Outdoor Setup for Small Scale Breeding

[Clurin]

Hello, everyone. I have been lurking through the forums for a few weeks now, and have been impressed with what I've seen. Lots of great info here! I am planning on starting to breed rabbits for meat for my fiance and I starting soon. I have a source for my initial stock (Satins, 1 buck, 2 does). What I am trying to plan now is what kind of structure to put them in.

I've looked at a few setups, and what I am currently considering is setting up a 6' tall privacy-fenced area of about 8' x 16'. I then am thinking of setting up a lean-to style (three-sided) structure to hold hanging cages with the opening facing north. In the future, we may try and house a couple chickens in the same area, but for now, it will be for the bunnies only. There are some raccoons that pass through the yard, and I've been tracking a coyote that seems to have my yard as part of its territory, so being predator-proof is also a consideration.

I am trying to avoid having to get a building permit, and am hoping to set this up as inexpensively as possible (otherwise, it will take far longer to actually have the meat SAVE us money ). I am in an "urban" setting, though it's more like a suburban setting in most areas. My lot is about 1/4 acre.

I'd love to see pictures of people's outdoor setups, especially those in states that have cold, windy winters (I am in western MA) and sometimes hot, humid summers.

Thanks!

 

[Mea]

Hello, everyone. I have been lurking through the forums for a few weeks now, and have been impressed with what I've seen. Lots of great info here! I am planning on starting to breed rabbits for meat for my fiance and I starting soon. I have a source for my initial stock (Satins, 1 buck, 2 does). What I am trying to plan now is what kind of structure to put them in.

I've looked at a few setups, and what I am currently considering is setting up a 6' tall privacy-fenced area of about 8' x 16'. I then am thinking of setting up a lean-to style (three-sided) structure to hold hanging cages with the opening facing north. In the future, we may try and house a couple chickens in the same area, but for now, it will be for the bunnies only. There are some raccoons that pass through the yard, and I've been tracking a coyote that seems to have my yard as part of its territory, so being predator-proof is also a consideration.

I am trying to avoid having to get a building permit, and am hoping to set this up as inexpensively as possible (otherwise, it will take far longer to actually have the meat SAVE us money ). I am in an "urban" setting, though it's more like a suburban setting in most areas. My lot is about 1/4 acre.

I'd love to see pictures of people's outdoor setups, especially those in states that have cold, windy winters (I am in western MA) and sometimes hot, humid summers.

Thanks!

A three sided shelter can be very useful... personally i would have the opening facing South... as so much of our weather comes out of the north.

Raccoons and coyotes will rip into cages. An extra security fence might help. ( they also can and do dig.) Neighborhood dogs can be an issue as well....

Our rabbits are inside the barn. But long ago we had outside hutches with covered runs... the wabbits would be out in their runs even in sub-zero weather !

Good luck.... and welcome.

 

[DianeS]

My setup for 1 buck and four does is super cheap.

I already had a chicken run (with a coop in it) that was way bigger than my chickens needed. So I put my wire rabbit hutches up on bricks inside the chicken run. For the winter I covered the hutches with straw for insulation from the weather - covered the top with flakes of straw, and packed it between the hutches and the chain link walls of the run. On the rare occasion the wind blows from the wrong direction and goes straight in the unprotected side of the hutches, I have an old blanket I can drop over the front of them. The water in the hutches still freezes, but as long as the rabbits are out of the rain and the direct winds, they don't seem to mind the temperature.

That's about as cheap as it comes! Plus it puts two barriers between my rabbits and the predators. The hardware cloth hutches and the chain link run.

I do sometimes wish I had suspended hutches. It would be nice to not bend over to feed and water. But it's not that big a bother, surprisingly. I'll get the nice lean to type shelter AFTER the rabbits provide me enough meat that I've saved the money for it.

 

[Clurin]

Ooo, I like the straw bale idea! How about during the summer? Do you leave to straw there then as well, or do something else to shade them?

 

[DianeS]

Ooo, I like the straw bale idea! How about during the summer? Do you leave to straw there then as well, or do something else to shade them?

They are placed exactly where the chicken coop shadow falls for most of the day (from 10 am through the rest of the day). I won't use the straw then because they'll be glad for any breeze they can get in the heat. I will have a piece of plywood I can place over the tops of the hutches when a heavy rain is forecast (same as the one I use now for snow).