Need help building this hutch design

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It looks like a bank of divided cages in a wooden frame with slant boards and trough drains.

Our cages are very similar, with one big exception. Each cage is individual, in its own frame. And I am very glad they are, as we have moved them around a few times, with one more move set for spring.

Anyhow, a picture:

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The main posts are 4x4s. With large breed rabbits, I would not recommend using smaller. Other boards are all 2x4s. The cage hangs from 1/2" electrical conduit pipe. The slant board in this cage is mobile home skirting, something we had on hand. Underneath the slant board are some ferring strips laid from side to side and the skirting is glued and screwed down. The trough is a length of gutter, attached with hidden gutter hangers. We wrapped some flashing around the main posts for urine spray.

If you wanted to go with a bank of cages, the same construction applies. Just longer. Keep in mind that moving even this single cage requires two people. I can answer more questions if you like.
 
bigfoot_158":ed7j4kc5 said:
Look at this video. I am going to go with it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyILc08TKig

I would do this if I had the outside space too, this is a pretty interesting set-up.

I will keep the 4x4 thing in mind since I breed SF, I want to do something similar to what you are doing just it would hold two cages lengthwise and height wise. I've sketched out a doodle of how it will look, but I don't know if it would be understandable. My plan is to basically replicate what they have the only differences being I will be using washers and 2x4's holding up the cage I beam would go across the top front and two in the back, one on top and bottom of the back, but not underneath. There will be a bottom row built the same. To save some space and because curiosity killed the cat, I'm looking for the bottom of a trampoline that would be wrapped in two layers of wire with about two feet of buried wire all the way around, 5 does will be living in here but not until I have space for them all to have their own hutch in case things do go south, which I doubt they will.
 
Yea my thought on the video may not go well. I am thinking that I can get 10 foot T Post and run 10 of conduit two stacks high with three cage on each level. Smaller pieces of conduit thru the cage and bolt to the other conduit running horizontal. This way I can clean repair one cage at a time. Unlike what they show in the vid. They show one 21 foot cage with dividers in it. I dont like that setup but it is a good idea.

I am doing something similar in the breeding room which is the garage. I will post pic in spring when I get it finished its about a quarter of the way there now. :) :)
 
bigfoot_158":2pqd90w6 said:
Look at this video. I am going to go with it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyILc08TKig

Nope, nooe, nope. They used the wrong connectors ... should have used j-clips that will not harm the rabbit.

Also, IMHO, the only long cages you want are the grow out cages, and even in them I installed a divider with a door that can further divide the 6' cages if needed.

I built wooden hutches using cattle panel as the floor for the individual cages to sit on. I also built individual cages that can be removed for cleaning. Can you imagine having to house all your rabbits while you horse around a 20'+ cage for cleaning?

Biannually I torch all my cages to prevent coccidia ... the first time my herd got coccidia, it came in on a haybale. The second time it was chicken coccidia which is deadly to kits!!! and came from a doe from a friend that was in for breeding. I lost 14 of 21 kits in one week.

Another consideration for individual cages in 2-cage hutches is safety ... dogs will attack rabbits in cages, but if they can only get to one rabbit/cage before you get there rather than a cage bank where all 7 cages can be torn down, possibly freeing all rabbits.

Besides, versatility is your friend, and being able to move things around is definitely something you will appreciate in the future!
 
^ exactly what it sounds like - removing the rabbits/foot/etc and blowtorching the cages to remove fur and kill bacteria.


we plan on doing something really similar to what mariena does - except our design is to hold two cages stacked in top of one another. my husband made a mock-up in 3D for me:

tumblr_oh86woTKPl1vlx0zao1_1280.jpg


we originally were going to do it for four but decided to make them just a single stack to make them easier to move. they'll basically be their own little compartments (since we don't have a barn,) with a roof on it that can be interlocked with one next to it or left standing alone if need be. the blue rectangle would be the water bucket - one for each 4-6 cages. there's no waste collection underneath the bottom cage as i plan to put worm bins underneath them.

we plan on starting to build them in january-ish. he's off next week so we may get started then...every day i have to go dump trays in the cold i think about how easy it'll be to clean the new cages ;P
 
My only issue with double stack cages is that I am old. The daily bending and stretching would kill my back. My hubby was smart enough when we started building ours to set the height at just the right spot so I have no bending over.

Edit: just watched the video. I have issues with some of their ideas. T posts? I would be worried about the rabbits moving around and working the posts loose, along with predators doing the same thing. Rat wire floor...Nope. No baby saver wire. A long stretch like that with minimal floor support. Small doors are going to limit the size of nest boxes.
 
I could've swore I replied but apparently not, yeah the T-posts look quite sketchy. Where did you find the 3D model site? I'd love to check it out, if it's not some business related thing >3<
 
we use Blender - it's free but has quite a learning curve in my opinion (i'm not a big fan of blender myself to be honest.) it's also not a site, but a program, haha. my husband is a programmer and makes video games for a living, and i went to college for 3D animation. i don't do animation or modeling much anymore, but the skill really comes in handy for planning out homesteading projects haha
 
I have stacking cages.... They work well for me at this time... (although when I get a farm and can expand a bit larger than a horse stall, I would love to get double stack with poop shoots like you are showing.)

The trays are the only thing not metal....
So you can pull trays and power wash the whole thing. "torch" if necessary and wash or replace the trays. (you can buy metal trays for this too)

I have a friend that adds 2x4 "legs" to bring the cage another foot up off the floor. (these need to be removed for power washing)

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rabbit cages.png
 
The only thing I dont like about stacking cages is the waste management system. Too many trays to empty if you got alot of rabbits. For a few rabbits not a big deal. :)


Nope, nooe, nope. They used the wrong connectors ... should have used j-clips that will not harm the rabbit.


I agree I dont use hogs rings either. I only use j clips. I am still trying to work out how to connect the conduit to the T Post. I am thinking U bolts.
 
Yes, clean-up day is once a week and at least a couple of hours.... I have more cages than the ones in the picture now..... lol
Rabbitosis kicked in and I started building towers with scrap cages and improvising pans with totes from the hardware store...lol

What we won't do for our rabbits. :x
 
Well I'm definitely glad to know that stacked cages with pans are a no go for me! I already have 16 rabbits I'm planning to keep, plus I want to keep one doe from the next litter because I wanted a broken meat mutt doe. Not to mention eventually I want to invest in some Angora's for the fiber and a Llama or Alpaca (I have some big plans)
 
HOWsMom":2kgj8jps said:
AnnClaire":2kgj8jps said:
Biannually I torch all my cages ...

What do you mean "torch" your cages ?
And why every 2nd year ?

LOL biannually = 2x per year, so, spring and fall I pull the cages and use a hand held propane torch from local hardware store to burn and heat the wire of the cages, j-feeders and metal water dishes to remove debris (angora fibers, shed fur from Silver Foxes, spider webs, etc.), diseases (staph, etc), and other undesirables (coccidia, fur mites, etc).

My breeding takes place in the winter and all my does insist on building a poop pancake for the babies, and since I believe that the poop pancake is where the babies get their start on growing good gut bacteria, I leave the pancakes until the spring cleaning.
 
AnnClaire":2vl93h3p said:
My breeding takes place in the winter and all my does insist on building a poop pancake for the babies, and since I believe that the poop pancake is where the babies get their start on growing good gut bacteria, I leave the pancakes until the spring cleaning.


Really? I wonder why my babies are doing good with out poop pancakes. I cant stand to see a cage like that. :lol:
 
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