I'm building some all-wire hutches and am using 1"x2" 14ga wire mesh. I plan on using 1/2"x1" wire mesh for the floor and as a baby saver... but, I was thinking I might could use the 1"x2" wire mesh for the whole cage and then add chicken wire to the bottom and part way up the sides as a baby saver and a way to save money. I was also wondering if chicken wire would work as a top for the cages, which I plan on being 18" high or higher if need be. Could it work? What do you think?
adding chicken wire?
- Thread starter Baloo
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How is your predator situation? Rats, many snakes and weasels can get through 1"x2" wire as though it doesn't exist. Chicken wire is not very strong... Rats could chew through it.
If you haven't bought the wire yet, I suggest you consider 1"x1" instead. It will give better protection and with baby saver around the edges should be sufficient without adding chicken wire.
If you haven't bought the wire yet, I suggest you consider 1"x1" instead. It will give better protection and with baby saver around the edges should be sufficient without adding chicken wire.
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I would not use chicken wire.
If I understand correctly, you are thinking of 1"x2" with chicken wire for the floor, as well? The chicken wire would be too thin to provide proper support for rabbits' feet, and might cut into their feet.
As baby saver, it would probably fail. Most rabbit babies could fit right through the holes.
You might be able to use it for the top, but I'd be worried about the structural integrity, since it's such a light gauge. Also, as Maggie pointed out, rats can chew through chicken wire, and rabbits can chew through it, too. Where we used to live, rats walked across the tops of the cages.
Most cages are made with 1"x2" wire except for the floors. If you have a known issue with the predators Maggie listed, though, the 1"x1" would definitely protect your rabbits better.
-- Wed Jun 04, 2014 2:18 pm --
Forgot to say, Welcome to RabbitTalk, Baloo!!! :welcomewagon:
If I understand correctly, you are thinking of 1"x2" with chicken wire for the floor, as well? The chicken wire would be too thin to provide proper support for rabbits' feet, and might cut into their feet.
As baby saver, it would probably fail. Most rabbit babies could fit right through the holes.
You might be able to use it for the top, but I'd be worried about the structural integrity, since it's such a light gauge. Also, as Maggie pointed out, rats can chew through chicken wire, and rabbits can chew through it, too. Where we used to live, rats walked across the tops of the cages.
Most cages are made with 1"x2" wire except for the floors. If you have a known issue with the predators Maggie listed, though, the 1"x1" would definitely protect your rabbits better.
-- Wed Jun 04, 2014 2:18 pm --
Forgot to say, Welcome to RabbitTalk, Baloo!!! :welcomewagon:
I would advise at least building the cages the way you had originally planned. They will cost a bit more, but they will last SO MUCH longer, and have a higher re-sale value if you ever decide you no longer want them.
Thanks for the insight... I never really thought about predation. In order to make a baby saver couldn't I take 1x1 and double it and stagger it on the bottom and sides to make 1/2x1/2 squares? So all I would need to buy is 1x1 welded wire mesh! Also is Galvanized After Weld (GAW) worth the extra cost over Galvanized Before Weld (GBW)?
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For the sides: yes, you could do this. This kind of thing is frequently done.Baloo":3lt9eeg2 said:
For the floor: technically... yes, you could do it. I do have one rabbit on two-layer flooring, but he's in a carrier. The floor is that way, because the 1x1/2 is flimsy, and so I have it laid over some 1x2 to support it. I would not normally recommend this arrangement, for three reasons. One, fur, urine deposits (they excrete a decent amount of calcium), and poop can get between the wire layers, making for a cleaning nightmare -- or frequent cleaning (the arrangement I have, the two layers are not joined, so it's not an issue). Two, baby feet could possibly get between the layers as the doe moves around, injuring the baby... even toenails, foot fur, nipples, and testicles on adults might be able to get caught, as the layers inevitably shift against each other. Three, 1/2x1/2 doesn't always let all bunny berries fall through (there are members with 1/2x1/2 floor wire, though).
Yes. Rabbit urine is very caustic, and the welds on GBW damage the galvanizing. GAW protects the welds, and the wire will last much longer. If I recall correctly, GAW also tends to be heftier.Baloo":3lt9eeg2 said:
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
I agree with everyone to make your cages out of the standard rabbit wire. All of mine are made out of 1" x 2" but we don't have a rodent problem here (too many barn cats!) so I don't have issues with rats. So far I have also been lucky that no snakes have climbed into a cage.
Most of my cages don't have baby saver wire. I have lost less than a half dozen kits, and those were born on the wire. Two were born large and actually got their heads stuck while trying to crawl through! :x Only one of those was still alive when I found it, and I was able to rescue it. I have never had a kit dragged from the nest. I am not sure if that is luck or nestbox design.
Still, losing them wasn't any fun, so I am planning to make my own "baby saver", but it will be panels, not wire.
I am going to use the plastic wallboard used in commercial bathrooms. I have used the same material as a liner for my BASS Sani-nests and secure it with zipties. It is easy to clean, durable, and the rabbits have no interest in chewing it.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-4- ... /100389836
The plan is to cut it into 4" strips, which will give me 96' linear feet of material. My doe cages are 24" x 30" so it will take 9' for each cage, giving me enough material for ten holes with 6' feet left over. Cost per cage at $32.47 a sheet is $3.04. In actuality, since my cages touch back to back and side to side, so can "share" the panels, I will only need to use 71' in my main barn, bringing the cost per hole down to $2.00. :ugeek:
Miss M is correct- GAW is a little thicker due to the extra coating of galvanization and the welds are completely encased by it, so it is very strong. If you want your cages to last forever, it is the way to go. It is expensive, so one option would be use it only for the floors.
That said, it also depends on your climate and husbandry practices. I live in a very dry area and do not allow any buildup of feces and pressure wash and/or steam clean my cages at least three times a year. Some rabbits excrete a lot of calcium in their urine which will cake to the wire, and that also needs to be removed regularly. I use a calcium/lime remover and scrub with a brush, but at times a thick layer will form so I use a putty knife to chip it off.
I suspect that most rust results when people allow feces to cake to the wire, which the rabbits then urinate on, so the area is constantly moist. This buildup can happen very quickly in cages with pans since rabbits prefer to pick one corner to use as a bathroom area- and if a doe has a litter there is even more waste to deal with. I use slant boards where I have two tiers of cages, and in my growout area the waste drops directly to the ground, so the piles never have a chance to grow into the cages.
Another sure cause of rust in a damp climate is salt spools or blocks which will "weep" onto the wire. Here it is so dry that my salt chunks are on the floor of the cages with no issue.
My original 24 holes are GBW from BASS equipment, and all still look brand new. I have been breeding rabbits for a little over three years now, and the cages have been in constant use for at least 2-1/2 years- as soon as I had enough litters to fill them up!
Most of my cages don't have baby saver wire. I have lost less than a half dozen kits, and those were born on the wire. Two were born large and actually got their heads stuck while trying to crawl through! :x Only one of those was still alive when I found it, and I was able to rescue it. I have never had a kit dragged from the nest. I am not sure if that is luck or nestbox design.
Still, losing them wasn't any fun, so I am planning to make my own "baby saver", but it will be panels, not wire.
I am going to use the plastic wallboard used in commercial bathrooms. I have used the same material as a liner for my BASS Sani-nests and secure it with zipties. It is easy to clean, durable, and the rabbits have no interest in chewing it.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-4- ... /100389836
The plan is to cut it into 4" strips, which will give me 96' linear feet of material. My doe cages are 24" x 30" so it will take 9' for each cage, giving me enough material for ten holes with 6' feet left over. Cost per cage at $32.47 a sheet is $3.04.
In actuality, since my cages touch back to back and side to side, so can "share" the panels, I will only need to use 71' in my main barn, bringing the cost per hole down to $2.00. :ugeek: Miss M":2cqgucyt said:
Miss M is correct- GAW is a little thicker due to the extra coating of galvanization and the welds are completely encased by it, so it is very strong. If you want your cages to last forever, it is the way to go. It is expensive, so one option would be use it only for the floors.
That said, it also depends on your climate and husbandry practices. I live in a very dry area and do not allow any buildup of feces and pressure wash and/or steam clean my cages at least three times a year. Some rabbits excrete a lot of calcium in their urine which will cake to the wire, and that also needs to be removed regularly. I use a calcium/lime remover and scrub with a brush, but at times a thick layer will form so I use a putty knife to chip it off.
I suspect that most rust results when people allow feces to cake to the wire, which the rabbits then urinate on, so the area is constantly moist. This buildup can happen very quickly in cages with pans since rabbits prefer to pick one corner to use as a bathroom area- and if a doe has a litter there is even more waste to deal with. I use slant boards where I have two tiers of cages, and in my growout area the waste drops directly to the ground, so the piles never have a chance to grow into the cages.
Another sure cause of rust in a damp climate is salt spools or blocks which will "weep" onto the wire. Here it is so dry that my salt chunks are on the floor of the cages with no issue.
My original 24 holes are GBW from BASS equipment, and all still look brand new. I have been breeding rabbits for a little over three years now, and the cages have been in constant use for at least 2-1/2 years- as soon as I had enough litters to fill them up!
WildWolf
Well-known member
Just wanted to add: rabbits chew through chicken wire like nothing. I lost 2 rabbits who chewed through chicken wire, escaped, and probably got eaten by the numerous predators around here. So if you think your rabbits can reach the chicken wire (or a predator can reach it) then don't use it!
