Fire Ant Farm
Active member
I am looking for some advice, but am not entirely sure how to ask my question. I originally was certain I would keep my meat rabbits outdoors. But the more I keep thinking about it, the more I'm thinking that that might not be the best plan.
I am trying to decide between getting a stackable cage system or hanging cages on a PVC frame and keeping my rabbits outdoors, vs. getting a Rabbitech system and keeping them indoors in air conditioning (not a garage, but not human living space - a large room/area in the house that I use now for tools, fishing gear storage and my big commercial freezer. Floor is hard wood - already somewhat damaged, so does not need extreme protection.) Yes, the Rabbitech system is expensive, but I started doing some comparative cost accounting taking everything into account and here's my reasoning for leaning toward the second option:
I figure with the stacking cage or a hanging cage set up, it will really have to be outside to be sanitary (too hard to manage otherwise, sanitary-wise, due to poo and pee flinging and awkward tray emptying or other waste cleaning tasks). HOWEVER, in addition to cage purchase, I would need to buy/build a sturdy, secure small shed or barn, figure out predator protection (I have lots of predators), and have the added stress of trying to manage them/keep them alive in my very very very hot climate (despite planning to get relatively heat resistant TAMUK line NZWs), including ensuring lots of ventilation, shade, etc., etc. And the best place to build this shed would be RIGHT where I was planning to build my new chicken coop. :evil:
If I keep them indoors, with something like the Rabbitech which would presumably do a much tidier job of waste management, I could keep them cool (and so breed year round), keep them safe from predators, tend them in comfort, and keep them out of the sight of any nosy neighbors (though I am allowed to have rabbits by code, I'm not interested in people being all in my business). As I work full time, it would also help with maintenance. The savings of not having to build a structure to house them outdoors plus fencing/predator protection would go pretty far to offset the additional cost of the Rabbitech vs. cages and frames. And, well, part of the whole point of this for me is to raise my own meat in such a way that I feel that the animals are cared for as well as possible during their lives, and while I know many folks manage to raise rabbits in the heat, them being in 102F doesn't seem like a kindness if I have a good alternative indoor space available. I should add that it could also allow me to keep a couple French Angora rabbits in the future, as that appeals to me as well, and they REALLY wouldn't be able to be outdoors without getting heat stroke.
My thought is to have a Rabbitech double-sided starter and a double sided add-on for total of maybe 10-12 holes (for two bucks, two does, growout pens, and space to keep replacement does/bucks later or add other rabbits). I'd put it smack in the middle of the room with plenty of clearance all around. I figure I'd put down linoleum over the existing wood floor for ease of floor cleaning/disinfection. There is an adjacent bathroom as water source (current home of fishing gear!) and there's a door directly to the outside where I can run a hose for drainage when cleaning/flushing the system. I believe the cages can be lifted out and cleaned outside (I would confirm this with them before committing, of course).
So, does my reasoning sound, well... sound? Specifically, do you think it is reasonable to hope that I will be able to keep the space appropriately clean/maintained?
(Important notes: I am NOT handy, and trying to build something myself tends to lead to injury, wasted money, and piles of materials piled up in the yard. Not my skill set. My job also keeps me pretty busy, so though I certainly have evenings and weekends to myself, there's not a lot of "extra" time for lengthy projects, since I already keep chickens and have an enormous garden and will be adding a small orchard soon.)
I'd welcome any insight from folks who have kept rabbits indoors regarding how to manage the sanitation...
(Gosh, that was a rambling post - maybe I needed to "talk out loud to myself" about it? Anyhow, thanks for listening!)
- Ant Farm
I am trying to decide between getting a stackable cage system or hanging cages on a PVC frame and keeping my rabbits outdoors, vs. getting a Rabbitech system and keeping them indoors in air conditioning (not a garage, but not human living space - a large room/area in the house that I use now for tools, fishing gear storage and my big commercial freezer. Floor is hard wood - already somewhat damaged, so does not need extreme protection.) Yes, the Rabbitech system is expensive, but I started doing some comparative cost accounting taking everything into account and here's my reasoning for leaning toward the second option:
I figure with the stacking cage or a hanging cage set up, it will really have to be outside to be sanitary (too hard to manage otherwise, sanitary-wise, due to poo and pee flinging and awkward tray emptying or other waste cleaning tasks). HOWEVER, in addition to cage purchase, I would need to buy/build a sturdy, secure small shed or barn, figure out predator protection (I have lots of predators), and have the added stress of trying to manage them/keep them alive in my very very very hot climate (despite planning to get relatively heat resistant TAMUK line NZWs), including ensuring lots of ventilation, shade, etc., etc. And the best place to build this shed would be RIGHT where I was planning to build my new chicken coop. :evil:
If I keep them indoors, with something like the Rabbitech which would presumably do a much tidier job of waste management, I could keep them cool (and so breed year round), keep them safe from predators, tend them in comfort, and keep them out of the sight of any nosy neighbors (though I am allowed to have rabbits by code, I'm not interested in people being all in my business). As I work full time, it would also help with maintenance. The savings of not having to build a structure to house them outdoors plus fencing/predator protection would go pretty far to offset the additional cost of the Rabbitech vs. cages and frames. And, well, part of the whole point of this for me is to raise my own meat in such a way that I feel that the animals are cared for as well as possible during their lives, and while I know many folks manage to raise rabbits in the heat, them being in 102F doesn't seem like a kindness if I have a good alternative indoor space available. I should add that it could also allow me to keep a couple French Angora rabbits in the future, as that appeals to me as well, and they REALLY wouldn't be able to be outdoors without getting heat stroke.
My thought is to have a Rabbitech double-sided starter and a double sided add-on for total of maybe 10-12 holes (for two bucks, two does, growout pens, and space to keep replacement does/bucks later or add other rabbits). I'd put it smack in the middle of the room with plenty of clearance all around. I figure I'd put down linoleum over the existing wood floor for ease of floor cleaning/disinfection. There is an adjacent bathroom as water source (current home of fishing gear!) and there's a door directly to the outside where I can run a hose for drainage when cleaning/flushing the system. I believe the cages can be lifted out and cleaned outside (I would confirm this with them before committing, of course).
So, does my reasoning sound, well... sound? Specifically, do you think it is reasonable to hope that I will be able to keep the space appropriately clean/maintained?
(Important notes: I am NOT handy, and trying to build something myself tends to lead to injury, wasted money, and piles of materials piled up in the yard. Not my skill set. My job also keeps me pretty busy, so though I certainly have evenings and weekends to myself, there's not a lot of "extra" time for lengthy projects, since I already keep chickens and have an enormous garden and will be adding a small orchard soon.)
I'd welcome any insight from folks who have kept rabbits indoors regarding how to manage the sanitation...
(Gosh, that was a rambling post - maybe I needed to "talk out loud to myself" about it? Anyhow, thanks for listening!)
- Ant Farm
