Grow out pen help

[Jared77]

Everybody is raving about their chicken tractors which is a portable pen that houses birds. Some folks use them for grow out pens for their meaties so I thought Id build some and finish rabbits in them. My plan was to build a couple of grow out pens that would fit between the rows in the garden possibly even on runners so I could move them around my garden throughout the spring and summer. Their waste would go right into the garden as fertilizer, they eat some weeds and when ready they go in the freezer to make room for the next litter that needs to finish.

Now here's what I'm wondering about:

I know if I put the pens on runners Id have to have a floor. Is it worth it to put a floor in? The pen would be moved every 24-48hrs down the row so I don't think they'd have enough time to dig out. Or should I leave the bottom bare earth? Which is better for them? I thought of putting in my breeders too when they need a break after a litter too. Will it make a difference? Is it worth it for the breeders to go in there at all?

I had guinea pigs YEARS ago but never rabbits. I have Storey's guide and I'm reading everything I can about them and plan on getting quality stock to start with. The big thing for me is filling the freezer. My daughter may want to show them in 4H but this will be next years project at the the earliest. I'm still in the research phase of this project. I planned on using 2x4s to make sure it was heavy enough so it wouldn't be tipped over. Plus my garden's fenced in as an extra layer of protection.

Any other issues that you folks can think of? Ideas?

Thank you for your time on this.

 

[terri9630]

Put a wire bottom on it. The grass/weeds/cover crop will be accessible and the rabbits can't dig out. I have seen rabbits dig under my garden fence in less than 10 min might take a bit longer for a domestic but they can dig out well before 24hrs.

 

[pennylove]

I would put wire on the bottom, not only to prevent digging (which happens remarkably fast--my rabbits dig holes 8-12" deep in under and hour, easily), but to make moving your tractor easier. Rabbits startle so easily, you'd have to wrangle them all out of the way to move a tractor with an open bottom; if you tried to just scoot them along with it an inch or two off the ground I'm sure one or two would make a dash out the side, simply out of panic.

 

[mama24]

I just built a "rabbit tractor" to use as a grow out pen. I put some leftover 2x4 inch wire on the bottom, but used regular rabbit cage wire for the sides.

 

[DianeS]

I'd put a floor on the tractor. That makes it more difficult for a predator to get in and wipe out an entire litter. Plus for the reasons the other posters mentioned.

 

[Jared77]

Thank you for the fast replies! One other question how many rabbits per sq ft are nessecary in a grow out pen to keep them from getting stressed but still put on good weight?

 

[Smiles]

How wide are the rows in your garden? I'm picturing a tractor 18" to 24" wide and that isn't a lot of space.

 

[Jared77]

I measured them out at 24"-30" wide at least this year. Some years its been 18" and some its been 30". Once I have the pens built I can plan the garden spacing around the widths I need for the pens. I planned on making the pens 48" or 60" long. I had also assumed I may have to be splitting up litters, so nobody got stressed out. The plan was to have some Calis or NZs and they would be in there long enough to get up to size and then send to freezer camp or as the next generation of breeding stock.

My garden is 45'x60' by the way.

 

[Smiles]

With wide row spacings like that I think you have a cool idea. Keep us up to date please.