plotting a small colony...

[ohiogoatgirl]

so i am once again plotting a colony. this time much smaller. it will (if i end up doing it) a small "room" in my barn (metal roofing and same for walls with wood posts and beams).

room is 6ft by 10 and 1/2ft.(about 60 sq ft). it is on a slant so moisture will run off.

flooring:
*wire floor and about a foot up the wall
OR
*cement floor and wire about a foor up the wall ((how much cement would i need??))


the door is an old wooden porch door. i will have wire across the inside of the door (swings out) up to about 34 inches (i think thats how high it comes lol and cause thats as high as i can get my leg over).

light:
there is a window in the little room and i would also be adding a couple lights run off a battery/solar panel (would all be up and in a box and not in reach of the buns).

furniture:
i have plenty of untreated wood, and a variety of cement blocks and things.
*ramps
*shelves
*buckets (mounted on the wall such as i have seen in other threads in cages)
*tunnels
*nests (wooden sides and top with hinged lid OR cat litter boxes with holes drilled in the bottom)
.... anything else?

i am hoping to have 2 or 4 does in it. right now i think i am going to go with having the buck in a cage. this way i will know due dates and i can use different bucks when i want.

also i have large cages so i will likely be moving the weaned kits out to large growout cages to make more space in the colony.

anything i missed? thoughts?
thanks

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Sounds good.

However, a determined escape bunny will clear the door no problem. You need to close off the top also. Even a piece of 2" x 4" woven wire fencing attached on one side with fencing staples (or U-nails as I like to call them) as "hinges" (don't pound them all the way in) and latched on the other side might work. To give the fencing more rigidity, you can fold the edges over around the perimeter.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

ummm..... do you mean to make a wire "screen door" of sorts? not sure i get what you mean...
the door will only be open long enough for me to get in or out, i would close it behind me. the fence wire is there, not to keep them in by itself, but to hopefully keep in any rabbits in that want to try and dart out when i come in.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

From your post, I thought you were going to have a half door made out of the porch door. I understand now- full door, with secondary barrier that you will step over.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

yepyep

 

[MamaSheepdog]

 

[cottontail]

for the cat litter box I tried that, I used a storage tote and I cut the hole all the way on the bottom, as soon as they were able to move around (5 days) they all crawled out of the hole. luckily I caught in time before they were scatered all over the place. there has to be a lip about 4 inches tall so they dont crawl out of there before it is time.

 

[GBov]

As I am having trouble with my growout pen and three cages that are on cement, I would DEFF. recomend a wire floor!

And I wouldnt make a door you have to step over. If you make a walk in cage with a door at both sides for you to come in and out by it will be MUCH easier if you are carrying boxes of weenlings or feed or buckets of water or armfulls of hay. Just think of it as an air lock but instead of air, it keeps the buns in. We had them on our big finch cages so the itty bitty super fast things didnt get out.

Other than that is sounds great!