I'm in the process of building several rabbit cages/pens, due to discovering three of my males weren't males! LOL!
Right now, the male is in a horrible little rabbit cage. (Freecycle) Oh, it's cute--one of those cedar looking things with a dropdown door that can be used for a ramp if you have a run underneath. It's supposed to have a wire floor, but right now, the only floor is the slide out waste tray, so he sits in it! ICK! (I change and add fresh straw, but it gets packed down quickly-- I have to change it out every other day)
I say the cage is horrible because it has three solid sides and just a front wire to let air blow through--I'm thinking in this Georgia heat, that's going to get too hot.
So, money's tight right now, and I've made several small chicken runs/cages with free wood from pallets, why not rabbit cages?
I've just read (too late) that hardware cloth shouldn't be used on the floor--but I just picked up 1/4" hardware cloth. So if I make sure the floor is well supported, will it be okay?
I have read several threads and have seen pictures of several rabbit set ups. Seems many of them have a solid back wall and three open sides, unless they are all wire, and hung.
Mine are going to stand under trees in the yard for shade, and I plan on making the floor about 3' from the ground for easy reach for cleaning. I had planned on a rectangle where 1/3 of the area is enclosed--to make a hutch, and for the nest boxes, and 2/3s would be open wire to let breeze through. I was going to make the whole floor wire--including the hutch area, for easier cleaning, but put a loose peice of plywood over the floor so they don't always have to be on the wire. (It can be thrown away when it gets too funky).
I have perfectly matching 3' square pallets, so they are going to be the two ends, and I'll make the length 3' also. I know, the hutch doesn't have to be that tall, so I will make it 18" tall and leave the top of it as a shelf they can get up onto. In their prior set up, they lived with two Silkie roos, and there was 18" shelving for the silkies to get up onto so they could sleep off the ground (they didn't like roost poles). The bunnies were up there as frequently as the chickens! (one mama bunny with her babies, is still in there with the chickens and her babies, so you see the need to hurry and get two built? (One also for the poor crowded male)
It will have a slightly slanted tin roof. And doors in various places so I can get in there to clean.
Hope I've explained the set up idea well enough. Will this work, or should I still plan on making the back solid? BTW, the walls are "rabbit guard" fencing for gardens, so it's I think 1" x 1" at the bottom 12 inches and then 1" x 2" farther up.
Right now, the male is in a horrible little rabbit cage. (Freecycle) Oh, it's cute--one of those cedar looking things with a dropdown door that can be used for a ramp if you have a run underneath. It's supposed to have a wire floor, but right now, the only floor is the slide out waste tray, so he sits in it! ICK! (I change and add fresh straw, but it gets packed down quickly-- I have to change it out every other day)
I say the cage is horrible because it has three solid sides and just a front wire to let air blow through--I'm thinking in this Georgia heat, that's going to get too hot.
So, money's tight right now, and I've made several small chicken runs/cages with free wood from pallets, why not rabbit cages?
I've just read (too late) that hardware cloth shouldn't be used on the floor--but I just picked up 1/4" hardware cloth. So if I make sure the floor is well supported, will it be okay?
I have read several threads and have seen pictures of several rabbit set ups. Seems many of them have a solid back wall and three open sides, unless they are all wire, and hung.
Mine are going to stand under trees in the yard for shade, and I plan on making the floor about 3' from the ground for easy reach for cleaning. I had planned on a rectangle where 1/3 of the area is enclosed--to make a hutch, and for the nest boxes, and 2/3s would be open wire to let breeze through. I was going to make the whole floor wire--including the hutch area, for easier cleaning, but put a loose peice of plywood over the floor so they don't always have to be on the wire. (It can be thrown away when it gets too funky).
I have perfectly matching 3' square pallets, so they are going to be the two ends, and I'll make the length 3' also. I know, the hutch doesn't have to be that tall, so I will make it 18" tall and leave the top of it as a shelf they can get up onto. In their prior set up, they lived with two Silkie roos, and there was 18" shelving for the silkies to get up onto so they could sleep off the ground (they didn't like roost poles). The bunnies were up there as frequently as the chickens! (one mama bunny with her babies, is still in there with the chickens and her babies, so you see the need to hurry and get two built? (One also for the poor crowded male)
It will have a slightly slanted tin roof. And doors in various places so I can get in there to clean.
Hope I've explained the set up idea well enough. Will this work, or should I still plan on making the back solid? BTW, the walls are "rabbit guard" fencing for gardens, so it's I think 1" x 1" at the bottom 12 inches and then 1" x 2" farther up.
My rabbit barn has removable siding for the warm weather. When it gets cold the siding goes back on. 
