Do-it-yourself rabbit cages - simple and advanced designs. How to build comfortable rabbit hutches How to make a rabbit hutch

Breeding rabbits is a profitable activity that does not require much time. Animals do not need special care and specific conditions of detention. Therefore, several pussies can be brought in a private household. Beginning farmers often have a desire to breed these animals, but the first thing they have to deal with is how to make cages for rabbits according to dimensional drawings.

Choosing a place for cages

When installing cages for rabbits, it is necessary to pay attention to certain conditions in which animals can be. First you need to choose the right place where the cells will stand. They can be placed:

• on the street;
• indoors.

Of course, outdoor devices can only be placed in regions with a more or less warm climate. In severe frosts, rabbits can simply freeze. If the air temperature is optimal all year round, then the following must be considered:

Details are important. They are useful both for keeping rabbits outdoors and indoors:

Keeping rabbits indoors

If the site is located in the cold regions of the country, this implies the mandatory presence of a closed room for the placement of houses. A barn might be suitable for this. It is necessary to create the right conditions for a comfortable stay fluffy:

Having built a high-quality and comfortable cage for animals, the owner does only a small part of the work. The most important element is feeding, keeping and breeding rabbits in comfortable conditions for them. You will need to feed them the right food in a dry state. Wet or steamed food can adversely affect the health of rabbits and lead to the death of animals.

Building a cage with your own hands

Many are interested in how to make a rabbitry with their own hands. There are different schemes in the pictures (one- and two-tier, large or small, queen cells, home, industrial, wooden and metal, Italian, walkers, home-made, etc.), as well as many approaches, for example, the Mikhailov, Zolotukhin method , Maklyaka. A simple design can be done for little money, but, unfortunately, not for free.

Before you start work, you will need, in addition to the scheme, to choose the right material for work.

Necessary materials

To create such structures, it is desirable to use natural materials to simulate similar conditions to natural ones. Therefore, wooden bars, which are treated with environmentally friendly antiseptics, should be used as the basis for the structure. To build cells, you will need the following materials:

The internal processing of the walls is made of plywood, as it is resistant to moisture and very strong. Chipboard is not suitable for such purposes, since it strongly absorbs moisture and collapses over time from swelling.

What are rabbit houses

All good cells have common characteristics, but they can still be divided into several types, each of which has its own individual differences. The first important factor is what breeds and individuals will live in such structures. Each farm should have several types of cages. Depending on how much space there is in height in the barn, the structures are divided into the following:

• single-tier;
• bunk;
• three or more tiers.

At a certain age, rabbits need to be resettled. Cell types can be divided into the following types:

• cages for young animals;
• designs for adults.

Nest cells are made for pregnant rabbits and recently born individuals. They are also called queen cells, because they have a box, tank or booth inside, which imitates a hole in natural conditions. In it, the expectant mother makes a nest for her children. There they spend the first two months of their lives.

The size of the cells may also depend on which breed you want to breed:

• dwarf rabbits;
• ordinary;
• large (accelerants).

It also matters for what purposes animals are bred. They can be both for the soul and for sale.

Cell designs can be different, and their parameters vary significantly. But, on the other hand, you can make a cage according to the general rules, and then finish building the necessary details.

Manufacturing steps

Fans of a country lifestyle are often interested in the question of how to build a rabbitry with their own hands. There are many drawings on the Internet, so there are plenty of options. The most common way to build a typical design is to have two sections. In one part, the adult livestock will live, and in the other, there will be a mother liquor.

If the farm does not yet have a female with cubs, you can put additional houses in the nesting department and run adult rabbits there so that they can hide there when they feel unwell. For owners who do not know how to build a rabbit cage with their own hands, a step-by-step instruction is given below. Cell production occurs in stages:

Cells according to the Mikhailov method

Making a rabbit house according to the Mikhailov method implies the creation of a multi-tiered mini-farm. In other words, this is a kind of shed, consisting of mini-farms. Each of them has a separate cage for the mother liquor (for two rabbits), and on the other hand, a separate structure for the fattening period of the young, which is disconnected from the mother's nest. Four months later, real giants weighing 8-12 kg can be obtained using this method. Rabbit breeding by this method is quite a profitable business.

Do-it-yourself cage for a rabbit with a mother liquor using the Mikhailov method is a little more difficult to make than a design for fattening rabbits.

Thus, this method is rightfully considered the best in all respects for industrial breeding purposes.

Breeding and keeping pets involves a large degree of responsibility of the breeder and requires strict adherence to certain rules. One of the most important is the creation of acceptable living conditions for the animal. They should be close to nature.

Rabbits have a high degree of resistance to various diseases. They are unpretentious to food and conditions of detention, easily multiply. But despite all this, animals need a properly organized home.

The construction of a pet house must be approached competently. This takes into account the number of animals, their sex composition and age.

What is needed for rabbit breeding?

To do at home, special cash costs are not required. It is necessary to have cages for animals, drinkers, containers for food. All this is easy to do with your own hands.

Harvesting hay and branches can be done in the summer. Root vegetables and vegetables are easy to harvest in your own garden. The main expense will be the vaccination of animals and the purchase of concentrated feed.

In each cage, same-sex animals of approximately the same age, weight and character should be placed. It is recommended to place adult animals and females with rabbits in one- and two-section cages.

The sizes of rabbit cages have standard indicators:

• length - 100-120 cm;
• height - 50 cm;
• width - 70 cm.

For young rabbits, wooden cages covered with steel mesh are suitable. Their sizes correspond to the sizes of animals. For example, for 10 individuals, a cage with the same dimensions as indicated above will become acceptable, but its length should be 170 cm.

How to build a single tier cage?

Many are interested in how to make a rabbit cage with your own hands. Of course, if you have the right materials, this is not so difficult. The article presents drawings of rabbit cages. Recommendations are also given on the choice of materials for work.

For the outside in the cage system, double single-tiered rabbit cages are the most popular.

The length of such cells is 220-240 cm, and the width is 65 cm. The height of the wall in front is 35 cm. The roof should be with one slope, equipped with a visor protruding forward by 20 cm, and from the sides by 10 cm.

Two compartments for food are built in the cage. The floor is made of metal mesh. The size of the cells should be equal to 18x18 mm or 16x48 mm. The grid should be superimposed with a width of 2 cm, and the gap between them is 1.5-1.8 cm.

Do-it-yourself rabbit cages with the correct design should have a partition with a hole, the width of which is 17 cm and the height is 20 cm. It should be located between the nesting area and the feed compartment in order to prevent the rabbits from penetrating from the nest to the feed compartment. The manhole is constructed at a height of 10-15 cm from the floor.

From the front side, two mesh doors are hung on the cage, which lead to the feeding compartment, as well as two solid board doors leading to the nesting compartment. Feeders with a removable structure and drinkers should be hung on the doors leading to the feed.

For feeding with roughage, nurseries are installed between the departments. They are based on two wooden frames, on which a mesh is stretched. The size of the grid cells should be 20x50 mm. The lower ends of the frames are aligned, and the upper ends are moved apart to the sides of the feed compartment. The result is a V-shaped nursery for roughage.

What materials will be needed?

To build a single-tier cage for two individuals, the performer will need:

• Plywood with an area of ​​2 m 2.
• Metal mesh with mesh size 18x18 mm or welded mesh 16x48 mm (1.3 m 2).
• Grid with cells 35x35 cm or 24x48 cm (0.6 m 2).

Production of bunk cages

The level of costs for the construction of a bunk cage for animals is not so high. This is because the design is simple. In addition, cash costs will pay off in the first months of use.

What materials will be needed?

To make a cage with two tiers, you will need:

• Two wood fiber boards.
• Bars measuring 60x100 mm (4 pcs.).
• Picket fence strips (50 pcs.).
• Roofing material 4x2 m in size for the construction of a pallet.
• Nails.
• Dye.

What equipment will be required?

• Two deep bowls covered with enamel (their diameter should be 220 mm).
• Manure collection tank (approx. 300 mm high).
• A pair of VPI-03 (also used for household purposes, immersed in water).
• Step down transformers 220x127 V (4 pcs. for 8 cells).
• Five-liter polyethylene canisters (4 pcs.).

Cell design

Rabbit cages need to be arranged according to how the light will fall. The blank closed wall, where the nurseries and feeders are located, should face north. This protects the animals from the winds and cold.

The roof is constructed so that it overhangs 90 cm from the north, and 60 cm from the south. From the west and east, the roof should be on a par with the protruding beams.

Two-tiered rabbit cages contain a stand-frame, lower and upper tiers. You can also build a roof from a roof. As a rule, transparent or translucent material is used. You can also use ruberoid.

The tier on top is a jig, that is, it will serve as a place for rearing rabbits after the end of feeding with mother's milk. This room is made from different cells. One of them should be larger than the frame.

The jig is divided into two parts by means of a feed trough, which has outlets on both sides. A common canister drinker is also installed here. Each compartment should be equipped with a folding feeder for mixed fodder, nurseries for fresh and dry grass. They look like an opening door. A door adjoins the drinker.

The floor of the tier is horizontal. It can be based on slats of wood, which are located at an angle of 45º so that small rabbits cannot injure their paws. All walls and doors of the cage are made of lattice. The exception is the north side.

Below is the uterine tier. It consists of two compartments: nesting and walking. It may also include the same components that are present in the upper tier.

The nest compartment has a removable floor. It is located below the rest of the tiered area. A mother liquor will be placed in this compartment. Before the rabbit brings the babies, she will instinctively make her way into it herself.

The rest of the nest must be stationary. It is supplied with a wall with a manhole, overlapping with a valve. It is better to equip the door to the nest with hinges from below, so that when open it serves as a platform for the animal.

The walking compartment is provided with a floor of slats arranged perpendicularly. This provides structural rigidity. In the area for walking there is a canister drinker, a folding feeder and a bunker feeder for compound feed. Nursery on the rack of the back of the paddock. A door must also be installed for the drinker.

In the floor of the walking compartment, a window is constructed for the end of the conical shaft, which is fastened under the floor of the upper tier. The pitched shaft communicates with a bunker equipped with a removable door and a manure tank. Thus, the rabbit cages will be cleaned through special doors, which will also make the feed containers accessible. The containers themselves are located under the inclined grids of the feeders.

At the bottom of the cage frame is the electrical equipment compartment. In parallel, this place serves as a bunker for rabbits. It must be locked. For convenient loading of the feeders, it is necessary to build it folding outwards.

The design of the feeder for compound feed has a body with windows for rabbits, as well as a pallet. It is constructed from a mesh with small cells.

All folding components must be equipped with handles, hinges and latches, as well as, if necessary, mortise locks.

The side and front walls are tightened with a fine mesh, the working side can be closed with a mesh with large cells.

Mini-farm from bunk cages

To build a small farm based on two-tier cells, you do not need a lot of space. One cell occupies 1.4 m 2. If you build a farm of two rows and use eight cells with an opening between them of 70 cm (measured along the legs) and a passage of 110 cm, then the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe farm will be 25 m 2.

Each cage simultaneously contains up to 25 rabbits. A rabbit with a new offspring will sit in the lower part, and the previous offspring will sit in the upper part.

For a number of years, cages with two tiers have been used on experimental farms and have shown their high profitability and profitability. So their use is recommended to all farmers.

Making a family block - cages from three sections

Making rabbit cages with your own hands of this design is a more difficult task. But such family blocks are very convenient for breeding animals. The male lives in the central part, and the rabbits are on the sides.

Partitions made of wood between the cell compartments are equipped with manholes with plywood latches. They are designed for easy replanting of females to the male and returning them back to their compartment.

What materials are the cells made of?

The basis of the frame can be made up of bars. The walls on the sides, the compartment for the nest with doors and partitions are built from lining.

For the front wall, a metal mesh is used. An attic part is provided in the nesting compartments - this is a free space between the ceiling and the common roof, where female rabbits can rest.

An additional convenience is that the layout of the feeders and drinkers is thought out in such a way that they are not subject to contamination and can be filled from the outside.

Cages for rabbits designed by the breeder N. I. Zolotukhin

The well-known rabbit breeder N.I. Zolotukhin has been breeding these cute animals for several decades. Such rich experience helped him design a new cage for rabbits.

Features of the breeder's cells

• The floor is solid. Its basis is slate or boards.
• There are no pallets in the cages.
• A narrow strip of mesh floor is located only along the rear walls of the structure.
• The rear walls are set at an angle so that rabbit waste from the upper tiers does not fall on the rabbits in the lower tiers.
• There are no special queen cells. The rabbit builds her own nest before giving birth.
• Grain feeders are attached to the doors, which flip outward to fill.

The scheme of the rabbitry is presented below.

How to make cages for dwarf rabbits with your own hands?

If you want to have houses, then their cages are built in a different way. There are many different models available in pet stores. But you don't have to buy them. You can make your own pet cage and it won't take long.

The structure consists of two walls on the sides, the size of which is 70x70 cm. The back wall is attached in such a way that a gap is obtained under the cage. The back wall is 55 cm high and 100 cm long.

Meter rails are nailed to the bottom of the cage. A metal mesh is fixed on top of them.

The lid of the cage is made of mesh on hinges. It is provided with a handle. A pallet is installed under the cage.

How to choose a grid?

In the manufacture of rabbitries, of course, you will need a mesh. In order for the manufacturer to better understand which mesh choice will be optimal, we recommend using a number of tips.

Many people ask the question: is a galvanized mesh, steel or aluminum material suitable? It is better to opt for a steel structure, as it is durable.

To make a wooden cage with mesh doors and a floor, the mesh must be chosen carefully so that it does not injure the paws of the animals. Experienced breeders advise using it with small cells. Metal material is used. The mesh thickness is 2 mm, and the mesh size is 16x48 mm. For the construction of the side walls of the cage, a galvanized mesh is suitable.

For the construction of the door, any kind of mesh is used. It doesn't have to be welded. Wicker is also allowed.

In the warm season, animals can be kept in a cage fenced with a net. A wicker construction with a thickness of 1.2 mm is suitable for it.

Building cages for rabbits involves certain questions: how many and what breed of rabbits will you breed, will you breed. After that, we already choose the type of enclosure and proceed to work. We use the most affordable materials - plywood or wood, mesh and slate. Since the rabbits will gnaw the cages from the inside, we do not use in our work something that can harm their health: chemical antiseptics, materials with metal shavings.

The main types of aviaries - what is common and how are they different?

Rabbits are capricious animals. The cage can be placed both indoors and outdoors. But street cages are suitable only for the southern regions, otherwise the eared ones will freeze in winter. The optimum temperature for keeping rabbits is from 10 to 20 degrees. In enclosures, drafts, direct sunlight and humidity above 75% should be avoided. Considering all this, find the most optimal place and start choosing the type of aviary.

There are several types of cages for rabbits:

• simple cells, with or without a queen cell; with an aviary for walking or without;
• cells of I. N. Mikhailov;
• cells of N. I. Zolotukhin.

Regardless of the type of enclosure, it is placed at a height of at least 70 cm from the ground in one or more tiers. This can be done using high legs or wall mounts. In this way, the rabbits will be protected from rodents and other animals, and the air in the rooms will circulate better. The size of a rabbit's home depends on the breed, sex, and age.

Simple cells - advantages and disadvantages

For the manufacture of enclosures with their own hands, they try to take natural materials, for example, boards. Since rabbits gnaw on everything they come across, chipboard should not be used. It is both harmful to animals and crumbles quickly. Often inside the rabbit housing is protected from the teeth of animals with iron lining. But this can only be done if the temperature of the content is stable in both winter and summer. Otherwise, the iron will be very hot from the sun or cool in winter.

Particular attention is paid to the floor of the aviary. Rabbit urine is very caustic, and therefore corrodes wood. Most often, the floor is made of mesh. Sometimes they stuff a lattice of wooden slats. So all the stool will flow down. It will be much easier to clean the cages, which means that the likelihood of rabbits getting sick becomes less.

In the manufacture of cages for decorative rabbits, a net is not used, because due to the lack of pads on their paws, they simply cannot sit on such a floor for a long time.

Attach the mother liquor to the enclosures if you plan to breed rabbits. It is in the mother liquor that the female gives birth and nurses the rabbits. Only when they get stronger, she moves to the main room. The quality and quantity of offspring is affected by the attached open-air cage, since the high mobility of individuals contributes to their reproduction.

Mikhailov's cells - rabbit mini-farm

Mikhailov's design is more complex enclosures suitable for a large farm. They are often used in industry, helping to significantly reduce labor costs. The construction of such an aviary is patented, has automatic cleaning and feeding, heated queen cells. Most often, this is a three-level house with a middle floor for feeding and an upper floor for walking. Building it yourself is quite difficult, it requires good construction experience and significant financial costs.

Zolotukhin's cells - saving space and building material

Zolotukhin cells are easier to manufacture. Their main distinguishing feature is that the floor is made under a slope. For it, not the usual mesh is used, but plywood or slate. The grid is installed only at the cell wall itself. According to studies, rabbits in 90% of cases relieve themselves at the walls. Zolotukhin's design takes up little space, the cells in it are arranged in three rows of two. This saves both space and material for work. Such enclosures are well suited for keeping a large number of rabbits; it is not advisable to use them for several individuals.

Making a regular cell

To save material and space, the cells are made at least paired. For the base, a board 3 m long by 0.7 m is taken. So you can fit two compartments 1.5 meters long. These cell sizes are suitable for young or male individuals. For females, a smaller size is sufficient. First of all, you need to prepare drawings with dimensions, based on tips and illustrations.

To make this design, you will need:

• 2 sheets of plywood (1.5 by 1.5 meters);
• 10 three-meter bars (30 by 50 mm);
• 3 m mesh with 15 mm cells;
• screws and tools for work.

The size of the cells in the mesh used should not exceed 20 mm, otherwise the rabbits will get stuck in them.

Before making a homemade aviary, many farmers advise treating the tree with antibacterial impregnations. It is worth choosing the safest formulations, since otherwise you can poison the animal. First of all, a frame with a height of 1.2 in front and 1 meter in the back is made from bars.

Then the floor is hemmed with a grid. It is not necessary to reach the edges with a mesh, there will be queen cells, and the floor in them is made without holes. The back wall is made of plywood, fastened to the bars with self-tapping screws. Along the edges, mother liquors are also made of plywood. The ceiling is slightly lowered in them so that they look more like a hole. A small hole is made in the side wall, with a diameter of 16 centimeters. Such a mother liquor can be made removable if desired.

Make a feeder in the center. It is more convenient to divide it into two parts: for feed and for hay. The first is a tall box with a bowl base. And the second is a trapezoidal mesh box.

The roof is made of plywood with overlaps of 5-10 centimeters. You can make it in two parts, leaving a gap in the middle. It will be convenient to fill the feeders in it. Then doors are made using bars and mesh.

According to the same step-by-step instructions, you can make a cage with two or three floors. But in this case, the roof is covered with some kind of protective material. For example, upholstered with sheet iron or polycarbonate. Then your rabbit house will last longer.

Making a Zolotukhin cell

Making an aviary using the Zolotukhin method with your own hands is not much more difficult than building an ordinary cage. For this you will need:

• wooden bars;
• net;
• boards;
• sheet iron;
• polycarbonate;
• slate.

An aviary of the following dimensions will be built: 2 m wide, 1.5 m high, 80 cm deep. The slope of the floor is 5 cm, a 20 cm strip of net will be located at the back wall.

First, we build a similar frame for the aviary. In the middle we leave a place for a sennik. But the floor, unlike an ordinary cage, is lined not with a net, but with durable slate. Do not forget to indent 20 centimeters from the back wall.

The back walls are made of polycarbonate. They need to be fixed at an angle so that the upper part of the wall joins with the slate edge of the floor of the next floor. And at the very top tier it is straight. This scheme allows rabbit droppings to roll down the walls.

Closed queen cells are made on the sides of the structure, similarly to a regular cage. All other walls and doors of the enclosure are made of mesh.

The feeder in the Zolotukhin model is also not simple. It is inserted directly into the door and rests on hinged nails. Thanks to this, you can pour the feed and clean the feeder without opening the door. It occupies about 2/3 of the width of the door. The outer wall of the feeder is twice as high as the inner wall.

No wonder Zolotukhin's cells have long been very popular: they are easy to manufacture and easy to maintain.

It is best to start building aviaries with the simplest option. Later, given the experience gained, you can move on to more complex structures, including Mikhailov's mini-farm.

How to build a cage for rabbits yourself? This question usually arises among beginners who decide to start rabbit breeding. Experienced farmers usually develop designs that are convenient for themselves and make it easier to care for animals.

Cells can be different in structure and made from a variety of materials. They are made completely simple or additionally equipped with "amenities", such as running water or heating. In the construction of the cage, much will depend on the planned number of rabbits, their breed and size, on the availability of retreat materials and on the place where it will be installed, on the desire and ability to equip it with various devices, as well as on the ability to work with carpentry and locksmith tools.

Location of cells

Rabbit cages can be located in utility rooms, such as, for example, or right on the street. Therefore, they can be divided into three types according to their location and the method of breeding rabbits:

• Year-round outdoor placement of cages, when the animals are constantly in the air.
• Year-round keeping of pets indoors.
• A combined breeding option, that is, in winter, the rabbits are indoors, and with the onset of warm weather they are transferred to the street.

Experienced rabbit breeders believe that the best way to breed these animals is to keep them outdoors all year round, as this favors the development of immunity to various diseases and the formation of a healthy, high-quality hairline. In addition, when raising rabbits on the street, the productivity of females is significantly improved, which increases the number of rabbits in the litter and their endurance.

street cages

Cages for rabbits are most often installed on the street if it is planned to breed a large number of animals - one hundred or more individuals.

The convenience of arranging rabbitries in outdoor conditions lies in the presence of more space and ease of care for your "menagerie", since each of the cages needs periodic cleaning.

Rabbit cage

Sufficiently strong materials are used to build outdoor cages, since the construction must be reliable and stable - these qualities will help protect rabbits from adverse natural factors, as well as from penetration into the cages of predatory animals - dogs, foxes, cats or rats.

It is desirable that the building be located under a large front visor, so that any precipitation, as well as direct sunlight, does not bother the pets much.

If the rabbits will be outside all year round, then you need to take care of warming one of the parts of the cage. These animals tolerate low winter temperatures well, but it will still be useful to create comfortable conditions for them and a special place where they can bask on especially cold days and nights.

Cells placed indoors

Cages placed in non-ventilated rooms can be completely made of a metal mesh fixed on a wooden frame, and have a wooden slatted floor. If breeding pets is carried out indoors, it is important to think carefully about the convenient disposal of their waste.

Combined breeding option for rabbits

In another case, if funds and space allow, cages are built in two places - both on the street and in the shed. This method of farming is unlikely to suit those farmers who breed a large number of pets, since a fairly large area will be required to install winter and summer cages.

Cell design and size

Rabbit cages can be single-tiered and multi-tiered. In addition, their design may vary depending on the main purpose - for okrol, for rearing young animals or for keeping adult pets.

Single-tier and multi-tier structures

Cells are single-tiered and multi-tiered, but they are located in no more than three tiers.

• single tier cages

Single-tier buildings are raised above the ground by 700 ÷ 800 mm and covered with a roof made of or metal sheet. If this version of the buildings will be located on the street, then it is better to choose a slate roof, since the metal heats up quickly, and rabbits do not tolerate extreme heat very well.

To collect and dispose of animal waste in a single-tiered cage, a metal tray is often arranged, made in the form of a drain, for the convenience of its regular cleaning.

• Multi-tiered cages

More often, multi-tiered cages are practiced, which can have two or three tiers, and on each of which a different number of sections are placed. Such structures are most often made of bars, boards and galvanized mesh, and they are used for breeding rabbits, both outdoors and indoors.

Similar cage designs are called sheds - in them, tiers with sections are located one above the other, which helps to significantly save space.

The best option is a two-tier design, as it will allow for comfortable care and monitoring of pets.

Shed is recommended to be raised above the ground by 500 ÷ 600 mm, when installed indoors, and by 700 ÷ 750 mm in outdoor conditions. Such a cage is considered the best for keeping rabbits, so it is used most often.

When building multi-tiered cages, a space of at least 150 mm high must remain between each of the tiers. A sloping metal roof is installed over the cages. In the space between the tiers and under the lower tier, sloping tides are fixed. They are necessary so that the waste products of rabbits do not fall into the lower cages and do not linger on the lower roof, but flow down to the ground or into a common or separate drain for each tier arranged behind the structure. On each of these low tides, the sides are bent to prevent waste from falling outside this plane.

Some owners prefer to use removable plastic trays that are mounted on skids under the slatted floor and can be removed for cleaning and rinsing.

Another option - pallets are installed directly in the cages. In addition, cells are sometimes made with a solid floor. Both of the latter options are probably still not very convenient, since the bedding in the cages will have to be changed quite often - once every two to three days.

Cells for okrol

In cages intended for kindling, special chambers are arranged on the sides, or a place is provided for installing a mobile mother liquor. In a design with a stationary compartment, the walls, removable floor and ceiling are made solid, since it must be well insulated and not draughty, otherwise the rabbits will die.

The floor in the rest of the cage, where the aft section is located, is made of wooden blocks or metal mesh.

The mobile mother liquor is a fully enclosed box with a round entry hole. The box should also have an additional side door to allow it to be cleaned and dried.

cages for okrol

A mobile mother liquor is convenient in that it can be rearranged, if necessary, into different cages, and it is also easier to clean and change the litter in it.

This chamber is insulated with dry, mold-free hay or shavings. Small sawdust is not recommended, as they can get into the respiratory tract of rabbits, and they will die.

If the round is carried out in the winter, then a few days before it, it is recommended to place an electric heating pad in the mother liquor to create comfortable conditions for the rabbit.

In the cold season, it is often impossible to do without heating the uterine region, therefore, instead of a heating pad, you can also use an ordinary light bulb, which is kept constantly on during this period. It is placed in a compartment located behind the wall of the uterine chamber. Having chosen this heating option, it is necessary to take care of fire safety, so the chamber where the lamp will be located must be sheathed with a thin metal sheet.

Another way to heat this part of the cage is, which is fixed at the bottom of the mother liquor, and a removable floor panel is laid on top of it. Using this option, it must be ensured that the cable in the cage is solid, without splicing. This system, installed according to all the rules, allows you to adjust the temperature in the uterine compartment depending on the temperature outside - it can be connected to a thermostatic regulator.

For cages located in barn rooms, it is best to make queen cells mobile so that they can be taken outside for thorough cleaning, ventilation and drying in the sun. If a built-in uterine chamber is planned, then the floor must be removable.

Each section of cells of this type usually has a length of 1000÷1200 mm, a depth of 550÷650 mm, a height along the front side of 550÷600 mm and 400÷450 mm along the back wall. The built-in uterine chamber is made 350 ÷ 400 mm wide.

Cages for young animals

Cages for young animals should be designed for keeping 8÷20 rabbits at the same time at the age of three to five months. A group cage is made with an area of ​​​​approximately 0.25 - 0.3 m² per pet, with a wall height of at least 350 mm.

If the cells are made multi-tiered and installed on the street, then they must be raised above the ground by at least 700 ÷ 750 mm.

In cages for young animals, a warm nest compartment should also be well insulated for the winter period, in much the same way as for newborn rabbits. For insulation, hay or straw is used, laid with a thickness of 15 ÷ 20 mm. You should not choose artificial materials for insulation, as they have a bad effect on the development and growth of babies of all breeds of rabbits.

Cage for adult rabbits

For adult rabbits of medium-sized breeds, cages are made with sections 600 ÷ 700 mm deep, a facade height of 600 mm and a length of 1000 mm - these are the minimum dimensions for the comfortable development of an adult animal. For these cells, the same block construction is used, in each of the blocks there are two cells separated by a wall.

It is also necessary to provide for the union of these cells into one, for example, for the mating period - for this, the partition between them is made removable. The floor in cages for adults is recommended to be made of galvanized mesh.

It is very important to take into account that pets must move freely inside the cages, as their growth and development will depend on this.

Cage with aviary for walking

This cage design is well suited for keeping young animals or for rabbits of reproductive age. The cage consists of two compartments - this is a zone completely closed by walls and a roof and a mesh aviary. Two compartments are connected by a round or rectangular entrance cut into the rear wall of the cage with solid surfaces. Rabbits in such cages have the opportunity to move freely and safely, which is favorable for their development and growth.

The dimensions of such structures can be different, but usually the depth of a closed cage is 600÷650 mm, and the depth of the enclosure is 800÷1000 mm. Most often, a regular single-tier block is built, consisting of two separate cages, and then, if there is space behind it, a mesh aviary is attached to it.

Cages for giant rabbits

Large rabbits of the giant meat-and-skin breed require a special approach, since not standard cages are lined up for them, but those with more significant parameters. Individuals of this breed grow to sizes from 550 to 650 mm in length, and their weight is from 5.5 to 7.5 kg. It is from these figures that one must build on when drawing up a drawing of a construction project.

For one adult "giant" rabbit, a cage with a size of at least 960 mm in length, 700 mm in depth and 600 ÷ 700 mm in height will be required.

For young animals of this breed, in one brood of which there are an average of eight rabbits, a cage of 1.2 m², at least 400 mm high, will be required.

Since the "giant" rabbits are quite heavy, the floor of the cage should be strengthened - it is also laid out of a galvanized mesh, but made of thicker wire, for example, 2 ÷ 2.2 mm. In addition, so that the mesh does not sag under the weight of the animal, when making the floor, it is necessary to first fix the bars 30 × 30 mm in size, laid at a distance of 35 ÷ 40 mm from each other, and then lay and fix the metal mesh on top of them.

Some farmers lay a solid floor in cages, but in this case, the best option would be to install plastic or rubber pallets in them. If this option is chosen for arranging the cell, then it will have to be cleaned of waste daily or once every two days.

metal aviary

Cage for California rabbits

This breed of rabbits (a hybrid of the New Zealand breed, the Soviet chinchilla and the Russian ermine) is quite popular because of its unpretentious care and resistance to negative winter temperatures. In size, adult individuals of the Californian breed are smaller than the "giants" and their length is 450 ÷ 500 mm, but their weight sometimes reaches up to 4.5 ÷ 5 kg. The cage for these rabbits should be approximately 0.4÷0.5 m² in size. The paws of pets of this breed are covered with hard hair, so they will be quite comfortable in cages with a mesh or slatted floor.

In the case where Californian rabbits are raised exclusively for meat, they are often kept in a 2000×2000 pit 1000 mm deep. The walls of the pit are reinforced with slate, a plank or mesh floor is laid on the floors, a low fence is installed around the pit and a roof is being built.

An earthen niche is made in one of the walls of the pit, which is not strengthened by anything. It is necessary in order to create conditions close to the natural habitat of these animals. Rabbits will happily dig holes in the ground, and with proper care, they will breed well and raise their young on their own.

Feeders and drinkers for rabbit cages

To facilitate the care of pets, it is worth considering the convenient supply of food and water to them. There are many different designs, both feeders and drinkers. You can buy them ready-made or even make your own.

drinkers

Rabbits need a lot of clean water, and if it is poured into a bowl that is not fixed at a certain height, then various debris will fall into it, or, even worse, a rabbit, stepping into it with its paw, will simply knock it over and spill water.

It is very important to decide on the choice of material from which the drinkers will be made. For example, if you install products made of thin plastic, they will not last for a long time, as rabbits will gnaw them. In metal cans, water will quickly become dirty and cloudy. Therefore, experienced rabbit breeders have developed several simple designs that allow you to constantly provide animals with the necessary amount of water.

Automatic drinkers

This type of drinker is often used both on large farms and in small households. The design of this drinker consists of a bowl connected to a container filled with water. Moreover, the bowl is in a cage, and the container is located outside, so it is easy to replenish it with new supplies of fresh water.

The principle of operation of such devices is quite simple - as the water decreases from the bowl, a new portion of liquid will flow into it from the container. In this case, the float system is triggered - there is little water left in the bowl, so the valve installed in it opens in the tank and the drinking bowl is replenished with water. It is quite difficult to make such a drinker yourself, but it can be purchased ready-made.

Nipple drinkers

The nipple type of drinkers is convenient and practical, since in this case the animals cannot pour water - it remains in the tube until the rabbit begins to drink, performing sucking movements.

The disadvantage of this water delivery system is that at low temperatures, the water in the tank and in the pipes freezes quickly, so this drinker can only be used in the warm season.

Vacuum drinker

There are several ways to make a drinker from an ordinary plastic bottle, and these should be considered, so the manufacturing process can be done independently.

The principle of operation of this design is based on the laws of physics, and in order to make it, you need to act as follows:

• A bowl having a flat bottom, sides about 50 mm high and an elongated shape is fixed to the cage at a height of 100 mm from the floor, so that half of it is inside the cage, and the other remains outside.

• Water is collected in an ordinary plastic bottle for two or one and a half liters. Then the bottle is closed with a cap or even a sheet of paper, which is firmly pressed against the neck. Next, the container is quickly turned upside down and placed in a bowl. The neck should not reach the bottom 2 ÷ 3 mm. Then the bottle is fixed to the cage with wire or clamps.
• The lid is carefully unscrewed (if paper was used, it is simply pulled out), and the bowl is filled with water by about ⅔. As the pets drink water, water will flow from the bottle into the bowl, filling it to the previous level.

Choke drinker

This drinker works on the principle of a conventional manual washbasin, that is, when you press the throttle, installed together with the valve in the bottle cap, water begins to flow through the hole through the hole.

The hole in the cover should not be large, but the throttle should move up and down easily in it. A rubber gasket can be used as a valve, which holds the throttle well and closes the hole in the bottle cap in a calm state.

The bottle with this device is fixed vertically on the cage, at a height of 250÷300 mm from the floor.

Hanging drinker

This is a very simple version of a drinker made from a plastic bottle, it is hung on wire holders at a height of 250÷300 mm from the floor. To make such a drinker in the side of the bottle, a cut is made 100 ÷ 120 mm wide and almost the entire bottle long, stepping back from the lid and bottom 50 ÷ 60 mm.

The drinker is fixed on the outside of the cage so that the hole cut in the bottle is turned inward. In the cage at this level, a part of the mesh wall is also cut out so that the rabbits can easily get to the water. Such a drinker will have to be replenished with water quite often, but it is extremely easy to manufacture.

feeders

It is advisable to plan feeders at the stage of drawing up a drawing of the entire structure. Feeding devices can be of three types:

• Senniki are most often located between two adjacent cells, and have a V-shape. They are made together with the design of the cell itself - they, in fact, are its integral part. Fresh grass or dry hay is put into these feeders, and the rabbits pull it out through the lattice walls.

• Feeding trough for filling compound feed. This product is necessary for rabbits to enrich their body with minerals and vitamins, which contributes to the rapid growth of animals. This food is especially important in winter, when there is no grass, fresh vegetables and fruits.

Feeders for compound feed can be made from metal sheet used for laying sewers or from other materials. An important condition that must be met for the effective operation of this device is the correct and reliable fastening of the container to the cell wall. The principle of operation of such a device is that the food independently enters the bowl located in the cage, from the container fixed outside it, as it decreases.

• A device for vegetables, fruits, tops and other fresh chopped products can be made from any material. It is roomy and easy to clean. The feeder must be kept clean, otherwise harmful insects that can cause various diseases in animals can start in and around it.

Independent production of a multi-tiered cage

Before purchasing materials, it is recommended to draw up an accurate drawing of a cage or a multi-tiered complex. On the plan, it is necessary to foresee the location of feeders and drinkers in advance, especially in cases where they will be built into the overall structure.

In this case, a step-by-step description of the manufacture of a three-tier cage 1400 mm wide, 1900 mm high and 600 mm deep is presented.

To work, you will need the following materials:

The table below describes the process of mounting the cage step by step:

Illustration	Brief description of the operation to be performed
	From the purchased boards, it is necessary to make parts for mounting the frame: - 100 × 30 × 2250 mm - 4 pcs.; - 50 × 30 × 1340 mm - 12 pcs.; - 50 × 30 × 540 mm - 12 pcs.; - 25×30×540 mm - 72 pcs.
	From the prepared lumber, six identical frame frames are assembled with a size of 1340 × 600 mm.
	Frames are easy to make. First, one is assembled with exact dimensions and squareness, and then it is used as a template for making the rest. To assemble each frame, you will need two beams measuring 50x30x540 mm and two beams measuring 50x30x1340 mm. Smaller bars are fixed between two long ones with two self-tapping screws at each joint.
	As a result of installation, six neat, even frames of the same size should be obtained.
	In the next step, the frame frames are exposed and fixed on boards measuring 100 × 30 × 2250 mm, laid at a distance of the width of the frame. The distance between the frames that form the frame and the floor of the cage of each tier should be 400 mm. The space left between the tiers is 180 mm. The first tier should be raised above the ground by 400 mm. The frames are fastened with two self-tapping screws, screwed along the diagonal line of intersection at the junctions of the frame frame and side boards.
	In the next step, the frames are also fastened along the upper edge with two boards laid parallel to the bottom. Here it is important to ensure that the frames are perfectly vertical. To check their verticality, a building level is used.
	Next, the blocks are prepared for the installation of the slatted floor. Their size should be 25 × 30 × 540 mm.
	The distance between the bars of the crate should be 15 ÷ 20 mm (in the light). They are installed inside the frame frame, and through it, on the side, are fixed with self-tapping screws on both sides.
	In exactly the same way, the floor of the cells is sheathed on all three tiers. If it is planned to make a mother liquor on one of the tiers, where the birth takes place, and where the rabbits will be until a certain age, then in this place the floor of the cage should be solid and removable. The arrangement of the mother liquor was described above.
	Will each of the tiers be divided into two separate cells? between which a sennik is mounted in the form of a Latin letter V. Hay or grass for rabbits will be placed here. The sennik is formed from four bars, which are installed on both sides of the frame. The size of the sennik is 150÷200 mm in the upper part, and 6÷8 mm in the lower part. Naturally, it is necessary to achieve a clear correspondence between the location of the inclined crossbars on both sides of the frame.
	In order for the doors to have the correct rectangular shape, the sennik can be made from boards by cutting off one of their sides at a certain angle and connecting them at the bottom from the inside of the cage. Thus, the outer edge of the sennik will be even and will act as a wall to which the door will adjoin. In addition, the front parts of the sennik can also be cut out of plywood 15 mm thick.
	The frame of the sennik is sheathed inside along installed bars (or cuts made at an angle in boards or plywood) with a 0.7 mm wire mesh with 25 × 25 mm cells.
	If it is planned to make a mother liquor in the cage, then it is separated from the cage by a plywood or plank wall with a small entrance. To make this wall easier to mount, additional bars are mounted in the structure, to which the plywood jumper will be fixed.
	The entrance to the wall can be round or semicircular, but it must be located at a height of 100 ÷ 120 mm from the floor of the cage - this distance must be observed so that the rabbits cannot get into a large cage until they can overcome this height on their own. The width of the entrance to the mother liquor should be approximately 150 mm. After the hole is cut out, it must be cleaned with sandpaper, as its edges must be absolutely smooth.
	The width of the mother liquor is usually 300÷350 mm. The jumper wall is fixed on the bars, then the same wall is mounted on the outside of the cage, and then the roof panel is fixed. If in the main space of the cage the roof can be sheathed with a metal mesh, then in the mother liquor, it should be solid. Lastly, a bottom made of plywood is laid in the mother liquor compartment. However, it should not be fixed to the lower bars with self-tapping screws, since after the rabbits grow up and move to other, more spacious cages, the bottom part of the uterine chamber is removed, washed, dried and put in place for the next kindling.
	The final stage in the installation of the mother liquor is the installation of a folding outer door on it for the entire width of the chamber. In the lower part, the door is fixed to the beam with two metal hinges.
	In the middle of the upper part of the door panel, a latch or latch is installed.
	Further, a cage door frame is made from 30 × 30 mm bars. It is made according to the size of the opening formed in the cell wall. The bars of the door frame are fastened together at the corners with two self-tapping screws.
	The illustration shows the finished frame of the door before it is sheathed with a metal mesh.
	The mesh is fixed to the frame with staples and a stapler - such a fixation will be quite enough.
	The door with the grid installed on it from the inside looks like this.
	Hinges on mesh doors can be mounted at the bottom (then the door will be hinged), or on one side of the opening (in this case it becomes a swing door). It all depends on the ease of use in specific conditions.
	If the cages are to be installed under a roof, for example in a shed or other closed utility room, the walls and roof of the cages can also be sheathed with mesh. When installing the structure outdoors, the side and rear walls and the roof must be sheathed with plywood or boards
	It is very important to make the right tides under each tier of cages so that animal waste from the upper cages does not fall into the lower ones. For the manufacture of ebbs, a metal sheet is used, on which the edges are bent on the sides - these sides should have a height of 80 ÷ 100 mm. The tides are fixed to the front lower part of the frame under the cage, and its other edge is laid on the back wall of the bottom cage and goes beyond its limits by 300÷350 mm. Thus, it turns out the slope of the ebbs and their protrusion beyond the structure back - so that they do not interfere with the approach to the rabbitry from the front side.
	The result should be something like this cell. This design option, in terms of complexity, can be called the simplest and most affordable even for beginners.

If the principles of arranging cages for rabbits are understood, then when drawing up a drawing, if desired, it is quite possible to make your own adjustments. But at the same time, it is still necessary to always keep in mind that any adult rabbit needs at least 0.5 m² of living space. It is even better to stick to the recommended section sizes, about 1000 mm in length, 600÷ 700 in depth, and from 400 to 600 mm in height.

And at the end of the article - a video in which the rabbit breeder shares the secrets of the device of improved cells:

Video: an interesting option for rabbit cages