hutch colony, cage colony, etc

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ohiogoatgirl

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I am doodling for my future rabbits. I am thinking i like the idea of a colony hutchand easier and cheaper to build. But if i end up moving to one possible area its fairly common bear country. So i would want colony cage in a nice secure building.

So doodling for now. Some questions for yall who have colony knowhow.

A colony cage of say 30inch by 10ft or 15ft. Be ok for two does? It would be fairly tall and have lots of hiding spots and some wire shelves andbuckets.

A hutch about 60inch wide and 10 or 15ft long. Two does sound ok for that? Possibly more? Again lots of hiding spots and shelves etc.

The buck(s) would be in a seperate cage/hutch. I like being able to keep track of things and know when to expect litters and make sure anyone not pullin their share is dealt with.

Thanks :)
 
For 2 commercial or giant breed does raising litters I would prefer 8x8' or bigger depending on litter size and weaning age. You might get away with 6x6' or equivalent. If the kits are not being removed at weaning you need more like 100sq ft. Small breeds may do OK in about 4x6'. I had 3-4 Netherland does in 4x8 without weaning kits early and I kept a mini rex doe with mature daughters while continuing to breed just her in 3x6'. While you can mostly mess with the dimension I would not lower the width beyond 3' or they will have to pass too close to use the full length without arguments.
 
Another idea brain doodle...

Big hutch type thing. Along one end is like a coop sort thing with lots of nest spots and i could open the doors to check nests. About 15ft away is another one.
Between those is a large open area. About 15ft by 5ft. Wire floor with plenty of good support. Wired area about 4ft tall, with a second floor (also wire) between. Allowing about 2ft of floor to ceiling on each level. And a ramp or somethin.

There would be plenty of doors on both sides and i would probably end up needing a good net to catch young ones to pull out for sell/eat/etc.

It would have a good roof over it and probably have something like rolldowns for the sides in case of bad weather.
Probably gravity fed water system. And i dont know if i would do j feeders or what yet. Probably several with the lids to keep out kits and theyd be fixed along the inside to keep out rain/snow.

So floor space of 15x5ft x2story.
Would be for breeding does and growouts til maybe 8-10wks. Bucks out at 6-8wks to avoid fights or extra breeding.
Breeding buck(s) in seperate cages/hutches for breeding so i can keep track and all.

What do yall think?
How many does do ya think? Like Silver fox, NZ, cali, meat mutt, maybe minirex or netherland in there for my fun breedings.
 
If you can, go with a colony you can walk into! Trying to catch rabbits that are out of arms reach, even in a cage where they cant get too far, is a nightmare! I had a grow out cage that was 8 ft long by 2 ft wide and had 4 doors. Catching those buggers, even with all the doors AND being able to reach the back of the cage, was both frustrating and time consuming.
 
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