Affordable Rabbit Cage Bulk Options (Advice Needed)

[Rabbits By DK]

I'm looking to expand my rabbitry this year.

I'm in need of bulk, affordable cages, (apartment style, or stacked/stackable) and I've been searching craigslist and facebook marketplace to no avail.

Does anyone know where I could get something like that?

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

Usually the supply sellers at rabbit shows have a couple Stackers for sale

 

[Mckatie]

I'm looking to expand my rabbitry this year.

I'm in need of bulk, affordable cages, (apartment style, or stacked/stackable) and I've been searching craigslist and facebook marketplace to no avail.

Does anyone know where I could get something like that?

Are you building or able to build a frame/stand? Are these for outside?

Because I expanded so quickly (haha stinking cute bunnies) I bought a bunch of dog crates at a thrift store xl $10-$25 (30x48)and larges $6.99+ (can also be found on craigslist but more expensive). For the majority I flipped the cages so the larger squares were on top (smaller squares on bottom for more support, wired the bottoms with wire and zip ties , used the trays as a roof on the tops (before covering with tarps/wood). I built stands. So this spring I'm going to build new stands and turn them into double deckers so the manure bins will fit under the top cages (on the roofs of the bottom). Some of my crates have double doors, the rest have single doors. I could divide the double doors but I like the xl cage space for my does w litters. I build nest boxes, added lattice on sections of the wire bottoms...
I'm actually moving the "rabbitry" because I need more space. I want to incorporate solar power and /or straw housing techniques as I rebuild. Use the double decker approach, slant the roof pitched north , etc..

 

[Rabbits By DK]

Are you building or able to build a frame/stand? Are these for outside?

Because I expanded so quickly (haha stinking cute bunnies) I bought a bunch of dog crates at a thrift store xl $10-$25 (30x48)and larges $6.99+ (can also be found on craigslist but more expensive). For the majority I flipped the cages so the larger squares were on top (smaller squares on bottom for more support, wired the bottoms with wire and zip ties , used the trays as a roof on the tops (before covering with tarps/wood). I built stands. So this spring I'm going to build new stands and turn them into double deckers so the manure bins will fit under the top cages (on the roofs of the bottom). Some of my crates have double doors, the rest have single doors. I could divide the double doors but I like the xl cage space for my does w litters. I build nest boxes, added lattice on sections of the wire bottoms...
I'm actually moving the "rabbitry" because I need more space. I want to incorporate solar power and /or straw housing techniques as I rebuild. Use the double decker approach, slant the roof pitched north , etc..

These cages would be for indoors. I have an inherited hog barn that I've been using. I usually build cage stacks,
triple deckers with 4 t-posts for corners.

 

[Mckatie]

These cages would be for indoors. I have an inherited hog barn that I've been using. I usually build cage stacks,
triple deckers with 4 t-posts for corners.

Do you normally build them from scratch? I've seen videos, a cage done in 30. They were total wire, with clamps. Why would you not build cage stacks like before?

I'm going to go with what I have with new stands so the cages have a more cohesive flow, and can be double deckers. I could go triple as I've one like that currently. I have to finish siding my house this year (late start last year) and build fencing on the front and sides of the property. I want the shade sideto be good for a rabbit tractor.

 

[Rabbits By DK]

Do you normally build them from scratch? I've seen videos, a cage done in 30. They were total wire, with clamps. Why would you not build cage stacks like before?

I'm going to go with what I have with new stands so the cages have a more cohesive flow, and can be double deckers. I could go triple as I've one like that currently. I have to finish siding my house this year (late start last year) and build fencing on the front and sides of the property. I want the shade sideto be good for a rabbit tractor.

Yes, I normally build them from scratch, and I can get each cage done in about 40. I'm trying to decide which route is less expensive, building my own or buying bulk. I've also been thinking about trying outdoor tractors during the summer for fryers- do you have any experience in that area?

 

[Mckatie]

Yes, I normally build them from scratch, and I can get each cage done in about 40. I'm trying to decide which route is less expensive, building my own or buying bulk. I've also been thinking about trying outdoor tractors during the summer for fryers- do you have any experience in that area?

I don't. I'm going to build a tractor and put it on the side shade yard where the grass and clover are good for whatever young ones I have. I know it just has to be moved. I'm used to moving my horses when they were staked out as I crossed the country so it's the same concept.offer food water and shade. I think buying a large roll would be less expensive. Depends on what your time is worth.

 

[Phrick]

My cages are from Hostile Hare. He's local to me but ships and shipping looks to be free. IDK if his pricing is in line with your budget but thought I'd offer the link anyway.

 

[PoppyLapine]

I Have gotten some nice cages from Bass Equipment. They come disassembled, but it comes with everything you need to put each cage together. They are pretty good quality (at least to me) and the flat rate shipping is reasonable (I can't member off hand, but it was less then $40 when I last purchased).

 

[Rabbits By DK]

I think I may end up just building my own stackers again, because that way I could get it to under $30 per cage.

 

[TKT]

My best cheap cage is a Midwest Wabbitat, 37"x24"x19". They ran me $40 to $50 each and work well for one adult rabbit. I have room for a large attached water bowl, a feed bowl, crate mats, and we give them a pine hide. They can hop up on it or go under it. A mat fits perfectly in there. I first started using them for quail and now I have 10 for rabbits. The bottom trays are fairly robust so far, and are easy to pull out and dump to clean. I can stack two fine. They're easy to set up and also take down to store. Although I doubt I will be storing any in the future!

I bit the bullet and bought KW model 4000 cages, 30x36x18. I have enough for two 3 stacks. I use them for moms with litters and grow outs. When I went to the Klubertanz website and added up all the parts to make three cages, it was almost the same as buying them pre-made from KW with the added heavyweight floors. That was before the cost of shipping everything.

That includes legs, urine guards all the way around, extra heavy floor, support beam across the middle, deep metal litter tray and the sliders for that. If I had a barn I would certainly have gone with making my own and hanging the cages at some point. Not having to clean litter trays would be a huge plus!

We are zoned as suburban half acre though I have 2/3, but the flavor is semi rural because of the lot sizes. Still I don't really have any place to put a small barn. I have a small aviary based on a really nice dog run that we sided and roofed, and a well built and sited shed, a couple of wood piles and a large second garden, plus oaks and apple trees. I don't want a shed in middle of the view from my back patio! And a shed would get too hot. The sides of my run are heavy duty welded wire from a dog run, plus we have light bamboo roll screens for shade, and a solid sloped roof. They need the air flow. It was originally a dog run attached to the side of my garage so we could go out the man door to let the dog out at night. We have mountain lions, bears, foxes, raccoons, owls and hawks. We heard too many stories about mountain lions getting dogs. Once we built our fenced patio with additional snake fence, we didn't worry as much because we were always outside with any dog that was outside. So the dog run became a greenhouse. Then became a second aviary. Now it's a rabbitry. As it is if we also put cages on the concrete floor under the benches that we built, we can stack 3 for 15 cages total.

We can get away with this 6 ft x 16ft run attached to the side of the house and roofed, and I can make it 6 ft longer, but I'd like it to look less tacky, lol. But not much space to really expand.

 

[Jamielrh]

I am getting ready to outfit a small shed and am tired of the hodge-podge of pet cages and such. Nothing goes together or stacks. I am sick of doing trays and litter boxes, so I am trying to figure out a way to add an poop/urine shoot to dump into 4 buckets at each corner of the shed. I have decided I can most easily handle 2 rows all the way around a 7'×11' space with storage above and below. I was trying to do the same math as you to decide whether I order bulk materials to build my own cages from kw, or just buy them pre-made. I'm thinking I need at least 6 doe & litter/grow-out cages, and the rest adult 24x36x18. I'm curious as to what materials you use and your design to get them down to $30/cage. We have a state ARBA Show in AZ coming up next month, so I was hoping to get a deal on pre-ordering to pick up at the show.

 

[TomO]

. . . so I am trying to figure out a way to add an poop/urine shoot to dump into 4 buckets at each corner of the shed. . . .

I'm interested in this kind of system also. Hope you'll keep us posted on this.

 

[Mckatie]

I am getting ready to outfit a small shed and am tired of the hodge-podge of pet cages and such. Nothing goes together or stacks. I am sick of doing trays and litter boxes, so I am trying to figure out a way to add an poop/urine shoot to dump into 4 buckets at each corner of the shed. I have decided I can most easily handle 2 rows all the way around a 7'×11' space with storage above and below. I was trying to do the same math as you to decide whether I order bulk materials to build my own cages from kw, or just buy them pre-made. I'm thinking I need at least 6 doe & litter/grow-out cages, and the rest adult 24x36x18. I'm curious as to what materials you use and your design to get them down to $30/cage. We have a state ARBA Show in AZ coming up next month, so I was hoping to get a deal on pre-ordering to pick up at the show.

HOW TO BUILD A RABBIT CAGE THAT LASTS - The Rabbitry Center This is Bobby's cage video page where he shows how to make the cages he uses; as well as the breakdown. Although he does appear to go through Amazon ;I often buy my wire at a hardware store.

 

[eco2pia]

Are you building or able to build a frame/stand? Are these for outside?

Because I expanded so quickly (haha stinking cute bunnies) I bought a bunch of dog crates at a thrift store xl $10-$25 (30x48)and larges $6.99+ (can also be found on craigslist but more expensive). For the majority I flipped the cages so the larger squares were on top (smaller squares on bottom for more support, wired the bottoms with wire and zip ties , used the trays as a roof on the tops (before covering with tarps/wood). I built stands. So this spring I'm going to build new stands and turn them into double deckers so the manure bins will fit under the top cages (on the roofs of the bottom). Some of my crates have double doors, the rest have single doors. I could divide the double doors but I like the xl cage space for my does w litters. I build nest boxes, added lattice on sections of the wire bottoms...
I'm actually moving the "rabbitry" because I need more space. I want to incorporate solar power and /or straw housing techniques as I rebuild. Use the double decker approach, slant the roof pitched north , etc..

I have a bunch of wire dog crates I keep just for this purpose, which I use for grow out tractors in the summer. often free on craigslist. They are also handy for breaking a broody hen.

 

[Phrick]

I'm interested in this kind of system also. Hope you'll keep us posted on this.

I attached gutters and coroplast boards under my cages to direct the waste to buckets/basins, it's working out quite well. My buns are in an insulated shed w/ solid floor bc it's Arizona - we have months straight of temps over 95 and last summer we had 6 weeks straight over 110 degrees, so I have to be able to AC it when needed. Being able to keep the waste directed to buckets - and the buckets have strainers that keep the liquid and solid mostly separate - does wonders for keeping the smell down. At my local home depot 10' gutter sections are less than $7, the Coroplast was the expensive part at $34 each (when they need replacing I'll go with 1/4" plywood and gloss paint! The coroplast has turned out to be less easy to clean, it dents and gouges and scratches too easiliy when I clean it)

 

[Mckatie]

I attached gutters and coroplast boards under my cages to direct the waste to buckets/basins, it's working out quite well. My buns are in an insulated shed w/ solid floor bc it's Arizona - we have months straight of temps over 95 and last summer we had 6 weeks straight over 110 degrees, so I have to be able to AC it when needed. Being able to keep the waste directed to buckets - and the buckets have strainers that keep the liquid and solid mostly separate - does wonders for keeping the smell down. At my local home depot 10' gutter sections are less than $7, the Coroplast was the expensive part at $34 each (when they need replacing I'll go with 1/4" plywood and gloss paint! The coroplast has turned out to be less easy to clean, it dents and gouges and scratches too easiliy when I clean it)

Thank you for sharing a picture of your set up. I'm a visual learner. I do like this idea. Thank you!

 

[Jamielrh]

I am definately daydreaming here, but this is what I have been drooling over. It is a ultra-hydrophobic paint that is impossible to get wet. The liquid just beads up and runs right off. I so badly want to coat the cages halfway down the cage walls and on the wire floors with this and coat whatever material I end up using underneath. My husband insisted on putting FRP on the walls so that they wouldn't absorb any urine spray that might happen (they use it in public restrooms & he is a general contractor), and he put a shellac coating on the floor. This way, the shed could be pressure-washed every now and then. I am really spoiled that we get a lot of our materials from leftovers from some of his jobs. I'm not too sure about the textured FRP though. I'm hoping I don't regret it. I'm mainly concerned with the calcium buildup from the urine on the cages and underneath. For smell, I've been using pine pelletized bedding from tractor supply for years. It completely takes the urine smell away. So I'll have a layer of that in the bottom of the buckets to catch the liquids. I also plan of screening out the poop to harvest for fertilizer. Has anyone found a method to keep the hay out of it though? That is the only thing I haven't been able to figure out yet. Here is a link to the Ultra-Ever Dry Paint Demo. It's freaking amazing! But runs around $80/quart.

 

[brittanyf]

I have a bunch of wire dog crates I keep just for this purpose, which I use for grow out tractors in the summer. often free on craigslist. They are also handy for breaking a broody hen.

We have 2 large dog crates we are considering using for grow outs. Did you add extra wire?

 

[eco2pia]

We have 2 large dog crates we are considering using for grow outs. Did you add extra wire?

It depends on how you plan to use them. I did not, but I was tractoring grow outs, and they were small enough to go thru the bottom of the cage at first which had 4x4 squares, so I had to flip the cages over some times. Keep the tray, it becomes the roof for shade and light rains, but needs to be weighted or ziptied.

If you are using it for small rabbits, kits under a pound, you will need extra wire I think? both to keep them in and to keep rats out. Also I use them in a fully fenced yard and don't have large predators around to break in.

After the buns got more chonky I flipped the cages back so they could reach thru to the grass more easily.