# housing meat rabbits



## Blue Skys

I have been doing searches, looking at plans and racking my brain about housing for the meat rabbits I plan to get.  Will y'all share your set-ups with me.  I've not found much on housing the kits, once they are weaned (I don't know if they would still be called kits if they are weaned, but I'm new at this, and I'm sure you get my point), but still need to be grown out before slaughter.   Can they be housed together, or do they need to be kept seperate?  I've been thinking about getting californians, what size would the area need to be, I've seen 3x3 per rabbit, is that enough space?


----------



## currycomb

hubby made a wonderful hutch just for growing out our meat rabbits. it is about 2ft deep and 5ft long and 21/2 foot tall in front down to 2ft tall in back and stands 3ft off the ground. legs are landscape timbers, 2x4's and different wire and a metal roof with a solid plywood door. we have had 10 4lb rabbits at one time, 2 lg feeders and a gallon sized chicken waterer and fee choice hay. they buddied up and grew well.


----------



## ()relics

The answers will depend on how many breeding rabbits you will have and how much time everyday you have set aside for chores. cage size depends on the age of the rabbit. As they grow they will need more room and males and females will have to be seperated.  With some math and a written down breeding schedule you will see that you can be overloaded with rabbits quickly with not that many breeders.


----------



## Blue Skys

currycomb said:
			
		

> hubby made a wonderful hutch just for growing out our meat rabbits. it is about 2ft deep and 5ft long and 21/2 foot tall in front down to 2ft tall in back and stands 3ft off the ground. legs are landscape timbers, 2x4's and different wire and a metal roof with a solid plywood door. we have had 10 4lb rabbits at one time, 2 lg feeders and a gallon sized chicken waterer and fee choice hay. they buddied up and grew well.


Thank you, that is helpful!


----------



## chinbunny1

I would suggest something like a 30x30 if you want to breed cals. or large meat breeds. though sometimes 24x24s will work for them too. I run a barn that has about 26 holes. here is my setup. i raise show rabbits. So anything that I don't sell gets butchered.


----------



## Citylife

Here is the start to my meat rabbit area.  In the background is my chicken tractor with 4 hens and the makings of a 3 sided shed for my hanging cages.  The chickens will have access to the entire area for good clean-up and fertilazation.  This is for a small operation where I will start out with 2 does and a buck.  Maximum capacity of 2 bucks, 3 does and 2 grow out pens.  I will try to post pictures as it progresses.

The lady with 4 city chickens, 4 dogs, 2 rabbits and a lizard


----------



## anthonyjames

I raise mine above my chickens in their run.  You can see images here:  http://gallery.me.com/anthonyjames420#100306&bgcolor=black&view=grid

In the spring I will be ripping down the old run and I am building a 18 x 40 hoop house.  Then in winter my chickens will be housed with them again.  The hoop house will keep the breeding rabbits for meat all the time and then I will take the kits at 6 weeks and put them in tractors to move through my yard for 6 weeks to finish them out.


----------



## Citylife

I really like your cages anthonyjames.  nice set up you have there.  We have been having a ton of rain so have not been able to finish our shed.
We have everything we need but the plywood.  Our rabbits are ready for pick-up when we are.  I can't wait.  I love the idea of housing the rabbits over the chickens.  And it seems to work for you which gives me a good feeling about my choice to do it.  

The lady with 4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 2 bunnies and more to come, and a lizard


----------



## Beekissed

We used suspended cages over chickens when we raised meat rabbits for 4H market sales.  We cut connecting doorways between two regular cages for finishing out our market rabbits.  These doorways could be closed and the cages used for singles again, when needed.

At market age, females and males do not need to be separated yet and can all be housed together.  Keep in mind, market weights are 3-4 lbs. for young rabbits.  

To encourage meaty haunches and well-developed loins, we placed the water in one side of the finishing cage and the food at the other, requiring the rabbits to jump through the cutout door to reach both.  Worked great!


----------



## Citylife

Take a look at this website, it shows you how these people are doing it.  Notice though, most of their rabbits are for the pet industry so you would want larger cages.  I like the way they have done this.
http://www.freewebs.com/wiselyfamilyfarm/ourbunnybarn.htm

Very nice and clean and attractive.
Hope it helps.

The lady with 4 city chickens, 4 dogs, one bunny with more to come and a lizard.


----------



## Citylife

My project is up and rolling and I am so happy!  My 3 sided shed is completed and my new trio is happy and doing well.  I am extremely happy with the high quality Florida Whites I purchased.  They are just want I wanted.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			












MyJunior Female, she feels like a block of meat with ears.  Amazing!

My chickens have free run under the rabbits (when loose) and have the chance to free range a good hour a day and up to 4.  We try to fulfill all the animals needs.  And needless to say, the chickens are great fun.  I love their  personalities. 

the lady with 4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 4 meat rabbits and a lizard.


----------



## blk90s13

Where do you all buy those hanging cages from ?


----------



## Beekissed

Beautiful set-up!!!  Very nice looking rabbits as well.  Can you get electric to your shed?


----------



## a7736100

If you're going to process them in 8 to 12 weeks they don' have to be seperated.

The more rabbits per pen the smaller area per rabbit.  I've had 4 or 5 kits in a 3'x3' cage with no trouble.  Don't know if they would grow faster or larger in a larger cage.


----------



## Citylife

I got the hanging wire cages from Tractor Supply.  They are the 30"x30" cages.  Very easy to set up and 30 bucks each.  The three rabbits showing in the picture are my new breeder rabbits and then I have a seperate grow out pen for the babies when they are weened.  I may add cages to the bottom, I have not decided yet. 
I am so excited about this project!  Sustainable living is becoming more and more fascinating.  I am glad I used to hunt, and have no problem with taking care of the deed and the butchering process.  I am looking forward to my first rabbit meal and salad out of my own yard.
I will keep you posted.

the lady with 4 dogs, 4 city chickens, 4 meat rabbits with more to come and a lizard


----------



## anthonyjames

My meat rabbits started in my chicken run suspended above them but when they had babies the blood came through in spot and my chickens went crazy jumping and trying to get at the rabbits and stressing them and they were not quite high enough so they got some sore feet.  But currently they are in my back garage double stacked and double wide.  I have 8 rabbits.  1 buck and 7 does.  The 2 groups of 4 are separated by my breeding quail that are stacked 4 high. 

They cages basically are 60 x 30 x 16.
I will try to post later.  But I see an open air shed that would be nice and I could run a pit about 16 inches deep and put my worms in there with the hopes they make it through the winter.


My weaned rabbits head out to these.  They are 3 x 4 x 2 and most I have had in one is 12 so far and no issues at all.

gallery.me.com/anthonyjames420  You will see my rabbits in all stages from in the chicken run, to babies to in their pens.


----------



## PureSnowChic

Here are some pictures of my set-up. I don't have pics of the weanling cages yet.

http://whitemountainsranch.webs.com/rabbits.htm


----------



## montverdechick

We just got our first rabbits on Friday. New Zealand whites, 2 does and a buck.  They mated on the way home, so we expect to have babies on Halloween!  My husband built the hutch out of mostly re-purposed wood and metal.  We will be building a collection trough underneath it to collect the waste and plan on growing worms in it for fishing and chicken treats. wish we had more room for sheep and goats, but this is just a small urban farm.  Lots of fun to come!!














CityLife - Love your set up

Cari - Your site won't open to see the pics. :-(


----------



## anthonyjames

montverdechick

Did you guys just use hardware cloth for the sides and bottoms?

Looks like a nice hutch.


----------



## Cargo

montverdechick, I am with you. We have chickens and rabbits. But, just not enough room to have a milk goat.


----------



## Hooligan Farm

Cargo said:
			
		

> montverdechick, I am with you. We have chickens and rabbits. But, just not enough room to have a milk goat.


I put my rabbits and Quail in the basement and left the backyard for my chickens and ducks. I would like to get a goat but I don't think could pull it off


----------



## wYs Ranch

As much as I'd like a regular building to house my rabbits, we came up with this:





We built it this last weekend, just have the roof, a door, the floor and the ends to finish (we have the lattis on the ends done).... Hopefully it'll work.  We plan to build cages to get 2 rows... so it could hold up to 16/18 rabbits (I currently have 16).  

We're going to try rigging up rain gutters and slanted metal sheets to direct the urine and droppings into buckets for collection and easier cleaning.  Has anyone tried this?


----------

