raised bed.. colony?

so I have another crazy idea.. of course! :mrgreen:

imagine a raised garden bed.. build your raised bed, fill it with dirt,... now put a roof over it... build nests on one end... cover the other three sides with cage wire.. and make it 10ft long and 5ft wide.. doors on the solid walled side to get into the nests easily.. and two parts of the roof opens up and can be locked shut so you can easily get into it as needed.. the anti-dig layer would be laid at the ground before being filled with dirt. I wouldn't mind them digging into the rather shallow bed area but I don't want escapees and I don't want endless tunnels and I don't want crazy wild kits that I cant check or anything.

now see my ever so lovely :roll: doodles for hopefully a slightly better idea of what I mean.
this would be for a couple does and litters. still have the buck in his own cage. and still have a big growout to separate bucklings into at weaning time, and probably butcher/sell them first. still have a second growout cage available if needed. doelings from the litters would probably stay in colony to growout and get butchered a little later than the bucklings.

now I do have tin actually! well sort of.. lol its a bit hodgepodged badly in the old goat pen and needs moved badly ((not my fault though..)) so really the only thing about this I couldn't do right now..
1) I am not entirely sure my stashed can of still straight odds-n-ends nails would be enough to nail the board base together
2) I would have to buy the cage wire.. so that would be pending until I get hired somewhere
3) I don't know what I would put as the base to keep them from digging out. I definitely have to put something because I do not want to chance doing all this and them dig out! because that's my luck! :roll: and I already know I don't want to try something that wont last like chicken wire. I will have to see if I could scavenge enough bricks and rocks...
4) I am not entirely sure dad wont have a fit about too many projects and using the tin roofing.. even though the roofing has been laying out there and I am 90% sure it will be half decayed before he uses it in his own time :| but that's how he is and can be... so I need a secondary roofing idea to come up with just in case

love to know anything and everything yall think of the idea!

Not sure what it would get like in your location, but if I used tin roofing here in Southern Indiana I would come out to roasted bunnies in no time at all.

I would lay some wire in the bottom and cover with some dirt to prevent burrowing.

Using a raised bed sounds like a great way to minimize wind associated illnesses which rabbits just love to catch.

My parents did this, sort of, when I was growing up in AZ. I think it was a bit impromptu, but it worked... well enough that the rabbit was fine in Phx, AZ heat since it could burrow, but died shortly after moving to VA.

We found a rabbit on the side of the road (again, Phx, AZ - very random). I guess my parents weren't sure what to do with it so they fenced off a small section of the raised bed garden. There was one burrow in the middle that I can remember (I was 10, so the memory is a bit fuzzy) and he spent a lot of time in it. I ended up with two rabbits that they kept together (not sure why??) and as a 10 year old I was beyond excited to see babies pop out of the hole one day... not sure my parents were quite as thrilled :lol: .

Anyway, not sure how much of that success was luck - it was a 3ft deep cinderblock bed under a grapefruit tree - but it can be successful! There wasn't a cover over it, but they did run a single line of electric fencing around the whole garden to keep our dog out so they were protected partially by that.

heritage":1ummbkau said:

We found a rabbit on the side of the road (again, Phx, AZ - very random). I guess my parents weren't sure what to do with it so they fenced off a small section of the raised bed garden. There was one burrow in the middle that I can remember (I was 10, so the memory is a bit fuzzy) and he spent a lot of time in it. I ended up with two rabbits that they kept together (not sure why??) and as a 10 year old I was beyond excited to see babies pop out of the hole one day... not sure my parents were quite as thrilled :lol: .

Anyway, not sure how much of that success was luck - it was a 3ft deep cinderblock bed under a grapefruit tree - but it can be successful! There wasn't a cover over it, but they did run a single line of electric fencing around the whole garden to keep our dog out so they were protected partially by that.

Click to expand...

I think I would like to try out my idea and then if it works I could keep back a doe or two to keep it going (currently just have a pair) and I have always wanted to see how an actual literal hands off colony would honestly do. I posted about it here before and I think combining that with this would be perfect. I already have experience raising rabbits, I could keep track of the actual costs and production for that colony,.. you know, really document the whole thing on does it actually work like "they" say it does?
my old thread on the hands off colony rambling: hands-off-colony-t21194.html


well we have a barn that is roofed and sided in only aluminum/tin and its fine. I mean it doesn't have a good air flow so it can be hot in the summer but not bad-bad. plus its only really used as hay storage and kidding pens which are used winter or spring. but I had my rabbits in it one year.

but looking at the weather history online for this area says:
((I think this is supposed to be for the last couple years but I am not sure. seems about right. although I don't recall a day in may being 91* :x ??))

--January
Average high temperature: 30.2°F (normal: 34°F)
Average low temperature: 10.6°F (normal: 19°F)
Average temperature: 20.4°F (normal: 27°F)
Total Precipitation: 2.05 inch (normal: 2.91 inch)
Total snowfall: 0 inch
Highest max temperature: 55.0°F
Lowest max temperature: 8.1°F
Highest min temperature: 39.0°F
Lowest min temperature: -15.0°F
-- Feb
Average high temperature: 33.7°F (normal: 39°F)
Average low temperature: 14.1°F (normal: 21°F)
Average temperature: 23.9°F (normal: 30°F)
Total Precipitation: 2.22 inch (normal: 2.13 inch)
Total snowfall: 0 inch
Highest max temperature: 55.0°F
Lowest max temperature: 17.1°F
Highest min temperature: 34.0°F
Lowest min temperature: -6.0°F
-- March
Average high temperature: 42.7°F (normal: 49°F)
Average low temperature: 21.1°F (normal: 28°F)
Average temperature: 31.9°F (normal: 39°F)
Total Precipitation: 2.09 inch (normal: 3.19 inch)
Total snowfall: 0 inch
Highest max temperature: 66.9°F
Lowest max temperature: °F
Highest min temperature: 36.0°F
Lowest min temperature: °F
--April
Average high temperature: 63.3°F (normal: 62°F)
Average low temperature: 37.2°F (normal: 37°F)
Average temperature: 50.25°F (normal: 49°F)
Total Precipitation: 5.93 inch (normal: 3.58 inch)
Total snowfall: 0 inch
Highest max temperature: 82.0°F
Lowest max temperature: 35.1°F
Highest min temperature: 64.0°F
Lowest min temperature: 21.9°F
--May
Average high temperature: 74.0°F (normal: 71°F)
Average low temperature: 50.2°F (normal: 47°F)
Average temperature: 62.1°F (normal: 59°F)
Total Precipitation: 4.07 inch (normal: 4.02 inch)
Total snowfall: 0 inch
Highest max temperature: 91.9°F
Lowest max temperature: 54.0°F
Highest min temperature: 64.0°F
Lowest min temperature: 36.0°F
--June
Average high temperature: 80.9°F (normal: 80°F)
Average low temperature: 56.9°F (normal: 56°F)
Average temperature: 68.9°F (normal: 68°F)
Total Precipitation: 4.72 inch (normal: 4.49 inch)
Total snowfall: 0 inch
Highest max temperature: 91.9°F
Lowest max temperature: °F
Highest min temperature: 68.0°F
Lowest min temperature: °F
--July
Average high temperature: 82.0°F (normal: 84°F)
Average low temperature: 59.5°F (normal: 61°F)
Average temperature: 70.75°F (normal: 72°F)
Total Precipitation: 4.51 inch (normal: 3.94 inch)
Total snowfall: 0 inch
Highest max temperature: 91.9°F
Lowest max temperature: 70.0°F
Highest min temperature: 71.1°F
Lowest min temperature: 48.0°F
--August
Average high temperature: 83.3°F (normal: 83°F)
Average low temperature: 58.8°F (normal: 59°F)
Average temperature: 71.05°F (normal: 71°F)
Total Precipitation: 7.42 inch (normal: 3.62 inch)
Total snowfall: 0 inch
Highest max temperature: 91.0°F
Lowest max temperature: 73.0°F
Highest min temperature: 69.1°F
Lowest min temperature: 45.0°F
--Sept
Average high temperature: 76.7°F (normal: 75°F)
Average low temperature: 52.6°F (normal: 51°F)
Average temperature: 64.65°F (normal: 63°F)
Total Precipitation: 1.13 inch (normal: 3.46 inch)
Total snowfall: 0 inch
Highest max temperature: 91.9°F
Lowest max temperature: 60.1°F
Highest min temperature: 70.0°F
Lowest min temperature: 39.0°F
--Oct
Average high temperature: 59.9°F (normal: 63°F)
Average low temperature: 39.2°F (normal: 40°F)
Average temperature: 49.55°F (normal: 51°F)
Total Precipitation: 2.07 inch (normal: 2.72 inch)
Total snowfall: 0 inch
Highest max temperature: 81.0°F
Lowest max temperature: °F
Highest min temperature: 57.0°F
Lowest min temperature: °F
--Nov
Average high temperature: 45.3°F (normal: 51°F)
Average low temperature: 28.9°F (normal: 32°F)
Average temperature: 37.1°F (normal: 42°F)
Total Precipitation: 1.85 inch (normal: 3.31 inch)
Total snowfall: 0 inch
Highest max temperature: 70.0°F
Lowest max temperature: 19.9°F
Highest min temperature: 45.0°F
Lowest min temperature: 12.9°F
--Dec
Average high temperature: 42.5°F (normal: 38°F)
Average low temperature: 29.2°F (normal: 24°F)
Average temperature: 35.85°F (normal: 31°F)
Total Precipitation: 3.08 inch (normal: 3.03 inch)
Total snowfall: 0 inch
Highest max temperature: 62.1°F
Lowest max temperature: 30.9°F
Highest min temperature: 44.1°F
Lowest min temperature: 16.0°F

but really I think the tin roof would be fine here. the sides are almost all open air, just cage wire. plus I don't have a spot in mind that I could build em right now but I can probably find somewhere that at least gets shade. we aren't short of trees here! :lol:
but august tends to be the hottest and February tends to be the coldest. and you can bet if we don't get any snow the rest of the winter you will get pummeled here at least once or twice in February. we haven't had snow on thanksgiving since I was like *pfft!* maybe 10-12 or so.. and i'm 23 now so.. :lol: and i'm less worried about snow than I am about heat. I can always put some clear plastic over some of the wire to block wind and snow.
but if its hot I wont try breeding anyways because its useless when ya just get scrawny boney hobo looking litters. but I have never had problems in the winter other than a couple first time does who one didn't nest at all or pull fur at all and had em on the wire and the other one was a stupid doe I was really wanting a litter out of plus she was just too dumb combined with not the best nesting material. plus with that I think a doe littering in this colony setup even not in a nest section has a whole lot better chance than any caged rabbit anyhow.

__________ Thu Oct 01, 2015 12:17 am __________

it seems like a lot of the people on the two colony FB groups I am on say they use 2in x 4in welded wire on the ground or under the dirt of their colonies and do fine with no escapes... hmm I would think some kits could dig out of that? and would it stay good when buried? hmmm... it would be better though bc I think there is a pretty big section of 2x4 welded wire here out by the barn not being used...

and what do ya know! wowee! I went searching through the one group pics and there it is, someone made a small colony pen a lot like what I was thinkin of! they have a lot of wood and I would probably use a lot more wire sides than this. adding the pic here.
**pic is not mine, I claim nothing. from 'rabbits in colonies' fb group person named Alana sc**


now that i'm really thinkin on this I think this could be the perfect pen setup for if I get started again with a small group of guinea pigs make it a little different with the nest area and things and definitely wrap with some clear plastic in the winter and even stack some crappy hay bales around it for extra protection.

argh! why cant I get hired anywhere so I can do my projects! :angry: *stomps off to pout in corner and put in more online applications*

marked for future use.

I am reading over all the colony section posts here (ehh again lol) and I am trying to note what people like and don't like, things they have issues with, etc.

akane has a post about wanting to make a colony for Netherlands outside but issues with wire being too big spacing and not wanting em on straight dirt because it cant handle the amount of poop without problems. so here I am thinking my raised bed colony idea solves this.
put down some wire, build the bed wood part, fill in some dirt, fill in with your bedding etc... now if you want to clean it out down to the dirt or even renew the dirt too you can do that. great way to make a lot of good compost for the garden!

illnesses... if you are worried about worms and cocci etc you can pretty easily open up the colony, pull out all the bedding and dirt, put down or spray down etc however you want and refill it again.

the only thing I still don't have a good answer to is the sometimes problem of does sharing a nest problems and older litters wanting to stay sleeping in the nest and mom having the next litter there and older litter smothering them.

truckingguy posted in a thread about multiple litters in colony: "My colony has 1 buck and 1 doe and over the winter they had four litters back to back. I butchered the first litter at ten weeks and, seeing that they were a little small, I left the next litter until 11 weeks which meant a couple of times I actually had three litters in there at the same time (the third litter in each case was still in the nestbox). There were no problems and the different age litters slept in a pile together once they were old enough to come out of the nestbox. The colony is 5' x 10'. There has been no fighting except the doe gets a little aggressive with an older litter once the next litter comes along, I assume it's to wean the older litter quickly so she's not nursing two litters at the same time."

so that is the same size I was thinking of. I think with having 1-3 does in there and I bring the does to the buck when I want breeding done etc I think will be just fine hopefully
although I still have nagging worry about older litters smothering new litters ): that's what I had happen in my cage colony I tried out. that was 10ft by 30inches with an experienced doe and one of her daughters. the older doe had a litter then her daughter kindled her first litter about 1.5-2wks later I think. the older litter was old enough to get around the cage a little and they kept going into her nest and sleeping all on top of the new litter.. I lost all of the second litter overnight..

Is that pallet siding I see in the picture?

in the pic from the fb group it looks like pallet wood siding it.

if/when I build one the and with the nests would be walled in pretty well with minimal draft through it. I have the scrap wood so its no problem for me.

doodled up a pic for the 5ft end and showing roof slant idea and all.

Haha, I didn't see that you would be filling in the raised bed. That's what I get for being tired, trying to work, and avoiding work at the same time...
If you have trees to block wind it's probably fine. I'm thinking it may have been last year we had snow on thanksgiving...I'm not sure. Temp wise though, a pin under a tin roof can get much hotter than it is outside. Kind of like cars are always hotter on the inside. But if you have trees to block out the solar rays you are probably fine. Just stick a guage in there so you can watch it. We use these plastic things we got at Lowe's. Our new ones though were done on the fly with a tiny budget because we were taking in 8 more rescue bunnies than we had space for- so we just stuck plywood up there and covered it in painters plastic. LOL

Sounds neat Now make 4 beds in a row and slide your bunny house from one to the next once they have it good an fertilized!

Most materials break down under dirt. Thinner wire can be torn up by rabbits, thicker wire tends to have larger holes, and I've had a mini rex go through the center of a piece of plywood to dig a tunnel. The only long term, anti-rabbit materials I can think of for that situation would be stone, brick, or concrete. Dirt and digging will not impact those materials. Paving brick isn't real expensive but it would be a lot of heavy items. I've been putting off buying it for making my own raised beds just because I don't want to fill the SUV and then empty the SUV. :lol:

I would be concerned that the concrete would hold in moisture and increase risks of bugs and fungus that could make the bunnies sick. I've never heard of a bunny tearing up a wire. It's what my family recommends and has used for a very very long time.

Oh yea rabbits will sometimes rip right through hardware cloth and definitely chicken wire which are often 2 cheaper options used for wire. Even typical cage wire if you put it on the ground where they want to dig and leave it sit for awhile to be weakened they will start tearing it up. I went through a lot of materials trying to keep them from digging out of the horse stalls I was using for colonies. If you had a solid wall of stone as the floor it might hold water but I am not talking pouring concrete or huge slabs of stone. There will be gaps between every block of those materials you put in. Concrete and most stone isn't 100% waterproof anyway. You wouldn't have to seal basements if they were.

thanks all. right now I am thinkin i'll just have to watch out for big stones, bricks, patio block,...

imajpm":1yo1gt1p said:

Sounds neat Now make 4 beds in a row and slide your bunny house from one to the next once they have it good an fertilized!

Click to expand...

Hehe this was my thought as well.