Rabbit Grow Out Hutch - In Progress - What do you think so far?

[noobiechickenlady]

I'm getting an older breeding pair from a neighbor. I plan on cladding this in plywood & painting it.
It measures roughly 3' x 5'
The front will be wire or plywood, depending on the opinions offered here. The roof will be a full sheet of plywood (8x4), covered with metal flashing and will have a 11" overhang in the front, 1" in the back and up to 1-1/2' overhang on either side.
Would it be better to put the roof on with a larger overhang on one of the 3' sides & making that a wire wall. Should the front & back be plywood & both ends wire? Help me out here. I want to make sure it is comfy for them.

I'm in Mississippi, so summer heat is a larger consideration than cold wind. I can always put a good amount of hay in for them to burrow in.

The legs are actually more plumb than they look in this photo & it's very sturdy.

A closeup of the hardware cloth (1/2x1/2) that will serve as the floor

 

[Beekissed]

I'm assuming you are creating two separate cages from this, so I can only tell you what is a traditional set up. Usually a person with an outside hutch will create a boxed area on one end and the rest of the hutch is wire with the exception of the roof. The roof needs to have a good overhang on all sides for shade and rain repellance.

The boxed end should have an outside door access for easy cleaning. This boxed end should have a lip on it to keep bedding materials inside.

You want great ventilation on your run, so you wouldn't want anything to stop your airflow. During cold seasons, they just go in their box when they are cold. If you lived in a colder climate, I'd say to make a solid wall along the backside of your hutch, just for a windbreak. You may even want to do this in a sunny climate for the shade factor, but most bunnies just have a boxed end.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Actually I'm going to duplicate this one & divide the second one in half. This one will be my grow out hutch.
I was was looking pictures on the web last night and yes, I think you're right.
I will enclose most of it in hardware cloth, with a boxed end and door on one end. I think the large overhang on the south end will provide sufficient shade. I can always drape it with some blankets if it gets bitter.
Thanks for your suggestions, Bee!

I live in the deep south, what about mosquito netting on top of the hardware cloth? Do mosquitos bother rabbits?

 

[RabbitMage]

I can't tell from the pics, do you have anything going across the bottom of the cage to support the wire? If not, you might want to add something. No matter how well it's fastened to the frame, it tends to sag in the middle. Uneven wire can cause sore hocks, so that's something you want to prevent.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

No, I don't! That's the sort of info I need.

So use what? Metal bar or wood?

 

[kapfarm]

I have built quite a few rabbit hutches. I used wood for a support under mine. The next ones I build will be with a wood cross support with a sheet metal cap on it. The wood gets wet all the time and will rot. I will also use a darker color exterior paint on the legs like brown or something to hide rabbits urine stains.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Oh great tips! Yeah, rabbit pee...
I can get sheet metal.

Soooo, angle it from corner to corner or straight down the middle?

Anyone else have input for a noobie rabbit lady?

 

[Goatzilla]

If you start raising rabbits and find yourself enjoying it and want to expand, you can build a small rabbitry similar to mine. It has ten holes and if managed well, can provide plenty of meat for any family. I built it myself and it cost around 300.00 including cages and automatic water system.

It provides plenty of ventilation and would do well in a southern climate, especially if it could be situated in the shade. I live in the cold Northeast, so I have winter doors with plexiglass panels that I install over the fronts when the weather gets harsh. I breed straight through the winter and have found that if you keep the wind off of them and you have good does, you can produce kits all winter.

..[img

][/img]

[/img]

[/img]

 

[noobiechickenlady]

I LIKE that hutch!
We probably will go that route (large hutch, individual cages) at some point. Right now the money situation is a bit tight, so $300 would be a huge investment. :/

After getting everything that we needed for the above hutch AND a duplicate, we've put in about $50.

Maybe once I get started producing rabbits, sell a couple & reduce my grocery bill I will be able to expand.