illinoisguy
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My bucks cage is 24x24....I bring the doe to him...sufficient? THese are meat rabbits....thanks
What size breeding cage? Is a 24x24 sufficient?
- Thread starter illinoisguy
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Probably not
Nymphadora
Well-known member
illinoisguy":38yk8pd2 said:
Is he a dwarf breed? I know you said "meat rabbit", but even small rabbits could be raised for meat...
Mine is 30"x30" it works good for me. Some say its to small but they can keep those comments to there self. With a smaller cage he won't have to chase her very far :lol: My motto is if you like I love it. 
unk:
unk:
Some breed fine in small cages. I always used bigger cages. The does panicked less and shoved their butt in less corners. I had some particularly difficult ones that in a regular sized square cage I'd have to pull their hindquarters around when the buck mounted so the does were in U shapes in the corner because he couldn't fit between them and the wall. I had one that kept hiding under J feeders screaming about it but then in a bigger cage with a smaller buck was eager to breed so it's not that she wasn't ready. Some find when all else fails a curved pen on the ground actually works the best or breeding them on the table. They can't cram in corners, they don't feel as threatened, and they tire and chill out sooner.
One thing to keep in mind is that if they feel cornered and threatened enough does will castrate bucks. I had to pry a buck testicle out of a doe's mouth once. It's not fun and I ended up getting my finger slid in place of the chunk of the buck and slicing pretty deep.
One thing to keep in mind is that if they feel cornered and threatened enough does will castrate bucks. I had to pry a buck testicle out of a doe's mouth once. It's not fun and I ended up getting my finger slid in place of the chunk of the buck and slicing pretty deep.
I have "meat mutts" NewZealand crosses ... does weight about 12lbs
my doe cages are 30x24 ... they seem really comfortable in there until the kitts get 6 weeks or so....
Bucks get 24x24 ..... they are only happy if they can see the does, so their tower is set right beside the does.
Does go in the buck's cage for breeding.
Not sure if that helps.....
my doe cages are 30x24 ... they seem really comfortable in there until the kitts get 6 weeks or so....
Bucks get 24x24 ..... they are only happy if they can see the does, so their tower is set right beside the does.
Does go in the buck's cage for breeding.
Not sure if that helps.....
Mine are a little bigger. 33 wide I think. Give it a try, but I sometimes wonder if mine is a little small. I have NZ meat mutts.
My NZR bucks enjoy a 30x30 to stretch out--however my arms are not 30" long, so I have my cages made 24x36 with a BIG door on the front. Does and their litters get a 24x42 and growout is a 24x49 (it can be divided into a double 24x24 with a wire separator).
people obviously have very different ideas about cage size. We're raising meat mutts, adults weigh up to 9 pounds. All cages are 30" deep (the shortest of us is 6' tall so we don't have the reach problem some mention). The adults have 36" cages, buck and does. The nest box goes into the does cage, but as soon as the kits start to come out of it, the doe and kits and nestbox are moved to a 48" cage. The nest box is removed as soon as all eyes are open and we're seeing the kits out as much as in. The doe is removed when the kits are 5 weeks and put back in her 36" cage while the kits finish growing out in the 48" cage. Most of our litters are 8 kits and the cage seems pretty full by the time they're ready for freezer camp. Yesterday was 5 weeks for a litter of 10 and we put the smallest kit in with the doe, thinking she might get some milk and would have less competition at the feeders.
shazza
Well-known member
everyone has 30x30 cages at my place, but bred does go into 30x36 cages so they have room for them + a nest box and the subsequent litter until they're weaning age. once their litter is moved the does will go back to their regular cage. i have standard rex, mini lops, and meat mutts, and i feel like anything smaller than 30x30 would be too small. in these cages they have plenty of room to lay down and stretch and hop around a bit. i also regularly let them out into a big 8'x8' covered play yard to run around and munch on grass. they seem much happier and in better condition when they get to run around.
i don't breed in cages though - the does always seem to panic because while 30x30 is enough room for one rabbit to stretch out and be comfortable, it's not enough room for two to run around and do the breeding dance. they much prefer to breed on the ground. the play yard seems to be too big (the does run too much and he can't catch them haha,) so i have two expens i set up that gives them enough room for the doe to not feel trapped, but not too much that he can't catch her when she plays hard to get.
i don't breed in cages though - the does always seem to panic because while 30x30 is enough room for one rabbit to stretch out and be comfortable, it's not enough room for two to run around and do the breeding dance. they much prefer to breed on the ground. the play yard seems to be too big (the does run too much and he can't catch them haha,) so i have two expens i set up that gives them enough room for the doe to not feel trapped, but not too much that he can't catch her when she plays hard to get.
