Hi, I have been breeding both Californian and New Zealand rabbits for meat for the past 2 years. Originally we bought metal rabbit runs with hutches for each of our rabbits, but then we were given a food grade IBC tote. I looked at the thing and started plotting what I could do with it. Being an Art Teacher, I plan in my head, which sometimes baffles my husband. So I said to old faithful,"Dear we are going to turn it upside down after we cut a very big square hole in the top and a smaller square hole on a side." He looked bewildered but got his jigsaw and accomplished the task.
I then showed him the 1cm metal mesh I had picked up and we cut it a bit bigger than the top hole which is now the bottom hole. Old faithful then crawled through the smaller hole and fixed the wire inside with little bolts and washers. He then drilled a lot of holes in the plastic edging, mixed some concrete and made a slope on the inside edges so the bolts were covered and the concrete edging would give the rabbits a resting spot all the way around so as not to hurt their paws. The slight slope meant all faeces rolled down to the wire and dropped through the bottom into the kiddies swimming pool. We then suspended the IBC this way up ( upside down ) on chains to the rafters of the shed, coveniently hanging it at waist height. To keep mossies and flies off my rabbits, therefore diseases , I employed a mosquito net with a heavy plastic kiddies pool placed inside it to catch the faeces. The net is then pulled up over the bottom of the IBC and secured with pegs onto the metal frame. Oh yes, I forgot the door. It was made with smaller gauge wire so the rabbits cannot chew the netting. Also we drilled a load of ventilation holes in the sides, below net level and a few on top which were covered with metal fly mesh glue gunned on.
This crate has been the best cage ever. I just use the guerney to clean it1. It can hold up to 15 rabbits if you are pushed for space but I usually fatten 6-8 kits in it from 5 weeks to 20 weeks. We like the older rabbits as we have a big family and need an over 2kg rabbit to feed us all. We now have 2 IBC cages, one for the female kits and 1 for tbe males. Overall cost if buying a 2nd hand FOOD GRADE IBC c. $100-$120
Bolts and bag of concrete mix. $30
Wire mesh c.$15
Mossie net $15
Baby swim pool $15
So for under $200 AU
You have a 125cm x 125cm cage that protects your rabbits from all diseases and makes their faeces very easy to maintain. Also relatively indestructable. When the mesh dies a new piece can be bolted on the bottom.
