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[Rabbit Tree Farm]

I love your ideas! The hoophouse sounds great! We've been thinking of building one but the pvc pipe ones are too flimsy. Start a thread with pics of your stuff! I love creative ideas & solutions!

The only thing I would change is not put in a gravel floor. You can't rake poop off gravel and so have to catch it. I have a winter rabbitry that used to have gravel (we've taken out as much as possible) I put in poop chutes, etc - but they need almost daily care. Our summer shed (8x8) that has dirt we just rake out once in awhile. Thinking I like that better now LOL

I want to know more about your 70x40 cages ... ??

I will get some pics tomorrow!...i agree about raking but i catch in trays...i plan to further modify tho by doing poop chutes right into buckets that go right on the garden or into bags. I also have a paver center aisle thats easy to sweep and keep feet clean.

The big cages are sold on amazon as chicken coops for about $70. I modify by adding a cage wire floor and add a heavy tarp to one end. I havent figured out wheels yet...but every project around here is a work in progress and improvement

 

[Scooter1A]

I built 2 hutches in the shade of trees where a breeze flows. Wire bottoms and sides,, non treated pine wood. Put a box in for them. In the winter I staple a heavy plastic around and put hay on the floor. Every morning I rake up the poo and haul to the garden. One hutch for the adults, separated, one for the growouts. I only breed what I can eat so my numbers stay low. I use bowls for water and pellets. I like you have space in the woods so my adults are turned out daily to scamper. They don't go far. Pretty happy rabbits.

 

[Rabbits by Accident]

I built 2 hutches in the shade of trees where a breeze flows. Wire bottoms and sides,, non treated pine wood. Put a box in for them. In the winter I staple a heavy plastic around and put hay on the floor. Every morning I rake up the poo and haul to the garden. One hutch for the adults, separated, one for the growouts. I only breed what I can eat so my numbers stay low. I use bowls for water and pellets. I like you have space in the woods so my adults are turned out daily to scamper. They don't go far. Pretty happy rabbits.

I love that you let them out. I tried putting a couple does together in what I thought was a lot of room (10'x5') and it was an instant cage fight (I could have sold tickets) I immediately separated them. I'm afraid to let them roam here - how do you get them back? There are many coyotes, they wouldn't last one night if I couldn't catch them. I would love to let them roam! Tell me how! (plus I have storage containers with gaps under them, if they got under there, I'd never get them out)

 

[CedarRidge]

I tried the does together thing as well. Fur flying everywhere. What a mess.

 

[Rabbit Warren Man]

Hello and welcome! Lots to learn but I personally find rabbits even easier then chickens all around! Same principles appy... keep them out of wind and wet. Cages also depend on type of rabbit as well as housing. I keep beveren and silver fox... totally fine in quebec winters. We get a fierce winter here. But most of the traditional meat breeds were meant for hardiness. Back in the day, folks were not building fancy climate controlled structures for rabbits after all. They stuck a hutch somewhere out back.

Mine are in a 3 sided hutch (modeled on the tealstone hutch) and they are fine in the winter. I give them unlimited high quality hay and on the real nasty days my bleeding heart makes them oatmeal- chickens too. In the summer they are in deep shade but still when its over 85 I do all kinds of things to keep them cool. Bucks can go temporarily sterile in heat, and I had an old breeder tell me he never had a rabbit die from cold but he lost several in heat waves. So I take heat seriously.

Good draft free, clean and dry housing.... and yes wire flooring is absolutely the way to go. Collect that garden gold and if you like urine too. Its handy stuff. In winter access to fresh clean water is an issue. I use heated dog bowls. Well secured so they can't get to the protected cords. Rabbits CHEW give them things to chew like fruit tree cuttings.

Wherever you get your starting trio from, do yourself a favour and try and find rabbits that are handled regular who are comfortable around people. It makes a difference if you have breeders who run to the front of the cage for scratches and pets or go hide in the back corner when you walk by. The bin of bunnies might be beautiful perfectly correct animals, but families must have good temperments and tame rabbits, especially when learning! You should learn to health check and clip your rabbits nails, move them in and out of cages etc. Not at all fun with a terrified, struggling or even nasty fighting rabbit. Childhood scars on both my forearms prove that. So look until you find the right rabbits and don't be afraid when starting to buy non show quality but well handled rabbits.

As for number of cages... well you heard of chicken math right? Rabbit math is worse! So look at whatever space you want to use and automatically think of doubling the number of cages. Sure start with three... but plan to have room for 6. Plus to start you want 2 grow out cages... one for boys, one for girls. I think you already figured out you want to breed your two does at the same time. Its just insurance. Point is, you need a place to put the weaned kits and want to avoid accidents.

For dispatch look into either/and a penetrating bolt gun or hopper popper type cd device. Etsy has a nice family who sells a cervical dislocation device and gambrel. Top shelf quality. if you have never done it, try the old fashioned way. You want rabbit dinner say tuesday, you dispatch sunday night. Let the meat rest for 2 days in the fridge. 2 days to rest and one day to marinate is good too. Take your time they are easier then chickens! But do a few one by one before you set up for a big dispatch day to get your legs under you. With practice then you can whip off 20 in an afternoon.

Good luck and have fun! Chickens are great but rabbits are awesome!

Raising them free range.

 

[Rabbits by Accident]

Raising them free range.

That's awesome! I could do that for about 18 hours. The first to come to the diner would be the hawks, then a bit later, the owls. Any remaining rabbits would be dinner for the coyotes, and if there were a few stragglers, the feral dogs and cats would have breakfast. I have to have double layer chain link fence with a secure roof. Even then the feral dogs have broken in.

 

[Scooter1A]

I love that you let them out. I tried putting a couple does together in what I thought was a lot of room (10'x5') and it was an instant cage fight (I could have sold tickets) I immediately separated them. I'm afraid to let them roam here - how do you get them back? There are many coyotes, they wouldn't last one night if I couldn't catch them. I would love to let them roam! Tell me how! (plus I have storage containers with gaps under them, if they got under there, I'd never get them out)

They had to live in cages in the garage while I built the hutches so I think letting them out separately in the garage and just handling them alot was the trick. I only let them romp while I'm out with them mostly. As they get older they seem to want to stick closer to me, doe especially. Funny about the does fighting, I bet that was a show!! I only have one doe, one buck and won't breed again til the freezer is empty, probably March? Unless I get really bored this winter, doubtful. Next breed I will keep a female.

 

[Rabbits by Accident]

They had to live in cages in the garage while I built the hutches so I think letting them out separately in the garage and just handling them alot was the trick. I only let them romp while I'm out with them mostly. As they get older they seem to want to stick closer to me, doe especially. Funny about the does fighting, I bet that was a show!! I only have one doe, one buck and won't breed again til the freezer is empty, probably March? Unless I get really bored this winter, doubtful. Next breed I will keep a female.

Mine are super friendly and don't mind being held as a matter of fact two of them love it. However, they really don't like going back in their cages after they've been out to the play area . I just feel I would not be able to Corral them when I wanted to. And that would be the end of them.

 

[Scooter1A]

Mine are super friendly and don't mind being held as a matter of fact two of them love it. However, they really don't like going back in their cages after they've been out to the play area . I just feel I would not be able to Corral them when I wanted to. And that would be the end of them.

yes you might not be able to. if you have a doe that is easy to catch just put her on the ground to catch your buck hahaha works for me. My nephew says they are like little dogs.

 

[Cindy in SD]

Awesome bunch of info.... I appreciate all of that. Can anyone give me an idea of how many cages I'll need in all if I'm only raising rabbits for my family (not trying to sell or anything)? Am I good with 4... a buck cage, 2 doe cages, and a grow-out cage? Or should I plan on adding more doe cages and grow out cages? The firewood shed is small (3' deep x 10 feet long)... but if I need more room I could add a covered area on the back of my shed (30' long) that would be open on 3 sides so they'd have shade and air movement or I could frame something up inside the hoophouse (12' x 40') to give them a solid roof and build stands.
Additionally.... when it comes to building cages - I see that buying cages from KW cages (just the first place I found, I'm wide open to recommendations) cost a range of $40-$100 (size dependent). They come disassembled so I'd still have to put them together. Is it substantially less expensive to build cages? I feel like I'd spend nearly that to build them.... but I'm not a carpenter and am not fast at building...and don't really know how much materials would cost.
I've been watching CL for used cages, but not having any luck and don't want to buy something that I'll regret later anyway.

Unless you have better wire options locally than I have, it's easier and more economical to buy the three initial cages you'll need. (Two does & a buck) You can get by with one doe, but you'll be out of business in the cold months I think (or maybe you're not as cold there as I am), and two does doubles the summer productivity. I got mine here: Rabbit Cages - Rabbit Cage - KW Cages - Everything for Rabbits but definitely shop around. They come in a flat box and you put them together, so be sure to also order j-clip pliers & j-clips if they're not included. (They're cheap & easy to use. Amazon or your feed or hardware store.)

You can also find websites offering large quantities of cage wire. This didn't work for me, as I only wanted three cages. I didn't find anyone selling less than a full roll. If you wanted to get into rabbits in a big way though, that's the way to go, especially if you can get a lumberyard or feed store to order it from one of their suppliers for you, so you're not stuck with shipping costs.

I made a couple of chicken "tractors" into mobile rabbit cages. Well, semi-mobile. The one (a Suskovich tractor) is pretty big. I stapled (with a pneumatic stapler) 2X4" wire onto the bottoms to adapt it to bunnies. The other was for chicks. It's a decent size for grow-outs, but I'm gonna modify a second Suskivich as a girls' growout apartment. (They're currently in the "chick" tractor and getting a bit cramped. Time to process.)

The does need big cages, but the breeding buck(s) need smaller cages, not only b/c they don't have to share with babies, but also, breeding just goes smoother that way. (You always bring the doe to the buck, as she may get agressive if you bring him into her space.) When the doe decides to play hard-to-get, the buck doesn't have to chase as hard in his smaller cage. My 2 does have 30x36" cages and the buck is in a 24x24" one. If you have access to purchase actual meat rabbits, you might want to go bigger, but be sure to center the door to improve your reach.

I don't know whether anyone sells grow-out cages. I just have these tractors I made for my poultry (who all sleep in the barn now and free range... much easier, unless you have a high predator load). They work great for the buns so far, and I can walk into them. (If you're curious, you can find Suskovich tractor videos on Youtube.) The ladies will need nesting boxes. I made my own, with wire floors, but you can buy them. I haven't seen them here, but I think they have them at the link I put above. They're pricey, imo, which is why I made my own.

You also need waterers: bowls (I use galvanized clip-ons) for winter & water bottles and/or bowls for summer. I use the J-shaped feeders; medium-sized for breeding cages; large for grow-outs. I think a small feeder would've been a better choice for the buck, though. He doesn't go through the feed like a mom & babies, and I might not fill it up above once a week. (He's a bun who only eats what he needs.)

I give them sticks (mostly pine as that's what we have) to chew on (never give them cherry wood) and in the growing season, lots of yummy weeds. You can give them minerals, but that's incl with commercial foods and also included in yummy weeds.

Congrats on your new endeavor and have fun!