HowlsOfAngels
Well-known member
I don't currently have any rabbits, but I do plan on breeding meat rabbits in the future (next decade-ish, perhaps a few years sooner). I'm one of those people that likes to plan years ahead and research every animal thoroughly before considering whether or not to obtain, breed, or raise it.
So, I contacted a company that makes heavy duty cage wire and began pricing out my ideas. Thus far I've priced out brood doe cages to be about $90 dollars for the main body wire of an 8' X 2' double hole brood doe cage that would be 24" tall, if 1" X 1" GAW 12.5 gauge wire is used with the floor wire costing $25 per double hole brood doe cage with the aforementioned dimensions if 3" X 1/2" 12.5 gauge wire is used (double the floor wire $ if I want to flip them later when the floor gets hinky, though I'm still contemplating whether or not I'd like to powder coat the cages, it's hard to find estimates on that...). I'd also like to add an inch or two between each hole to slip a flake of hay into.
I'd also like to try wider cages with the same dimensions, but two double hole cages back to back to save a bit of wire, but with the same gap width wise between holes so the does would have close neighbors to the backs of their cages rather than the sides (Would four does w/ or w/o litters argue with that much, for lack of better terminology, 'rabbit estrogen' in such close quarters or would they cope?).
As for the bucks, I'd like to use 2' X 3' X 1.5' tall cages, the same wire with the same gap between the holes for a hay rack, which I'm also hoping will reduce arguments. Except, since the buck cages are shorter, I'd plan on connecting three by the floor and possibly roof wire rather than two.
I'd like to stack and hang (haven't decided if from a free standing frame, wall, ceiling, etc) all of the buck/doe cages two high with coroplast pans for the top level and a free falling system for the bottom level (I don't mind shoveling).
Now for the kits and the main reason I wanted to post. Once the kits are weaned (I'd like to breed back at two weeks and remove kits from doe at six weeks, tell me now if that's horrid). I'd like to grow them out in communal pens with 2.5 square feet per kit, give or take, for about 2 - 6 weeks depending on what they need. I've priced out the mats (3/4" thick mats) and the pens at about $160 altogether if I use the same cage wire, the dimensions would be 12' X 4' per pen and I'd plan to have four pens sharing a wall for one gender and four pens sharing a wall for the other gender. The only potential issue is the wire that I priced out may be too short at only 36" tall (I calculated the extra feet of cage wire for doe/buck cages as doors).
I know it's a bit random, but I'd like to know what you guys think. Feel free to criticize at will, I'd like to know if this is reasonable well before I attempt it.
Edit: I realize now that I missed an important snippet.
I plan on having the cages either under canopies or in an enclosed building, such as a garage, with heavy duty fans and doors/windows open during the day.
I would also like to use a 5 gallon gravity fed watering system per four holes with does/litters, per 6 holes with just bucks, and one per four grow-out pens as this would seem adequate even in hot weather as long as it was checked. And an 11 inch feeder for does with litters, at least two per grow out pen, and a 5 inch feeder for bucks all with perforated bottoms. I haven't decided whether or not I could manage even a partial fresh diet, so lets assume pellets all around (I'd like to feed organic, such as Country Side Organics but that may be inadequate. Opinions?).
So, I contacted a company that makes heavy duty cage wire and began pricing out my ideas. Thus far I've priced out brood doe cages to be about $90 dollars for the main body wire of an 8' X 2' double hole brood doe cage that would be 24" tall, if 1" X 1" GAW 12.5 gauge wire is used with the floor wire costing $25 per double hole brood doe cage with the aforementioned dimensions if 3" X 1/2" 12.5 gauge wire is used (double the floor wire $ if I want to flip them later when the floor gets hinky, though I'm still contemplating whether or not I'd like to powder coat the cages, it's hard to find estimates on that...). I'd also like to add an inch or two between each hole to slip a flake of hay into.
I'd also like to try wider cages with the same dimensions, but two double hole cages back to back to save a bit of wire, but with the same gap width wise between holes so the does would have close neighbors to the backs of their cages rather than the sides (Would four does w/ or w/o litters argue with that much, for lack of better terminology, 'rabbit estrogen' in such close quarters or would they cope?).
As for the bucks, I'd like to use 2' X 3' X 1.5' tall cages, the same wire with the same gap between the holes for a hay rack, which I'm also hoping will reduce arguments. Except, since the buck cages are shorter, I'd plan on connecting three by the floor and possibly roof wire rather than two.
I'd like to stack and hang (haven't decided if from a free standing frame, wall, ceiling, etc) all of the buck/doe cages two high with coroplast pans for the top level and a free falling system for the bottom level (I don't mind shoveling).
Now for the kits and the main reason I wanted to post. Once the kits are weaned (I'd like to breed back at two weeks and remove kits from doe at six weeks, tell me now if that's horrid). I'd like to grow them out in communal pens with 2.5 square feet per kit, give or take, for about 2 - 6 weeks depending on what they need. I've priced out the mats (3/4" thick mats) and the pens at about $160 altogether if I use the same cage wire, the dimensions would be 12' X 4' per pen and I'd plan to have four pens sharing a wall for one gender and four pens sharing a wall for the other gender. The only potential issue is the wire that I priced out may be too short at only 36" tall (I calculated the extra feet of cage wire for doe/buck cages as doors).
I know it's a bit random, but I'd like to know what you guys think. Feel free to criticize at will, I'd like to know if this is reasonable well before I attempt it.
Edit: I realize now that I missed an important snippet.
I plan on having the cages either under canopies or in an enclosed building, such as a garage, with heavy duty fans and doors/windows open during the day.
I would also like to use a 5 gallon gravity fed watering system per four holes with does/litters, per 6 holes with just bucks, and one per four grow-out pens as this would seem adequate even in hot weather as long as it was checked. And an 11 inch feeder for does with litters, at least two per grow out pen, and a 5 inch feeder for bucks all with perforated bottoms. I haven't decided whether or not I could manage even a partial fresh diet, so lets assume pellets all around (I'd like to feed organic, such as Country Side Organics but that may be inadequate. Opinions?).
