Topic for debate: Height of Rabbit Cages?

I have been doing a lot of research trying to figure out the most optimal cages sizes for raising healthy, happy, meat rabbits and have been stuck on how tall each cage should be. Using google, I really haven't found all that much relating to the heights of the cages and why people choose a certain height. It seems most folks opt for 18" (while I have even seen some folks going as tall as 24". I stumbled across an article put out by Michigan State Universities extension office (A highly regarded agricultural base institution) showing minimum heights as 14". As the weight of the rabbit increased (size), the height remained the same (14").

link: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/determining_cage_size_for_rabbits

What does everyone think? To optimize the cage wire I bought, my cages would need to be and could only be a max of 17" tall, which is an inch below what it seems like most people are using on theirs.

Thanks in advance.

So since my cage wire was 2' wide I went ahead and used a 24" height because chopping off 4-6 inches all around seemed like excessive work and extra waste just to reduce height, then I have all these sharp edges to worry about... so yeah, I have super tall cages. From my experience I feel if the cage width/length is somewhat small (see first two pictures, cage base is 2' x 2') the extra height really helps especially with a double level. I would not shorten their cages if given the option. The white buck in the pictures weighs 11lbs on the nose, and he jumps up and down and races around just fine.

However, the does cages (last picture) have 2' x 4' base, 2' high and all that extra headroom is simple wasted except by the hidey-hole / nest box area.

Come to think of it, my growout cages are 17" high, but I don't have any good pictures of them and I don't have any pictures of full grown meat rabbits sitting inside to judge heights off of. Just sweet little babies, lol.




In this picture below you could count down from the top 7 squares on the back (the wire is 1"x1") to give you an idea where 17" tall would be. But if you're concerned about 17" versus 18", that's just a height difference of 1" and frankly I wouldn't worry about it. Just my two cents.

i buy my cages from bass and i get the 18" ones and they seem to be plenty of headspace for all my rabbits. i know they sell some small cages at 16" too but i've never used them since my cage sizes (30x30 and 30x36) seem to only come in 18" height. i don't think my largest meat mutts could stand all the way up in the 18" cages, but to be honest i've never seen them try unless they were smelling something i set on top. i have raised resting boards for my does with kits they are weaning to get away from them if they want, and they have plenty of room to sit comfortably without their heads being scrunched or anything.

my theory is - that rabbits live longer, and stay healthier , when they get exercise, -as a hobbyist, I build 3 foot tall cages with two shelves, [one at 1 foot and one at 2 foot] for them to jump up on-- but- when I raised rabbits commercially I prefered 16 " high cages . For NZ brood does, 2' deep, 3 foot wide,

I think 17" tall cages would work, but...My Nz does nestboxes are about 10-11" tall at their tallest point. Be sure your cage doors allow for appropriately sized boxes.

Oh, and welcome to RT!

Marinea":3onj8t5u said:

Be sure your cage doors allow for appropriately sized boxes.

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Yup! Been there done that! I had to partially dismantle a cage once to get the nestbox in. I've since changed all my boxes. Boy, did I feel dumb though! :wr_facedesk:

Stephanie":z3ky5o3j said:

Marinea":z3ky5o3j said:

Be sure your cage doors allow for appropriately sized boxes.

Click to expand...

Yup! Been there done that! I had to partially dismantle a cage once to get the nestbox in. I've since changed all my boxes. Boy, did I feel dumb though! :wr_facedesk:

Click to expand...

:yeahthat: I just did a big deep cleaning of my cages / components and well... lets just say the doors got a little bigger. :lol: "How on EARTH did I get this in here in the first place?!"

i was so worried because we built our nest boxes and they BARELY fit into the doors of our cages we have now. i am starting to replace all the old cages with new, better ones, and it caused me quite a bit of stress thinking that maybe the doors wouldn't be big enough......thankfully they are. crisis avoided i would have been really upset to have to remake all my nests, especially since my meat mutt does are just so huge and they only seem to barely fit in the nests as it is.

My old cages are 12" tall but the rabbits are way too cramped, they have head space but they can't really stand up.
For my Dwarf rabbits(3-4 pounds) my new cages are 18" tall, and it works really well for them. They can hop, stretch and stand up, and sit on top of the nest boxes.