to build or to buy?

[dark.lapin]

I know for my flemish giants that I am going to have to make all the cages by myself ...For mini rex I could easily buy the cages...Is there any good companys in texas that have quality welded wire for rabbit cages and rabbit supplies...the last rabbit show I went to I saw rabbit .com but I was wondering if anyone knew any other suppliers..thanks..
also can I make the bottom wire out of Gaw and rest of cage out of gbw? will this cause the cages to rust faster?...
also what type of scale do you use to weight your rabbits?
also what type of j clips do you use?

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I never found any...I ended up ordering from Klubertanz. I would use GAW on all of them or you will end up replacing them very soon.

 

[dark.lapin]

I never found any...I ended up ordering from Klubertanz. I would use GAW on all of them or you will end up replacing them very soon.

I probly will...Shiping cost is really expensive on klubertanz but they are only company that has size of wire I need

 

[akane]

I'd make the whole cage out of GAW. My bucks coat the side of their cage in pee. I have some cages with the entire front a door made of white powder coated panels and these turn reddish brown within the week a good 8" up the sides from the mini rex bucks spraying them. The does aren't as bad but the bottom few inches still get gooey in some corners.

 

[SatinsRule]

Depends upon how many cages/holes you will need, as well as how your facility is set up. If you're building a great many holes, buy the wire and do it yourself. It's a big up-front cost, but you will come out many dollars ahead by doing it that way.

If you're limited on space and stackables are any kind of option for you, buying them from the dealer will likely be as inexpensive up-front as trying to build them yourself once you factor in all the little gidgets and gadgets you'd have to pay for when you buy them separately. And having the dealer send them to you pre-cut eliminates a huge headache.

 

[dark.lapin]

Depends upon how many cages/holes you will need, as well as how your facility is set up. If you're building a great many holes, buy the wire and do it yourself. It's a big up-front cost, but you will come out many dollars ahead by doing it that way.

If you're limited on space and stackables are any kind of option for you, buying them from the dealer will likely be as inexpensive up-front as trying to build them yourself once you factor in all the little gidgets and gadgets you'd have to pay for when you buy them separately. And having the dealer send them to you pre-cut eliminates a huge headache.

I raise the giant breed so i am going to have to build the cages by myself...what is more cost efficent Buying 3 rolls 1 for floor , 1 for length, and 1 sides..Or buying a roll for height?

 

[SatinsRule]

In the long run, buying 3 different rolls will be less expensive because you'll ultimately waste significantly less in the process. Also, factor in having to buy a separate roll for flooring, as you won't want to use the same 1" 2" wire for the floors of the hutches as you use on the sides and tops.

Look at it this way. Let's say that you're going to make your cages 18" high X 32" Wide X 24" deep. You decide to get one roll of 24" height wire for the sides and top, while getting another roll of 24" flooring wire. You are automatically going to lose 1-2" for every cut you make no matter which way you go, but you'll lose 6" for every side panel and divider you cut for trying to make a single roll do the complete job. It ultimately adds up to a lot of lost wire in the process, and you'll run out of it much more quickly as well. In the long run, you'll be much better off buying a roll of 18" height 1" X 2" wire, a roll of 24" height 1" X 2" wire, and a roll of 24" height 1/2" X 1" wire. Yes, the upfront cost will be more, but it will go alot farther and your end cost will be less.

Then factor in the cost of cage latches, door framing and other miscellaneous hardware and you'll soon realize that the overall cost of buying pre-fab/distributor-built cages isn't as much with a smaller operation. I presently operate with 15 holes, I will purchase 6 more holes this summer, and every single one of them were (or will be) cut by the supplier I bought them from. My operation is relatively small, and buying it pre-cut from the supplier not only was convenient, but eliminated alot of the waste I would have incurred otherwise.

 

[quintex]

Where in TX are you? I had mine made by someone in Alvin, TX and he makes them to the buyers specifications.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I never found any...I ended up ordering from Klubertanz. I would use GAW on all of them or you will end up replacing them very soon.

I probly will...Shiping cost is really expensive on klubertanz but they are only company that has size of wire I need

What you do is figure up how much you need of each wire...I used 1 x 1/2 14g GAW 30" for bottoms, 2 x 1 14g GAW 18" Babysaver for the sides, back and front, and 2 x 1 14g GAW 30" for the tops. Then, email Klubertanz with a list of what you need and ask for a quote WITH shipping. It will be much less than you expect. I had calculated $150 but my shipping quote was $75. I have been very happy with what I bought, and I was able to make exactly what I wanted.

 

[dark.lapin]

In the long run, buying 3 different rolls will be less expensive because you'll ultimately waste significantly less in the process. Also, factor in having to buy a separate roll for flooring, as you won't want to use the same 1" 2" wire for the floors of the hutches as you use on the sides and tops.

Look at it this way. Let's say that you're going to make your cages 18" high X 32" Wide X 24" deep. You decide to get one roll of 24" height wire for the sides and top, while getting another roll of 24" flooring wire. You are automatically going to lose 1-2" for every cut you make no matter which way you go, but you'll lose 6" for every side panel and divider you cut for trying to make a single roll do the complete job. It ultimately adds up to a lot of lost wire in the process, and you'll run out of it much more quickly as well. In the long run, you'll be much better off buying a roll of 18" height 1" X 2" wire, a roll of 24" height 1" X 2" wire, and a roll of 24" height 1/2" X 1" wire. Yes, the upfront cost will be more, but it will go alot farther and your end cost will be less.

Then factor in the cost of cage latches, door framing and other miscellaneous hardware and you'll soon realize that the overall cost of buying pre-fab/distributor-built cages isn't as much with a smaller operation. I presently operate with 15 holes, I will purchase 6 more holes this summer, and every single one of them were (or will be) cut by the supplier I bought them from. My operation is relatively small, and buying it pre-cut from the supplier not only was convenient, but eliminated alot of the waste I would have incurred otherwise.

For mini rex I will buy the cages...but for flemish I am going to have to make the cages...Half of the cage will have a solid floor ..the whole floor will be made out of wirre with a pice of wood on one side..besides I want to make my own cages anyway makes me apericate em more and I enjoy building things and being creative...plus I know someone other than me will want to build the cages too.I am also planing on building carriers with the leftover wire so I won't have to pay alot of money..I also will have to customise my carrier cages too for flemish..I wish more companys had prebuilt cages for the larger breed.Also what type of j clips should I get?

Where in TX are you? I had mine made by someone in Alvin, TX and he makes them to the buyers specifications.

I am in mansfeild texas witch is by tarrant county...

I never found any...I ended up ordering from Klubertanz. I would use GAW on all of them or you will end up replacing them very soon.

I probly will...Shiping cost is really expensive on klubertanz but they are only company that has size of wire I need

What you do is figure up how much you need of each wire...I used 1 x 1/2 14g GAW 30" for bottoms, 2 x 1 14g GAW 18" Babysaver for the sides, back and front, and 2 x 1 14g GAW 30" for the tops. Then, email Klubertanz with a list of what you need and ask for a quote WITH shipping. It will be much less than you expect. I had calculated $150 but my shipping quote was $75. I have been very happy with what I bought, and I was able to make exactly what I wanted.

I will planing on emailing em right now thanks for your help.