Keeping eared animals has long been practiced by industrial farms and ordinary people who decided to organize a small farm on their plot. Keeping furry animals is a pleasure, as they do not require constant attention and are quite easy to care for. For the business to be successful, you need to provide the animals with comfortable living conditions. Today we will tell you what rabbit cages you can make with your own hands.

When choosing a place for the future residence of animals and installing their cage houses, you need to pay attention to some parameters of the selected territory.

Cages for eared animals can be placed:

  • on the street;
  • indoors.

Of course, the first option is suitable only for those farms located in the territory southern regions with a consistently warm and mild climate. Otherwise, in winter time Animals will not survive outside without shelter. If you and your rabbits are planning to live in just such a fertile place, consider the following rules.

  1. The level of air humidity that rabbits tolerate well has an upper limit of 75%. They will not be able to physically endure a greater percentage of it; they will begin to waste away and get sick. Based on this, the place to install the cages should be dry, located far from bodies of water, preferably on a hill.
  2. There are recommendations regarding sun exposure as well. Eared animals like to bask under them only in cartoons; in life, this will only bring harm and lead to widespread diseases and death of animals. To be straight Sun rays do not fall on the cages, install them in the shade of garden trees or organize canopies. If rabbit breeding is your life's work, you can plant a bush fence that will scatter the sun's rays, letting them pass through.


During insulation, pay attention to those cages that are prepared for pregnant rabbits and newborn rabbits.

Requirements for indoor housing for rabbits


Growing, breeding and feeding rabbits

Building a comfortable hutch for rabbits is less than half the battle. It is equally important to properly organize the process of keeping, feeding and breeding rabbits. Read on to find out what features exist in the process of raising rabbits and what are the differences in the methods of keeping them.

Let's start building

Before starting construction work, you need to correctly select the materials that will be used in the process.

Necessary materials

When creating housing for rabbits, it is better to give preference natural materials in order to bring the keeping of animals as close as possible to natural conditions. Therefore, as a basis for the cells, it is necessary to choose high-quality wooden blocks, which are additionally treated with antiseptics.

Additionally, to build cells we will need:

  • boards and quality wood;
  • thin plywood;
  • fine-mesh welded mesh;
  • wooden slats, 3-4 centimeters wide;
  • metal wire of medium thickness;
  • wide plastic trays according to the size of the cells;

It is best to line the inner surface of the cage walls with plywood, as it is a moisture-resistant and strong material. Chipboard, for example, is not suitable for such a purpose, since it absorbs moisture and collapses due to swelling.

What types of cages are there for rabbits?

All rabbit hutches are built according to some general principles however, they still have differences. All the nuances of construction depend on what breeds and individuals of the rabbit people will live inside the cages being built. There will be at least several species in your household, and here's why.


As you can see, cells can differ in many ways, depending on the characteristics of future residents. However, for each of them there is general instructions construction, which varies depending on the goals. Let's start looking at it.

Important nuances

Before we announce the instructions themselves, let’s clarify some important points. Standard sizes spacious rabbit cage are:

  • 120-170 centimeters in length;
  • about 50 centimeters in height;
  • 70-80 centimeters wide.

As a rule, if the cell parameters change, only the length is reduced. The height and width remain standard, since these are the parameters that are most comfortable for care.

Mixing rabbits of different genders in the same cage is prohibited, as this can lead to:

  • uncontrolled matings;
  • difficult to track pregnancies;
  • fights between males for the attention of females;
  • fights of females for the attention of males;
  • strangling of each other's offspring by warring females.

Instructions for building a rabbit cage yourself

So, let's move on to the step-by-step instructions for building a cage for rabbits. We propose to consider housing for eared animals, consisting of two sections. Adults will live in one of them, and pregnant queens with offspring will live in the second. For a while, until you have a nursing female with cubs, you can put houses for rabbits in the nesting compartment, in which they will hide when bad mood and the desire to take a break from furry roommates.

Let's start building.

Step 1

Take the prepared wooden beams and treat them with antiseptics. This is necessary to prevent the tree from rotting and the penetration of harmful microorganisms into its structure, which can subsequently ruin the health of the eared animals.

Remember, the composition of antiseptics should be as gentle as possible and not contain large amounts of chlorine, which burns wood and destroys its structure. This is important because the cells are used mercilessly and it is necessary that they last a long time.

Step 2

Take a wooden beam prepared ahead of time and saw it so that you get parts with the following parameters:

  • 4 beams of 1.5 meters each;
  • the same number of bars 55 centimeters each;
  • two pairs of bars 70 centimeters each.

Instead of four bars 55 centimeters long, you can make only two and two more 35 centimeters each. The smaller ones will be installed as frame pieces for the back of the cage where we will place the queen nest.

Step 3

Connect the shortest and half-meter beams together to create two identical shapes. If the parameters of the bars for the frame of the front and back of the cage are the same, then you will get a rectangle; if they are different, you will get a trapezoid.

Step 4

Now connect the rectangles together using pieces of wood 70 centimeters long. You should end up with a wooden frame structure that resembles a large box in shape.

Step 5

Let's start installing the floor. It can be made from several different materials. Introducing comparison table pros and cons of each of them.

Metallic profile Fine mesh Wood slats
+ - + - + -
  • long lifespan;
  • ease of care.
  • you will have to weld the grate yourself;
  • The cells should be small so that the rabbits’ paws do not fall inside.
  • easy to install;
  • easy to clean.
  • may tear;
  • service life depends very much on the quality of welding;
  • rabbits can damage their paws.
  • environmentally friendly material;
  • easy to install.
  • if handled poorly, rabbits can get a splinter;
  • rots and requires replacement after a short service life.

A good solution would be to use combinations, for example, the first layer can be made from a metal profile welded in the usual way, without small and frequent holes. The second layer is made of fine mesh. The profile will prevent it from deforming and this floor will last a long time.

It is impossible to make a non-mesh floor in the main compartment, since animal feces will pass through the holes and accumulate in the tray under the cage.

Install the selected material on most of the future floor of the cage and secure it with fasteners. Leave 40-50 centimeters blank

Step 6

The remaining unfilled space under the floor must be made of wood and solid, since the rabbit’s nest will be located there. It is best to screw a board to the beams, which must be well sanded so that the animal does not get injured. At the junction of the cells and the board, screw in a metal strip and weld the mesh to it.

Step 7

Let's start covering the walls. The back one is also made from boards polished and impregnated with gentle antiseptics. The front one is made of mesh so that you can observe what your pets are doing. Leave the ceiling unclogged.

Step 8

We line the plank walls from the inside of the cage using plywood. The material must be multi-layered and good quality. The thickness can be any, but you don’t need to take a very thick sheet so as not to make the structure too weighty.

You can fasten plywood using self-tapping screws or nails. The main thing is that the sharp part of the nail does not come out and does not injure you when caring for the cage.

Step 9

We are building a roof. To do this we need a sheet of plywood and hinges, like on doors or cabinets. First, we screw the hinges to one of the upper beams of the frame, then we plant a sheet of good plywood on them. Here it is better to choose a thicker material, because the roof of the house will constantly rise and fall. Make sure it fits snugly. If there are large gaps between the frame and the roof, harmful drafts cannot be avoided.

If it was not possible to fit the lid to the frame tightly, do not despair. Take some felt or padding polyester and cover the perimeter of the roof. This can be done even if there are no cracks, since in winter such insulation will be useful for long-eared ones.

Step 10

At the junction of the wire mesh and the boards, install a board that goes from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall. Make a medium-sized hole in advance so that the rabbits can move freely from one cage to another.

Step 11

Place the cages on supports that have been previously installed in the rabbitry. Now, mount the tray from the bottom of the cage. It can only match the size of the mesh part of the floor, since the feces of the rabbit and baby rabbits will not leak through the wooden floors.

Step 12

Now install feeders and drinkers inside the cages. You can also make them yourself from wood, in the form of small troughs. Be sure to find a place for hay as well. Some rabbit breeders place it in homemade hanging structures so that rabbits can reach it and at the same time not trample it, turning it into bedding.

Now that you have learned how to make the simplest version of rabbit cages, let's turn our attention to other popular options.

Family cage

The family home for long-eared animals no longer consists of two, but of three sections. A breeding male with good quality characteristics of health and appearance is settled there. Females live in the side compartments, and males live in the middle compartment. Between the rooms there are manholes, this time with valves. This is necessary so that at the moment one of the females is ready to conceive offspring, release her to the inseminator, and then do the same with the other rabbit.

This option for constructing cages is considered very effective for breeding purebred animals, as it allows you to pre-sort suitable friend friend of individuals and track upcoming pregnancies.

Construction Features

Let's name some points in building cells from three sections that will help you during construction.


Cages for rabbits in two tiers

The construction of a two-tier rabbit hutch structure is not too different from a single-tier one. Such a structure will have the following parameters:

  • height 2 - 2.5 meters;
  • width 1.4 meters;
  • Along the edges of the structure, every 10 centimeters are allocated for the installation of feeders.

The dimensions may vary depending on your idea, but making the cage smaller is not rational.

Construction instructions

So, let's start building a two-tier cage.

PhotoStep
Step 1. Exactly the same as in the first instructions, we connect the bars to make four frame frames. Each of them will serve as the lower and top part for two cells. We also saw off eight bars of equal height for the corner parts of the cell “skeleton”.
Step 2. Making floors for cages. The larger part, as in the case of a single-tier structure, will be mesh, the smaller part will be solid, made of boards. We leave it at the back wall short distance about 10 centimeters, where we will place a drain for animal waste. This distance should be covered with a dense mesh with cells larger than the main one for the floor.
Step 3. The back wall is made of boards, then lined with plywood on the inside. The side and front walls are also equipped with mesh with medium-sized cells.
Step 4. Using slats and metal plugs, we separate the inside of the house for the eared compartments, leaving space between them for a shaped hay box English letter"V".
Step 5. We attach metal sheets to the waste disposal compartment that go to the tray under the cage. Each cage has its own collection of excrement and is installed so that it can be pulled out and cleaned. For the upper tier it is placed on the ceiling of the lower one, and for the lower one - on special corners of the stand, mounted in the holding frame for the cages.
Step 6. We equip the roofs for each of the tiers from plywood, reinforced with felt or thick linoleum.

To make it possible to care for caged animals, make the back wall or roof hinged.

Video - Cage for rabbits, self-building

Cell according to the Mikhailov method

Today there are many popular methods of breeding eared animals. One of the most effective is Mikhailov’s mini-farm. The features of the mini-farm are as follows. It allows you to receive a large number of healthy offspring and raise them into productive adults with minimal attention from the farmer.

The design features of Mikhailov’s mini-farm make it possible to achieve the following positive effects.

Cell cleansing occurs without human intervention. AND we're talking about not only about animal excrement, but also about food waste containing harmful fumes. Rabbits do not inhale them and remain healthy. Due to the fact that inside the rabbit houses such a high level hygiene, infection-carrying insects do not fly inside, since they simply have nothing to profit from.

Adding food and adding water to the feeders occurs once a week. Yes, now you are freed from the need to constantly monitor the presence of these batteries in the cage of your charges every day. The fact is that the feeders constantly fill themselves as they eat food from the feeders. Another plus is that in winter the water in the drinking bowls is automatically heated.

Areas for pregnant and newborn rabbits with their offspring are also warmed up in cold weather, which allows animals to crossbreed all year round and ensure the health of newborns.

The internal structure of the cell is as close as possible to natural conditions, which provokes the activation of instincts in animals. Thus, the queen cell reminds an animal of a hole, since it is located below the main level of the cell, and the entrance to it actually imitates a rabbit hole. The ceiling in the nesting compartment is slanted, as if this really is not a cage, but a long-eared dugout.

Open areas of the wall alternate with closed ones so that rabbits can get privacy and take a break from attention from humans or other animals.

Mikhailov's cage is also equipped with folding doors, which allow you to pick up a baby rabbit unnoticed by the rabbits or, on the contrary, add them. This is necessary when a litter is too small or too large for one individual. If there are too many cubs, the mother may kill or eat several alive. In this case, it is necessary to remove the baby and transfer it to the queen who gave birth to the small offspring.

The part of the cage that is installed to the north is insulated. The south side, on the contrary, is equipped with ventilation so that fresh air enters the houses. The roof is equipped with a pipe through which gases from animal excrement are emitted. Feeders and drinking bowls are sealed to prevent waste from getting into them.

Design Review

The area of ​​each cell is 1.4 m2. Up to 25 heads fit inside. The main element of the structure is a shed - a barn consisting of several tiers of rabbit cages in one or two tiers. Such a shad can contain 70 houses. If we take this number as a basis, then queens will live in 35 of them, and adult males and young rabbits will live in the rest.

It is customary to make about two rows of cells, together occupying 8.5 m2. These cells have only one roof.

Implemented Mikhailov cage

The shelf life of Mikhailov's mini-farm is about 20 years. Then it will have to be renewed or completely replaced with a new design.

Necessary materials

We warn you that if you do not have sufficient experience in construction, it is easier to purchase a Mikhailov cage. But if you are confident that you can handle it, stock up on the following materials:

  • sheets of plywood;
  • paint;
  • nails;
  • roofing iron;
  • wooden beam;
  • boards;
  • roofing felt;
  • Fiberboard soft and hard;
  • picket fence

Assembling the stand

Assemble the stand by carefully examining its image in the photo. The horizontal section of the stand will contain a support part for a homemade transformer compartment, as well as shelves for tools and a bench. A rectangular manhole is also installed here, leading from a sealed tank to a bunker for collecting excrement, which flows into it along the shaft walls. The shaft is covered with fiberboard and roofing felt, resistant to frost and moisture.

Walking area and nests

Two pairs of posts are mounted on the stand, the cross-section of which should not exceed 10 centimeters. The tier below will rest on them, consisting of several compartments in which rabbits are caught for inspection or are deposited.

The walking area is equipped with a drinking bowl and feeding trough. In its lower part there is a hole measuring 20 by 20 centimeters, which goes into the shaft. The floor is laid with a picket fence laid on slats, which are covered with strips of metal to protect against rodents. The flooring is made at an angle of 45 degrees.

The nesting compartment is equipped with a hinged door that folds open to create a free area for interacting with the rabbits. The location of the bottom of the queen cell goes down relative to the level of the main floor by 9 centimeters. The outside walls of the house for mothers and babies are insulated with any available materials. The entrance to the compartment is also insulated. To arbitrarily overlap it, install a view.

Drinkers and feeders

The drinking bowl is represented by an automatic structure. The water trough itself can be anything, be it a plastic bowl or a wooden one. This bowl contains outlets from several 5-liter canisters. Centimeter holes are drilled in each lid of the canister so that the water drains down gradually and only when the rabbit has drunk enough so that the trough does not overfill.

What size the area of ​​the drinking compartment will be directly depends on the capacity and size of the canister itself, as well as the trough. The door to the compartment is made of a sheet of plywood and metal. One edge of the watering trough must be hidden from rabbits in order to install a small electric boiler there, which automatically starts working when the air temperature drops below +8°C.

A feeder is installed next to the drinking bowl, into which mixed feed in granules is poured. It is installed in a small gap between the parts of the flooring, in which the disposal device is located. It contains waste - crumbs and flour, as well as pellets trampled by rabbits. And from there they roll into the recycling bin.

The feed bowl for roughage is located at the top and bottom of the farm. From the outside of the cage, a tank is suspended from it, in which hay and vegetables are placed.

Installation of the upper tier

The upper tier can serve as a mother and jigging level. In the first case, it is made at an angle, in the same way as described above. In the second, they are divided into two sections of different sizes, into which small rabbits will then be placed.

The length of the upper tier is 25 centimeters longer than the lower one. A drinker and a feeder are also installed in each section according to the methods described above.

Roof

The roof is made sloping, and a pipe is installed on top of it to ventilate the premises. This pipe is necessary to remove from the cell accumulations of harmful fumes that are released during the life of eared animals.

Bottom part

At the bottom of the cage there is a box into which rabbit droppings are poured. This allows animal excrement to be used for gardening purposes and eliminates the need for the farmer to constantly clean the cages of feces.

The Mikhailov cage is an effective option for rabbit breeding business. This design requires minimal labor and time from the farmer. So, it takes about half an hour a week to care for the animals - to fill the feeders, drinkers and clean the trays. Long-eared animals kept in such a farm gain in three months of their life such weight that rabbits in normal care can only gain in 6-8 months.

Cages for rabbits Zolotukhina

Another famous farm concept for efficient rabbit breeding. Nikolai Ivanovich Zolotukhin studied the life of rabbits in natural conditions from an early age and in the prime of his career, he developed this amazing structure, which increases the efficiency of raising rabbits by activating their natural instincts.

The Zolotuha cage farm has three tiers and is quite simply made. Let's start looking at the instructions for making it.

To build a cell, we need:

  • wooden beams;
  • boards;
  • metal grid;
  • sheet iron;
  • high-quality polycarbonate;
  • slate.

Construction instructions

So, first of all, let’s determine the dimensions of the future cell:

  • the width of the rabbit's home is 2 meters;
  • height of the structure – 1.5;
  • the depth of the structure is no more than 80 centimeters;
  • rear floor slope - 5 centimeters;
  • the mesh at the back wall occupies 20 centimeters;
  • the doors are made in the shape of a square with 40 centimeters in length on one side.

Let's start building.

PhotoStep
Step 1. Cell scaffolds are assembled using a method already familiar to you. Each of them is divided into two equal halves, between which there is a small distance to accommodate the hay barn.
Step 2. This time, for the floor, not mesh is used, but durable slate. When laying and attaching slate sheets to the frame, calculate that you need to retreat 20 centimeters from the back wall. This space is covered with a welded mesh, through which the feces of the long-eared animals will be discharged.
Step 3. Now let's start making the walls. The back walls are made of carbonate sheets at a certain angle. The upper part of each wall is mounted to the end of the slate floor of the next highest tier. At the very top tier it is straight. Thanks to this design, rabbit droppings roll along the walls of each of the tiers and eventually fall into the tray.
Step 4. We make a door for the queen cells and feed compartments. In the first case, we prepare it from wood and insulate it to create necessary conditions for baby rabbits. In the second, we make it from mesh.
Step 5. Nests for summer maintenance are also made with mesh walls. They are separated from the remaining space by a board partition, which can then be removed to create a spacious cage for young animals.

Winter queen cells are wooden, with closed walls. The entrance to it is also wooden, with a closing hole, the lower part of which is in contact with the floor. Hay is spread on the floor.
Step 6. We make feeders. These devices are a tray that occupies most of the wall of the cage located in front. The feeder is inserted into the cage only one third, its bottom is made at an angle. This is necessary so that the feeder can be filled from the outside without opening the cage. A drinking bowl is also installed inside.

Zolotukhin cells are famous and have been successful for many decades. Their simple production makes them popular, and their rabbit-breeding effect is amazing.

Cages for dwarf rabbits: step-by-step instructions

Not only farmers, but also those who have chosen this cute animal as their pet can make a cage for a rabbit. Of course, it is easier to buy such a structure, but it costs a lot of money, which can instead be spent on buying vitamins and food for the eared ones.

Making a house for a rabbit with your own hands will take very little time and will not require serious labor costs.

Step 1. Assemble the frame for the cage according to the mechanism described above. This time the frame parameters will be as follows:

  • length – 1 meter;
  • the height of the bars for the rear wall is 55 centimeters;
  • the height of the bars for the side walls is 70 centimeters;
  • frame width – 70 centimeters.

Step 2. Assemble the frame so that there is a distance of 15 centimeters between the lower end of the back wall and the future floor.

Step 3. Nail wide wooden slats to the bottom of the cage or install a welded mesh made of a metal profile. This support is needed to give rigidity to the future mesh floor. When the slats or profile are installed, install fine mesh on top.

Step 4. Make walls for the cage. The back one can be made of plywood or boards, and the rest can be made of metal mesh with medium-sized cells. Make one of the walls also plywood or wood and cut a hole in it for the door.

Step 5. Make the door from a wooden frame and metal mesh and place it on the hinges to the hole.

Let's sum it up

Now you know many of the most popular ways to build rabbit cages. The choice of the option that suits you will be based on the following nuances:

  • starting budget;
  • rabbit breeding experience;
  • region of residence;
  • size of livestock, etc.

The main requirement is high quality design

For example, cages using the Mikhailov mini-farm method will help to minimize labor costs and loss of time for caring for animals, however, it is very difficult to place this serious structure inside a barn, which makes the use of the structure in regions with long cold winters almost impossible. In addition, the equipment of such a cage requires money and construction experience. Beginning rabbit breeders will not benefit from spending so much money, especially if they are not sure that they will want to keep rabbits for many years.

Zolotukhin's cages do not require large financial expenditures, but they imply that the number of rabbits contained in them will not be small. Therefore, this option is not entirely rational for farmers starting out in the rabbit business.

Many people, regardless of age, want to take care of someone. But if with adults everything is already clear, then for children care is most often expressed in the desire to have pet. Traditionally, kids ask for cats or dogs, but not all parents agree to this.

An excellent option for a pet would be a decorative rabbit, whose cuteness and ease of care can captivate you at once. And in order to significantly save on purchasing everything necessary for keeping an animal at home, we bring to your attention detailed instructions for creating a cage for a rabbit with your own hands.

General requirements for cages for decorative rabbits

It doesn’t matter whether you buy a ready-made cage in a store or are going to show your talents as a jack-of-all-trades and assemble a home for your rabbit with your own hands. In any case, you should be aware of the requirements that are put forward in both cases.

So, the requirements for rabbit houses come down to the following list:

  1. One of the main rules is that the floor in the cage should not be lattice. Decorative rabbits do not have pads on their paws, so the pets will easily fall through the bars and end up in the bottom tray, which serves as a toilet. To ensure comfort with a slatted floor, you will need to lay down a rug or lay down boards to make it comfortable for your rabbit to move around the cage. But it is better to immediately choose a cage with the correct gender.
  2. When creating or purchasing a cage, you need to pay attention to the material from which it is made. An important parameter of the cage is its strength, because rabbits chew on everything and can easily bite through plastic twigs.
  3. All surfaces in a rabbit's home must be environmentally friendly. So, it is unacceptable to cover the cage with varnish or paint, because these are chemicals that can cause poisoning in pets who love to chew something.
  4. Be sure to use a floor mat to prevent the development of inflammatory processes on the hind legs of rabbits, which are more sensitive to hard surfaces. The following can be used as a floor softener: sawdust or shavings, torn into small pieces of paper or a rug. If you use sawdust, the cage must be equipped with thresholds along the side walls to prevent the substrate from spilling out.

Important!Newspapers cannot be used as bedding, since lead, which is a toxic substance, is added to the ink, and even a small dose of this chemical element enough to lead to irreparable consequences. It is also not recommended to use carpet for bedding, which also contains harmful substances.

What is better to make it from?

Let us dwell in more detail on those materials that are preferable to use when creating a cage with your own hands, and consider their positive and possible negative aspects.

Floor

A sheet of regular plywood or chipboard is best suited for flooring. If you want to make your pet’s home as environmentally friendly as possible, then you should use a solid board (not glued, since the adhesive material is often toxic).

Metal mesh or rods, as already mentioned, cannot be used as flooring - your pet simply will not be able to move on them. It is recommended to pour a layer of sawdust on top of the wooden floor, which will become an excellent natural and environmentally friendly substrate for bedding.

So, we can highlight several options for building materials that are suitable for the floor covering of the cage: wooden board, plywood, chipboard or OSB, plexiglass, plastic.

A solid wooden board has a number of advantages over other materials, namely:

  • strength and wear resistance;
  • environmental Safety;
  • non-slip coating;
  • nice appearance(which is important when the cage will be in your home).

The disadvantages of the board include::

  • the need for additional mechanical processing to remove nicks, burrs and other irregularities;
  • in the absence of varnishing (and this cannot be done to ensure the safety of rabbits), the tree will still be traumatic, because driving a splinter onto such a floor is as easy as shelling pears.

 Otherwise, a solid wood plank would be an excellent natural material for a cage floor.

Did you know? Decorative rabbits are not as simple as they seem. The speed of tooth growth in these pets can amaze anyone - in a year the front incisors grow by 10 cm (and sometimes even more). Therefore, rabbits constantly need solid food and special sharpening toys that help them maintain their teeth in normal condition and normal size.

Chipboard or OSB will be alternative materials for flooring. They have about the same positive sides, in addition to environmental safety, because these building materials contain chemical adhesives, which pushes chipboard and OSB to second place.

Plexiglas is also a very interesting and relatively inexpensive material. But its slippery coating will not fit well with the paws of furry animals, and therefore it is better not to use such material for the floor of the cage. It may be suitable for walls or ceilings, but not for floors.

Plastic has excellent characteristics in use, but it cannot be classified as an environmentally friendly material, since it is all a product of chemical processing. Although plastic has no equal in care - it is very easy to clean, and you won’t have to remove burrs from the rabbits’ delicate paws.

Walls

If we talk about the material that is best suited for walls, then wooden blocks would be the optimal solution. They will serve as a good, strong and reliable frame. And from the inside they can be covered with a metal mesh, which is sold in hardware stores. Such a mesh will perform a restraining function so that the pet cannot roam freely around the apartment, and will also provide ventilation, which is also very important for small fur-bearing animals.

Another option for the walls would be plexiglass, which we talked about earlier, but you will have to drill a lot of ventilation holes in it, and this will add extra work. Therefore, in choosing the optimal, safe and durable material for walls, we recommend environmentally friendly solid wooden beams to which a metal mesh is attached.

How to make a cage with your own hands

Now we will understand all the intricacies of assembling a cage for decorative rabbits with our own hands.

Dimensions

The first thing you should start with is to understand for yourself what size cage you would like to make, because you don’t have to limit yourself to a miniature space where your pet will be cramped and uninterested. A house for your pet should meet all the needs of these small but agile balls of fur. Standard sizes are at least 1 m in length and about 45–60 cm in width. But in such dimensions it will be a bit cramped for the rabbit, and therefore, he will have to leave his cage for 3-4 hours every day to walk around the apartment and warm up.
In any case, be guided by the sizes that you agree to allocate for your pet, as well as your own imagination. The house does not have to be large in terms of floor space. It can be vertical and consist of several “floors” for the rabbit’s entertainment and movement.

Tools and materials

To successfully install a cage for a decorative rabbit at home, you need to prepare the necessary materials and tools. So, the necessary tools include:

  • hammer;
  • nails;
  • saw;
  • self-tapping screws;
  • scissors for cutting metal.

And from building materials you should prepare:

  • sheets of plywood, chipboard or other material of your choice;
  • wooden blocks;
  • metal mesh;
  • door hinges;
  • soft floor covering.

Step-by-step instruction

The construction of a cage for a decorative rabbit includes 8 main stages:

  1. The first step is to create a drawing according to which you will assemble the cell. You can also use a ready-made drawing.
  2. Now you should work on the floor, on the basis of which the entire house will be built. To make the floor, take a sheet of plywood, OSB or chipboard (or boards to size) and cut a rectangle out of it the right size. The main requirement for the floor is strength and stability, so that it can withstand the weight of the animal and does not cause your pet to fall and hurt himself.
  3. The next step is to equip the floor with a sheet of tin, which will make cleaning the cage much more convenient. Cut a sheet of tin 0.2 mm thick to the size of the floor.
  4. Next, proceed to assembling and installing the walls of the house. Three of them can be made blind from the same material that was chosen for the floor. It is impossible to make all four walls blank, since the house must have lighting and ventilation.
  5. Assemble the front wall from wooden slats with a cross-section of 2×2 or 1.5×1.5 cm. Insert a metal mesh between the bars. You can make it yourself from wire. At the bottom of such a wall, provide a side made of cardboard or the material from which the floor is made. The edge will prevent the floor substrate from spilling out.
  6. Connect the walls to each other, then attach the entire structure to the floor using self-tapping screws.

    7. Important!Select the correct length of screws according to the thickness of the selected wood. Self-tapping screws should not protrude beyond the wood so as not to injure the animal. If you make a mistake with the length of the screw, use a file to grind off the sharp edge.

  7. The front or side wall must have an opening door. It is assembled from wooden blocks, the space between which is filled with the same metal mesh. Such a door is hung on metal hinges using self-tapping screws.
  8. To organize the second tier, you should attach a sheet of plywood to the walls with self-tapping screws of such a size that it is 15–20 cm shorter than one of the sides. This is necessary so that the rabbit can freely move from tier to tier. There should be a ladder leading there, which can also be easily made from slats and flooring material: at intervals of 5 cm, use a hammer to hammer wooden slats onto a rectangle of plywood, chipboard or other material.

How to arrange the inside of a rabbit cage

But you cannot provide your pet with proper comfort with a cage alone. He still needs to be provided with various attributes: a drinking bowl, a feeding trough and a secluded place where he can hide or sleep. Having a secluded place is very important for a pet, especially in the first months of his life in a new place, because he will need to get used to the new place and new unfamiliar creatures next to him.

As for the feeder and drinker, they must be made of heavy material. Another option would be to secure the dishes to the floor. Such precautions are necessary because rabbits are very playful and active creatures, and therefore can knock over or throw objects during play.
It is best to use wood shavings or sawdust as a floor substrate. Any dense material (tin, cardboard, rug, etc.) should be laid on top of the main floor. This will allow you to clean up after your long-eared cat in a more convenient manner.

Did you know?When the time comes for the female rabbit to lamb, she begins to build a nest for her babies. Don't be surprised if your little animal is actively tearing out its fur in the chest or belly area. This is how maternal instinct manifests itself- the female lines the nest with her down to make the babies warm and cozy.

Of course, you shouldn’t forget about. These can be either purchased or homemade items. For example, you can buy a ball woven from branches or straw, which will not only be a good toy to chase, toss or roll on the floor, but also an excellent teeth sharpener. You can weave a toy with your own hands if you have the time and desire.

Additional equipment of the cage with a kind of nest made of a cardboard box will be needed if you are breeding rabbits. The box should be slightly large sizes than the rabbit herself.

How to disinfect rabbit cages at home

The issue of disinfection is one of the most important, because your pet must live in clean and safe conditions. Therefore, the procedure for disinfection and general cleaning in a rabbit cage should become routine for you.

Before carrying out the disinfection itself, you should pay attention to the general cleanliness of the house. You need to clean the long-eared cage from accumulated droppings, dirt, dust, bedding residues or other debris. All surfaces in the cage must be perfectly cleaned before the disinfection procedure.

To execute general cleaning in the rabbit's home, you will need some auxiliary equipment:

  • brush (an old toothbrush will do);
  • broom;
  • spatula or scraper for cleaning waste;
  • a bucket, box or other container for collecting garbage;
  • tank for spraying the substance;
  • the drug itself.

Among the most popular and effective are:

  • "Glutex";
  • 5% iodine solution in alcohol;
  • "Virkon";
  • "Ecocide S".
But those tested by many breeders will be no less effective. traditional methods, which include:
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Rabbits grow quickly and produce offspring, besides, their meat and skin are very are valued consumers.

If we add to this unpretentiousness animals, then it becomes clear: their breeding in household may be enough profitable business.

But you can’t place lop-eared pets on the street - they’ll run away and you’ll have to make some houses.

And to create for rabbits optimal conditions For development, cells must be comfortable and adaptable to different situations.

Types of cells

Eat some types of rabbit cells. They differ in design and purpose.

Currently, the industry produces cells of all types; many options can be made with your own hands from improvised means.

  1. Single cell cage- an ordinary box with doors in which one rabbit is placed, or a large compartment where young animals are placed for walking.
  2. Two-section cages separated by a V-shaped mesh feeder, you can keep two adult rabbits in them and open a hole between the compartments if mating is necessary.
  3. Three-section cells designed for three adult individuals: a male lives in the middle, a female at the edges, and a system of closing doors between the cells. You need to let the rabbit go to the rabbit - they opened it, they enjoyed life - they closed it, and the animals are always together.
  4. IN cages similar to the Klenov-Chegodaeva state farm contain two adults. This is a version of a two-section cage for keeping rabbits outside. Length – 240 cm, width – 65. The walls of the maternity ward and the back of the nursery have a height of 45 cm, the front – 65. To clean the cage and put feeders and drinkers in it, the roof of the nursery is raised.
  5. Cells of the Mikhailov mini-farm design equipped with automatic feeders and drinkers, as well as a semi-automatic waste collection system. Such cages need to be cleaned no more than once a week. But their design is too complex to create at home. It's easier to buy a ready-made option.
  6. Zolotukhin cell project- This is a space-saving, easy-to-clean and very pet-friendly option. Unlike most models with bars that are inconvenient for animals to move around, it has a slightly sloping wooden floor, and the grid is placed only at the back wall. The cage is washed with water and all waste flows through the grate. To save space, Zolotukhin proposed placing cages one above the other in several tiers, with feeders and drinkers located on one door common to the vertical. The back wall is slightly inclined so that when cleaning, waste does not flow onto the rabbits from the lower tiers.
  7. IN Maklyak-6 system It is proposed to make two-section cages, place floors according to the Zolotukhin method, but between the departments, so that waste does not reach the rabbits from the lower floors, pyramidal outlets are used, which taper to the mesh of the lower box. The floors are inserted into special grooves and can be easily removed if dismantling is necessary. The doors are double-leaf, located on the front wall; feeders and drinking bowls are attached to them.

For a review of the mini-farm for rabbits Maklyak-6, see in the video:

Not always needed for rabbits solid dwellings:

  • If rabbits are kept in room, then it is not necessary to make the walls out of wood, because the cage is already protected from bad weather conditions, you can make it entirely from wire;
  • Decorative Rabbits in the house can be kept in a comfortable rodent cage purchased at a pet store, the main thing is that it is spacious enough. Ferplast cells have proven themselves well;
  • Californian Rabbits are smaller in size; for them you can choose a cage with an area of ​​0.5 m².


If you want to make a cage on one's own, then you can take any option as a basis.
Required elements rabbitry designs:
  • supports for walls made of wood or metal;
  • side walls made of plywood, wood or mesh (the latter option is only suitable for keeping cages indoors);
  • front wall (made of mesh or slats) with door;
  • canopy or roof, which will protect rabbits from unpleasant weather conditions, with a small slope;
  • And feeders.

Note! According to veterinary standards, one rabbit requires space 0.72 m², but for giant breeds this may not be enough and larger premises should be provided.

Materials and tools

To make a rabbit cage you will be needed the following tools:

  • hammer;
  • scissors for metal;
  • screwdrivers or screwdriver;
  • Bulgarian;
  • square, roulette and level;
  • saw or jigsaw;
  • pen or pencil for marking;

Can use materials remaining after repair and construction work, or purchase new ones. You will need:

  • corner, profile or wooden beam - for the frame;
  • galvanized or sheet iron, slate - for walls;
  • roofing elements: sheets of slate, or iron, tiles. As an economical option, you can cover the cage with linoleum;
  • net with cells 15 mm for the floor and front wall;
  • mesh with cells 35–40 mm for the feeder;
  • sheets galvanized sheet for making an external feeder;
  • self-tapping screws;
  • loops.

Drawing up a drawing

Before you start cutting materials, you should work on drawing with dimensions.

In the picture it is necessary to provide places where sections, feeders, drinkers and doors will be installed.

Square, required for one female rabbit with offspring, - 1.2 x 0.65 m. The optimal height of the front wall is at least 0.75 m, the rear wall is at least 0.5 m.

Costs take account following:

  • Outdoor cages for rabbits should lift up above the ground by 0.8 meters. This will be a reliable barrier for rats and snakes and will make cleaning the cage easier;
  • To make efficient use of space, it is better to place cells in several tiers;
  • Rabbits don't like drafts, therefore, outdoor cages must be made with solid back and side walls;
  • In cages where female rabbits with rabbits will be kept, it is necessary to provide nest in the side part there is a separate small darkened completely enclosed room, which will replace the hole, the size 0.65 x 0.55 m, with closing doors. IN street cages in winter it is necessary insulate;
  • The nest must have manhole in the light part, raised 0.1 m above the floor, this will prevent the rabbits from falling out;
  • External It is better to make the door covering the light compartment mesh and attach a feeder and drinking bowl to it;
  • Can be equipped walking area, making a door behind the light compartment leading to a fenced area of ​​the yard.

Assembly order

When all necessary for the manufacture of the cage is available, you can start to the assembly of the structure:

  • First of all we do the front and back frames, after which we combine them together, securing the ceiling and floor lintels;
  • Before fixing the frames, you need to use a level and square to make sure that all corners;
  • Then we install the frames for doors and feeders;
  • The next stage is installation floor, which is attached to the frame with self-tapping screws;
  • Installing rear and side walls;
  • Strengthening external wooden walls metal sheet or mesh;
  • We assemble the nesting compartment from wood and install it in the cage;
  • Install roof tiers;
  • First, the cells of the lower tiers, then the second and third;
  • When all the main compartments are assembled, you need to attach the doors, feeders and drinking bowls.

Important! Regardless of what material you use for the cage - new or previously used, make sure that there are no nicks or other dangers for rabbits.

Basic rules for caring for rabbits

So that your pets are healthy and happy, it is necessary observe the following rules:

  • Rabbit cages should be sufficient spacious, otherwise the animals will begin to get fat, which can lead to a decrease in offspring and even a complete refusal to mate;
  • Rabbits more willingly mate if you transfer the female to the rabbit, and not vice versa;
  • It is best to carry out mating in such a way that rabbits are not born during periods extreme temperatures (too cold or hot);
  • Pretty rabbits smart Animals don't like iron or plastic. If they start gnaw cage, which means they need something lacks: feed, wood for grinding teeth or mineral salts. Please note what is missing from this list in cells.

The cage needs to be periodically disinfect. Processing is required in the following cases:

  • before transfer rabbits;
  • before births;
  • when diseases.

For disinfection, special veterinary drugs:

  • Virosan(100 ml);
  • Creolin phenolic-free coal tar;
  • PVP iodine spray;
  • Ecocide S(Ecocid S);
  • Bleaching powder in the form of a 10% solution;
  • Ash liquor(add 1/3 of wood ash to water and boil for 20–30 minutes).

Before disinfection rabbits removed from the cage. All surfaces are carefully are cleared using water and a scraper, then are being processed disinfectant.

Attention! When working with disinfectants, precautions must be taken. After finishing the treatment, the room must be ventilated and hands washed with soap.

Another way is disinfection using blowtorch. In this case, fire is treated wooden surfaces until they turn brown. Influenced high temperature kills all microbes. Removable metal, plastic and ceramic parts are best boil.

For step-by-step construction of a rabbit cage with dimensions, see the following video:

If you decide to have rabbits, this is a profitable activity: they are unpretentious, do not need special food, and reproduce and grow very quickly. But you will definitely need rabbit cages. I will tell you in what conditions these furry rodents should be kept, and what kind of houses should be for them.

Condition 1. Rules for keeping rabbits

There are two options for cell locations:

  • indoors, for example, in an extension to a house or a separate barn;
  • on open air.

If the cages will be placed outdoors, adhere to these rules:

  1. Homemade Rabbits do not like direct sunlight. Therefore, their houses should be located in the shade of trees or protected by an artificial fence that will diffuse the rays of the sun.
  2. Ambient air humidity should be no more than 60-70%. Place the cages in an elevated and dry area, away from bodies of water.
  3. Drafts often cause rabbit diseases. Animals should not be exposed to air currents exceeding 30 m/sec.
  4. Cages must be well ventilated. The fumes from the rabbits' secretions should not harm their health.
  5. It is highly advisable to install rabbit houses facing east.

For the winter season, the cages should be insulated; the temperature inside should vary from +10 to +20 °C. Particularly carefully insulate the nesting compartment for queens and their offspring.

  • in winter, the room should be illuminated for no more than 10 hours;
  • the walls must be plastered;
  • be sufficiently ventilated;
  • The best option is if the south side of the room is equipped with a window covering the entire wall.
  • cages can be made at a height of 80-100 cm from the floor, so the rabbits will be protected from bites of rats and mice, and it will be easier for you to care for your pets.

Condition 2. Cage design and dimensions

The cages must be of a certain size and design.

Dimensions of the rabbitry

The size of the cells depends:

  • from the breed of rabbits;
  • schemes for their maintenance (“battery” cages, mini-farm, industrial farming, etc.);
  • standard values: young animals need 0.12 m² of area, males - 0.17 m², and females - 0.5 m².

Common cage sizes for rabbits:

  • for rabbits - 50×70×30 cm;
  • for adults - 50×100×30 cm.

Most often, houses are made into two cells. In such paired rabbitries, the nesting compartments are adjacent to the outer walls of the cages. They communicate with the feeding areas through passages (manholes) measuring 17x17 cm.

Features of a rabbit house

There are doors on the front side of the rabbitry: two mesh doors in the walkways and two solid ones in the nesting areas. Between them there are drinking bowls and nurseries. Feeders are attached to the front of the screen doors.

The entire area of ​​the cage for keeping rabbits is divided into a walking section and a nesting area (dead nook). The size of the walking area can vary, but most often it is 50 cm in width and length.

The little cubby beloved by the animals is a box 25 cm wide and 50 cm long. Rabbits sleep in it, and also hide in bad weather or when they feel danger.

The nook is tightly sheathed and only a removable door is hung on its front side. The hole is made in the wall adjacent to the walking area.

Rabbit cages are made with slatted or mesh floors. This is necessary so that their waste can freely fall into the tray located under the floor.

The height of the front side of the house should be 50-55 cm, and the back wall should be given a height of 30 cm. In other words, the roof of the cage should have a slope. With a tiered arrangement of rabbit hutches, it will simultaneously play the role of a tray for the upper cages. Therefore, the roof must be sheathed with galvanized sheet iron.

What materials should I use?

The best option for cell construction- use environmentally friendly wood and its processed products.

  1. A wooden beam is well suited for constructing a frame.
  2. You can cover the walls with plywood or boards. Chipboard is not suitable for this; this board absorbs moisture, swells from it and begins to crumble.

  1. To arrange the floors, use a welded mesh with a cell size of 1.5x1.5 cm.
  • For flooring, you can also use wooden or plastic slats 2-3 cm wide. Stuff them in increments of 1.5 cm between each other. This way, the rabbits' waste will fall freely into the pan.
  • The step should not be more than the given figure. Otherwise, the animals’ paws will get stuck in the cracks, and they may break them.

When making a house for a rabbit with your own hands, remember one thing important condition. The materials for its construction must be smooth, without burrs, splinters and other inclusions that cause injury.

Stages of making a cage

I will describe to you how to make the simplest cage for keeping rabbits indoors. Using this scheme, you can also build a house for open air, but then you will have to use OSB.

The design of the cage must be shown in the drawing. Draw it, focusing on the dimensions of a single rabbitry: length 150 cm, width 70 cm and height 70 cm.

But it’s better if the rabbit cage is a double cage, so you’ll save building materials. Then the framework should look like this:

  • length - 300 cm;
  • width - 70 cm;
  • the height in front is 120 cm, and behind - 100 cm.

Tools and materials

Before making a rabbit cage, prepare the materials:

  • two sheets of plywood, 150x150 cm in size and 1 cm thick;
  • 10 wooden blocks, 3 m long and 3x5 cm in size;
  • 3 m² galvanized iron mesh, with cells 1.5x1.5 cm;
  • 1 kg of self-tapping screws, 3 and 7 cm long.

And, of course, you will also need the appropriate tools.

Assembling a rabbit house

Image Instructions

Step 1. Construction of the frame

Assemble the frame on a hard, level surface. Dimensions of the base of the house: length 3 m, width 0.7 m, front height 1.2 m, rear 1 m. The frame must have legs.

Screw the mesh onto the floors of the structure with your own hands. You can fasten it without reaching the edges of the structure, the queen cells will be located there. Their floor must be solid.

Step 2. Work on the queen cells.

First, make the back wall from plywood: cut it to the size of the frame and screw it to the beam with screws.

Remember, where there is no mesh - these are future cubbyholes for the rabbits.

Step 3. Construction of the feeder.

Fix the block vertically in the center of the structure. Screw 2 feeders to it. Their width should be 30 cm and height 7 cm.

Screw two guide bars over the feeding area in increments of 20 cm.

Step 4. Feed frame.

It is made from plywood. This is a device, the upper part of which is inserted between the guide bars, the lower part is placed in the feeder.

Step 5. Additional feeder.

Place another one near the main feeder - under the hay. Make it from iron wire.
Step 6: Installing the roof and doors.

Line the free area of ​​the rabbit cage with plywood. Put on the roof. It should have an overlap of 5 cm in front, and 10 cm on the sides and back.

Leave a hole in the center of the house. You will put food through it.

Lastly, install the 50x30cm screen doors.

Conclusion

Rabbit cages are easy to make yourself. The main condition is that they must be spacious and built from environmentally friendly materials. The video in this article will clearly demonstrate all the stages of cage installation. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments.

Experienced farmers know that creating optimal conditions for animals is one of the most important factors influencing their health and proper development. It is not necessary to purchase ready-made cages for rabbits; you can make them yourself. In this case, first you need to figure out what type of structure is most suitable for rabbits, what drawings with dimensions to use, what will be required in the work.

Sizes for animals of different ages

Before you make a cage for rabbits with your own hands, you need to choose a simple design diagram. There are many ready-made solutions, but often they do not fit the size parameters. In this case, all dimensions increase to the required indicator or a new layout is being prepared.

They mainly use wood and mesh - this is an inexpensive but practical option for arranging a rodent’s home.

Beginning livestock breeders should keep in mind that one house will not be enough to breed animals. Even if you increase the size of the enclosure, this is not the most suitable option for rabbits. In this case, a minimum of 3 separate sections are required:

  • for adult animals;
  • young animals;
  • rabbits with offspring;
  • large breeds.

Grown-up and adult individuals

The dimensions of the enclosure for adult or grown-up rabbits must meet the following parameters:

  • length - 2.1-2.4 m;
  • width - 0.6-0.7 m;
  • height - 0.5-0.7 m.

But here this area also needs to be divided into 2 separate sections, between which you need to place a feeder with hay and grass. Many rabbit breeders, in order to save space, make rooms in two tiers, doubling the height due to the reduced length.

Baby rabbits

As a rule, young animals are kept in groups. But despite this, rabbits need small enclosures. The area for one animal should be only 0.3 m2. Approximate dimensions:

  • length - 250 cm;
  • width - 100 cm;
  • height - 40-50 cm.

In rare cases, separate houses are not made for rabbits and they are kept in standard sections. But here you will need to initially calculate the area based on the number of young animals.

Rabbit with young animals

Before you build a house for a rabbit with offspring, you should draw a diagram dividing the total area into two sections. This will be the feeding section and the uterine section. Also, the design should include a manhole located slightly above the floor, approximately 150 mm. The female rabbit will be able to easily step over the elevated threshold, but this eliminates the possibility of the baby rabbits falling out of the nest.

The size of the livestock house corresponds to the following parameters:

  • depth - 800 mm;
  • width - 1200 mm;
  • height - 600 mm.

These are the parameters of the uterine section; it is located in the house before the birth.

  • length - 400 mm;
  • width - 400 mm;
  • height - 200 mm.

Giant breeds

The size of the enclosure for domestic giant rabbits depends entirely on the breed of the animal and the intensity of its growth. In houses of standard dimensions, such individuals will be very cramped; larger enclosures will be required here. The minimum dimensional parameters for which you need to make a cage for rabbits are 0.75x0.55x1.7 m.

To prevent your home-made rodent enclosure from collapsing in the first month of use, you should take into account some recommendations from experts:

  1. Rabbits are rodents, eager to taste everything that comes into their field of vision. Therefore, if you plan to make your own cages from wood, you need to protect the material by covering all protruding parts with metal sheets. This does not require large investments and time, but the enclosure will last for many years.
  2. It is not recommended to treat sections with antiseptics, varnishes, impregnations and other chemical protection. The fact is that animals do not tolerate fumes well. chemical substances and may get poisoned.
  3. A moisture-resistant coating should be used for the roof. If the animal cage you make will be located on the street, the most the best option Traditional slate will serve.

In outdoor structures, the roof is made of wood, ondulin or slate - the metal heats up quickly, and animals can die in the summer

  1. For the frame you need to use wooden blocks with a section of 5x5 cm or metal profiles. The cladding material is a regular chain-link mesh with 2.5 x 2.5 cm cells. The back part must be made blind, since drafts are dangerous for rabbits.
  2. To make the floor, a mesh of 2.5x2.5 cm or 1x2.5 cm is used. These cell sizes make it possible not to hold waste inside the house and drain it into a special tank.

A cast floor for an enclosure is not only inconvenient, but also unhygienic. The fact is that rabbits have very pungent urine with a concentrated odor, and this will lead to rapid rotting of the material and create an unpleasant aroma. If the rabbit breeder wants to make the enclosure more environmentally friendly, then instead of a mesh on the floor, you can lay a lattice of wood blocks in increments of 5-10 mm.

The floor can be covered with plywood to prevent pododermatitis in pets, but it will have to be dried regularly. It is convenient when there are 2-3 such sheets, while one is in the cage, the others are drying.

Making rabbit cages with your own hands

Drawings of a rabbit cage can be found on the Internet, and you can also make it yourself, taking into account the necessary parameters or focusing on the standard ones - 1.5x0.7x0.7 m. But the scheme, as experienced rabbit breeders do, often involves building paired houses. This way you can significantly save on material. In this case, the frame will have the following parameters: 3x0.7x1.2 m with a rear height of 100 cm.

Simple design

Before building a rabbit cage with your own hands, prepare the tools and the following materials:

  • plywood sheet - 1.5x1.5 m with a thickness of 1 cm;
  • wooden beams 3 m with a section 30x50 - 10 units;
  • screws for 3 cm and 7 cm - 2 kg;
  • mesh netting with cell parameters 1.5 cm - 3 m.

The work order is as follows:

  1. From wooden beams, assemble a strong frame with dimensions of 3x0.7x1.2 m and a rear wall height of 1 m. The result will be supports for a slanted roof and a raised floor from the bottom. A mesh is attached as a floor covering. In the queen cell, the lower part will be monolithic.

  1. Cut a piece with the required dimensions for the back wall from the plywood sheet and attach it using self-tapping screws. Also install a piece on the side where you plan to place the queen cell.

  1. Decide on the location of the queen cell and, after making the markings correctly, install a vertical wooden beam and fix the wall with the hole and logs on it for subsequent installation of the lid.
  2. Next, after partially making the rabbit enclosure with your own hands, you need to build a feeder. It is mounted in the middle of the enclosure on a pre-installed vertical beam. A hay section is installed near this feed container; it is made of steel wire stretched over a square wooden frame.

  1. A frame for installing doors 30x50 cm is mounted on the front part. The roofing covering is laid on top with an allowance of 5 cm in front and 10 on the other sides.

It should be noted that the doors of the aft compartment should consist of mesh, but for the uterine compartment, 70% should be made of wood, and a small part should be covered with chain-link to allow light to enter.

VIDEO: detailed instructions for the construction of houses

Making cages for little rabbits

Babies, already weaned from their mother, are kept, as a rule, in one large house of 15-20 individuals. The size is chosen based on the minimum area per animal - 0.3 sq.m. In total, for 20 kids you should get a cage measuring 3x2 meters with a ceiling height of 0.6 meters. The back wall is covered with plywood to prevent drafts. The floor is made of thin metal slats, covered with a metal mesh with rods up to 1.5 mm thick and cells 1.5x4 cm.

Group design for young animals

If the floor is mesh, be sure to install a warm booth where the rabbits can warm themselves. With the onset of cold weather, it is insulated with hay and straw.

If it is not possible to build a separate " kindergarten", young animals can be housed in cages for adults, but the area must be selected based on the minimum sanitary standards and ease of care.

Cages for large rabbits

It is clear that conventional dimensions are not suitable for such large breeds. For example, a blue Viennese at one year of age already reaches 60 cm and weighs more than 7 kg.

If you are planning to have giants, you need to immediately understand what kind of cages they will need and what sizes you need to focus on. Among the large breeds:

  • butterfly;
  • German Risen;
  • white giant;
  • gray giant;
  • mottled giant;
  • Flanders;
  • Soviet chinchilla;
  • ram;
  • Vienna blue, etc.

The minimum dimensions for one representative of the breed should be as follows:

  • height 0.6-0.65 m;
  • length 1.0-1.6 m;
  • width 0.7-0.8 m.

Please note that this is the maximum permissible minimum; in reality, these dimensions should be increased by at least another 10-20 cm in all directions.

Considering the massive weight, the floor is well strengthened - it is also made from wooden blocks and covered with a metal mesh with a rod diameter of at least 2.5 mm.

Some livestock breeders recommend making a solid floor with plastic trays, but this is only justified if there are few cages. They clean here twice a day, otherwise the animal very quickly gets sick with pododermatitis.

What should be inside the cell

Depending on the age and breed, the internal filling differs. So, for young animals there should be a warm house inside the cage where they can warm up. For a female with offspring, queen cells and nesting compartments will be needed.

Separately in the cage, you can set up an enclosure for walking (for young animals). Plus, you will need storage bins, drinking bowls, feeders, and grass compartments.

The feeder and drinker, regardless of what material they are made of, are located outside the cage. This makes it easier to add food and water, and the animal is not tempted to chew it off.

In conclusion, it must be added that rabbit cages are always located in a place protected from the wind - outdoors or indoors. It is advisable to choose the western or southwestern side so that the animal does not suffer from the heat in summer. The dimensions must exactly correspond to the breed, age and number of individuals.

VIDEO: Construction of queen cells