hutch flooring

[michaels4gardens]

Two questions for you Michael,

How are you handling light? And summer heat?

I have open, hanging wire cages under two ceiling fans and I still get warm rabbits during the summer. And I am not seeing a lot of light getting in there, unless I am missing something, which I likely am.

heat they are on the shady side of the house-- light could be a problem-- don't know yet--

 

[hotzcatz]

.... animal cages ...
My theory on animal housing is.. build something as well as you know how, -build something as good for the livestock as practical, - build something that can be cleaned and serviced with minimum trouble.
I am building this particular design because the floor is easy on rabbits feet, it remains clean much longer than a "normal" floor would. Making life better for all of us by reducing labor and disease , and improving the comfort and longevity of the livestock.The doors will be almost as wide as the individual cage,[3 feet wide x 2 feet deep x 2 feet high] easy for me to access every corner without undo trouble. The rabbit sections will have a 8 inch wide shelf built into them at 13 inches off the floor ,this shelf gives the rabbits something to jump up on for exercise and gives the does a place to get away from the kits, who will chase them around the cage to exhaustion, [constantly wanting to nurse] . . The chickens are much more happy also- they are not bored, but always busy scratching through the litter on the bottom [sloped solid metal sheeting] floor, looking for some treat the rabbits have dropped. If the hens are bored, they pick on each other, and don't have nearly so long a productive life.
At one time I did experiments with different types of "housing" for rabbits and chickens to determine how exercise and additional cage space might affect productive longevity . Chickens in a small commercial cage typically lasted 2 years. Chickens in a cage with room to jump up on roosts, and a place to get below rabbits and scratch lasted about 6 years, Chickens who could go outside, eat what they wanted to, and run and scratch to their hearts content lasted 9 to 12 years and typically died of old age about the time they stopped laying.
Rabbits - does in a 30 x 24 commercial cage rebred at 5 weeks lasted 3 to 4 years. Does in a 36 L x 24 W x 36 high cage with 8 inch "resting boards" at 13 and 24 inches from the floor, rebred at 5 weeks lasted 6 to 8 years. Does in a outdoor colony lasted about 4 years ...
In both chickens and rabbits-- some genetic lines/ breeds are much more "long lived" than others...

This is great information. I've been suspecting most of my rabbit spaces need to be bigger so there's more room for the bunnies to get exercise. The females all cohabitate in a big run (3' x 12'), but the bucks have their own spaces, which need to be bigger, I think. Especially after reading your post. I think the bucks will all get ledges to jump up to or boxes to sit on top of, at least for starters until they get a bigger space.

 

[michaels4gardens]

chickens are started

-- Thu Apr 12, 2018 4:32 am --

mostly complete

 

[Zass]

That's pretty fantastic craftsmanship, and looks like it will be quite comfortable for the animals, and quite easy to maintain. The big doors will be fantastic, for you and the rabbits.

I also love those built in hay feeders

 

[michaels4gardens]

That's pretty fantastic craftsmanship, and looks like it will be quite comfortable for the animals, and quite easy to maintain. The big doors will be fantastic, for you and the rabbits.

I also love those built in hay feeders

over the years- I have come to despise small doors...

-- Sat Apr 14, 2018 8:16 am --

about complete

-- Sat Apr 14, 2018 8:17 am --

 

[Homer]

over the years- I have come to despise small doors...

I can relate to that. Over the last year or two all of mine (stick built) have been converted to the entire front opening up. Nothing like trying to drag an 18 pound rabbit out a tiny door that doesn't want to come peacefully...

I see a fence charger in the last pictures, how about a shot of the fronts now. How did you stand off insulators and make it so you can open doors?

 

[michaels4gardens]

electric fence closeup, I added insulators on the rails above, below, and between the cage doors. - the wire is about an inch out from the metal framing

-- Mon Apr 16, 2018 6:08 am --

side view of electric fence <br /><br /> -- Mon Apr 16, 2018 6:10 am -- <br /><br /> I hooked the ground lug of the charger directly to the metal cage- so when I tested it -by shorting a little piece of metal between the wire and the cage-- it looked a lot like a welding arc...

 

[Homer]

Good idea. From the end view picture I thought it was running across the door fronts. :lol:

 

[bitbyter]

Hello @michaels4gardens, I know this post is more than a few years old but I'd love to know how that flooring system is working for you and your rabbits. Are there any issues with babies walking on it? Anything you would do differently after having it in use for a few years? Do you think PVC pipe Could work instead of using galvanized conduit?

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