What to make cages for rabbits from. Optimal cage sizes for rabbits. Some options for homemade rabbit houses in the photo

You can build cages for rabbits with your own hands from scrap materials: waste boards, plywood, chipboard, slate, bricks, metal cuttings, tin, etc. The design of the cages also varies, but it is better to choose one that will not take you a lot of time to make and will be convenient for feeding rabbits, inspecting them and regular cleaning.

Types of cages for rabbits and possible materials for DIY work

Not all types of cages can be made with your own hands, but many of them can definitely be made if you know the sizes, have drawings and basic skills. So, what types of houses for the eared tribe exist?

By size and height:

simple one tier,
bunk,
three-tiered,
multi-tiered.

For which rabbits:

for young animals,
females,
decorative,
giants and dwarfs, etc.

What materials can it be made from:

tree,
metal (iron, etc.),
metal profile, etc.

Options can be both summer and winter. There are types for keeping outdoors or in an apartment. They can be monolithic or portable, especially if the rabbits are dwarf and kept at home. The houses can also be fattening houses. There are also industrial buildings, but we will not talk about them.

Some options for homemade rabbit houses in the photo

Wooden with mesh
Combined wood and mesh
From metal profiles and wood using sect
Made of wood

Drawings with dimensions of some types of cells

2 tiers
Mikhailov's cage
Simple scheme
Zolotukhin cell

General step-by-step instructions for making it at home

To start rabbit farming, you don’t need any special investments: you can easily make cheap cages for rabbits, drinkers and feeders yourself, hay and branches can be prepared in the summer, root crops and vegetables can be taken from your own garden. The main expenses will be required only for concentrated feed.

Each cage should contain rabbits of the same sex, approximately the same age, weight and temperament

It is recommended to place adult rabbits and female rabbits with offspring in one- or two-section cages. Standard sizes correct cells for rabbits: length about 100-120 cm, height 50 cm, width about 70 cm. It is better to keep young animals in a group cage, the size of which corresponds to the number of rabbits. For example, for ten little rabbits, a house with the same height and width as indicated above, but up to 170 cm in length, is suitable. It should be remembered that rabbits of the same sex, approximately the same age, weight and temperament should live in each cage.

Even novice rabbit breeders will find it easy to figure out how to build a rabbit cage consisting of two sections.

Step-by-step production of cages for rabbits:

When keeping rabbits outdoors, the cages should be installed on bars so that they rise seventy centimeters above the ground. This will protect the lop-eared ones from rodents and pets, and it will be much more convenient to maintain the houses. By constructing a cage from scrap materials, you get an original house for your pets for almost free.

Other options for rabbit houses

If the proposed tips do not adequately describe the picture of the upcoming work, you should pay attention to the most popular types of cages for keeping and breeding rabbits. They are used by experienced farmers.

Family block - three-section cage

Making a three-section cage for rabbits may seem a little more complicated, the drawings of which are presented in the tab with photographs. But in such family blocks It is very convenient to breed rabbits: the breeder rabbit lives in the central compartment of the cage, and the females live on the sides. The wooden partitions between the compartments of the cage have openings with plywood latches, designed to make it easy for females to be placed with males for mating and returned back to their compartments.

It is very convenient to raise rabbits in such family blocks

The frame can be knocked down from bars, and side walls, back, nesting compartments with doors and partitions - made from wide lining. A metal mesh is used for the front wall. In nesting compartments, it is advisable to provide an attic - free space between the ceiling and common roof, where female rabbits can rest from their offspring. An additional convenience of the design is the thoughtful arrangement of feeders and drinkers - the food and water in them are not contaminated, and they can be filled from the outside.

Mikhailov's mini-farms - an easy way to raise little rabbits

One of the most effective ways rabbit breeding are Mikhailov's mini-farms, which provide intensive breeding of animals with minimal care from the rabbit breeder. The thoughtful design of Mikhailov's cages provides for automatic cleaning and provision of food for rabbits, heating of water in drinking bowls to the required temperature (which is especially important in winter), and heating of the queen cell to increase the survival rate of newborn rabbits.

Not every rabbit breeder can make Mikhailov cages with his own hands. But if you wish, you can assemble a complex structure according to a diagram that you can easily find on the Internet.

Correct houses according to Zolotukhin’s method

The famous rabbit breeder Nikolai Ivanovich Zolotukhin has been successfully breeding rabbits for several decades; such impressive experience helped him develop his own concept of keeping rabbits at home.

Their design is quite simple, and their production requires materials that are found in almost everyone’s household.

Features of Zolotukhin cells:

the floor in the cages is made solid of slate or boards;
there are no pallets;
a narrow strip of mesh flooring is provided only along the rear walls of the cages;
the rear walls are made at an angle so that the waste of rabbits from the upper tier does not fall on the rabbits of the lower tier;
there are no special queen cells - the female rabbit arranges the nest herself before giving birth;
There are grain feeders attached to the doors, which can easily be turned outward for filling.

After watching the video in the tab to the article, you will understand how to make cages for rabbits of the same type as Nikolai Ivanovich Zolotukhin. Moreover, their design is quite simple, and their production requires materials that are found in almost everyone’s household.

How to make your own cages for dwarf rabbits

If you decide to have rabbits at home as pets, the issue with cages will be resolved differently. In pet stores you can now find a variety of cages for decorative rabbits, but you don’t have to spend money on buying them - making a cage for your pet little bunny It will take very little time.

A cage for a dwarf rabbit is made from two side walls 70x70 cm and back wall 55 cm high, 100 cm long. The back wall must be secured so that there is a 15 cm gap under the cage. Nail meter-long slats to the bottom of the cage and secure a metal mesh over them. You also need to nail a mesh onto the front door. Make a mesh lid with hinges and a handle. Place a tray under the cage - the cage for the dwarf rabbit is ready! Material updated 03/17/2017

Farming and raising livestock has always been a profitable activity, especially if you do it throughout the year. Rabbits of various breeds are especially popular among animal breeders - they are easy to keep, they are unpretentious, and eat simple and affordable food. The only difficulty is that their maintenance requires cages, which, in order to save money, will have to be made with your own hands.

Is it necessary to keep rabbits in cages?

Rabbits intended for home and industrial breeding are undemanding in terms of the area in which they will be kept. This is largely due to their behavioral characteristics - in the wild, animals use small burrows as a place to rest and sleep.

The length of daylight, temperature and air humidity play a much greater role. These indicators directly affect both the behavior and health of the animal, as well as the dynamics of its growth and weight gain. Temperatures of 12–18 o C and air humidity of 60–75% are optimal for keeping most breeds.

In conditions household It is customary to keep rabbits in two ways:

isolated - in cages or sheds;
freely - in enclosures or paddocks.

The cellular method allows you to clearly control the number of meals an animal eats, thereby reducing feed consumption and preventing the animal from overeating. In addition, keeping them in cages helps control rabbit mating. Breeding of animals occurs clearly and according to the plan provided by the breeder.

In addition to this, the cellular method helps to avoid infection of the entire population of rabbits due to any infection reaching one or more individuals in the herd. Confinement in an aviary is most often used on European farms. This method is as close as possible to natural conditions, when the animal arranges its own home. Unlike the cellular method, the aviary method is more complex and requires not only large area plot, but also constant monitoring of the livestock.

It would be ideal if the breeder would combine these two methods, but in modern realities only professionals who have been doing this for decades can achieve such conditions. We recommend that novice breeders use the cage method of keeping them as the simplest and most effective.

Depending on the climatic conditions in the region where livestock farming is planned, cages for keeping rabbits can be located directly on the street or in utility rooms. Therefore, taking into account the location of the cells, they can be classified into three types:

Some owners have two types of cages at their disposal. Some are always located in the utility room and have convenient system mesh bottom, allowing for quick and convenient cleaning. The second ones are erected along a fence or wall of a building and represent winter option with a canopy.

This option has a lot of advantages, but is not available to all breeders, since keeping a large number of animals requires a considerable area of land. Therefore, for most people living in middle lane Russia and those trying their hand at animal husbandry, it is recommended to keep rabbits exclusively on the street.

Keeping rabbits outdoors all year round allows the animals to develop immunity to various infections and diseases. And fresh air also has a beneficial effect on the formation of healthy and lush hair.

Types of cells

Conventionally, cages for rabbits can be divided into two large groups. The first includes cages that differ from each other in the type of design, which determines their size and ease of use for the animal breeder. The second is cells used for a specific purpose to solve certain problems.

By design

Depending on the design, cages for rabbits are divided into the following types:

You can often find combined options cages, when a walking enclosure is added to the classic single-tier version. Typically, for two cages or sheds, an area no larger than 200x100x60 cm is sufficient.

For multi-tiered structures, it is possible to arrange an exit point directly to the stubble or the ground through special manholes. But this option is used extremely rarely, since factory cages are not equipped with such a system, and not every rabbit breeder can make it themselves.

By purpose

Based on their purpose, rabbit cages are classified into the following types:

Video: review of a two-tier outdoor cage for rabbits

Necessary materials

To make cages for breeding, young and adult rabbits, you will need the following material:

edged board - size 30x100x3000 or 30x150x300 mm. Necessary for lining the side and back walls of the cage. Can be used for lining a portable queen cell;
wooden blocks- size 40x40x3000 or 50x50x3000 mm. Will be needed to make the frame, legs and other elements of the cage. If desired, you can use rectangular bars;
To assemble the cage frame, an edged block with a section of 40×40 or 50×50 is used
moisture-resistant plywood - 9 or 12 mm thick. It will be required when making a cage floor, wall cladding and other solid elements. It is better to use sheets measuring 150x3000 mm;
steel pipes - cross-section from 20 mm. Rarely used, but with the ability to work with welding machine allow you to assemble a strong and durable frame. It is not recommended to use for assembling the floor and making other elements that will come into contact with the body of animals;
steel mesh - galvanized fine mesh with cell size 15×15 or 20×20 mm. Necessary for making doors, covering some walls and re-upholstering the waste disposal area;
To cover the walls and doors in a cage, it is better to use galvanized mesh with a cell of 20×20 mm
galvanized sheet - with a zinc coating with a thickness of 120 microns. It will be required in the manufacture of roofing, floor cladding and other elements for some types of cells. For roof cladding street cells It is better not to use;
corrugated slate is a traditional roofing material. It is better to use old slate to cover the roof of street cages, which will significantly reduce the overall cost of the structure.

To assemble the cage frame, galvanized self-tapping screws 70 mm long are used. The boards and plywood are fastened using self-tapping screws 30–50 mm long. If desired, galvanized nails of appropriate length can be used. Doors, feeders and other rotating elements are fastened to ordinary furniture or door hinges.

Cell dimensions and drawing

Before you start making a cage for rabbits, you need to decide on its parameters, which are selected taking into account the age, size and breed of the animal. About cages for rabbits having big sizes, we told above. Once the parameters have been determined, you will need to draw up a project for the future cell in the form of a drawing.

You can use the table below to determine the average cage size for regular rabbits. It indicates the range of length, width and height for cages, taking into account the age of the animal.

Table: cage parameters for rabbits depending on their age

In order to create a drawing of a future structure, you can use both regular office paper and graph paper. On paper, you should schematically depict the frame and main elements of the cell while maintaining the proportions. Opposite each element you need to indicate its size in any convenient bit depth.

Schematic representation of a single-tier cage for rabbits made of bars and boards

As an example, consider several drawings that can be found on the Internet. The first drawing shows a single-tier wooden cage. The frame of this cage can be assembled from a 50x50 mm edged block. To cover the frame, a 30×100 mm edged board is used.

The design of a single-tier cage consists of two compartments separated by a partition in the form of a V-shaped feeder made of mesh. On the sides of the cage there are solid doors on hinges. If desired, the doors can also be made of mesh.

Drawing of the most popular cage design with a V-shaped feeder

The second drawing shows a two-tier cage with a frame made of edged timber. The front wall of the cage is made in the form of a door made of a bar and mesh, and grain feeders are located on the sides of the structure. The compartments for keeping rabbits are also separated by a feeder. A photograph of a cage made according to this scheme can be seen in the section “Construction of a two-tier cage.”

DIY rabbit cage construction

All the options for rabbit cages described below can be made with your own hands without having much experience working with construction tools. In addition to the materials for making cages, you need to prepare a wood saw or jigsaw, a screwdriver, a hammer, a plane, metal scissors, pliers, a construction tape measure and a pencil.

How to build a three-tier cage according to Zolotukhin’s principle

Three-tier cage using N.I. technology Zolotukhina may have different size, which is selected based on the size of the competitive breed of rabbits and the free space where the structure is planned to be located.

Up to 6 adult individuals can live in one cage using Zolotukhin technology

In our example, we will describe the technology for assembling a three-tier cage with a height of 190 cm, a width of 140 cm and a depth of 60 cm. This multi-sectional structure will be enough to keep six adult rabbits.

The cell construction technology based on the Zolotukhin principle consists of the following:

It is necessary to make 12 long and short pieces each from a 40×40 or 50×50 mm edged bar. The length of short blanks is 540 mm, long ones - 1340 mm. You will need to prepare 3 sheets of 1340×480 mm from plywood.
6 frame frames are assembled from prepared blanks. For assembly, a screwdriver and galvanized screws 50–70 mm long are used. When assembling, smaller bars are placed between longer pieces. The fastener is screwed into the end of short workpieces. Number of fasteners - 2 pieces for each workpiece.
To install frame frames, you will need to make 4 blanks from 30x100 mm boards. The length of the blanks is 2250 mm. The resulting boards are laid on the floor, after which a frame is placed on them with the end side and fixed with 2 screws on each side. Using a similar principle, boards are attached on the opposite side. The step between the tiers depends on the height of the cells, but not less than 40 cm. When fastening, it is worth considering that there must be a gap of 10–15 cm between the tiers for installing pallets.
Drawing of a three-tier cage with a queen cell and a V-shaped feeder
Next, the assembled frame is placed in a vertical position. A previously prepared plywood sheet is laid on the supporting frame of each tier. Small spacers 1.5–2 cm high are placed at the front corners under the plywood. The plywood is attached directly to the frame using self-tapping screws 30 mm long. The fastening pitch is 25–30 cm.
Spacers will ensure the floor slopes towards the rear wall. To make them, you can use an edged board or remnants of bars. To do this, you need to saw off a workpiece 10–15 cm long and trim it diagonally. If possible, you can use a wood saw or plane.
It is necessary to attach a steel mesh to the gap between the plywood and the frame along the back wall. A piece of mesh of appropriate size is prepared using metal scissors. Next, the mesh is attached on the reverse side. For this, metal staples and small screws are used.
To strengthen the cell frame you can use steel profile and corners
To make a partition, which will also play the role of a feeder, you will need to prepare 6 blanks from a 50x50 mm bar. This can be done using a tape measure, marking the center along the horizontal frame guide. Then from the center you need to measure the distance to the top points at an angle of about 25 or about 30.
One of the ends of the workpieces must be sawed off at the appropriate angle. After this, the resulting bars are attached to the frame using self-tapping screws 70 mm long. A mesh with a mesh size of 25×25 mm is stretched between the installed V-shaped frames. To adjust the mesh, use metal scissors or pliers.
The back and side walls of the cage are lined with 30x100 mm boards. If desired, they can be sheathed with plywood, but this will cost a little more. If the cage is assembled for use outdoors, then the lining is carried out with inside. This will make it possible to insulate the structure.
The bottom for the cages is made of slats or mesh
After the sheathing, we begin making the doors. To ensure that the doors have the correct rectangular shape, you will need to prepare 6 blanks from bars, which are fixed in a vertical position, 20–30 cm away from the feeder. After this, the space between the feeder and the blank is covered with a mesh.
To make the doors, a 40x40 mm block is used. To do this, you need to measure the distance from the screwed workpiece to the side wall, as well as the height between the floor and ceiling. Then prepare 4 bars for each door. The bars are fastened together using self-tapping screws 50 mm long. The door, as well as part of the front wall, is covered with mesh.
Before attaching the door to the frame, you need to choose the direction in which it will open. After this, depending on the direction, you should attach two hinges to the side or bottom of the door. Finally, the door is attached to the side post or bottom tier rail. You can use a mini metal latch as a lock.
Schematic structure of a cell with a queen cell and a floor using Zolotukhin technology
To install pallets under each tier, you will need to prepare supports from bars. To do this, 4 square blanks measuring 50x50 mm are sawn off from a block. The blanks are attached to the side posts of the frame so that there is 5–7 cm between the tier and the pallet. Used to make a pallet steel sheet, which bends around the perimeter by 1.5–2 cm.
On final stage roof sheathing is carried out. To do this, the roof is hemmed with a 30x100 mm wooden board. The sheathing is mounted on top of the board in increments of 10–15 cm. Slate is laid on the lathing. If necessary, the roof is insulated using polystyrene foam.

It should be noted that the design of Zolotukhin’s cell may have a slightly different appearance. Sometimes, the feeder is built directly into the door. To do this, a frame of the feeder is made of galvanized metal, which is then mounted so that its lower part fits into the cage.

The design of street cages also has a slightly different appearance. The cage is almost completely covered with boards or plywood. The size of the door is minimal. In addition, it is rational to provide a queen cell or other space protected from the cold inside the cell.

In addition to feeders for hay and grain, it is necessary to provide drinking bowls. These can be either ready-made products with a separate container and water supply system, or handicraft inventions according to their own design.

Drinking bowls for rabbits can be made from any plastic container with a stopper.

Drinkers with a nipple are most often used as finished products, when several tubes extend from a container of water at once. At the points of supply to the cage, the tubes are branched using a tee. The end of a tube with a nipple is inserted into the cage; when pressed, the rabbit can freely drink water.

For self-made We recommend using a regular plastic bottle with a nipple screwed into the cap. If the bottle is small, then it is better to secure it inside the cage. If desired, you can also connect a hose to the bottle into which the end with the nipple will be inserted. In this case, the bottle can be taken outside.

Video: building a three-tier cage for rabbits from lumber

Create a two-tier cage

Bunk cages are most often used for keeping rabbits in utility rooms or as summer options. They are easy to manufacture and repair due to lightweight design, much like what we described above.

The sequence of actions when building a two-tier cage is as follows:

As an example, let’s take the drawing of a cell, which we gave as an example in the section “Cell size and drawing.” Recall that this is a design total height 2000 mm. The length of the tier is 1400 mm at standard depth cages of 600 mm.
To assemble the frame frames, you need to prepare 8 long and short blanks. The length of short bars is 600 mm, long bars are 1400 mm. You can immediately prepare the material for the racks. To do this, you need to saw off 4 blanks from a 30x100 mm board, each 200 cm long.
Grain feeders can be attached directly to the side doors of the cage
Then the resulting bars are fastened into frames using self-tapping screws 70 mm long. The resulting frames are mounted on racks made of boards. The lower frame is fixed at a distance of 500 mm from the ground level. The distance between the tiers is 15–30 cm. At a distance of 20 cm from the side posts of the frame, vertical guides made of 50x50 mm bars are fixed.
To make feeders, you need to prepare a blank for the bottom made of plywood measuring 200x600 mm. Each tier requires 2 blanks. Next, the plywood is attached to the bottom of the cage close to the side posts. After this, the side walls are covered.
Plywood is also used to sew the inner wall of the feeder, but the size of the canvas should be 10–15 mm smaller. The gap between the wall and the bottom is necessary for free settling of the grain as it is consumed.
The V-shaped feeder is easy to make and does not take up free space inside the cage
To make the bottom, you can use two approaches. In the first case, the bottom is made of 30x50 mm slats, which are fixed in increments of 3–5 mm. In the second, the bottom is made of plywood and mesh, as described in the technology above.
The V-posts of the hay feeder are mounted in the center of each tier. For this, 8 blanks are prepared, which are then fixed with self-tapping screws at a convenient angle. The walls of the feeder are covered with a mesh with a mesh size of 20x20 mm.
The doors are made from 40×40 mm bars. To do this, you will need to measure the distance between the grain feeders. In our case, it is equal to 100 cm. Next, 4 blanks 100 cm long and 4 blanks 60 cm long are taken. Then two short blanks are placed between the long ones. The resulting frame is fastened using self-tapping screws 70 mm long.
An example of fastening a feeder with grain to a cage door
To hang the door, you will need to secure two hinges on the bottom edge. After this, the door is carefully placed in the opening, and the hinges are screwed to the horizontal guide. A steel latch or bolt is used as a lock.
Galvanized sheets are used to make pallets. For this, a canvas measuring 144×64 mm is prepared. The edges of the sheet are bent to a height of 1.5–2 cm along the perimeter of the canvas. Pallets are placed under each tier. Previously, supports made of bars measuring 50x50 mm are attached to the frame posts.

Finally, the rough roof surface is installed. To do this, the edged board is fixed in increments of 5–7 cm. A galvanized sheet or old slate is laid on top of the board.

How to build a portable cage

Typically, a portable cage is a single-tier structure made of wood. In some cases, the cage can be used as a daytime option only, when the structure does not have a bottom. As an example, we will give the technology for manufacturing a single-tier portable cage with a queen cell. It can be used as stationary option for breeding, and as a mobile cage that can be taken outside as soon as it gets warmer there.

The process of building a mobile cell with a queen cell consists of the following steps:

To make a cage, you will need to prepare 2 blanks 110 cm long and 2 blanks 130 cm long. You can also use smaller sizes. The main thing is that the distance from the ground to the bottom of the cage is at least 50 cm.
The resulting blanks are fastened together using a horizontal guide, the length of which is 60–70 cm. The guide is attached at a distance of 50–60 cm from the ground level.
The frame for the cage can be assembled from either edged boards 3 mm thick, and from bars 50×50 mm
To assemble the side posts into a single frame, you will need to saw off 2 boards 140–160 cm long. Again, any option is possible. The main thing is that each section has at least 60 cm in length.
One of the prepared boards is laid on the horizontal jumper between the posts and fixed with self-tapping screws 50 mm long. The second board is attached to the back of the frame so that its top edge coincides in height with the first board.
The back wall of the assembled frame is hemmed with plywood or edged boards. To make the bottom in the mother sections, it is necessary to prepare plywood blanks measuring 30x60 cm. The sheets are laid close to the vertical side posts and attached to self-tapping screws 30 mm long.
If you plan to insulate the cage, then it is better to cover it from the inside
Next, the side walls of the frame are hemmed. To strengthen the structure, vertical guides with a length equal to the height of the cage along the front wall are prepared. The guides are attached immediately behind the floor of the queen cell.
To line the inner wall of the queen cell, a sheet of plywood is used, in which a hole has been cut using a jigsaw. The canvas is attached to the mother liquor side with self-tapping screws.
A 30x30 mm block of 50 cm in length is attached to the hemmed side wall of the frame. A piece of plywood measuring 30x60 cm is laid on it. Self-tapping screws 30 mm long are used to fasten the plywood.
A spacer made of a 30x100 mm board is mounted in the middle of the cage. Two spacers are also mounted at the top of the cage at a distance of 10 cm from the center. Blanks made of 30x30 mm edged timber are fixed between the spacers. Then the space between the bars is covered with mesh.
The remaining part of the floor in the cage is also covered with galvanized mesh with a cell of 20x20 mm. A 140 cm long board is mounted in the upper part of the frame between the two upper posts. The open front part of the hay feeder is hemmed with a 30x100 mm board.
To make doors in the mother chamber, a sheet of plywood is used, in the upper part of which a small window is sawed. To make doors to the main part of the cage, bars of the appropriate cross-section are used, which are fastened into a frame.
Ready-made version of a portable single-tier cage with two queen cells
The door to the queen cell and the cage is covered with mesh on the inside. After this, two galvanized loops are attached to them. Finally, the doors are fixed to the vertical posts of the frame.
The roof is hemmed using moisture-resistant plywood. The plywood sheet should protrude 10–15 cm beyond the frame. Self-tapping screws 50 mm long are used for fastening.

If necessary, the queen cell in the cage can be made removable. To do this, you will need to make a queen cell frame from 30x30 mm bars of any convenient size. Then the frame is covered with plywood. The resulting box can be placed directly into the cage shortly before birth.

Cage for young animals

Cages for baby rabbits can be either shared or single. The first option is most often used, since it is easier to manufacture. When designing, it should be taken into account that the size of the overall cell directly depends on the intended offspring.

To make a cell, you can use any technology described above. For example, most a good option for a small farm there will be a single-tier structure with two sections.

To make it, you will need to assemble frame frames from edged timber, which are then fixed on vertical posts made of boards. Unlike the frames that are used when assembling cages for adult rabbits, their size is slightly larger. As a rule, the size of one section is at least 120x60 cm. Ideally, the size of the section is 150x100 cm.

When designing cages for young animals, it should be taken into account that there should be at least 0.15 square meter area

The further assembly process is similar to the previously described options: the feeder is installed in the middle of the structure, the floor is hemmed or covered, the side and rear walls are sheathed. After this, the doors are assembled and hung. Finally, a roof made of boards or plywood is installed.

Features of winter keeping rabbits

Rabbits, unlike poultry, can easily tolerate sub-zero temperatures, however, they need to be provided with comfortable conditions to prevent frostbite and the occurrence of colds. At proper insulation the cage does not need to be moved to the utility room even at a temperature of -20 o C.

When insulating thermal insulation material lies between the cell walls

With constant exposure to low temperatures, rabbits' fertility decreases and their reproductive functions deteriorate. To reduce the effects of cold, you will need to fully insulate the cells. For this, modern heat insulators with a thickness of 3 cm or more are used, which are placed in the space between the walls of the cage;
if there is no extra money, then natural materials that can be prepared in the summer are suitable as insulation. These include: moss, foliage of trees and shrubs, pine needles, thin branches. The material collected in sufficient quantities should be thoroughly dried in the shade. A dry heat insulator is placed between the walls of the cage using a similar principle;
Each separate section of the cage must have a compartment fenced off from the main part. It is made according to the box principle, when the frame is sheathed using boards or plywood. To enter the compartment, a cut is used in one of the walls;
to avoid decline reproductive functions Each cage must have a lamp with artificial lighting. This will allow for an increase in daylight hours, which will have a beneficial effect on the fertility and activity of the animal. If necessary, a heating cable is laid into the cage and connected to the back wall or queen cell;
rabbit food winter period should be high in calories with a high content of concentrated and roughage. The main sources of vitamins and minerals are carrots and beets. It is allowed to feed rabbits with boiled potatoes.

The process of making cells is simple and will not cause any particular difficulties even for people who have rarely used a hacksaw or a screwdriver. General principle the assemblies are easy to understand with just a couple of instructions. The main thing is to correctly calculate the size and draw up a drawing of the cell - this will help to avoid most of the mistakes that beginners make.

Live in country house carries mass positive points as clean air, absence of noise and city bustle, availability of places for relaxation and entertainment. It is also important that you can grow garden crops or raise pets on your own plot. This can become a source of environmentally friendly products and help the family budget. If you want to get into animal husbandry, then there is no better option than raising rabbits. At the same time, the decision to raise eared animals alone is not enough. You will need knowledge regarding the maintenance of fluffy beauties and comfortable cells, where they can “gain weight.” Of course, it’s easier to buy a ready-made rabbitry. However, we recommend making the cages yourself, since this gives you the opportunity to choose the design and size of the structure in strict accordance with personal preferences and availability free space to install it.

Purpose and structure of the rabbitry

Today, two main systems for keeping rabbits are used.

In insulated, closed-type rabbitries, this method is relevant for northern regions and mid-latitudes. Adults are kept in individual cages, and rabbits are kept in communal cages, which are installed in a heated building.
In outdoor cages. In this case, adult animals are placed separately from young animals, which are placed in group rabbitries and walking facilities.

Outdoor rabbit houses can be single or multi-person. Most often, the cage is designed to accommodate one adult rabbit or several young animals.

The simplest cage for rabbits

The cage is divided into two parts: a feed compartment with an area of about 0.5 square meters. m and a nesting “room” with an area of at least 0.25 sq. m. Often the feeding space is made common, with living compartments located on both sides of it.

The parts of the rabbitry communicate with each other using a round manhole up to 20 cm high. The aft part is equipped with a feeder, and for convenience it is made of lattice or covered with wire mesh. Access to this part of the cage is provided by a door measuring 40x60 cm.

The frame of the rabbitry is made of durable timber or round posts with a thickness of at least 8 cm, and the cage itself is placed at a height of 70–80 cm from the ground. The wall material can be wooden boards, clay wattle, hardboard, plywood, etc. The roofing material is slate, roofing felt or polycarbonate laid on top of the boards. Tin roofing is used only if the rabbitry is installed in a well-shaded place.

The floor of the cage is made from edged boards, sloping towards the back wall. A gap is left in this place for urine to drain. Great solution is a narrow strip of metal mesh located at the far end of the rabbitry floor.

Common designs and their features

Livestock specialists and amateur rabbit breeders have developed many models of cages for keeping rabbits. The most common designs of rabbit hutches are:

single-section cage;
design with two sections;
rabbitry with queen cell;
three-section (family type);
solid wire;
Mikhailov mini-farm;
Zolotukhin cells.

The most successful and simple design that can be repeated with your own hands can be considered a two-section one.

Two-section cages are very convenient for keeping rabbits

To save space, the cages are installed in several tiers, forming a so-called shed. This design saves material and makes caring for animals easier. It is this system that is used in the designs of rabbit hutches by famous rabbit breeders Mikhailov and Zolotukhin.

A double cage with a queen cell (feed compartment) is used to place the female rabbit during birth. In the form of a queen cell, a removable type nesting box is used - newborn rabbits are kept in it until they reach one month of age. Between the food compartment and the main part of the cage, a hole measuring 20x20 cm is arranged.

At the time of giving birth, the female is placed in the queen cell. It is often done in an ordinary cage, setting up a closed compartment with a hole

All-wire rabbitries are convenient for mass breeding or on farms. Along with the advantages of simplicity and ease of maintenance, such cages also have a significant drawback - they require a separate room for installation.

In a family-type cage you can place two females with young animals or two individuals of different sexes. The compartments between the compartments are made of mesh, slatted or solid wooden partitions.

Single-section cages, although they are the simplest to manufacture, are practically not used in private farmsteads due to the low hygiene and aesthetics of the structures.

Before starting the construction of a rabbitry, they prepare the tools and materials that will be needed for the work, and also take the necessary measurements and draw up drawings of the future structure.

Tools and materials

To make a rabbit hutch you will need the most common carpentry tools

To build a rabbitry from wood and various available materials, you need to stock up on:

wooden beam with a cross-section of at least 60×60 mm;
planed boards 25–30 mm thick;
slats with a cross section of at least 25×40 mm;
plywood, OSB, plexiglass - for walls and partitions;
polycarbonate, tin, slate, soft tiles or roofing felt - for roofing;
mesh with cells no more than 40 mm for walls, doors and floors;
furniture dowels;
nails and screws;
door hinges, latches, carrying handles.

In the process of work you will need ordinary carpentry and plumbing tools:

hammer;
screwdriver or set of screwdrivers;
drill with a set of drills;
hacksaw for wood and metal;
jigsaw;
grinder with a disk for woodworking or an angular circular saw;
chisel;
roulette;
carpenter's square;
bubble level;
metal scissors.

When building a rabbitry, safety requirements should not be neglected. Be sure to wear a protective shield or eye glasses, and when working with cutting tool extreme care and caution must be exercised.

Calculation of optimal cell sizes

When calculating the size of rabbit cages, they are based on the conditions of their keeping, the breed, size of the rabbits, as well as the purpose of the rabbitry (mother cell, structure for single or group housing, structure with walking for young animals, etc.).

During the calculation process, certain standards and recommendations are followed.

The length of the cage for nursing females should be from 170–180 cm in length and at least a meter in depth. The height of the structure is taken to be 60–70 cm. Rabbit houses are installed on pillars or supports dug into the ground at a height of 70–80 cm from the ground.
The rabbitry for large individuals weighing more than 5 kg should be spacious - at least 130 - 150 cm long and 70 cm wide. The height of the front wall is 40–50 cm. The roof is sloping due to a decrease in the height of the rear wall by 10–15 cm.
Young animals are kept in group cages of 8–20 animals at a time. In separate buildings, 3–5 rabbits that are less than three months old are placed, and older animals are kept in the amount of 2 to 4 individuals per cage. For young animals, the height of the cage can be reduced to 35 cm, but living space should not be less than 0.25 sq. m.
Adult rabbits are placed in individual cages minimum sizes 100x60 cm. If conditions permit, these dimensions are increased by 20–30 percent, which is especially important for sexually mature males, since limited mobility in cramped conditions leads to their infertility.
If a two- or three-tier shed is constructed from cages, then its width should not exceed 200 cm and its depth should not exceed 100 cm.

Of course, when calculating a rabbitry that you will make yourself, you can deviate a little from these recommendations. Nevertheless, it is still not worth reducing the size in order to save space or materials - animals should feel spacious and comfortable. At the same time, you will always not be at a loss - the rabbits will gain weight faster and get sick less.

Option drawings

Convenient, durable and inexpensive outdoor rabbit hutches can be made from a wooden frame covered with metal mesh or lined with solid material.

A simple rabbitry with a compartment for hay. A three-section cage for adults. A rabbitry with nesting compartments.
Double-volume closed cage Rabbit hutch with walking area for young animals Four-tier shed

The presented drawings and diagrams of rabbit hutches range in size from 45 to 100 cm in width and up to 2.5 meters in length.

The cell frame is made from wooden beam with a cross section of 50×50 mm or more, and doorway- from slats with a cross-section of at least 25×50 mm. A plywood or plank roof with slate or soft roll covering must protrude beyond the perimeter of the frame by at least 150 mm.

The walls of the cells are made solid or covered with steel mesh. At the same time, mesh, lattice or panel partitions are installed in rabbitries for group housing. For this, 50x50 mm beams covered with mesh, 25x40 mm slats and boards with a thickness of 25 mm or more are used. The lower part of the rear and front walls has a rim made of boards 10 cm wide. The design of the rear and side walls must exclude drafts, therefore, depending on the installation location, these elements can be either solid or lattice.

Having chosen the appropriate drawing and made the necessary calculations, you can begin making the rabbitry.

DIY rabbitry - manufacturing instructions

Let's look at two models of rabbit hutches that are easy to make at home. The first design is a three-section type cage, designed to contain two adult individuals or females with young animals. The second model, which we propose to make, is a more complex two-tier shed - the Zolotukhin rabbitry, famous among rabbit breeders.

A simple three-section cage of an original design (with step-by-step photos)

A rabbitry can be a real decoration of the economic area and a source of pride in the work done

For construction rabbit cage You will need minimal experience with metalworking and carpentry tools. During the work you will need lumber, plywood or OSB, steel mesh, soft roofing and plexiglass. Despite the simplicity of the design, the rabbitry has original form and is able to decorate the economic area of a suburban area. At the same time, the design has natural ventilation, which is undoubtedly beneficial for the health of animals.

Construction of the frame

Placing the cages at a distance from the ground will keep the animals safe and make feeding easier. The height of the installation is such that it is possible to involve not only adults, but also children in caring for the animals.

Drawing of the frame of the rabbitry

A convenient shelf installed on the lower tier will be an excellent storage for hay and feed, which will always be at hand.

The supporting legs of the frame are made of wooden beams with a thickness of at least 60 mm. Their height is 850 mm.

The boards of the upper frame and supporting structure shelves. The elements of the lower trim are mounted at a distance of 372 mm from the ground. The work requires using a level and a carpenter's square to ensure that the cage is level and stable.
Installation of the lower frame
For a cage with an additional compartment, a cut is made in the front trim of the upper frame, after which the cut-off part is attached to its original place using a piano loop. In the future, this folding board will provide convenient access to the inside of the rabbitry.
Installing a piano hinge
In order to secure the upper base and shelf, support rails are screwed onto the inside of the upper and lower frames. Precise adjustment of these elements will give them the opportunity to perform another role - spacer bars for the supporting legs of the cage. This will reduce the wobble of the rabbitry and significantly increase its stability.
Installation of spacer rails
The boards for the base of the cage and the shelf are cut out of boards, thick plywood or OSB. To ensure that these parts fit into place, shaped cuts are made in the corners for the supporting legs of the rabbitry.
Adjustment of base and shelf panels
The shelf and base are mounted in place.

The final stage of frame assembly is the installation of base panels and shelves

How to make the main compartment

Drawing of the main compartment

The assembly of the rabbitry body begins from door frame. It is assembled from slats reinforced with furniture dowels. Cutouts are made in the side jambs so that the door can move vertically.
The elements of the main rabbitry compartment are assembled using dowels
The sliding door body is assembled from slats and covered with mesh. Furniture dowels are installed on the outside of the door, which will serve as guides when opening it. The door is installed in the frame, for which the dowels are inserted into the slots on its side posts.
Door installation
The frame of the nesting compartments is assembled on both sides of the door. Mount the base of the rear and side walls.
They make rafters to make the roof. To do this, the slats are cut at an acute angle and assembled in pairs using self-tapping screws. The rafters are installed, attaching them to the upper cross members of the frame.
Making rafters
Triangles are cut out of OSB or plywood and secured in the openings between the middle compartment and the roof. According to the drawing, they are screwed to the rafters with self-tapping screws.
Attaching the main compartment trim
From sheet material Rectangular roof elements are cut out and then attached to the rafters. At the rear, a folding roof panel is made by cutting out a rectangular section of the roof and installing it on a piano hinge.
Making a panel for lining the rear part of the roof
After assembling the frame, the wood is treated with drying oil and painted. The piano loop located on the roof of the cage is protected with adhesive tape.

Cage lining and external arrangement

All walls are sheathed from the inside with a metal mesh, which is cut with metal scissors and secured with self-tapping screws and a screwdriver.
Covering the side elements of the frame
First, the sides are sheathed, after which the front wall of the rabbitry is installed. For ease of transportation, folding handles are screwed to the side elements of the frame. A latch is attached to fix the folding plate on the front board of the frame and a latch to fix the door.
Gate valve installation
You can increase the aesthetics of the cage with a rabbit figurine, cut according to the presented template from sheet lumber. After painting, it is installed on the front surface of the roof.
Rabbit pattern for cage decoration
The roof of the rabbitry is covered with a soft roof, which is attached to plywood base metal staples using a stapler.
Fastening roofing material using a stapler
To make a ridge, a narrow strip of bitumen shingles is cut off, after which it is glued with a special glue for soft roofing.
The ridge is glued with special glue for soft roofing
To protect rabbits from drafts, use a plexiglass shield cut to fit the side wall. It is attached to the frame frame at the bottom with furniture dowels, and at the top with a latch.
Installation of a protective plexiglass screen
Assemble and install the inner rabbit box and ladder. After painting, these elements are installed inside the rabbitry.
Making an inner box that acts as a nest
The cage is installed in the chosen place and the rabbits are populated.

How to build a Zolotukhin cage with your own hands

The design of the cage, developed by the famous Russian rabbit breeder N.I. Zolotukhin, has become widely known due to its ease of manufacture, low cost and a number of improvements that make caring for animals easier.

The rabbitry designed by N. I. Zolotukhin has received recognition from many amateur rabbit breeders

Design Features

General view of Zolotukhin cells

The Zolotukhin rabbitry is a three-tier shed made of double cages. A special feature of the design is that the floor at the back wall of the house is made of mesh to a width of 20–25 cm and each upper tier is shifted back by exactly the same amount relative to the lower one. Since rabbits relieve themselves primarily at the far edge of the rabbitry, their waste passes freely through the mesh cells and ends up in a pre-installed collection container. This allows cleaning to be done several times less frequently and reduces the maintenance time for each department.

Another option for cages in which, instead of shifting the upper tier, the rear wall of the cage is sloped

Other advantages include the ability to quickly convert an ordinary cage into a queen cell and a specially designed feeder that does not allow animals to transfer food. Feedlot doors provide proper ventilation, so you don’t have to think about installing a forced air intake.

Due to the fact that the roof of the lower tier is the floor for the upper cells, it becomes possible to save roofing material, and the construction of a common frame for six cells allows you to reduce the consumption of lumber.

Dimensions and correct layout of the rabbitry

Zolotukhin cells are undemanding when it comes to material. For their manufacture, scraps of boards and slats left over from repairs, pieces of tin and polycarbonate, slate sheets and metal mesh are suitable.

The design of the Zolotukhin cell is extremely simple

A well-known rabbit breeder says that exact dimensions and drawings are not needed to build a rabbitry. To build a cage, a diagram and approximate dimensions are enough:

To arrange a queen cell, a partition with a hole up to 0.2 m high is installed in the cage.

A 10-centimeter piece of board is nailed to the bottom of the hole to prevent the baby rabbits from falling out of the nest.

Step-by-step manufacturing instructions

Front and rear support posts are cut out of timber with a cross-section of at least 6x6 cm.
Four frames are made from the same timber. Of these, three structures serve as the base of the cages, and one serves as the roof of the rabbitry.
The frames are attached to the support posts, taking into account the height of the cages and the slope of the floor to the rear wall. In order to ensure proper geometric accuracy, when assembling the frame, use a building level and a carpenter's square.
When assembling the frame, you can use metal corners, which will ensure the strength of the connections
Vertical struts are installed, which divide each tier into nesting and feeding compartments. These same elements will later serve as door frames.
Bottom frame trim
Install the floor of each tier from flat slate or boards connected into a groove or quarter. In this case, a 20–25 cm gap is left at the far wall.
Install a strip of metal mesh on the remaining part of the floor of each tier.
Installation of a mesh floor section at the rear wall of the rabbitry
Door frames are made from slats with a minimum cross-section of 25×40 mm. They are covered with metal mesh.
The doors are installed on hinges and bolts are installed.
The rabbitry is sheathed with panels cut from polycarbonate, plywood or OSB, as well as steel mesh.
The cage lining can be made of any material, for example polycarbonate.
Cover the cage with the chosen roofing material. Under soft coverings ( bitumen shingles, roofing felt) they arrange a continuous plank sheathing.

Of particular note is the original design of the feeder. It is assembled from wooden slats in the form of a tray the size of two-thirds of the aft compartment. The outer frame of the feeder should be twice as high as the inner one, and the bottom should have a slope of at least 35º. With this design, the side walls are sewn up with plywood triangles with their vertices down. The feeder is installed directly into the door, bending the mesh inside the rabbitry. The tray is secured as follows: on each side, drill through the door frame and the upper part of the side wall of the feeder through hole, into which a metal rod is installed (you can use a long nail). The design allows you to rotate the feeder for cleaning without opening the rabbitry door.

An excellent drinking bowl can be made from an ordinary plastic bottle

You can buy drinking bowls for rabbits or make them yourself. A very popular design is a plastic bottle screwed upside down to a mesh and a low water container. Thanks to rarefaction, the liquid flows out of the bottle gradually as it is consumed or evaporates in the summer.

Tips from an experienced rabbit breeder for creating quality houses (video)

As you can see, there are no pitfalls in the design of rabbit hutches, so even the most complex cage can easily be made with your own hands. When starting production, you should remember that the rabbitry may not be ideal from the point of view of aesthetics and geometry, but it simply must be safe for animals. Therefore, while working, carefully treat wooden surfaces, bend the protruding ends of the mesh rods, and remove the protruding parts of nails and screws. In the process of breeding rabbits, carefully follow all the requirements for keeping and breeding, and they will definitely repay you with a good appetite, excellent health and rapid weight gain.

Raising rabbits is a profitable activity that does not require much time. Animals do not require special care or specific living conditions. Therefore, you can have several fluffies in a private household. Beginning farmers often have a desire to breed these animals, but the first thing they have to face is how to make cages for rabbits according to drawings with dimensions.

Choosing a location for cells

When installing cages for rabbits, you need to pay attention to certain conditions in which the animals may be. First you need to choose the right place where the cells will stand.. They can be placed:

on the street;
indoors.

Of course, devices can be placed outdoors only in regions with a more or less warm climate. In severe frosts, rabbits can simply freeze. If the air temperature all year round optimal, then the following must be taken into account:

It's important to consider the details. They are useful both for keeping rabbits outdoors and indoors:

Keeping rabbits indoors

If the site is located in cold regions of the country, this implies mandatory presence indoors for placing houses. A shed may be suitable for this. Need to create the right conditions for a comfortable stay for furry ones:

Having built a high-quality and comfortable cage for animals, the owner does only a small part of the work. The most important element is feeding, keeping and breeding rabbits in conditions that are comfortable for them. Will need to feed them the right food in dry condition. Wet or steamed food can adversely affect the health of rabbits and lead to death of the animals.

Building a cage with your own hands

Many people are interested in how to make a rabbitry with their own hands. There are different schemes in the pictures (one- and two-tier, large or small, queen cells, homemade, industrial, wooden and metal, Italian, wandering, homemade, etc.), just as there are many approaches, for example, the method of Mikhailov, Zolotukhin , Maklyaka. Simple design can be done for little money, but, unfortunately, not for free.

Before you start working, you will need, in addition to the diagram, to select the right material for the work.

Necessary materials

To create such structures, it is advisable to use natural materials to simulate conditions similar to natural ones. Therefore, wooden blocks that are treated with environmentally friendly antiseptics should be used as the basis for the structure. To build cells you will need the following materials:

The interior walls are made of plywood, as it is moisture-resistant and very strong. Chipboard is not suitable for such purposes, since it strongly absorbs moisture and collapses over time due to swelling.

What types of houses are there for rabbits?

All good cells have common characteristics, but they can still be divided into several types, each of which has its own individual differences. The first important factor is what breeds and individuals will live in such structures. Each farm should have several types of cages. Depending on how much space there is in height in the barn, structures are divided into the following:

single-tier;
two-tier;
three or more tiers.

At a certain age, rabbits must be housed. Types of cells can be divided into the following types:

cages for young animals;
designs for adults.

Nest cages are made for pregnant rabbits and recently born rabbits. They are also called queen cells because they have a box, tank or booth inside that imitates a burrow in natural conditions. In it, the expectant mother makes a nest for her children. There they spend the first two months of their lives.

The size of the cells may also depend on what breed you want to breed:

dwarf rabbits;
ordinary;
large (accelerators).

It also matters for what purpose the animals are bred. They can be both for the soul and for sale.

Cell designs can be different, and their parameters can vary significantly. But, on the other hand, you can make a cell using general rules, and then complete the necessary details.

Manufacturing stages

Lovers of a country lifestyle are often interested in the question of how to build a rabbitry with their own hands. There are many drawings on the Internet, so there are plenty of options. The most common way to build a typical structure is to have two sections. In one part there will be adult livestock, and in the other there will be a queen cell.

If there is no female with cubs on the farm yet, you can put additional houses in the nesting compartment and put adult rabbits there so that they can hide there if they feel unwell. For owners who do not know how to build a rabbit cage with their own hands, step-by-step instructions are given below. Cell production occurs in stages:

Cells according to the Mikhailov method

Making a rabbit house using the Mikhailov method involves creating a multi-tiered mini-farm. In other words, this is a kind of shed consisting of mini-farms. Each of them has a separate cage for the queen cell (for two female rabbits), and on the other side there is a separate structure for the fattening period of the young animals, which are disconnected from the mother’s nest. After four months, you can get real giants weighing 8-12 kg using this method. Rabbit breeding using this method is quite a profitable business.

It is a little more difficult to make a cage for a female rabbit with a queen cell using Mikhailov’s method than a structure for fattening rabbits.

Thus, this method is rightfully considered the best in all respects for production breeding purposes.