More cage questions...

[PatS]

Before or after? Okay I have two catalogs, and one recommends galvanized before welding wire and the other recommends galvanized after welding. It would seem to me that galvanizing after the wire was welded would result in a cage that would be less likely to rust in the long run, but I really don't know much about wire or galvanizing so my instincts may be off.

Size of cage? I want the buns to have as much room as possible, but I also need to be able to reach them. I'm thinking Californians and New Zealands, what is the optimum cage size?

I'm currently working and I'd like to get the best equipment I can before I cut back on my hours and become semi-retired. Is there a company that is a cut-above and offers the best quality? Once I retire I'm going to have to live very frugally, so I'd like to purchase equipment that will last for a long, long time. I don't mind paying more IF it is worth it.

Nest boxes? Wood or metal? It gets into the twenties and occasionally the teens here, if that is a consideration.

If you were going to hang cages up against an outbuilding in a warm summer area, would you do it against the north side of the building?

Thanks for helping! I'm sorry there are so many questions but I want to do right by my critters-to-be. I'm so glad this forum exists and that you all are so willing to help us newbies!

 

[caroline]

Pat, Why would you apologize for asking questions?
That's WHY this forum exists. If you didn't ask,there would be NO discussion :?

I believe that the galvanized after welding is supposed to be better.
The standard size for cages for meat rabbits is about 30 deep x36 wide x118 high for does with litters
30 deep x18-24 wide x 18 high for bucks
some people make large "grow out" cages where they pot their litters after weaning and before butchering.
I just use whatever empty cages I have and sort the kits by sex when I wean @ 6weeks.

I like the wooden nest boxes since they never feel hot or cold but I have both and the buns don't seem to care.
If you're a little bit handy you can make your own wooden ones in whatever size fits best for you and your rabbits.

You want to put the cages where the rabbits won't be in the direct sun and where they will be protected from the wind and rain, AND MOST IMPORTANT you want them protected from any potential predators, like neighborhood dogs,etc. It's great if you have a secure area, like a shed or fenced yard where you can locate the cages.

Rabbits are more negatively affected by heat than by cold so your north side of the building sounds OK.

I see that you are in N California. There is a small company in Gilroy, West Coast Cages, from whom I have bought cages.
The owner's name is Jill and she has been happy to make cages to my specifications. Since I build most of my own cages, I have also just bought things like door frames and z-bars for the bottom from her. They go to a lot of rabbit shows and will bring you things here so you don't have pay to ship. Her phone# is 408-706-8025

She also has the "no-cut" feeders in several widths that I like, even though they are a little pricy, because, well, you don't have to cut your cages to install them and thus can move them around to the best spot if the first placement isn't so good.

 

[AZ Rabbits]

Galvanized after weld is FAR superior in quality and strength. I used to build my own but now get mine from Klubertanz. There are several places that offer them. They arrive flat and you assemble them together with J-clips.

For nest boxes, I prefer wood. And at the bottom I tack 1/4"x1/4" hardwood cloth. Then put wood shavings at the bottom and then Timothy Hay. This keeps the nest very dry and allows urine to fall through the bottom, but still keeps them cozy and warm. I've tried the metal nest boxes with wood floors with holes all through them and they still get soaking wet and very messy. And on the back of the boxes, I have some hooks that hook on to the wire cage in the back so the nest box stays still in the cage and doesn't move around. They are like upside down J's where you lift the box up a little to hook on to the wire and then the box sits on the cage floor, but won't move. Then to check the box, I lift up the back of the box 1/2" and it comes unhooked. It's pretty useful.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Very good info posted, but I will add this...with 30" deep cages, you want to make sure you have the door in the middle of the front of the cage and also that the door is LARGE...otherwise, you won't be able to reach the back corners well. I learned this AFTER I made my first set of cages, which I otherwise LOVE. 14g GAW wire is the way to go, 1/2 x 1 for the floor, 1 x 2 for everything else, with babysaver wire all around on the cages that will hold breeding does and their litters. I use 36"w x 30"d for breeding does, 30"w x 24"d for open does, bucks and growouts.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Pat, depending on your proposed setup and your height, you may want to avoid 30" deep cages. I am 5' 4", and have two tiers of cages. The top tier of cages are 24" wide by 30" deep. I need a step stool to reach the reluctant does, and am sometimes head and shoulders in the cage. Good thing I'm thin, but a 12" door is still a tight squeeze. I had limited linear space to work with, so chose to get my square footage increased by depth. So if you can, I would suggest a depth of 24" and wide cages.

I use the all wire nestboxes, as suggested by Bob Bennet in Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits. They can be lined with cardboard in the colder months, and left unlined in the warmer months for better circulation. Some of my does will dig at the cardboard when making their nests, causing the bedding to fall out of the bottom. I place cardboard under the nests in those situations. I have some scrap corrugated plastic left over from my dropping boards, and am going to have Hubs cut some pieces to fit inside the nests of those does. I plan to place a piece of cardboard and a layer of shavings topped by the plastic and more bedding. It will provide extra insulation on the bottom, especially for those does that try to dig to China and don't leave enough bedding on the bottom of the nest.

I live in the mountains, and we also get temps in the 20's and teens, though it is infrequent most years. I have three nests of kits, and it was in the 20's when they were only a few days old, but all are doing great.