Permanent outdoor setup using trees?

[trcarlton]

Hi everyone, I'm brand new to raising meat/pet rabbits (Mini Rex buck, Mini Rex mix doe). I'm working on building/adapting a permanent outdoor setup for them, and I'm looking for advice.
I have a raised wood double hutch I got off craigslist: needs floor redone as wire mesh, needs doors redone but is otherwise very sturdy.
I wanted to build a 3 sided structure using free lumber off craigslist that I could then suspend the cages from. The problem is that the fenced yard the buns will share with our 5 hens is FULL of big pine trees, so space is really limited between the 5'x8' chicken tractor, 3'x5' compost tumbler, and what little space is left with all the trees. I have tentatively decided on a spot to clear and level for the wooden hutch, but I was thinking of using the trees as support for additional hanging cages, making the trees a benefit rather than a difficulty.
I think if I use good quality heavy beams horizontally between a couple trees, I could possibly build up a very sturdy structure for the hanging cages.
Has anyone else ever heard of or done something like this before?

 

[DianeS]

I have not heard of anybody doing that before, but I can picture it and it seems like it would work just fine. You'd essentially be using the trees instead of corner posts, correct? I think you'd have to use slightly longer nails, because the nail has to get into the wood of the tree and not just the bark, but other than that I imagine it would work just the same.

Show us pictures when you get it finished!

 

[trcarlton]

I asked my husband about it last night (he's the handy one; I'm a building novice lol), and he said he'd use lug screws for it. But yes, I'm planning on using the trees as living corner posts. If it turns out right, it will be our Bunny Tree House! We will probably build it over the next 2-3 weeks, and I should have cages by then too. I will take pics as I go and, success or failure, post them when it's done Thanks for the feedback!

 

[nerissad]

My only concern would be how the hutch would manage changes over time with the growth of the trees. It could work and would be neat but I would also try to plan for the trees getting fatter around and not just taller although over time.

As I write this I have rabbit who appears to be the only babe in the litter born yet and a mother whose on her second litter and is acting like shes rejecting it. Hopefully the other doe kindles in the next day so I can foster this one lonely one. Raising rabbits is a very fun hobby with great benefits.

 

[trcarlton]

nerissad - I thought of the long term setup incorporating the trees, but we're renting (I adore our landlord - he is awesome!), so long term really shouldn't be an issue since we will probably only be at this house for 3-5 years...then hopefully acreage ownership where we can build a really neat freestanding bunny barn Good luck on your solo kit; I really hope that works out with another doe fostering it. I'm really excited about our entire bunny venture

 

[Bunny-kids]

Just thought I'd toss out an idea since you are in the planning stages. My setup is similar to what you describe, but with a 2x4 frame instead of trees. Instead of suspending the cages though, I stretched fencing wire (4x4 opening field fencing) over the frame and it forms a base for wire cages to sit on. In my case I'm glad I did it that way, instead of suspending them, since the wire I used on my first cages would not have held up to being suspended along with wear and tear from bucks and the weight of the rabbits.

If you DO decide to suspend them, you might want to check with someone who has a successful setup like that. I use a very strong wire for my floors now, and that wire would probably be strong enough to make suspended cages with.

Love to see pics of how it comes out. Very creative idea, using the trees instead of them being in the way.

 

[trcarlton]

UPDATE - PIC HEAVY! So the rabbit situation has changed a little. Our landlord decided he was NOT ok with breeding rabbits for meat, even if they were taken offsite to be processed. He did say he's ok with raising rabbits to sell as pets though, so I tweaked the plan a bit as a result.

The treehouse rabbitry idea is no more.

I was having a really hard time finding decent/repairable hutches/cages locally, so I contacted the local 4H groups, and was rewarded with a donated raised 4 hole hutch setup - the catch being I had to also take this cute smallish buck with dwarf type ears, a couple gray spots, and gray eyeliner...oh twist my arm a little harder! The rabbit is a little skittish, but I'm working with him on that, and he's adorable, so he's staying for the time being. My husband replaced almost all the wire, rehung the doors, and our lovely hutch system is now a (semi) permanent part of our critter yard, formerly the chicken yard. I only say semi permanent because we're not going to live here permanently, probably about 5 years, then hopefully be able to buy acreage and homestead for real, complete with rabbit for meat lol. So we now have the large 4 hole hutch,

a single raised hutch that is occupied by Wilbur, and another larger single raised hutch that my husband is finishing repairs on (no pics yet - kindling/grow out pen?)...plus my large single quonset cage, assuming I ever finish it...was much tougher to build from scratch than I had anticipated (needs a stand built, but probably will be a grow out pen)!

I plan on eventually getting a Dwarf Hotot buck and a Mini Rex doe to try for a pet bunny with the rex fur and hotot eyeliner...but that is another project. For now, my small rabbitry consists of 5 rabbits:

Our newest member, Picky, a broken orange Mini Rex mix doe.

Ruby, a broken black Mini Rex mix doe (successfully bred yesterday, fingers crossed for adorable kits next month!).

Char, the mystery white/gray buck that came with the 4 hole hutch.

Wilbur, another mystery breed broken blue buck.

Charlie Bear, a fawn with gray striped hindquarters Mini Rex buck.
I was seriously considering rehoming Charlie Bear and Wilbur, since they're more skittish and haven't been handled much, but I met a very knowledgeable rabbit owner who came by to pick up some donated items for her foster buns, and she met mine, handled them a bit, and they were completely comfortable with her - so it's ME that's the issue lol Like kids, they were picking up on my uncertainty (did I mention I am really new to rabbit ownership?), and were using that to their advantage...well, no more, kiddos! After she left, I fetched each bunny, brought them into the house, put them on their back on my lap, and confidently (but gently) clipped everyone's nails, then just manipulated their ears and legs and petted them, getting them used to being handled, and me used to handling them. Tah-dah! After that empowering experience, my confidence around my bunnies is doing just fine

My rabbit goal while we're living here is to have enough litters per year to cover the cost of keeping the rabbits - any extra beyond that will be saved to go toward expanding our rabbitry when we have our acreage, to include a setup for meat rabbits.

 

[yankee'n'moxie]

Nice!! Your bunnies are cute! They would make great pet buns (for their color) or you could also sell them to people that want meat rabbits, even though you can't raise them for that... You just produce them, and sell them to people for breeding stock, or for them to grow out. Or does your landlord not want you to even do that? Just curious! My prior landlord was great too! He allowed us to get chickens and 2 horses in the three years that we lived at his house! And now we have bought our own property and are planned on raising some animals for our own consumption/to sell! Congrats, and that looks like a great setup!

 

[trcarlton]

Thanks, yankee'n'moxie! I'm really excited, and having so much fun with our critters. I really want the whole farm; planning on homesteading when we have property, so this is me experimenting in the meantime Our landlord has been really great - I was disappointed that he nixed the meat buns, but relieved that he's ok with raising them for pets. I don't think he'd object to them being sold live as meat buns. His main concern, since we're in a neighborhood, is upsetting the neighbors resulting in being hassled by the authorities. I checked, and there are no laws/regulations for our address for how many/what type of animals we have, as long as they do not become an annoyance to neighbors. He's just worried that if I sell them from the house the neighbors might start snooping or get upset, so I plan on advertising on craigslist, and meeting potential buyers at a nearby public location...like maybe a feed store I totally understand his concerns, it just makes me that much more determined to have my own property where nobody can tell me what I can or can't do. He's actually a longtime military buddy of my husband's, and we (including a couple other families) are in the beginning stages of planning to buy a large lot of acreage (40+ acres - a lot to us anyway lol) and gradually build and become homesteaders. He totally gets what our goals are, and he agrees with them, he just doesn't want trouble in the meantime lol. I still have to build a kindling box for Ruby, but we've got a small stockpile of pellets, hay for eating/bedding, and diatomaceous earth (I think once a week I will put a pan with DE in it for the buns to hopefully use). I currently use the DE in the chicken coop, and now that we're getting warmer, drier weather, I'm going to start putting it in their dirt bath areas too. My husband told me last night that he talked to some coworkers about the bunnies and he's going to get info from them about meat buyer contacts (for individual dog food, not commercial type since we are on such a small scale). My husband has been resistant to getting bunnies, but he's been gradually coming over to the Bunny Side lol I've caught him petting them, he rebuilt the hutches, went out and bought their pellets and FineX Feeders, etc, so he's coming around on the topic