Housing size?

[LookAliveSunshine]

So I thought a 30x24x18 was adequate until I was on another forum and they posted a link to Pintrest board of Hall of shame/fame on rabbit cages. Also found a website where UK hutch min is 6'x2'x2' with a 8'x2' run and the ASPCA (US) size is 4'x'2'x2' with a large run. Also, no wire floors. On the pintrest board of shame it's a lot of hanging wire cages or stacked cages, and his/her comments about breeders/meat rabbits not knowing freedom/grass..so that got me wondering what your thoughts are on cage sizes?

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

My rabbits live on wire. In cages. They are not huge...I don't have my own space yet so I have to conform to the area I'm allowed to keep them in. My larger rabbits are in single-rabbit cages that are 24"x24"...my smaller rabbits (the tiny Mini Rex) are in 12"x24" and 24"x24" respectively. After some heinous pee-staining, I pulled resting-boards, too. I do feed "kitchen waste" as well as pellets and compressed alfalfa cubes, but I do not believe in feeding large quantities of fresh veggies. I had issues with diarrhea and does without good condition...all my issues resolved when I cut out veggies as a staple.

I defy you to find happier, healthier rabbits.

There is a lot of variation between rabbitries...and the reality is the rabbit husbandry is a many-faceted thing. What works well for one person won't work well for others. The flooring is an example...I hate, HATE solid floors. I don't believe they are very sanitary unless they are dirt or sand and thus have good immediate drainage. I love wire because my rabbits aren't sitting in pee. Urine is harsh, it can burn the skin with prolonged contact.

I know people who wouldn't DREAM of keeping a bunny on wire. They have hard, solid bottomed cages.

I don't judge them for their husbandry. I judge people on the health of their stock, nothing else. If their stock stays healthy and happy, I couldn't care less about how they keep them! If I see rabbits with sore hocks from sitting in burning pee...then yeah, that upsets me.

Some people have the ability to grow fodder or harvest fresh grasses/weeds for their rabbits. I don't have that option. I feed pellets, kitchen waste, and compressed alfalfa. Would fresh fodder/weeds be better? Possibly. Is it an option? For me, not yet. Are my rabbits healthy, in good weight, and with good coats and bright, clear eyes? Yep! They are thriving on what I feed now, so until I can change it, it works for me.

You know, I tried to give my rabbits toys once. I bought specially-for-rabbit toys. The package said they would love them.

One, ONE doe played with hers. She does like toys. She throws them around and does binky-hops over the toy. All the others? Hated them. One doe refused to spend time on the side of the cage the toy was on. I pulled all the toys except from the one playful doe. Learned my lesson...rabbit toys are expensive and MOST of my rabbits couldn't care less about them!!! :lol:

The difference I think is that people on other websites can't accept that different setups work for different people. Some rabbits live in cages on wire. Others live in hard bottomed cages. Some live in sandy or soil-floor enclosures. Others live in colonies. Every setup has it's pros AND cons. But those people, they often can't accept it when people do things differently. :roll:

The wire floor thing bugs me though. I dislike solid floors a LOT but I don't say bad things about people who use them. If it works for them, what right do I have to gripe about it? If their animals are happy, healthy and well cared for, what buisness is it of mine what their cage size or cage floors are? Sure, bigger is better. I have plans in the works for average cage sizes of 40"x36". But it may be two years before I can make that dream a reality. So for the time being, I'm stuck with what I got. :roll:

Like I said, though...my rabbits speak for themselves. Do I do what I can to enrich them? Sure. I try to graze my Mini Rex every other day on the lawn. I'm trying to find a tractor that is safe for my Champagnes so they can enjoy some grazing, too. I feed the best pellets I can afford. I groom them and in addition to checking condition every day, they often get cuddled and petted. Yes, even the meat rabbits get snuggled. They deserve the best care and attention, same as the show bunnies!!!

At the end of the day we each have to do what we feel is right for our own rabbits.

 

[Dood]

Wire can be hard on a rabbits feet, so many put in resting boards that they can lounge on. Some breeds and some bloodlines do not do well on wire while many are fine.

You will need to look up the legal requirements on cage size for your area and don't go smaller. Temperament has a lot to do with whether a rabbit mentally needs more space and stimulation. My Netherlands house bunny HATES to be caged and will bounce off the bars try chew her way out, self mutilate and be miserable if she isn't let out every day. But my American Chinchillas could care less about being 'free' and I am selectively breeding them that way as well.

My rabbits probably get more forage and variety of fresh greens than most but I have enough fallow fields around that I can do this. Rabbit feed is a complete diet, the majority of these people wouldn't feel guilty about or try and shame anyone for feeding their dog or cat Iams every day of their lives.

There are many ways to raise rabbits and plenty of differing opinions, you must take them all with a grain of salt and find what works best for you and your stock.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Likewise, my Champagnes are lazy. :lol: Before I moved, I had much larger cages for the Champs and they STILL didn't utilize the space. :roll:

 

[Marinea]

There are extremes in care suggestions for just about every animal out there...just ask PETA, or some of the more rabid websites out there.

Right now, I have a bunny in a wooden hutch, and two in wire cages. The wire cages are 42x30 each, the hutch is bigger. I can list several differences between the two setups:
- the hutch is much harder to clean;
- the hutch is partially wood floored and partially wire floored- the rabbit stays mostly on the wire floored part;
- I have more concerns with heat in the wooden hutch;
- the wire caged rabbits are much more active and alert to goings on;
- the wired caged rabbits have resting boards- they use them from time to time, but not often.

Based on my experience, the wooden hutch will soon be relegated to quarantine/hospital status, and my rabbits will be kept in the wire cages. But that is just my experience. My rabbits gets a variety of greens daily. They have toys, some of them play, some do not.

I am solely concerned with MY rabbits and their health and well-being. I don't give a fig about how others keep theirs, as long as they are well cared for. When someone asks a question, as you did, my answer will be based on MY experience, or factual info I have learned from other folks here.

 

[Peach]

For sanitary and parasitic reasons, my rabbits are kept on wire. I have a line of thick,short, and well furred feet with my rabbits. That makes a huge difference if they will get sore hocks on wire. I have yet to have a Mini Lop that has had sore hocks. The cage requirement for them is 24 x 24,so that is what I keep them in. They do have play pens that I let them play in, but that where I did get cases of pinworms from.

There are larger breeds that DO need resting mats. They are just so big and you can't blame them for the weight.

I think it's unfair to say that wire is bad. I haven't had any problems with it and neither do a lot of people. I had a hutch one time and it was a PAIN to clean and it was mostly solid flooring. I eventually sold it cause it was too stressful because just the thought of the wood holding on to bacteria was enough to make me cringe for my rabbits health.

If it works for someone else, that is great, but to each their own.

My rabbits see the sun, get time out in the grass,are fed heirloom,pesticide free,organic veggies from the garden....oh the torture

 

[SuburbanHomesteader]

I've come to believe that there are as many ways to raise rabbits as there are rabbits. Do what works. Don't do what doesn't work. The health and happiness of the rabbit is the final judge.

All of my rabbits are in all-wire hanging pens. I'm lucky enough to be able to have a roof over their heads so they're protected from the weather. I had wooden hutches years ago and they were always a mess. All-wire pens are much cleaner and easier to keep clean.

Have only had one doe come down with sore hocks. Sprayed some Blue Kote on them and gave her a piece of plywood to lay on and they cleared up. Some rabbits will be more at risk (couldn't spell susceptible) for sore hocks than others. Whether it's the wire floors or genetics has been debated.

As for the square footage of each pen, the breed of rabbit will effect the size of pen. I raise New Zealands and Std Rexes. Does are in pens that are 4' by 2' with a 1' by 2' shelf - giving them 10 square feet. Bucks don't have kids to take care of and usually just want to lay around all day and watch TV, they get 5 square feet.

The rabbits stay in their pens at all times. Well, the does go out on dates from time to time. I don't have any "runs" or let them get down on the ground. If I wanted to go that route, then I'd build something suitable for colony raising.

I figure the pens should be just as big as needed and not an inch more! The larger the pen, the fewer pens you can have and the fewer rabbits. The ongoing search for more real estate... another topic often lamented/discussed here.

Let your rabbits be your guide. Best of luck to you!

 

[LookAliveSunshine]

Thank you all for the replies. I too figured wire cages were better than wood, but I'm a newbie so of course I had to ask.

 

[Ivory]

That pinterest link you mentioned is most likely to be an Animal Rights site. They don't believe in keeping rabbits in any sort of cage so no matter how big it is, or what its made of it is still wrong.

I like to have a minimum of 8sq ft per doe, that will do her until her kits are about 4-6 weeks old then she gets moved to a bigger space until the kits are 8-9 weeks, then the doe goes back in her cage and the kits stay where they are.

My cages are all solid floored. Some are wood, some are plastic, some are metal. The metal ones are my least favourite, the plastic ones are easy to clean but if I don't clean them out at least every second day, urine tends to pool in them and that's horrible for the rabbit.

To clean them I spray them with bleach, or disinfectant, or "That Urange Stuff." Sometimes with all three, depending on what's been in there, then I try to leave them in the sunshine for a day or two, but that's not as easy as it used to be since I moved most of my cages into my garage, so I just let them air dry.

 

[Random Rabbit]

A bigger cage is Not always better... The rabbit very quickly learns to "get away" in a larger space... and then it becomes a Catch me IF You Can situation... can end up with a very spooky rabbit...ymmv of course.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

A bigger cage is Not always better... The rabbit very quickly learns to "get away" in a larger space... and then it becomes a Catch me IF You Can situation... can end up with a very spooky rabbit...ymmv of course.

I'm sure my doe, Classy, would get like that. She hates to be handled for any reason. :roll:

 

[WildWolf]

Just my 2 cents : Rabbitry set ups depend on the rabbit owner's situation, but also the individual rabbits. There are general temperaments, health concerns (like the resting boards for large rabbits), ect. and also individual personalities- some bunnies like toys, some don't. some bunnies like running around, some like lounging. Each bunny has a favorite treat, or a treat that she/he doesn't like at all.... There's no one perfect way.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Just my 2 cents : Rabbitry set ups depend on the rabbit owner's situation, but also the individual rabbits. There are general temperaments, health concerns (like the resting boards for large rabbits), ect. and also individual personalities- some bunnies like toys, some don't. some bunnies like running around, some like lounging. Each bunny has a favorite treat, or a treat that she/he doesn't like at all.... There's no one perfect way.

Too true!!!

The other day I had an extra strawberry (my dad and I were making shortcake) and so I offered it to Breezy. She took a bite, made some of the funniest faces I've ever seen a rabbit make, and then angrily hopped to a corner of the cage and proceeded to ignore me.

Turns out she HATES strawberries.

I offered the berry to Nosey. She took a bite...and then nearly ripped off my fingers snatching it away and she ate it so fast I thought she might choke. Kept stuffing it in her face.

Turns out she LOVES strawberries.

Takes all kinds.

 

[LauraNJ]

My mini rexes are in 24 x 24 and 24 x 30 cages.

Our beverens are in 36 x 36 (buck) and does are in 36 x 48 cages.

All the rabbits have some toys. The beverens love wiffle balls, they pick them up, toss them, hop after them, really play with them and it is funny.

I also have wood toys that I dyed and hang in cages for each rabbit. I either use food coloring or unsweetened koolaid or jello to dye the blocks.

Each rabbit also gets a fresh stick with some leaves- it is usually either from the apple tree (trying to wrangle it under control so I always have branches that need cutting) or mulberry.

My mini rexes eat anything fresh that I give them, they love everything offered, they are like Labradors, just love anything that is food.

My beverens won't touch carrots, in fact one will stomp a carrot if it is in her cage, she also won't touch anything green except leaves attached to a branch. If I put something green in her food dish, she eats around in.

I have marble tiles in the beverens cages, it doubles as a resting place if they want it and it keeps them cooler in hot weather. Haven't had issues with the beverens and sore hocks. The mini rexes all have resting pads, some also have a tile.

 

[ckcs]

I recall reading on here someone suggest 1 square ft per pound. I'm a little over that on some cages and a little under that on others. I have 11 cages set up right now. 3 have plastic floors, the rest are wire. I think plastic bottom cages work well for small rabbits around 3 lbs in size. For large rabbits, if they don't use a litter box then the waste is a big problem unless you clean it every day or two. My one rabbit that uses a litter box is a breeze to keep clean. Overall I prefer wire bottom cages with resting pads and deep trays. I house my lionhead does in 28" x 28" cages.

 

[3mina]

I am a horrible person because I raise my Rex on wire, in 24x30 cages I also have them outdoors year round even during Canadian winters where it gets down to -40 regularly.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I am a horrible person because I raise my Rex on wire, in 24x30 cages

You and me both. Bucks are in 24" x 24".

I have huge growout pens though, and move the does and litters to those between 4 and 6 weeks. The rabbits seem content in their normal cages though, even when I am late moving them.

My rabbits all have toys and suspended chew toys. Some use them and others don't- but they are there if they want to use them.

 

[DonnerSurvivor]

studies on mink from fur farms have concluded that mink are just as content in a small cage as they are in a large one. The Mink will express the exact same behavior in a small cage as he would in a much larger cage. If you observe your rabbits you will probably also find this to be true. I had a buck in a 2 by 4 foot cage, he mostly sat in his favorite spot and only hopped the full length of the cage to get some food or water then returned to his spot. I moved him to a 24"x24" cage and he shows the exact same behavior and continues to have the exact same attitude.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

studies on mink from fur farms have concluded that mink are just as content in a small cage as they are in a large one. The Mink will express the exact same behavior in a small cage as he would in a much larger cage. If you observe your rabbits you will probably also find this to be true. I had a buck in a 2 by 4 foot cage, he mostly sat in his favorite spot and only hopped the full length of the cage to get some food or water then returned to his spot. I moved him to a 24"x24" cage and he shows the exact same behavior and continues to have the exact same attitude.

This was my experience moving them from large cages at my Pine st house to the current location.