Rabbits barns: Indoor vs. Outdoor?

[quintex]

I'm going to be moving to a new place soon and need to decide what kind of barn thing to build for the rabbits. I was wondering if most people preferred indoor (AC/heat) or outdoor (under a cover in the shade with or without fans).

I'm thinking that it may take significantly more time to clean up an indoor area than an outdoor one, so that was one of my concerns.

Anyone have any regrets or things they don't like about your current set up? Advice or things you wish you would have done?

Thanks!

 

[BoxerMom]

Right now we have our rabbits in the garage, facing the garage door. During the day I have the door open so they can get some sun and I close it at about 10 o'clock at night. I live in Montana - homes here aren't built with a/c so I'm not concerned about that, I am worried about it getting too cold in the winter, which is another reason they are in the garage. Also, there are a lot of stray dogs in my area and I don't want to risk them getting to the rabbits.

 

[eco2pia]

Dogs and cold can be dealt with. In your climate heat is going to be the critical factor. Rabbits will adapt well to almost anything else--heat or wet are both killers. I have the wet part to worry about up here in Washington state, but there are a couple of members on here from TX, they will be your best local advice about heat/humidity.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I live in Southeast Texas so we have heat and humidity. So far it has not been too bad, but alot of folks I know say it is really hard on the buns when it gets really hot. Think lots of ventilation, by mechanical or natural means. If you can situate your area to take advantage of the prevailing breezes, that is good. I couldn't quite do that with mine but it does have ventilation and a fan to pull the hot air out. I also put insulation panels on the roof of my shed and that made a huge difference right away. It reflects the heat from the roof back out. Also, some way to keep them well hydrated.

 

[akane]

I think being indoors with a section of concrete floor is the only reason all our rabbits are alive today. We hit a record high of 95F plus 80% humidity after it's been cool the past few weeks. We had a frost warning just 2 weeks ago so no one is adjusted to the heat yet. The floor not only held the cool air from overnight but also gathered moisture which cooled the air as it evaporated again. Even a dirt floored building can have that effect but with the concrete we've trimmed horses on days where the building was 5-10F cooler than outside. We don't have heat or a/c and no windows. It just has vents running the full length on either side and double doors on each end. People I know with outdoor rabbits in the area all lost some irregardless of shade and a breeze.

I am worried about it getting too cold in the winter

Our rabbits were unphased by -20 to -30F last winter. We did provide wire boxes stuffed with straw that some slept in but most of the time when we went to feed and water they were just sitting on the wire or the colony rabbits were hopping around in the open.

 

[MaggieJ]

For several years we had two set-ups, one for summer and one for winter. In summer the cages were enclosed in a chain link tarped structure under the huge weeping willow tree... nice and cool and breezy.

In winter, we moved them into the goose house, which is semi-insulated and fairly draft-free. Ventilarion provided by roof vents and an open pop-hole during the day. This worked well for use.

Late last fall we turned half the goose house into a permanent rabbit colony. This will be their first summer indoors, so I can't comment on how it will be yet. Our summers are typically not too hot, but we do get some days over 90 degrees.

 

[fuzzy9]

We have our rabbits in the pole barn. Right now it's all open inside, with a dirt floor. It was pretty hot here yesterday, and I had the big sliding doors on both ends wide open, and all the horse stall doors to the outside open so the breeze could blow right through.

It gets pretty humid here in the summers, and we have pretty hard winters also. We're planning on enclosing the rabbitry, putting in concrete, insulating, and adding A/C. We just think it will work best. It is nice to not have to deal with snow in the winter too. With some of the snow we had over winter, I just couldn't imagine having to dig out just to find the rabbits! :lol:

 

[akane]

Last winter even with the building shut up we got a 4' deep drift reaching 1 1/2 stalls so 18' in the to building. It came in through a 2" crack in the double doors. It's like sand but 10 times worse cause it's cold.

 

[SatinsRule]

Before you decide to go with an indoor operation, please take the time to factor in the costs of two things: Proper ventilation and the cost of an auxiliary backup generator which will kick on automatically if and when main power is lost. Neglect or leave out either one, and you're setting yourself up for a complete disaster.

During my first go-round, I knew a woman who built a "climate controlled" rabbit barn, complete with a central heating and air system. One hot summer day, she lost power to the building while she was at work, and in a matter of just an hour or so, she lost every rabbit in her barn. The reason? No ventilation, and they literally suffocated in their cages.

Yes, there are downsides to an open-air building, but there are also advantages. Ventilation of such a building is rarely a problem. Rabbits can adapt to seasonal changes, and there are certain seasonal "weatherproofing" steps you can take to minimize the hazzards associated with it, but if you neglect ventilation, it will ultimately cost you in terms of premature losses of rabbits, and often times it will be the ones you were counting on for your breeding program.

 

[ilovehome]

We extended the roof of our cinder block shop for a long narrow barn, and made walls from chain link fence for ventilation and to keep out large predators. There is a hill opposite the wall and a large shade tree, so it almost feels like a burrow in there. It stays about 5-10 degrees below the rest of the yard. I love this location. I do keep a fan going, and expect to do frozen water bottles, etc. and this will be the first summer in this set up. My main concern is snakes, so the nest boxes or walls may be covered with hardware cloth eventually.

I do not know that this would work farther south where it is even hotter than here in AR. The lady I bought my cages from said she was tired of trying to keep rabbits alive here with just a roof and a shade tree.

 

[fuzzy9]

Great tips SatinsRule, thanks for pointing them out! Lots to plan.

 

[quintex]

Thanks for all the advice... a lot to think about.

Right now my husband and I are thinking either a small shed with a window unit and stackers or a metal carport type thing and hang cages. We went to look at the portable type buildings today and they seem OK assuming they could be adequately urine proofed. Also considering a covered chain link fenced in area and hang the cages off of that.

Also, what kind of mechanical device are you guys using to keep it properly ventilated in an indoor rabbitry?

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Thanks for all the advice... a lot to think about.

Right now my husband and I are thinking either a small shed with a window unit and stackers or a metal carport type thing and hang cages. We went to look at the portable type buildings today and they seem OK assuming they could be adequately urine proofed. Also considering a covered chain link fenced in area and hang the cages off of that.

Also, what kind of mechanical device are you guys using to keep it properly ventilated in an indoor rabbitry?

It depends what you mean by "indoor", do you mean totally enclosed and air-conditioned? or mostly enclosed, but not air-conditioned and using wind generated cooling and ventilation. Mine is the latter. I have box fans hung up high to push the warmer air that rises toward the ceiling out the vents. I have large openings covered in privacy lattice (smaller than regular lattice) as vents on two opposite sides of the building.

 

[SatinsRule]

As a minimum, insulate the roof/ceiling area of the barn very well. That is where the huge majority of the heat generated within your barn will enter or originate from. Inlet and exhaust fans and vents at each end of the barn in the roof/attic will go a long way toward ensuring that heat is less of a problem. I don't know that I would go with a metal roof, as they tend to heat up pretty significantly, and that rather quickly, but that's just me. I will tell you that it's the one thing I'd change about the building I have my rabbits in right now.

One Acre is giving you some pretty solid advice. She's living in an area which will ultimately be very similar to the one you'll be living in, and I gotta believe her advice is more practical given what you'll be facing in terms of climate and climate control. At any rate, best of luck to you.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

As a minimum, insulate the roof/ceiling area of the barn very well. That is where the huge majority of the heat generated within your barn will enter or originate from.

Absolutely, it makes all the difference in the world, especially if you have a metal roof, which we do. Also, that reflective roof sealer that you can buy at the hardware store.

Inlet and exhaust fans and vents at each end of the barn in the roof/attic will go a long way toward ensuring that heat is less of a problem.

I want to get another fan in our to pull in fresh air, but at the very least you need one to help evacuate the hot air.

One Acre is giving you some pretty solid advice. She's living in an area which will ultimately be very similar to the one you'll be living in, and I gotta believe her advice is more practical given what you'll be facing in terms of climate and climate control. At any rate, best of luck to you.

Thanks for the vote of confidence This will be my first summer so we shall see.... I wish we could have put the vents on the other walls, but my pump shed is the other half of the building and the opposite wall to that is only a couple of feet from the back of the shop, so not really good for ventilation. Here are some pics for the OP.

 

[akane]

Keep in mind it can be difficult to show or sell rabbits from climate controlled buildings. Not all shows are in a building with a/c or heat and a lot of breeders do not have buildings with a/c or heat. Then there is the risk of losing your entire stock should you have a power failure and they aren't adjusted to your temps or your building isn't set up to turn over enough air without the a/c on. I've dealt with those issues a lot since I like to keep a doe or 2 in the house with kits but when I want a different doe, the kits are too big for the cage, or I sell one they have to adjust to outdoor temps. I have to time my breedings and when I move rabbits in order to raise some in the house and still be able to grow them out or sell them to all the people who don't have their rabbits in a climate controlled building. If I was showing this would be an even bigger issue because I have yet to go to a show with a fully climate controlled building. Most are at best a few degrees warmer or cooler than outside. While not having to deal with below freezing or temps in the 100s may be nice it runs plenty of risks too.

 

[SatinsRule]

The biggest issue which hasn't been touched on quite yet has been that of ammonia. Yeah, the feeds of today are designed to reduce it, but it's still very much there in just about any rabbit house, especially if ventilation is lacking. One can mask it, they can even clean the barn until it sparkles on a semi-daily basis, but eventually it sets in, and that spells trouble, especially as the temperature begins to rise during summer months. Ammonia can damage a rabbit's respiratory systems, and that can (and so often does) lead to a multitude of other health concerns.

Then we add all the other problems which Akane just touched upon. Outdoor facilities become more and more sensible as the discussion continues along.

A well-ventilated barn, shed, or other facility is suitable for just about any application, though a bit of climatizing or weatherproofing during certain times of the year is often necessary to deal with the impending onset of dramatic climate changes. There's nothing fool-proof or easy about it, but that's what so often separates the breeders who are doing it because they thought it sounded like a good idea at the time from the breeders who do it because they genuinely love what they're doing.

I know that probably came off as being a bit pompous and elitist, but I was just adding my 2 cents worth.

 

[fuzzy9]

I'm really appreciating the information in this thread! As someone planning to really move forward with our rabbitry, and barn this summer, this information is priceless. It gives us so much to think about, and use as we make our plans.

 

[SatinsRule]

I'm really appreciating the information in this thread! As someone planning to really move forward with our rabbitry, and barn this summer, this information is priceless. It gives us so much to think about, and use as we make our plans.

Fuzzy, if you're planning on staying in WI, I cannot imagine that a cinder-block structure similar to some of the older dairy farm milk barns wouldn't be a good idea. It's honestly what I'm considering, especially when I look at some which have been around this area for decades and are still in good, usable shape. They have metal-framed pane-style windows which open and close, and that would be perfect for creating openings for cross ventilation. If and when I build my facility, that's likely the design I'll go with, but I have no idea what would work the absolute best for folks in WI. It's bound to be different in different sections of North America, but a cinder-block structure would likely eliminate much of the fine snow entry which was spoken of earlier, and of course, one could always use portable electric heaters or factor in a wood-burning stove or fireplace for use in the winter if need be.

 

[fuzzy9]

Yes, staying in WI. We actually have a pole barn. Right now everything is completely open, it's just basically an outer shell of a building. We have 2 horse stalls, and a double stall run in stall for the horses where they can come and go as they please throughout the day. There are 4 small sliding stall doors that open up to the outside on the front of the barn for the horses, and 2 large double slider doors on both ends of the barn. We're up on a hill, so we normally get good air flow through there with the doors open.

The rabbits are on the opposite side of the barn from the horses, the back side. We've been adding rows of cages from the back wall, up to the center isle, and plans are to completely enclose that side of the barn, and add two more large doors, and some windows on that side of the barn. Cages would be double stacked on each wall, with a center isle staying open.

Our goal is to be able to keep as much of a breeding program as possible throughout the winter. We plan to insulate, and keep it just above freezing in winter, and use A/C in the summer as needed, or rely on lots of airflow on nice days. We'll add concrete floor, and tin over the insulation.

Obviously the goal is to do this the right way, and I have forwarded a link to this thread to my husband, so he can see all of these tips and suggestions also, since he's the one who will be doing the building.