Wire for the cage floor...

[Millinex]

So I picked up some more wire today after having some good success building my first all wire cage. I've been using 1/2" x 1/2" wire for the floors, but the 1" but 1/2" was significantly cheaper ($30 cheaper).

Is this acceptable to use on the floors? It looks fine, and I know the cages sold at tractor supply here have that size as the floor, but wanted to make sure. I'll be keeping big rabbits in these cages, nothing too small that's going to get caught anywhere I don't think..

 

[Marinea]

I use 1x1/2 for my floors. Make sure when you make the cages that the 1/2" side is facing up.

 

[Millinex]

I use 1x1/2 for my floors. Make sure when you make the cages that the 1/2" side is facing up.

Out of curiosity why does it matter which side is facing up?<br /><br />__________ Thu Sep 26, 2013 10:37 pm __________<br /><br />

Is the one I just made today. Makes the best use of the wire from what I found doing it this way, otherwise its more cutting and uses more wire and more $$$$ LOL

 

[Marinea]

The half inch side facing up gives more wire for the rabbits to stand on, lessening the pressure on their feet.

Your cage looks good. Congrats!

 

[Fire-Man]

If you will look close at the 1/2x1 wire, when you got the 1/2" side up it is easier on the rabbits feet because they are closer together.

Millinex, if you got a good gauge of 1/2 x 1" you will like that wire better than 1/2x1/2-----the poop will fall through easier.

 

[Millinex]

Ahhh, I see what you mean, for their feet and actually just flipping the wire straight over! LOL! I thought it meant that the 1" sides where up and down on the front instead of the way I did it, instead of just looking at the wire itself . This makes sense now.. LOL.

 

[Marinea]

Don't forget the baby saver wire for the does.

 

[Millinex]

How do you feel about 20x30 and 24x30 for does? Hmmm

 

[Miss M]

Bending the wire around for the floor like you did also would make for fewer joints for fur to get caught in, as well.

If you already have the 1" side up on the floor, instead of the 1/2" side up, I would not take it apart and re-bend it in the other direction. The rabbit in that cage should be fine, just make sure the 1/2" side is up on future cages. I had all of my floors the wrong way for a year and a half, before I was replacing the floors and found the info about putting the 1/2" side up.

 

[Marinea]

How do you feel about 20x30 and 24x30 for does? Hmmm

I am not the person to ask about cage sizes. All of mine are in cages 42x30.

 

[Heritage Homestead]

My cages are 30"x30" and I have NZs.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I got some that are 24"x30" and they are small for does with litters. I prefer 36x30 or 30x30 at the smallest. I use 1" x 2" 14g GAW wire for the top and sides and 1" x 1/2" 14g GAW for the floor.

 

[PSFAngoras]

I have 30x36 for my does, but they're 12 pound angoras. I find that even that gets crowded when the kits start to hop out of the box.

Also, I wouldn't use anything smaller than 1x1/2 for the bottoms. One of my does already has such large pellets while she's nursing that they won't even fit through that. I have to scoop them out the front of the cage.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

I have 30x36 for my does, but they're 12 pound angoras. I find that even that gets crowded when the kits start to hop out of the box.

Also, I wouldn't use anything smaller than 1x1/2 for the bottoms. One of my does already has such large pellets while she's nursing that they won't even fit through that. I have to scoop them out the front of the cage.

Yep, those are "mom-nursing-2-or-3wk-old-litter" giganto-poops! :indy-jones:

 

[Millinex]

All my breeding does are in 36x24 at the immediate moment, except one smaller mutt girl, who's in some sort of big pet store cage I had laying around, it seems like a decent size.

I built a row of of 6 20x30 just because I had the wire laying around and it was fairly simple (except the manufacturer error length roll of wire). I feel pretty comfortable using them for my non breeding does, bucks, and raise up does, but I only have 3-4 does who seem to be small enough to use with a litter, and they are all pretty small, 2 french lops, a tiny little NZ cross, and some random meat mutt. I'll likely just do one wall of this size cage, and then 2 walls of 30x30 cages for the bigger females, as I can't really see them fitting well....

Although, oddly enough- my first time ever having rabbit babies was an accident. I had a 7-9lb female I didn't feed off that night, and left in the rubbermaid tote that's probably only 30x15, found a litter of 7 the next morning. Put them in a litter box with some bedding, and she raised them clear to 4 weeks in there because I was too poor for a real cage in my crap apartment.. Now I look at these does I have and I scratch my head and wonder how the hell did she pull that off LOL.