Making cages for rabbits at home. How to build comfortable cages for rabbits. What types of houses are there for rabbits?

This article is addressed to beginning rabbit breeders. I collected 7 detailed instructions how to make rabbit cages with your own hands. You can breed both ordinary and decorative ones - the first for meat and skin, the second for mood.

Cages are most often made of plywood or chipboard, from which the walls and roof are made. The frame is made of boards or timber, which also serve as “legs” or supports. If the cages are located in the open air, then a roof is made of roofing material, for example, from a metal profile.

Video - building a cage for rabbits step by step

The first guide I want to put is this video material, which shows the stages of building a three-tier cage for rabbits in an accessible, understandable and without unnecessary movements and words. The design is comfortable and practical. The waste is discharged through inclined trays and the cages are always dry.

Rabbit cage drawing and general information

Knowing the required space for the life of one rabbit, you can calculate the future volume of the cage or enclosure. It should also be taken into account that for better development The rabbit also needs space to move.

The figure shows general information about rabbits, their average height, length, minimal space for their living and walking area. The minimum width of the cage is the size of the rabbit when stretched, the minimum length of the cage is 3-4 rabbit jumps, the minimum height is so that the rabbit can stand on its hind legs and not touch the ceiling.

First, I will show you a drawing of a simple cage for rabbits on small family. This cage can be made in order to raise several animals for food by the fall.

Another interesting drawing of a rabbit cage with a walking area right on the ground. This structure is mobile and can be moved around the site so that rabbits always have access to greenery.

There is information for summer residents on how to build a cage for keeping domestic rabbits in just half a day. The cages are built from three to four layers of plywood and galvanized mesh.

The design of a cage with bunker feeders and nurseries for roughage is well described. The floor in the cage is made of mesh, the roof is made of plywood. On this site you can see detailed photographs, as well as find out the optimal dimensions of the structure.

Schemes and drawings of cages for rabbits

Here are sketches of different options for “houses” for rabbits: cages, barrels and cages themselves. A diagram of a cage for 2 adult rabbits is shown. The drawing of a simple cage for young animals shows the dimensions that will be useful to you when making it yourself.

Video - cages for rabbits Zolotukhin

You can watch a video with the participation of Nikolai Ivanovich Zolotukhin. He talks about the design of his redesigned rabbit hutches. In these cages the floor is made of flat slate, and the mesh (5 cm wide) is fixed only at the rear edge of the cage.

This allows you to make multi-story cages and makes cleaning easier. Very useful experience! The master also talks about some important elements cages, for example, about an overturning feeder, which is convenient to fill and clean.

Mikhailov mini-farm - drawing

You can see Mikhailov’s legendary mini-farm here:

In such mini-farms, professional breeders breed rabbits. You will see in the photo a detailed analysis of the mini-farm design. Drawings of cages for rabbits with dimensions are given.

Such cages are equipped with automatic drinking bowls and feeders for animals, which allows them to be fed without rationing. And as a result, such mini-farms are simply created for the reproduction of animals. And this will increase the profits of farmers using Mikhailov’s mini-farms!

This “apartment” house for rabbits from the portal “Ya-Fermer.ru”

made according to the drawings of Mikhailov’s mini-farm. The master writes about the advantages and disadvantages of these cells. He gained this experience after using and caring for rabbits in these cages for one winter.

You will see unique photos author. Next, the author provides photos of the phased development own project cages for rabbits. You can watch a video of making a drinking bowl, feeder and manger for roughage. Very interesting unique material!

If you are a non-professional rabbit breeder and are just starting to breed rabbits, then this article is for you. Here is another author's model of a simple one-story rabbit cage with a drawing. This is more of a one-story residential complex for furry animals. The floor in the cage can be made of mesh or slats.

Video on making a cage using this drawing

Discussion of a rabbitry with queen cells made of clapboard

the master posted a photo of a rabbitry with queen cells for 6 females. Very beautiful street cages from the lining! Forum participants criticized the master. An interesting argument even arose between them.

We encourage you to read the criticisms and take them into account when building cages for your rabbits! Moreover, the author put the rabbitry up for public discussion, which means he wanted to ask experts what needs to be corrected. Consider the advice of experienced rabbit breeders!

Rabbits are quite unpretentious in care. They are universal in matters of nutrition and do not require special conditions content. But, before you start breeding such animals, you should remember that the animals reproduce extremely quickly. Therefore, the ability to make cages for rabbits with your own hands will be very useful for the owner of a rabbit farm.

Types of cages for rabbits

On the Internet you can find a large number of options on how to build a cage for rabbits yourself. But, before using one of them, you should remember that such designs involve division into several types. A standard rabbit farm should be equipped with at least three of them:

rabbitries for individual housing of males;
separate enclosures with a uterine compartment for a rabbit and newborn babies;
common spacious houses for keeping young animals until they reach puberty.

Such structures are also divided among themselves based on the design solutions used. So, if there is space, they will be equipped with an attached walking area. If there is no free space, the cells are made two-tiered. The different options also differ in the design of the roof, floor, and materials used.

For males

When making cages for males with your own hands, you should take into account that as the heat approaches, they become quite aggressive. During this period, when the rabbits are kept together, fights often occur for territory and food. Therefore, to suppress aggressive manifestations, adult individuals are placed in individual cages. This measure will also allow better control of the process of reproduction of living creatures.

But when building an individual enclosure, you need to make sure that it is spacious enough. The animal needs constant activity to maintain its shape. If there is no room for it, the rabbit will become fat, which will affect the functioning of the genitals and reproductive function generally. The sizes of cages for rabbits in this category suggest the following values:

length – approximately 120 cm;
width – varies between 70–75 cm;
height – about 60 cm.

When calculating sizes for large breed rabbits, all values are doubled.

For a female rabbit with offspring

A female rabbit with young animals has completely different physiological needs. Therefore, the house for her requires a different design. It includes two sections:

Uterine compartment. Here the female gives birth to babies, warms them and feeds them. The mother liquor is made from solid material, then covering all the cracks and holes with insulation. A thick layer of litter is placed on the bottom. Minimum dimensions The queen cell is 40x40 cm. If necessary, this compartment can be supplemented with a separate door.
Aft compartment. Suitable for installing a drinking bowl and containers under the feeder. It is also made spacious so that the rabbit can move around to her heart's content. The aft compartment can be supplemented with mesh walls.

The compartments are connected to each other by a small passage. It is placed at least 10 cm above the floor surface. This moment is a precaution against newborn babies falling out into the cold feed compartment.

For young animals

Grown-up rabbits are moved to a house for group housing. In this case, making a rabbit cage with your own hands is also easy. The main thing is to accurately calculate its dimensions.

length – 250–300 cm;
width – 100–120 cm;
height – 30–45 cm.

If necessary, the group housing method is also implemented in the cage options listed above. But the number of animals in this case is calculated taking into account its area.

Two-tier structures

The solution to the shortage free space On the rabbit farm there is a two-tier house for rabbits. This design practically consists of two ordinary cells installed one on top of the other. However, it differs in certain features, including:

The presence of a common V-shaped canopy dividing each floor into compartments.
The presence of a pallet between the floor of the second tier and the ceiling of the first. To place it, the cells are connected with a small gap, and not end-to-end.
Placement of special containers under the floor for feces.
Each tier is supposed to have two compartments.

Make a two-story cage for rabbits with your own hands in accordance with step-by-step instructions:

Four identical rectangles are made from iron corners or thick timber.
The first rectangle is sheathed with a fine-grain mesh and placed on legs whose height is at least 30 cm. Long wooden blocks are used for this purpose.
Next, two frames are installed on the bars with a distance of 50 cm from each other. One of them serves as a roof for the first tier, so it is covered with wooden boards.
At a height of 10 cm from the second rectangle, a third one is mounted. It is also covered with mesh.
The last rectangle is again attached on top of the floor in increments of 50 cm. It is covered with a board. If the rabbitry is planned to be placed outside, an additional layer of roofing material is laid on top.
The side walls are covered with boards, plywood or mesh.
For the left niche between the first and second floors, a box is made and installed to collect rabbit manure.
A suitable size container for feces is selected under the bottom of the first tier and also placed under the finished structure.

The size of the enclosure can vary significantly. But the minimum length is 2.4 m. The width is at least 1.5 m. The height of the structure ranges from 1.8 to 2.2 m.

In general, a standard cage of this type can accommodate 4 animals. If necessary, a third floor is installed above the second floor, which significantly expands the capacity of the structure.

Walking

If the owner of rabbits has enough space on the site, it is recommended to make cages with walking. In this plan, two combined departments are also being assembled. The front is the standard option mentioned above. The only difference is a special passage made in the back wall and connecting the first section with a large closed enclosure.

This design is advantageous from the point of view that the animal has more space for activity. In addition, he receives Fresh air and sunlight. All this helps to increase the productivity of the rodent and improve the quality of its coat.

The paddock is made approximately as follows:

They make a hole in the back blank wall of the main compartment.
Behind the main house, two more bars are dug in at the required distance.
Using slats, they construct the frame of the enclosure, connecting them with new dug-in bars and the rear supports of the main compartment.
A mesh is installed on the slats.

It is worth noting that if the enclosure is used only in the warm season, the legs do not need to be made. It will be installed on the ground. This option is also good because fresh vegetation appears through the floor cells, which the living creatures eat with pleasure.

Rabbit cage with walk

The minimum dimensions for a rabbitry with a walking enclosure are 200x100x60 cm. They can be increased upon request. The main thing is that there is enough space inside for active walks of animals.

Location of rabbit cages

In addition to how to make a rabbit hutch, you should also consider where to install it. There are also several recommendations in this regard.

The specific location of rabbit houses is chosen taking into account weather terrain. If the climate is warm and does not expect severe frosts in winter, enclosures are installed outside. Moreover, this type of livestock maintenance is carried out year-round.

If the winters are cold, then only in the summer the enclosures are located outside. With the onset of cold weather, they are transferred to a warm barn.

Each option also includes a number of features. For outdoor placement:

the cages are installed with a dense back wall in the direction from which the wind most often blows in the region;
when installing, choose places where there are no drafts;
install houses on a certain hill where moisture does not accumulate after heavy rainfall;
the roof is mounted so that water does not get inside the cells during rain;
When placing houses in two rows, they are placed with their front parts facing each other at such a distance that a person can freely pass between them.

When moving rabbits indoors, you should adhere to the following rules:

Natural lighting in the barn is not enough, so it must be supplemented with electric lamps evenly installed throughout the ceiling;
artificial lighting in the room should be maintained for about 8-10 hours a day;
windows and other openings in the walls should be located above the installed cages to avoid drafts;
If the temperature in the barn drops very low in winter, you should consider using wood, electric or gas heating.

Important! Also, when located inside a barn, rabbit hutches are still installed on supports. This will reduce the amount of dust getting inside.

Materials and tools

Before you begin choosing a suitable material, you should develop a detailed drawing of such a project. Already-designed drawings of cages for rabbits are freely available on the Internet. Ready plan will allow you to accurately calculate the required volumes of material and not miss significant nuances in the assembly of the structure.

When preparing suitable materials, you should also take into account the fact that rabbits are rodents by nature. They easily damage the components of a fragile structure. Therefore, excessive savings here can lead to the fact that within a month or two the enclosure will have to be repaired or completely changed.

wooden products: long beams, slats, boards;
plywood;
slate slabs;
fine-grained mesh;
nails, screws or staples to secure all elements.

There are also a number important points, which will significantly increase the service life of the structure and will be useful for living creatures:

Many breeders make roofs from metal sheets. This approach is fundamentally wrong. IN summer heat the iron gets very hot, and excessive heat worsens the rabbits’ well-being. It is better to take slate, tiles or ordinary boards covered with roofing felt.
All wooden elements inside the enclosure should be sheathed with tin. Otherwise, the rabbit will sharpen its teeth on them and quickly render them unusable.
The mesh for the rabbitry is taken with hole sizes of 25x25 mm. Such material will be convenient for the rodent to move, but will not allow it to escape.
Additionally, it is recommended to lay a sheet of plywood on the floor. This coating will prevent health problems for your rodent's paws. In addition, after a certain time it is enough to simply remove it, wash it thoroughly, dry it and can be reused.

It is also not recommended to use it as a frame base. metal corners and cross members. In winter, they can freeze, which will reduce the temperature inside the rabbitry. But the advantage of such elements is their strength.

Based on the selected materials, it is selected necessary tool. The minimum set in this regard includes:

hacksaw;
construction tape;
hammer;
metal scissors;
sandpaper;
screwdriver;
plane;
pliers.

Using metal elements You may also need a drill and welding machine.

DIY making

The specific algorithm for making a cage for rabbits is based on the drawings used by the owner. As an example, let’s look at the simplest version of a rabbitry, which requires:

10 wooden blocks with a thickness of at least 30 mm;
2 large sheets of plywood;
3m metal mesh;
self-tapping screws

The assembly of the structure takes place in the following stages:

From the bars we assemble a rectangle with dimensions of 3x0.7 m. Upon completion of the assembly, we fix it to the vertical bars, which will also act as legs. Moreover, the height of the rear vertical bars is 1 m. We leave the front ones a little longer (1.2 m).
We allocate part of the cage on both sides for the queen cells and lay out their floor completely with a board. Cover the remaining area of the base with the prepared mesh.
We mount the back wall from boards using self-tapping screws.
At the required distance from the walls, we fix the vertical bars that limit the uterine compartment. We install a plywood wall with a hole made across the base across them. We mount the queen cell cover on top.
We place a hay feeder in the center of the rabbitry. We make it from two frames connected in the shape of the letter “V”. We install steel wire vertically on the frames with wide spacing.
Next to the hay feeder we install a standard feeder and drinker that is suitable in size and design. We fix them permanently.
We line the sides of the cage with plywood.
At the front we make frames for future doors. We make them from boards, cover them with mesh and fix them on hinges.
We install the roof on top. The ideal material for it is slate. The roof is mounted on a slope with a tight fit to the vertical bars. At the same time, it protrudes 10 cm beyond the side and rear walls, and 5 cm beyond the front wall. In the center we make a hole for laying hay and feed. We close it with a door made separately.

Attention! At the end of the work, use pliers to bend all protruding parts of the mesh, sandpaper sand protruding wooden elements and sharp corners.

A carefully designed and manufactured rabbit cage will provide the animal with comfortable living conditions and help maintain its health. In addition, the thoughtful design greatly simplifies the process of cleaning up after rodents. But before making it, you should carefully study the main points of such work.

If desired, minimum costs If you have the time and effort to build a cage for rabbits, you can do it yourself. It is enough to choose the most suitable design, purchase materials, develop a diagram, or take a ready-made one from the Internet.

Do-it-yourself production of rabbit hutches is a profitable alternative to the expensive services of craftsmen, since the basis of the design can be improvised materials.

The first thing you should pay attention to when making nurseries is the design. The parameters and quality of the final construction will depend on the chosen design.

There are several types of rabbit hutches:

single-tier;
two-tier;
three-tier;
multi-tiered;
monolithic;
portable;
shads;
nurseries in Zolotukhin, Tsvetkov, Rabbitax.

Nurseries differ in materials (wood, plywood, metal profiles) and the breed of pets. In the latter case, rabbitries are allocated for female rabbits and rabbits, for decorative breeds, dwarfs, etc.

Nurseries are designed for warm and cold seasons; for this purpose, special seals are installed in them, and the buildings are closed from precipitation.

How to make cages for rabbits with your own hands?

For rabbit breeding, it is enough to have a durable cage with insulation at home.

When building nurseries, the following rules and recommendations must be taken into account:

Place animals of the same species, gender, weight and characteristic habits in one cage.
Place individuals with offspring in buildings with two compartments and tiers.
Standard parameters for nurseries: length about 80-120 cm, height about 50 cm, width about 70-80 cm.
It is better to keep young animals together with everyone else in a group compartment.
The number of rabbits in one cage is calculated based on its size.

Location

It is worth deciding on the location of the rabbitry before moving on to the construction stage, since it is then difficult to move it. The place should be protected from drafts, wind, and sun.

It is especially important to choose the right place for construction if it will be located outdoors.

Important! If the nursery is located outside around the clock, it is important to take care of roofing materials. It is best to exclude the use of metal for the roof; it is worth taking denser and heat-resistant materials. Wood or slate will do.

In this case, it is better to make a wooden floor with a retractable tray, which is covered with grating on top. The front and rear walls of the rabbitry are insulated with foam plastic, and a heated floor is installed for the winter.

What materials are most often used to make cells?

Rabbit farms are divided into types according to the material used for production.

At independent production at home they use improvised materials:

wood;
slate;
corrugated sheeting;
brick;
metal profile.

Additionally, insulation, plaster, and sanding will be required. Often a rabbitry consists of a wooden frame and a solid wire mesh, which serves as a door and is equipped with latches and curtains.

Stages of creating a cage for rabbits

The construction of a two-section rabbitry takes place in the following stages:

Frame assembly.
Wall upholstery with plywood sheets.
Laying the floor.
Mounting walls between zones.
Installation of doors, queen cell.
Installation of a nursery.

Final stage – installation of feeders and drinkers, covering the floor with branches for the convenience of pets.

Cage frame

For homemade The frame often uses a solid wooden beam, which is sheathed on top with wood, oriented strand board or slate.

The frame is assembled according to a pre-prepared scheme; it is recommended to pre-treat the timber with an antiseptic. Self-tapping screws are used to secure the beams different sizes(from 25 to 75 mm).

Note! Since rabbits are rodents, they like to chew on wood and can wear down the interior, so it is recommended to line the cage with metal or slate.

After assembly, the top frame can be painted with a special primer paint. If the cage is located outside all year round, it is recommended to install it on wooden beams-legs. The optimal length of the frame legs varies from 80 to 100 cm. For a nursery located indoors, legs 30-40 cm long will be sufficient.

Roof installation

Depending on the chosen design, various materials are used for the manufacture and installation of the roof. roofing materials. Often, the roof for rabbit hutches is made from layers of slate.

Installation of slate sheets involves creating a certain angle of inclination. Since the frame is usually made of wooden beams, it is important to mount the roof in such a way that its edges do not extend beyond the frame by more than 5 cm. This way, the frame of the cage structure will be reliably protected from precipitation and rotting.

Slate leaves are attached to each other using nails with wide heads or self-tapping screws. Some designs of internal cages provide for the installation of a roof in the form of a simple galvanized mesh.

Queen cell arrangement

Represents special building for the female rabbit, necessary to ensure maximum offspring. This is a special design that separates the common nest from the environment where the rabbits will be.

For use plywood sheets, boards, slats, hinges and insulating material, which most often is ordinary sawdust.

The process of installing a queen cell does not require much effort and skill. The frame itself is made according to ready-made diagram, use slats for edging, knock together a blank, insulate it and stuff a layer of plywood on top. It is important to ensure that there are no gaps during manufacturing. Finished walls the frame is fastened with self-tapping screws.

Feeder device

Feeders for long-eared pets can be purchased at finished form or manufacture with my own hands. Drawings can be found on the Internet or prepared yourself.

Highlight different kinds feeders depending on materials, shapes and designs:

ceramic bowls;
nursery feeders;
gutters;
bunkers;
cup-shaped feeders.

To make a feeder with your own hands, you use tin, wood, metal profiles, plastic, slate and plexiglass. The choice of material depends on the type of cell and its location (inside or outside).

You can also make a feeder from scrap materials (for example, from tin can). The feeder is installed inside the nest. At hand made It is important to ensure that the feeder does not have sharp corners, edges or jagged edges.

Types of cages for rabbits, drawings, dimensions, description

There are different types of cages based on parameters such as the breed of rabbits, living conditions, and size. Based on general parameters, external and stationary types of cells are distinguished.

The most extensive classification is the division of cells according to the breeds of inhabitants:

General/group– represent a large nest designed for different numbers of rabbits (from 10 or more), the size varies from 60 to 120 cm. The design includes several sections for pets of the same weight, age, and temperament.
Individual– a house for one adult pet is suitable for demanding and pugnacious males who need personal space.
Queen cells– houses for female rabbits with their babies. Usually they are installed inside a group nest in the form of a box, they are closed space with one opening.
Sheds– a compact design with two tiers and sides, the cages are adjacent to each other with their back walls, this design comes in different sizes, it is used for young and adult pets.
Individual designs by Mikhailov, Zolotukhin, Tsvetkov – The designs, developed on an individual basis according to the personal drawings of the creators, are distinguished by ergonomics, simplicity and compactness.

Cells from Zolotukhin: features and advantages

The famous rabbit breeder Nikolai Zolotukhin has developed his own cage design for long-eared pets, which is easy to manufacture and provides maximum protection for animals from external negative factors.

Typically, such a cage involves the construction of two floors and accommodates 3-6 adult pets.

The distinctive advantage of the rabbitry is its security, the inclination of the feeder, and the practicality of cleaning.

Its standard sizes:

width – 2 m;
height – 1.5-2 m;
depth – 60-80 cm;
back mesh – 15-20 cm;
door – 40x40 cm.

The cage design according to Tsvetkov involves a two-tier mini-farm with 4 cells. Such a cage is equipped with hanging feeders and drinkers, in which the water is automatically heated, and mounted queen cells.

Among the design features of A. A. Tsvetkov are:

two-tier device, 2 compartments per tier;
the cage is designed for outdoor living;
the presence of bunker feeders and automatic drinkers;
availability of ventilation and purification systems.

Sawdust, polystyrene foam, peat or tree bark are used as cell insulation. Roofing material or slate is used for roofing. The frame of this design is made of solid wooden beams, painted with white paint, insulated and protected with sheets of plywood.

- the simplest and most affordable option, made from metal mesh. Such a cage differs significantly from a wooden one in terms of practicality and cost-effectiveness.

It does not require regular maintenance and repair, is highly durable, and prevents damage to the material by pets. To manufacture the structure, solid metal wire with a diameter of 1.5-1.8 mm and a cell size of 12x50 mm is used.

Important! In a metal cage, the common nest must be separated from the feeder section by a partition covered thin layer metal

This design is arranged rectangular or square and eliminates the possibility of sagging of the material.

A cage made of metal mesh is suitable exclusively for indoor use, because winter period the metal cools down and heats up in the summer, which negatively affects the condition of pets.

Cell small size excludes the arrangement of a queen cell, which makes it suitable only for breeding males. The compact design is spacious and consists of 2 tiers that can accommodate up to 8 adult residents.

The compact cage does not take up much space, but is open, so it is only suitable for arranging in summer period or indoors.

In compact type cages, it is impossible to put hay without lifting it onto a ladder. This cage requires frequent cleaning due to open design and rapid accumulation of waste in the lower tiers.

The simplest design

For the manufacture of simplest design not required additional materials and special tools. It consists of 2-3 tiers and can accommodate up to 8-9 pets.

However, this design has more disadvantages than advantages. It does not have the ability to install a nipple drinker, there is no section for hay, it requires regular cleaning and the installation of an internal feeder.

Do-it-yourself two- or three-tier cage for rabbits: step-by-step instructions with photo examples

A two-tier cage is the most common and simplest design.

A two- or three-tier cage is installed as follows:

Make a frame structure from bars 70 cm high and 120-150 cm long.
Insulate the finished frame with plywood sheets.
Referring to the drawing of the cage, leave space inside for arranging a common nest and.
Install the nest and queen cell.
Install partitions between the nest and feeding area.
Install a slate roof and install hinges for easy access.
Mount wooden door in the nesting compartment.
Install a metal mesh door in the aft compartment.
Lay the floor from wooden slats, cover the top with a fine metal mesh.
Place the bottom tray under the cage.
Place insulating materials (hay, sawdust, polystyrene foam).
Install a feeder and drinkers.

Features and advantages of the design

Two- and three-tier cage designs are considered the most convenient and profitable for breeding pets. The cell is designed with maximum comfort for animals, there are feeders inside for feed, hay and fruits.

The design does not require regular cleaning and allows you to keep the compartments clean when keeping up to 25 adult pets. There is a separate compartment at the bottom for the mother and baby rabbits.

High quality, reliable and comfortable cells for rabbits it will not be difficult to make one yourself at home. If you have the necessary materials, you can build a practical mini-farm that will serve as a home for your pets for many years.

In order for the cage to perform its functions and bring maximum benefit, it is recommended to choose the type and design of the rabbitry, taking into account the breed, age and weight of the individuals. Comfortable living conditions will help raise healthy, strong and active animals without diseases or behavioral defects.

For successful keeping and breeding of rabbits, it is very important to choose the right cage for them, because the well-being of the animals and their ability to reproduce directly depend on its structure and type of material. Good, warm and comfortable housing is the key to good health for your pet and good set weight. There are two options - buy a ready-made cage in a specialized store or make it yourself. It would seem that the first option is easier and simpler, but it is preferable to do it yourself, taking into account all the necessary dimensions, depending on the expected number of individuals and the breed of pets. Having decided to breed rabbits, it is important to decide on the place where their cage will be located.

First of all, you need to take care to protect your pets from cold wind and sun rays in summer. Ideally, it is better to make the roof removable, this will facilitate the process of disinfecting the cage. So, how to make cages for rabbits with your own hands: all dimensions and drawings are presented below.

Types of cages for keeping rabbits

The main types of cages, mainly used by rabbit breeders in practice, are presented in the list below:

a cage with an enclosure for walking a rabbit;
standard cells with and without queen cell;
a cell built according to the method of I. N. Mikhailov;
cell according to the method of N.I. Zolotukhin.

Each cell has a standard base - walls, floor, ceiling and frame, door. Let's take a closer look at cell types.

An example of a drawing of a two-section cage for rabbits can be seen in the photo below.

Regular cell (with or without queen cell)

A standard cage, usually on high legs, with a mesh floor and tray, with two compartments separated by a partition with the ability to move from compartment to compartment. They provide a nest for the female rabbit and a place for feeding. The entrance to the cage is closed with doors. The high legs of the structure allow maximum protection of animals from moisture and drafts; they are usually made about half a meter. The mesh floor will allow the waste products of the rabbits not to linger in the cage; with the help of a tray, everything can be easily removed and the animals will be clean. Such cells can be found very often, they require minimal costs and small quantity materials. Often designs with a mesh floor are used when breeding, since the paws of this breed of animal are resistant to damage.

Cage with aviary for walking rabbits

It is a regular cell (discussed above) made of wooden frame, often on legs, an enclosure for walking is attached to such a cage.
Considering the mobility of pets and their love for an active lifestyle, having a place to walk has an extremely positive effect on the health of rabbits and increases their reproductive qualities. During the summer months, it allows the animals to enjoy fresh grass and soak up the morning sun. It is necessary to take into account all the details so that pets cannot escape from the enclosure and cats or mice do not get into them.

Do-it-yourself cages for rabbits: drawings according to Zolotukhin

The main difference between such a cage and other designs is the following: it does not contain a queen cell for the rabbit. It is assumed that the best option it will be if she chooses for herself appropriate place. The feeder and sippy cup are located above the front door. These cages do not have a tray or a mesh floor; instead, only the back side of the structure is covered with mesh.

A small metal mesh is used. Analyzing the behavior of rabbits, you can notice that they relieve themselves at the back of their homes. These cages are built using slate or planks. To make the frame and partitions, boards up to two centimeters thick are used. The floor and roof are made of slate; if this is not available, it is made of the same boards as the cage frame. Wooden surfaces upholstered with thin sheet metal.

Let's look at the construction of such a cell step by step:

The first floor of the structure should be located at a distance of fifty centimeters from the ground to protect rabbits from moisture and cold. The cage frame itself is made using four two-meter beams; the finished width of the frame should be two meters, and the depth should be eighty centimeters. Thus, three floors are built.

The floor of each floor must be inclined at a slope of five centimeters towards the back of the cage to allow animal feces to drain off. Each floor is divided into two halves by wooden slats, the distance between them should be about thirty centimeters; in the future there will be a hay barn. The walls of the structure are made of wooden planks. Each floor is half covered with boards or slate, the resulting gap is closed with a fine mesh.
The back wall must be made of moisture-resistant material, polycarbonate is good, it can withstand quite high humidity, and does not deteriorate or rot. The grid of the upper floor ends and a polycarbonate sheet is attached to it at an angle.
It is convenient to make caged doors that are common to all floors; metal hooks are attached to the doors.
Additionally, each floor can be equipped with side doors for fattening; bolts must be attached to each door.

Considering that rabbits love to chew everything and do it well, for protection everyone internal corner upholstered in metal.

The roof of the cage is made in such a way that it protrudes forward from the common part of the frame by at least five centimeters on all sides, in order to prevent rainwater from entering the room with the pets.

Cages for rabbits using the Mikhailov method

Rabbit cages using the Mikhailov method are the most complex and expensive, but at the same time the most convenient to use. They provide for a unified system of rabbit waste, heating of the queen cell with baby rabbits and a female rabbit, separate shelves for animals and a ventilation system. Their main feature is their sectionality - they include from two to four separate sections with a single compartment for collecting rabbit waste.

The first cages of this type were designed for two adult animals, improved designs are designed for several teenage rabbits or two rabbits expecting offspring. There are two-tier and single-tier cages. The construction of a cage of this type is tied to the cardinal directions; for protection from cold winds, the back wall is made blank and placed to the north. Apart from the back, the other three are made of mesh material. The mechanism for heating the queen cell must be turned on, and ventilation of the premises is provided.

The floors of the cage using the Mikhailov method are made of slats laid diagonally. To simplify the design, such cells are conventionally divided into three parts:

the upper one, consisting of one or two tiers;
the lower part is a sealed part for collecting manure;
stand-up

Thanks to the stand, the entire structure is fixed to the ground; without it, the cage can tip over. Overall height legs - 140 cm, additional beams are installed at a distance of 40 cm from the ground for maximum strong fixation. Feeders and drinking bowls for rabbits are located inside the building, queen cells are in the center. To perform such a design with your own hands, you must have correct drawing with exact dimensions. The dimensions of the cage made using this method are relatively small; for two adult individuals, the total area of the structure will be 1.4 square meters. The height of the building is 210 cm, the width of the sections is 80 cm, the height is 70 cm. The angle of inclination of the lower section is 45 degrees. The sippy cup in the cage can be installed in any size, depending on the size of the section in which the pet lives. Let's consider the principle of constructing such a cage for four adult rabbits. The animal feeder is 15 cm long, 12 cm wide, and 30 cm high.

So, in order to make it yourself at home this design, you must have:

bars;
slats;
boards;
metal mesh;
automatic drinking bowls for pets;
queen cell heater;
box for animal feces;
staples;
self-tapping screws;
stapler;
screwdriver;
drill;
nails of different sizes and a hammer;
sheet iron;
material for protecting internal corners;
slateruberoid.

Let's look at the construction of such a cage step by step. For example for detailed description construction, let's take a single-tier cage with three compartments. Having understood the principle of the method, it will not be difficult at all to complete and upper floors. We assemble the cage frame in accordance with the required dimensions and drawings.

We start building the frame from the frame, then we build the cage itself and lay the floor in it diagonally with slats. Separately, we prepare the doors for the cage and install them, not forgetting the latches.
We install automatic drinking bowls for animals inside the living quarters, and hang pre-prepared drinking bowls outside (also made in accordance with the dimensions of the drawings).
We separate the queen cell for the female rabbit and the young rabbits with a partition in which there is supposed to be an exit door. Do not forget that the queen cell should be as dark as possible for the comfort of newborn rabbits.
We make a roof, strengthen the slate with self-tapping screws.
We make a sloped surface for manure in the shape of a rectangular funnel. A container is installed under the funnel to collect waste and waste products of rabbits.

An important point in such cages is that little rabbits are not separated from their mother. They are constantly with her in a heated queen cell and have the opportunity to receive mother’s milk for as long as possible, which significantly increases the animals’ immunity.

Mikhailov's method is based, first of all, on the fact that rabbits do not have direct contact with humans; for them this is a very serious stress. The idea of such an automatic house, where pets have round-the-clock access to a feeder and water bowl, has achieved incredible results. Rabbits living in such cages practically do not get sick, reproduce well and gain weight very quickly. There are even four-month-old individuals weighing up to six kilograms.

Video. DIY rabbit cage

Raising rabbits is a profitable and uncomplicated activity. These animals do not require special care and exceptional conditions of detention, so 2-3 eared fluffies can be placed on summer cottage or even in an apartment.

Many novice farmers are involved in breeding rabbits. And the first thing you should purchase for a rabbit farm is cages.

Rabbits are animals that do not require special living conditions. That’s why you don’t have to buy houses for them: you can make them yourself.

Advantages of handmade houses:

during construction, all the features of the premises, its location and conditions of maintenance are taken into account;
the costs of setting up a rabbit farm are significantly reduced;
self-production cells will help avoid defects, which are often allowed at the factory.

Example makeshift house on the picture.

Advantages of factory cages:

ideal design, which provides optimal conditions for the life of animals;
the structure is equipped with nests, drinking bowls, feeders, trays;
Factory products are constantly being improved, their designs are becoming more complex: by purchasing a ready-made cage, a farmer can be sure that he will become the owner of modern equipment.

Factory houses are shown in the photo.

Advice! Buying ready-made cages will cost a considerable amount, while making rabbit housing yourself is a very budget-friendly undertaking.

Cell types

If you are seriously going to start breeding rabbits, then you will have to build several rooms:

for fattening rabbits;
for keeping female rabbits with cubs;
for males.

To provide housing for rabbits, you need to build an entire “residential complex”. It can be installed both outdoors and in a barn: it all depends on the natural conditions of a particular region. You can develop drawings for creating cells yourself or find ready-made ones in specialized magazines and on the Internet.

Cages for males

Males are housed in separate houses. This avoids fights, competition for food, as well as unplanned mating (if males and females are kept in the same room). The size of the house should be such that the rabbit can move freely inside it. If the males are cramped, they will become lazy and obese. And this can affect reproductive function: rabbits will stop producing offspring.

Houses for rabbits with rabbits should be spacious enough. They are located in one tier and consist of two compartments: the main and uterine. To prevent the babies from freezing in winter, the uterine compartment must be thoroughly insulated.

Rabbits at the age of 2–3 months are placed in such houses if they were unable to gain required weight while living with the mother. To give the female the opportunity to give birth to new rabbits, the grown-up babies are placed in separate room and fattened to the desired weight.

Types of cells

Now there are a lot of modifications, but the most popular design for keeping rabbits is still a two-section cage.

You can make a house for adult animals with your own hands. It will take several hours to create a home, but you can be sure that the room meets all the requirements for keeping furry pets.

The finished cage for adult animals is shown in the photo.

Stages of work:

Make a house frame from 4 wooden beams. It should be rectangular; its dimensions are equal to the length and width of the future product.
Place the house on its legs. To do this, take 4 beams: 2 of them should have a length equal to the height of the front wall + 30 cm, and another 2 – the height of the back wall + 30 cm. The frame of the front wall is formed by long beams, the back - by shorter ones (a difference of 10–15 is enough cm). Screw them to the rectangular base so that it rises 30 cm above the floor. These will be the legs.
Attach galvanized mesh to the rectangular floor base so that it covers the middle part of the room. Leave a space of 35–40 cm long on each side for nesting compartments. Cover the floor in the nests with plywood of a suitable size so that it lightly grips the mesh.
Install the side and back walls of plywood and complete the frame of the house. To do this, secure 1 long beam at the very top between the front side beams.
Separate the nesting compartments from the rest of the room with slats. Between these slats and the back wall, install dividers: plywood sheets with holes cut in them. The holes are needed to allow rabbits to move freely between the nesting and feeding compartments. Attach a roof to each nest.
Divide the room into 2 sections cross beam. Make feeders out of plywood and screw them onto different sides from the dividing strip.
To ensure that the bottom holds well, turn the structure over and secure the mesh with nails and slats.
Make a bunker for feeders from 4 sheets of plywood, which should be slightly higher in height smaller house. The hopper should look like a "V" and expand towards the top. Attach it between the feeders so that after pouring the food from this funnel can be easily fed into the feeders.
Closer to back wall make a manger for rougher food: hay and grass. Their width should be 30 cm. To make it convenient for rabbits to pull out blades of grass from there, make walls of wire rods on both sides.
Attach a roof to the cage. It should protrude slightly above the cage. In the middle, where the feeders are located, build a slider door that you can pull out to add food. For convenience, attach a wooden or metal handle to it.
Attach doors made from slats to the front wall. Stretch the mesh between the slats. The nesting compartments can be left without external holes, or they can have solid wooden doors.

Drawings for making such cells are easy to find.

Houses for three-month-old rabbits

For up to three months, rabbits are kept in groups of 6–8 individuals, so group housing is used to keep them. They are made in the same way as double houses. The only difference is that for large number Rabbits require a different feeding system: they simply cannot eat all together from a small feeder.

Stages of work:

The frame of the house is made in the same way as the frame of double cages for adult animals. However, there is no need to divide the room into two sections. The cage will consist of nesting and feeding compartments. In this case, the nesting compartment should be 1.5 times smaller than the aft compartment.
Cover the floor of the nesting compartment with wood planks and separate it from the feeding compartment with a plywood wall with a hole for the movement of animals. The outer wall of the nest should be made of plywood.
The floor and front part of the aft compartment are made of mesh. In the front part you need to attach a door made of slats.
Place a feeder along the entire length of the feed compartment. It should be positioned in such a way that part of it is in the cage, and part is outside (for the convenience of laying hay). It is made of mesh so that it is convenient for animals to pull out the grass. It is better to raise the feeder 3-4 cm above the floor so that the food is not contaminated with waste from the baby rabbits.

Advice! Up to 12 animals can be kept in such a cage at the same time.

There are ready-made drawings for making such cells.

Two-tier (three-tier) shed

Two-tier and three-tier structures are made according to the same scheme as two-section houses for adult rabbits. But in this case, several cells are located above each other in tiers.

Stages of making a two-tier shed:

Make 3 rectangular frames. They will become the floor and roof of future cells.
Secure them onto long beams. Connect the first rectangle to the beams so that legs 30 cm high remain below. Fix the next rectangle at a height of 50 cm above the previous one, the third at a height of 10 cm above the second.
Attach a galvanized mesh to the first and third rectangles, which will serve as the floor for the aft compartment. Equip both houses in the same way as a regular two-section cell.
The second rectangle will serve as both a roof for the lower house and a pallet for the upper one. Between the second and third rectangles you need to install a removable box into which waste from the upper house will be poured through the mesh.

In this way, you can make not only a two-tier, but also a three-tier shed. If you make several of these structures, you will have a real rabbit farm.

What a multi-tiered structure for keeping rabbits might look like can be seen in the photo.

House for a rabbit with a nest

To make a house for a rabbit with a nest with your own hands, you need to take into account some of the features of this structure. The house for the rabbit is built separately from other buildings. It would be good if it was portable so that animals could be moved from the street to the barn.

Stages of work:

Put together a frame for the house, make the back wall and sides from plywood. This structure should have two compartments: the main and the uterine.
For each of them, make a separate door: to the compartment for the rabbit - from a mesh, to the queen cell - from plywood or thin boards.
To prevent the baby rabbits from freezing, insulate the queen cell. It is advisable to make it a double floor, walls and roof, in the space between which you need to lay insulation: polystyrene foam, straw or any other material. If winters are very cold, then a “warm floor” system is suitable: a heating pad is placed between two floor levels. The wire from the unit is routed outside so that the animals do not gnaw it.
The roof is covered with water-repellent material.

The photo shows what a house for a rabbit with a baby should look like.

Do you need a house with a walk?

If the owner of a rabbit farm has a large green area at his disposal, then houses with a walk in this case are an excellent option. They look the same as regular ones rabbit houses, only on the back wall they have a door through which the rabbits are let out for a walk.

You can make a walking area with your own hands. Behind the cage you need to equip a large enclosure. Its frame is made of wooden slats, and the walls are covered with a dense mesh. It is better to place the aviary on sunny side: Rabbits spend most of their lives in dark cages, and they simply need the sun.

Advice! If your farm is safe enough for rabbits to graze on grass, then run houses can be made without legs. Then the animals will be able to eat pasture. And when the grass in the enclosure runs out, the rabbit’s home can simply be moved to another place. If on a farm there is a possibility that mice, cats or martens will get into the enclosure, then the enclosure will be equipped on stilts.

What is the advantage of cages with walking? The thing is, rabbits need space to run around. If they have the opportunity to be in the fresh air and periodically stretch their paws, they will get sick less, gain weight faster and reproduce more actively. In addition, the fur of such animals will be much fluffier and shiny than that of their sedentary relatives.

A house with a walk can be like in the photo.

Place for a house

The choice of location for the house depends on the climatic conditions of the region. If there are winter frosts in your region - very rare, then rabbit houses can be safely placed on the street. However, it is worth choosing a place where there are no drafts and excessive humidity: rabbits are susceptible to colds.

Advice! You can keep rabbits in indoors, however perfect option– combined maintenance: in the summer, rabbit houses are exposed to fresh air, and in winter they are again sent to a barn or house.

If you are installing shad cages, it is advisable to arrange them in two rows and turn the facades towards each other. An adult must pass freely between the rows.

Rabbits do not like intense lighting, but if the houses are located in a barn, then the room should be equipped with several lamps. They should illuminate the rabbit's home for 8-10 hours a day.

Materials

To make cells with your own hands, it is recommended to use the following materials:

wood (beams, slats, plywood);
galvanized mesh with a small mesh size (it depends on the size of the rabbits);
plastic for finishing work;
slate or tiles for the roof if the cage will be located outside.

Advice! All wooden parts of the product must be well sanded, and the edges of the galvanized mesh must be tightly nailed to the surface. Rabbits are delicate creatures that can easily be injured by poorly processed parts of their home.

For arrangement rabbit cells It is not recommended to use metal. Under the rays of the sun, this material heats up greatly, and in the cold season it freezes. In such a home, rabbits will feel uncomfortable, begin to get sick and stop breeding.

Tools

To make a rabbit house with your own hands, you will need the following tools:

hammer;
roulette;
wood hacksaw;
plane;
scissors for cutting mesh;
pliers;
nails, screws, self-tapping screws, corners;
screwdriver and screwdriver;
sandpaper.

Cage dimensions

The size of rabbit cages depends on the size of the animals. A single cage for a male rabbit should have a width of at least 0.6 m and a length of 0.8–1.1 m. If the rabbits are large, then the size of the section should be increased. One rabbit weighing more than 5 kg requires a room with a length of 1.3 to 1.5 m.

The size of the room for young animals depends on the number of rabbits. They can be placed in groups of 5–8, and with compact planting - 12 individuals per house. The width of the cells in this case should be 1 m, the height should be from 0.35 to 0.6 m, and the length should be 2–3 m.

In any case, one adult rabbit should not have less than 0.5–0.7 m2, and one cub should not have less than 0.15–0.2 m2.

Having studied these simple recommendations, you can easily equip your rabbit farm. If you make houses for animals yourself, the enterprise will cost a small amount. And rabbits bring considerable income: after all, not only the tender meat of these animals is valued, but also their wool and manure.