Hi all! New here! Meat Rabbit Colony in the (snobby) city?

[Tegan]

Ok, so I've checked and double checked my city code, and my housing covenant. And according to the wording I can keep rabbits. "Dogs, cats, and other commonly accepted small animals" And rabbits may be kept in the city as long as they are not bred, or raised for commercial purposes. Well....technically I will be using them for just my family, so it wont be commercial! Slaughtering/butchering will be done indoors away from prying neighbor eyes, so at worst the only thing the city could do is ask me to reduce the number of rabbits on my property. (Every 12 weeks officer! :mrgreen: ) Basically the law is written SO loosely that I shouldn't have a problem as long as my neighbors aren't bothered. My husband and I are semi-displaced homesteaders at heart. We live in a "swankier" part of town but not a RICH part of town. Think upper middle class. So while we have no problems with raising meat rabbits in our backyard...our neighbors would probably think the idea appalling. We need to keep it on the semi-down-low and yuppie it up in the process so we don't run into any issues. As is I've been SLOWLY adding garden beds to our backyard so that the neighbors get used to them slowly, and don't suddenly come knocking on our door with a "Why so many gardens?!?! Don't you LIKE a even level sheet of green grass that you don't let anyone walk on?!?!?!" I already had to deal with one neighbor that was disturbed by my dog being raw fed.... They are nice people...but truly yuppies.

All that being said.....

I'm planning on putting my colony in my backyard in the crook of the house that the main house and the third garage make. The only problem with this location is it's on a bit of a hill. Assuming I'll anchor the run down so it doesn't slide down the hill....would there be any issues to putting it on a hill? I plan on having a fairly large chain-link run with a wire lined floor, and run the wire up the sides a bit to prevent the smalls from getting out. On the outside of this I'll put up privacy panels (something that looks nice so the neighbors don't complain! And net the roof (we are on the edge of town and have a LOT of hawks and owls). Inside will be a few tub/nest boxes with a straw bale insulation and ply or tin roof over that (to keep rain from seeping into the straw and rotting it) I figure the tin would be easy to clean or the ply I could just replace every few months. I'd tarp part of the run for extra shade if needed.

Any modifications you can see that I would need to make to this? Also about cleaning...since keeping smell down is a MUST...how do you all go about cleaning your outdoor colonies? I assume I can rake it up as needed. And hose it down. It will be on grass but I assume the grass wont last long, and our dirt is hard clay with a bit of topsoil...so it takes a bit to drain...but I'm hoping being on a hill will actually help with this. I'm sure I'll have more questions, thanks for sticking it out with me so far. I'm just getting everything set up this year, and don't plan to bring any rabbits in until next spring or so.

 

[Miss M]

Welcome to RabbitTalk, Tegan! :razz:

I've been raising rabbits in a very similar situation for the last two years. We live in a swanky, rich neighborhood, and have been keeping our rabbitry very quiet. The only person I know that knows is our neighbor... and that's because she came calling while we were building our rabbitry. Freaked me out for a little while when I found out she's ON THE BOARD of the local dog rescue group.

Then she cornered me when I asked for the trimmings from her elm trees for the rabbits, and I was forced to divulge that we raised them for meat! Oddly, (thank you God!) she was shocked at first, but accepted the fact, and hasn't said a thing about it since.

(Every 12 weeks officer! :mrgreen: )

:rotfl:

Our ordinances are written similarly.

 

[ottersatin]

Hello Tegan,
I do not colony raise but I am a Rabbit breeder.
I have a suggestion about the chain-link fencing.
You might want to add some Rabbit cage wire [1 X 1 or 1 X 2]
to about a foot high on the bottom of the chain-link.
Small Rabbits/Kits can easily crawl through chain-link fencing.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

You have some planning stages pretty well thought out---
However, on a slope, once the grass disappears, erosion will set in. You may want to make one or more small terraces, with solid, lipped edges, to prevent the erosion. You can then cover the horizontal fence with pea gravel or limestone screenings. Limestone screenings will help neutralize odors, and can be easily disinfected/odor neutralized with a water-vinegar solution (worked great for my dog kennel!)
Put some planters in the area, covered with 1x2 fencing, to permit some growth of rabbit friendly plants (the fence keeps them from decimating the plants) this way, the rabbits will prune the plants, and the plants add some 'enrichment' to the area.
A shadowbox fence provides privacy while at the same time permits natural ventilation.

Make the exterior look like a small, private patio area, and in a few years, it may very well become some sort of positive selling point for when you are no longer 'displaced'

 

[ladysown]

are you talking a true colony where they are running loose? In which case you'll need to do some digging and burying of wire to prevent burrowing.

Raising for meat is BREEDING. So do know you are skirting the law.

"Dogs, cats, and other commonly accepted small animals" And rabbits may be kept in the city as long as they are not bred, or raised for commercial purposes.

If you are cage raising, then put them some place shaded and unobtrusive. have a plan for manure removal as you don't want smell at all in a situation like that.

 

[Tegan]

Good thought on the erosion aspect...hadn't thought about that. Our soil is pretty full of clay though...I wonder if it will be an issue. I'll have to call our county extension and see for our grade if it will be.

Raising for meat is BREEDING. So do know you are skirting the law.

Breeding for commercial purposes (IE Selling). I wont be selling, so it's still within the law. I'm pretty sure if I make the run look pretty enough and keep it on the down-low it will never be an issue.

are you talking a true colony where they are running loose? In which case you'll need to do some digging and burying of wire to prevent burrowing.

The floor will be wired to prevent this. I'll also run wire up the sides a bit to prevent the babes from getting out. Looking at the space again last night I should be able to make it a 10X20 space. I'm almost thinking of leveling the area out on a terrace (with steps up to it) and then put a bunny shed on it and a large run on the outside of that. I'm not sure that would be worth the cost though. I may just level it out as a terrace and then put the run on it....or just go with my original plan of keeping it on the hill. Lots of time to decide...so no rush!

 

[ladysown]

does is SAY not bred for commercial purposes or does it just say not bred. Vaguely written laws can be used both for and against you. So try to look for clarity and work with what are you know.

 

[MaggieJ]

And rabbits may be kept in the city as long as they are not bred, or raised for commercial purposes.

A lot depends on the placement of the comma. Check how the actual law is worded. If the comma is where it is in the quote it could be construed as not permitting breeding at all. If there is no comma then it would mean breeding is allowed, just not breeding or raising them for commercial purposes. Trouble is, few people appreciate the subtleties of language usage... including the law-makers. That's why lawyers get rich.

All that said, you can probably get away with it if you keep a low profile, don't talk about the rabbits and don't let anyone in to see them.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

If you are trying to keep things on the "down low", I think a colony set up is likely the worst option. Lisa L. and Miss M. are both doing a similar thing but using a cage type setup, which I think works better when you are trying to keep prying eyes to a minimum. Look at these pics...

Miss M:
http://rabbittalk.com/gallery/search.php?st=0&sk=t&sd=d&username=Miss+M&start=60

Lisa: (this link is to a yahoo group which you may have to join to see the pics)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Meatrabbits/photos/album/1566942467/pic/list

Just something to think about....

And....WELCOME!!!

 

[Miss M]

It is true that a lot depends on the placement of the comma. Unfortunately, even that is not reliable, since grammatical and spelling errors have become more common in (at the very least) local ordinances. Like Maggie said, lawyers get rich playing tiddly-winks with the shadows of the law. It's one place where you should have absolute clarity, but you can't depend on that anymore. There is a misspelled word and a couple of grammatical errors on the parish permitting procedure page I received last week. :roll:

Not that I consider myself the be-all and end-all concerning grammar, but still!

It's also possible that if you contact them for clarity, you would get different interpretations depending on who you spoke with. Since we are in the city, I looked up the ordinances, was satisfied that they really did not address raising meat rabbits for one's own family, and have run our operation as stealthily as possible. I never called anyone, because, since this is the city, I expect them to be intolerant of the idea of the slaughter of animals within city limits.

__________ Wed May 30, 2012 11:33 am __________

I just realized I never posted a final, finished, roofed picture of the rabbitry:



The screens were actually the old screens from the house. Shay mounted them to the frame, and - voila - screened rabbitry! We put visqueen over the screens in the winter.

 

[curlysue]

Welcome too the group!

 

[Tegan]

Oh wow Miss M! I LIKE that setup! I would actually prefer to do cages, but hubby is almost insistent on colony style....which is funny because he's NOT the one that will be looking after them. Doing cages I could build a system under our deck and screen it even easier....it would be more sheltered and shaded then the colony spot. Perhaps I just need to work on hubby some.... He has a bit of a soft heart, and while I believe in treating the rabbits well during their life I also need it to be practical. Maybe if I did cages then gave them access to a run or tractor on a rotating basis? May be the best of both worlds!

 

[Miss M]

Oh wow Miss M! I LIKE that setup! I would actually prefer to do cages, but hubby is almost insistent on colony style....which is funny because he's NOT the one that will be looking after them. Doing cages I could build a system under our deck and screen it even easier....it would be more sheltered and shaded then the colony spot. Perhaps I just need to work on hubby some.... He has a bit of a soft heart, and while I believe in treating the rabbits well during their life I also need it to be practical. Maybe if I did cages then gave them access to a run or tractor on a rotating basis? May be the best of both worlds!

Thank you, Tegan!

Many people on here raise their rabbits in cages, and give them access to a run or a tractor. Once we move (OUT of the city!), and run off most of the chiggers and ticks on our new property :x , I plan to have a run for the bunnies.

It is my understanding that raising colony-style can be really fun, but it also is pretty demanding. You also don't know how the rabbits will get along together. They could be best buddies, or they could kill each other.

There is a whole section on Rabbit Colonies on this forum, so you may want to do a lot of reading in there. You may decide you love the idea, or your hubby may decide it's a lot more involved than he thought!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Welcome, Tegan!

Congratulations on your decision to get rabbits and become more self sufficient. You are going to absolutely fall in love with them when you get them!

I would work on hubby and discuss the exercise pens. The rabbits will be less noticeable under the deck, and better protected. Clay soil gets so slick when it is wet, and is also very sticky. I can picture you in the winter, slipping and sliding in your hillside colony, vainly attempting to feed your mud encrusted rabbits... "Honey, I thought we bought New Zealand Whites! Where did all the Reds come from?"

You could still utilize that area by terracing it and planting bunny-safe greens. You might be able to make several runs that way so you can rotate them between them so each one isn't overgrazed.

I raise Rex rabbits because I love their fur and wide variety of colors- not to mention their sweet temperaments. You might be better off sticking to rabbits of only one or two colors so if prying eyes see a couple of them out exercising they wont realize you have a dozen more just like them!

 

[Tegan]

Oh HE wont care if it's a lot of work, I'll be the one stuck doing it after all! LOL. Sadly we are stuck here for a good long time. We just bought the house last year (had it built for us in fact). Until our daughter is grown and moves out on her own (she's 4 now, we built in the city for the school system) or my husband kicks the bucket (hopefully not for a LONG time) then we'll be right here in this house!

I think I'm going to work on hubby with letting me do cages....and I'm going to keep the rabbits a secret as much as possible from the neighbors. The law is loosely written enough that your right, it could work for or against me, but the cops here are pretty laid back, and as long as they don't get any complaints it should never be an issue!

 

[Miss M]

It is true that they should be better hidden and better protected under the deck. You could probably do either cages or a colony under there. Maybe surround the whole thing in lattice like lots of people do with their decks.

If your hubby knows that he'll have to either pour a concrete pad to put the colony on (which wouldn't be as natural as he seems to want), or fence it all the way around for 2 feet UNDERGROUND, he may be more amiable to the cage/run idea. :twisted:

 

[Tegan]

Our backyards are all walkout basements...so the deck is on the second story in the back. I wish we had thought to put in a much better deck. Sadly because of the way the yards are positioned and the depth it leaves MUCH to be desired as far as privacy goes...even with a privacy fence. If I put it under the deck it will probably have to be in a screen shed (kinda like what you have Miss M) which is fine by me....will help with any flies! If I put a much heavier screen on it (like pet screen) then It should help to make it hard to see into. I'm thinking a 8X10 off the side of the deck (some of it just under it). Then I can do two levels of larger cages (36x30's) and have 2 does, a buck and two grow out cages, plus room to store some stuff. The roof will probably have to be shingled....stupid covenant...but that's not really a big deal.

Maybe I'll just wait till the next time hubby goes out of town for the weekend (and I've saved up some cash) and I'll just start building the darn thing....he's the type where once the deed is done he's pretty go with the flow and easy about it....but getting him to agree to it in the first place can be like pulling teeth!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Since you aren't planning on getting your rabbits until spring, you have time for some strategic planting to provide more privacy.

 

[skysthelimit]

Cleveland lays out the rules specifically. I can do pretty much anything unless it becomes a nuisance (it's all spelled out exactly what a nuisance is), but I can only butcher meat that I intend to use myself, I am not supposed to offer butchering services.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Our backyards are all walkout basements...so the deck is on the second story in the back. I wish we had thought to put in a much better deck. Sadly because of the way the yards are positioned and the depth it leaves MUCH to be desired as far as privacy goes...even with a privacy fence. If I put it under the deck it will probably have to be in a screen shed (kinda like what you have Miss M) which is fine by me....will help with any flies! If I put a much heavier screen on it (like pet screen) then It should help to make it hard to see into. I'm thinking a 8X10 off the side of the deck (some of it just under it). Then I can do two levels of larger cages (36x30's) and have 2 does, a buck and two grow out cages, plus room to store some stuff. The roof will probably have to be shingled....stupid covenant...but that's not really a big deal.

Maybe I'll just wait till the next time hubby goes out of town for the weekend (and I've saved up some cash) and I'll just start building the darn thing....he's the type where once the deed is done he's pretty go with the flow and easy about it....but getting him to agree to it in the first place can be like pulling teeth!

Just start telling him about the risks of fighting, burrow cave-ins, parasites, bot flys, predators...etc...have him Google Bot-Flys... :twisted: All worst case scenarios of course, but he does not have to know that.... :mrgreen: