variety of size based questions

I got 2 pedigreed champagne d'argent does, 1 bred and her younger sister free, last night and have some questions on nest box, cage, and carrier sizes as well as carriers for the mini rex. I plan to set up a colony for the d'argent but until we finish waging war on the rats in the other building they have to be caged in the smaller building. What's the minimum cage size for does that I believe are around 9 and 10lbs with the bigger one being pregnant? Right now they are in a divided 2x4' and I plan to stack another 2x4 cage plus I have a 30x30" free standing cage. I also have to fit several mini rex in that space and for right now my older buck is just running loose on the floor of the building because it was 2am when we got home with the does. Is a 11"W x 20.75"D x 9.75"H nest box large enough? The largest premade single hole carriers I could find were 8" wide. I brought them home in the 30x30" divided in half and that seemed about the right width with a bit of extra length so I dunno if 8" would accomodate them especially if I want to haul bucks in the future. I may have to build my own if I want anything wider. What size carrier for mini rex? I'd probably get a couple 2 hole carriers for the mini rex but I don't think I can lift 2 of those champagnes at once.

The guy also gave me a tiny blue mini rex buck for free. :lol: Poor thing had to ride home in a little box but he's so laid back he didn't have much of a problem with it. Just curled himself up one length and down the end then munched on hay for the whole 3 hour drive. His dad has to be the smallest and nicest mini rex I've ever seen. Like a little round melon with a square head and ears no longer than his face. Hopefully he'll improve the shoulders and ear length on my current mini rex.

The non-pregnant doe will be fine in the 30 x 30 inch cage. The 2 x 4 foot cage (divider removed) will be more than adequate for a doe with kits.

You are wise to win the war on rats before trying to set up a colony.

My Buck Cages are 30" X 30" X 18"high
Doe cages are 30" X 36" X 18" I have Satins.
Carrying cages should not be so large that the rabbit can shift back and forth.
This is for their protection in travel. Perhaps if
a Rabbit Seat belt was to be produced a larger cage
could be used for transport of large numbers in that one cage.
Dennis, C.V.R.

Carrying cages should not be so large that the rabbit can shift back and forth.
This is for their protection in travel.

Click to expand...

Yes but what size is this? I have no idea.

I always sized them about like a nestbox. Room to turn around and not much else. Especially not too tall, keep 'em on the floor. Maybe someone more experienced with transport can pipe up.

Carry cages need only be a few inches longer and wider than each individual rabbit, like eco2pia said nestbox size.
As far as cages go mine are the same sizes as Dennis 30X30 for the buck and 30x36 for my does. I still think bigger is better but that is what I could get premade and have room for.

We finished the 2nd stacked 2x4 cage and divided it so we put the 3 mini rex bucks and a doe in the 4 2x2' cages that made and then let the champagne does loose in the 8x8 building. They seem to be doing fine. The younger one did lots of spastic dashing about but I think half of it was in fun and the rest in confusion about what to do without a defined space to exist in that other rabbits could not enter. She's now smashed herself under the hay loft while the older one wanders about tasting shavings and testing out her digging abilities. I was going to check on them later tonight and then my husband will check on them in the morning before work. We have the 30x30" cage setup in case anything appears wrong but so far the start to our colony is working out alright.