cage will be pieces of anti-fatigue/drainage mats; these will provide the rabbit with relief from the wire floor if they need it while still allowing the waste to fall through. The bin at the bottom will be for vermicomposting, but the manure will be added, not directly deposited from the cages.

These are four pens; 2 grower pens (Left) and two buck pens (right).

In the first picture, you way have notice some pop doors in the top three cages. These cages will have access to patios, pictured above. Pictured here is also a compost bin to collect manure from the outside patios as well as the manure from the inside cages. There is a concrete step for easy access to the outside patios. The patios will also be able to be shut off, in order to keep the rabbits inside, or to act as three over flow pens. The out door patios are 48" wide, 30" deep, and 36" tall.

SO, what do you think? Any suggestions, comments, questions? Please let me know!

 

[SA Farm]

It looks like you spent a lot of time and put a lot of thought into your design! Kudos
I do think that it would be quite a bit of extra work to wheelbarrow the manure from outside to the vermi-composting bin...Or are you planning to use the manure from the bucks/growouts for that?
I would also suggest adding an extra inch or so between each of the buck and growout cages - in case they decide to try fighting through the wire or you leave the does a little long and they get bred through the wire!
How tall are the doe cages? They look rather narrow - especially compared to the buck and patio schematics, but it could just be the perspective
What are the fatigue mats made out of? Just make sure they aren't composed of anything dangerous to a rabbit as they will be chewed!
My only other thought is that with the doe cages, there doesn't appear to be a very large angle for the slanted chutes. You will probably have to scrape them every week or so the way it looks now. I would suggest making them with a wider angle.
A cage or two outside or away from the herd for illness and quarantine would also be a good idea.
Hope that helps some...

 

[BarredCometLaced]

The inside cages are 18" tall, which appears to be standard for meat rabbit cages. The fatigue mats are made of a hard rubber; of course if I noticed that the rabbits were inclined to chew them, as opposed to other toys that I offer, I would find another solution. Good point about the slanted chutes... I had included two outdoor pens in the plan as well, to be used as overflow, as well as sick pens, I just did not mention them
Thanks so much for your feedback!

 

[SA Farm]

No problem! And welcome, by the way
It's probably just because I'm used to seeing the 30 inch wide rather than 48 inch doe cages with 18 high that they looked narrow

 

[Bossroo]

Why reinvent the wheel ? Google for meat rabbit housing plans from several of the Animal Husbandry or Vet School Universities they will be a much better plan than what you are planning.

 

[BarredCometLaced]

I think, for me at least, it is less about reinventing the wheel, and more about taking plans that have been made in the past and giving them my own personal touch.

 

[animalmom]

Keep in mind how much sun will reach the outside cages. Where I am, in North Central TX (yeah I know, where the stars at night are big and bright), direct sun is a problem that you need to overcome. Rabbits don't do well with high heat. I have two large fans and a misting system in my 3-sided bunny barn and the cages are against the back wall. Plenty of light and only direct sun in the early morning hours. I've even gone to putting up an old tablecloth in front of the cages at night to help block the morning direct sun during the summer.

You may be blessed to live in a more moderate climate. Buns do just fine in cold as long as there isn't a draft on them, but they rather wilt with direct sun and temperatures in the 90's.

Love a plan that is thought out and it looks like you have spent a lot of time on yours.

A few comments, and by no means are they criticisms... regarding your doe's pens of 48 x 30: space is wonderful when you have a nest box and kits, consider how you would reach that darn kit who is back in the far corner. I have a grow out cage that is 48 x 48 and find it can be interesting getting that last kit out who doesn't want to come out. Also keep in mind how far you need to take the doe to the buck to be serviced. If you are going to put your does in cages that high up you may want to make sure you have a sturdy bench for you to get up on. Your cages in the first picture look as though they are higher than the top of the window... could be the perspective, but if they are that high you, the human, may need a boost so you are not reaching over your shoulder height with a heavy rabbit (ask me how I know). Last comment, make the door into each cage large, as in big. There will be times when you are cleaning the cage that you will find it very helpful to stick your head and all your arm into the cage. Small doors are just bad. Also make the latch to the door of the cage something you can close one handed. That may save you from having to chase down a rabbit that squirmed out of your arm while you needed two hands to shut the cage door. The spring locks that are in the oneacrefarm rabbit picture work really well. You can get them several places online and probably in your local town too.

There you go my 2.5 cents worth. It looks like you really want something great for your rabbits. If that is the case you will do just fine, and so will your buns. There's a bunch of us who raise rabbits for meat on this site. We love talking rabbit.

Keep us posted on how you do! Inquiring minds always want to know.