Even in our global and technocratic society, where everything can be purchased in a store, subsistence farming does not lose its relevance to this day. The most profitable and low-cost way of livestock raising is rabbit breeding. But, like any living creature, the rabbit must have its own comfortable living corner. These animals are kept in special cages placed in the barn. Every novice rabbit breeder should know how to make a rabbit cage.

Such a process will not seem time-consuming, if all conditions for the premises for breeding rabbits are maintained. One of the main requirements is compliance with the scale of such buildings. Therefore, the first step is to determine the size of the cages for the rabbits. Even with a small number of animals, one crate will not be enough for all. You need to plan at least three pieces. First you need to prepare drawings of cages for rabbits.

Space required for 1 head

A detailed drawing showing even the smallest design details will provide you with a reliable building.

There are many ways of constructing how to build a rabbitry. Some provide comfort to the animals, others are convenient for the owner in terms of financial costs. Each rabbit breeder chooses the best option himself, based on his capabilities. But, nevertheless, they often make cages for rabbits with their own hands. According to reviews, simple rabbit mesh cages are popular. Such material can be found in any building supermarket, or you can rummage among your old stocks. Consider the process of creating a do-it-yourself rabbit cage from a mesh.

Reticulated rabbitry

There are many varieties of such stands; the following structures have proven themselves best of all:

• unsupported cage with supporting struts;
• frame cells.

Homemade galvanized checkered weaving with strong wire will serve for the manufacture of such structures. The tops and side sections of the cells will be sufficient with a mesh with links of 25x50 mm. The lower part provides for the use of small cells - in order to avoid slipping of the paws of fluffy animals. Once you have determined the dimensions, you can start building.

In our case, the cage will represent an externally mesh structure surrounded by a base with legs.

Step by step manufacturing

The construction of such a structure consists of several stages. Before you make a cage for rabbits with your own hands, you need to cut out certain details of the sides, based on the size.

A pre-made template will help you create the same size front and back, which are neatly cut from the mesh roll. Then the side parts are cut, completely matching along their perimeter.

1. The constructed rectangle is covered with a roof, and a mesh with a fine mesh will serve as the base of the floor.
2. Initially, the walls are formed by the fasteners.
3. Next, the base of the cell is established. At the same time, the netting of the front part of the very first cell is removed. There will be a pallet for animal waste.
4. Having outlined the doorway, we form a slot. There may be several of them.
5. The doors are also made with mesh and fastened with fasteners.
6. A mesh ceiling is laid on top of the resulting box.
7. The frame is made separately using wooden blocks. If the dimensional drawings are accurate and exceed the cage itself, our structure will easily fit into its supporting base.

Step-by-step photo instructions

The main work has been completed, now you need to attach the finished structures to the wall with metal parts and put stops - in order to prevent the cage from wobbling when the animals move. The sides and back are covered with plywood sheets, which are cut in relation to the dimensions of the frame, and not the dimensions of the mesh formations. Now it remains to fill the place of detention with the accessories necessary for the life of the rabbits: feeders, drinkers, a pallet, and you can populate the rabbitry with animals. This is the most common way to build a rabbit cage with a netting method.

The rabbitry of Mikhailov

Making cages for rabbits must be thoughtful and serve as a guarantee that the animals will actively develop and gain weight. A popular scheme for such a development belongs to I. N. Mikhailov, a well-known rabbit breeder. Mikhailov's rabbit cages have an accessible and understandable guide to the stages of building their own at home.

Mikhailov's cage is made according to the already developed drawing projects.

The essence of his technique consists in dividing the cage into three parts: top, bottom and support section, each of which has its own functional affiliation. So, the upper part has one or two tiers, the lower base contains a tray for collecting feces, as well as a compartment where they are stored and stored until they are removed. The base frame is at the same time the fixing base. And the compartments of Mikhailov's cage for rabbits, intended for drinking and feeding, move out a little.

Thanks to this scheme of the place of detention, Mikhailov's rabbitry requires minimal care - about an hour a week, and the animals are kept outdoors all year round.

The housings are mainly made of metal, and wood is used for insulation. There are simplified versions of such rooms for rabbits, differing in appearance, therefore, we highlight the main features of the ratio of cage sizes according to the Mikhailov method:

• the total area of ​​one section, accommodating a couple of animals, fluctuates within 1.4 sq. m .;
• the height of the cage is 2.1 m, the width is 2.4 m;
• each section of the cell is constructed with a width of 0.6 m and a height of 0.7 m;
• mother liquors are 0.4 m long, 0.35 m wide, the waste collection cone can be of any size.

The base in the form of legs on a frame stand reaches a height of 1.4 m. It is necessary to fix the supporting structure with fixing elements. This achieves the necessary stability of even the most simplified design.

Rabbit farm Zolotukhin

One of the most popular today are cages for rabbits Zolotukhin N.I., a person who put forward a number of necessary transformations that bring the conditions for keeping animals at home closer to the natural features of their life. This is how Zolotukhin's cage, economical and quite simple to create, appeared.

This design saves space, does not require daily cleaning, making it easier for breeders to care for.

Let's highlight the main features of N. Zolotukhin's design option:

1. The floor is made using flat slate or a sheet of plywood. The net is only fixed in the floor of the back cover. The pallet is not provided at all. The developer states that rabbits almost always urinate from the back of the cage. Most of the feces are collected there. The rest of the feces are scattered by the rabbits on the floor.
2. The building has a complex structure, including six compartments located on floors. Each higher floor is displaced relative to the floor adjacent to the bottom, equal to the width of the grid in the floor. And the front side connecting the floors is a kind of slope.
3. The uterus is completely absent. In cold weather, a special shelter is additionally placed for the rabbit and rabbits.

Cleaning is carried out using a goose fan as a sweeping device.

2-tier rabbit cage

The use of multi-storey structures for rabbits at home to this day is the most compact and convenient option for breeding rabbits. There is nothing easier how to build do-it-yourself cages for rabbits in 2 tiers.

Assembly diagram

Experienced owners have developed a special instruction, the manual of which contains the following provisions:

• wooden blocks are connected, forming four rectangular bases;
• using a mesh with small cells, make the floor, then install the side walls;
• since the first floor contains trays for feces, for the convenience of their removal, the floor is made pitched;
• trays for domestic rabbits are prepared using a bar. The second floor under its base must have a solid plywood sheet to prevent contamination from entering the first floor;
• the ceiling is made at the last moment using waterproof materials.

A reliable frame is designed to support two floors. To correctly carry out such a design for a rabbit cage, drawings must always be kept close at hand. Two-tier cages for rabbits have a "P"-shaped structure planning rule, represented by standard blocks fastened to each other with self-tapping screws.

With such simple techniques, you can make cages for rabbits with your own hands, which, in terms of their reliability and comfort, will not be inferior to factory designs.

Rabbits are great pets. However, before you bring your rabbit home, you need to create a cozy cage for it that will meet its unique needs. Learn how to prepare a crate to be a comfortable and safe home for your pet. Also, you should keep in mind that there should be enough space in the cage for the rabbit to stretch, play, and lie down for a night's sleep.

Steps

Part 1

Choice of cages and accessories

Choose a rabbit hutch. Classic cages are better suited for temporary placement of rabbits, as they prevent the rabbits from hiding. A rabbit, open to observation from all sides, will be stressed very quickly. However, in this case, the rabbit can always be provided with a house or box for shelter, so that he can retire if necessary.

• While monolithic rabbit cages may be preferable, they are heavy and cumbersome and therefore ill-suited for use within the walls of the house.
• Traditional rabbit cages are made of wood and have a fine birdcage mesh door for the rabbit to look out through. Wood remains an excellent choice to this day, as it has good thermal insulation properties, protecting the rabbit from wind, rain, snow and cold in winter, as well as providing shade for the animal in hot summer.
• A classic metal cage is good for temporary placement of a rabbit, for example, if the rabbit spends most of the time outside in the hall, but you do not exclude the possibility that it will chew on wires. When placing your rabbit in such a cage, be sure to provide him with shelter or a box in which he can hide if he wants to feel safe or just sleep.

1. Get your rabbit in the correct size cage. Rabbits vary greatly in size from miniature fold-eared rabbits weighing 1.3 kg to huge Flemish giant rabbits weighing up to 10 kg. The floor area of ​​the cage and its height will depend on the breed of your chosen rabbit. When purchasing a crate, always consider the rabbit's adult weight and size.

   Make sure the cage has a solid floor. Many rabbits suffer from pododermatitis, which develops as painful sores from pressure sores on the hind legs, resulting from sitting on hard floors or wet bedding. Cage floors in the form of a metal mesh are completely unacceptable and uncomfortable for rabbits.

   Choose a cage with metal grate walls. A cage with lattice walls and a roof will give your rabbit good ventilation and is easy to clean. Make sure, however, that the bottom of the cage is also not made of metal grate. Your rabbit should not be forced to sit or stand on a metal grate for extended periods of time.

   Make sure the bottom of the cage is protected from urine leaks. The bottom or pallet must be high and solid. This is because rabbits may spray urine when urinating.

   • In addition, less straw will spill out of the cage.
   • If the cage does not have high bumpers and you want to custom build one, use a material such as cardboard that will not harm your rabbit even if it chews on it. You will need to update it frequently, but your rabbit will not get sick from the cardboard.

2. Choose a litter box for your rabbit. Buying a litter box and teaching your rabbit how to use it are very important when keeping this animal at home. The corner litter box fits perfectly into the corner of a cage or rabbit pen.

   • Your rabbit may not start using the litter box right away, so be patient. You will need to train your rabbit to use a litter box. In the end, he will always go to the toilet.

3. Buy bowls and drinkers. Use heavy, flat-bottomed bowls that are difficult to turn over. Provide a canopy for the hay, but place it as low as possible, as rabbits do not like to hold their head up.

   Part 2

   Choosing a place to place the cage

   1. Set up the cage in a well-ventilated area that is neither too hot nor too cold. Do not place it in a dusty or dirty room, such as an attic or basement, as dust can destroy the rabbit's delicate lungs.

      • The rabbit also needs natural light. Make sure that the sunlight is not flooding it, but is scattered on the rabbit.
      • Be aware that rabbits do not like loud noises or sudden movements, so do not place it near a tumble dryer or similar noisy places to avoid stressing it.
      • A spare bedroom is a good choice for a rabbit, as long as you remember to communicate with it regularly.

   2. Make sure your rabbit is protected from predators. Also, make sure that other pets, such as cats and dogs, do not disturb the rabbit. Rabbits in nature are the prey of predators and find the close presence of predators very unsettling.

      • If you have dogs, try to lift the cage off the floor. Rabbits can get very scared if dogs sniff them at floor level.

   3. Choose a room where you can let your rabbit run. Rabbits should not be kept locked in a cage at all times. You need to let the rabbit out of the cage to get it exercised. The easiest way is to place your rabbit's cage in a room in which you don't mind letting him run and explore.

      • Make sure there are no wires lying around in this room, no sharp objects, small toys or other objects that could harm your rabbit.

   Part 3

   Arrangement of the cell

   1. Cover the cage with bedding. The rabbit needs a thick layer of bedding to protect its feet from pressure sores. The larger the rabbit, the thicker the bedding layer should be.

      • Typically, straw, sawdust or hay is used as bedding. It is best to take straw, as it is elastic and soft, and in winter it retains heat. The rabbit can also chew on the straw safely.
      • Regular sized rabbits require a 12.5–15 cm bedding layer, and larger rabbits require even thicker bedding.
      • Even if your rabbit is litter box trained, we do not recommend covering the cage with carpet as it can cause a blockage in the intestines if the rabbit decides to chew on it.
      • Spot cleaning the cage daily by scooping up urine-stained bedding and feces, then adding fresh straw. Ideally, you should completely clean the cage once a week.
      • Rabbits can chew on blankets or fabric, so it is better for them to put a particularly large amount of densely packed straw inside the box or house for shelter.

   2. Line the litter box with a layer of newspaper, add non-toxic litter, and cover it with hay on top. Change the hay daily and clean the litter box weekly.

      • Do not use cat litter, especially clumping litter, on your rabbit, as it can be fatal to your rabbit.

   3. Provide food for your rabbit. Grass is an ideal rabbit feed, and hay is an excellent substitute. If possible, feed the rabbit exclusively with hay so that its teeth remain in perfect condition and the rabbit itself does not gain excess weight.

   4. Provide your rabbit with water. The rabbit can easily flip or stain a bowl of water with excrement, so drinking bowls are preferable. Change the water daily to keep it always fresh. Also wash your drinking bowl daily and never use one that is overgrown with green algae.

      • If you have more than one rabbit, hang drinkers from two opposite ends of the cage.

The maintenance of eared ones has long been practiced by industrial farms and ordinary people who decided to organize a small farm on their site. Keeping furry animals is a pleasure, since they do not require constant attention and are quite easy to care for. For the business to succeed, the animals should be provided with comfortable living conditions. Today we will tell you what cages for rabbits you can make with your own hands.

When choosing a place for the future residence of animals and installing their cage houses, you need to pay attention to some parameters of the selected territory.

Cages for eared wards can be placed:

• outside;
• indoors.

Of course, the first option is suitable only for those farms that are located in the southern regions with a consistently warm and mild climate. Otherwise, in winter, the animals will not survive outdoors without shelter. If you are planning to live with rabbits in just such a fertile place, consider the following rules.

1. The humidity rate, which rabbits tolerate well, has an upper limit of 75%. Physically, they will not be able to transfer a greater percentage of it, they will begin to wither and get sick. Based on this, a dry location should be chosen for installing the cages, located far from water bodies, best of all on a hill.
2. There are recommendations regarding the sun's rays. Eared loves to bask under them only in cartoons, in life it will only bring harm and lead to widespread diseases and death of animals. To prevent direct sunlight from hitting the cages, place them in the shade of garden trees or organize sheds. If rabbit breeding is your life's work, you can plant a bush hedge that will scatter the sun's rays, passing through itself.

Pay attention during the insulation to those cages that are prepared for pregnant rabbits and newborn rabbits.

Indoor requirements for rabbits

Raising, breeding and feeding rabbits

Building a comfortable rabbit cage is less than half the battle. It is equally important to properly organize the very process of keeping, feeding and breeding rabbits. Read on to find out what features exist in raising rabbits and how they are kept different.

Let's start building

Before starting construction work, you need to choose the right materials that will be used in its process.

Necessary materials

When creating dwellings for rabbits, it is better to give preference to natural materials in order to bring animals as close to natural conditions as possible. Therefore, as a basis for the cells, it is necessary to choose high quality wooden blocks, which are additionally treated with antiseptics.

Additionally, to build cells, we need:

• boards and quality wood;
• thin plywood;
• fine-mesh welded mesh;
• wooden slats, 3-4 centimeters wide;
• metal wire of medium thickness;
• wide plastic pallets in the size of cages;

It is best to sheathe the inner surface of the cage walls with plywood, as it is moisture-resistant and strong material. Particleboard, for example, is not suitable for such a purpose, since it absorbs moisture and collapses from swelling.

What are rabbit cages

All rabbit cages are built according to some general principles, however, they still have differences. All the nuances of the construction depend on what breeds and individuals of the rabbit people will live inside the cells under construction. Your farm will have at least several species, and here's why.

As you can see, cells can differ in many ways, depending on the characteristics of future residents. However, there is a general build instruction for each of them, which varies depending on the purpose. Let's get down to looking at it.

Important nuances

Before voicing the instruction itself, we will stipulate some important points. The standard sizes of a spacious rabbit cage are:

• 120-170 centimeters long;
• about 50 centimeters high;
• 70-80 centimeters wide.

As a rule, if the parameters of the cell change, then only the length is reduced. Height and width remain standard, since these are the parameters that are most comfortable for maintenance.

It is forbidden to mix rabbits of different sexes in the same cage, as this can lead to:

• uncontrolled mating;
• difficult to track pregnancies;
• fights of males for the attention of females;
• fights of females for the attention of males;
• strangling each other's offspring by warring females.

Instructions for self-construction of a rabbit cage

So, we turn to the step-by-step instructions for building a cage for rabbits. We propose to consider housing for eared, consisting of two sections. In one of them, adults will live, in the second - uterus with offspring. For a while, until you have a nursing female with cubs, you can put houses for rabbits in the nesting compartment, in which they will hide in a bad mood and a desire to take a break from fluffy roommates.

Let's start building.

Step 1

Take the prepared wooden beams and treat them with antiseptics. This is necessary in order to prevent rotting of the tree and the penetration of harmful microorganisms into its structures, which in the future can spoil the health of the eared ones.

Remember, the composition of antiseptics should be as gentle as possible and not contain a large amount of chlorine, which burns out the wood and destroys its structure. This is important, since the operation of the cells is merciless and it is necessary that they serve for a long time.

Step 2

Take a wooden block prepared ahead of time and saw it so that you get parts with the following parameters:

• 4 beams 1.5 meters each;
• the same number of bars of 55 centimeters;
• two pairs of beams of 70 centimeters.

Instead of four bars 55 centimeters long, you can make only two and two more 35 centimeters each. The smaller ones will be installed with frame parts for the back of the cage, where we will place the uterine nest.

Step 3

Connect the shortest and half-meter bars together to get two identical shapes. If the parameters of the bars for the frame of the front and back of the cage are the same, then you get a rectangle, if different - a trapezoid.

Step 4

Now connect the rectangles together using pieces of wood 70 centimeters long. You should have a wooden framing structure that resembles a large box.

Step 5

Let's start installing the floor. It can be made from several different materials. We present a comparative table of the pros and cons of each of them.

Metallic profile		Fine mesh		Wooden slats
+	-	+	-	+	-
long life span; ease of care.	you will have to weld the grate yourself; the cells should be small so that the paws of the rabbits do not fall inside.	easy to install; easy to care for.	may tear; the service life is very dependent on the quality of the welding; rabbits can damage their feet.	environmentally friendly material; easy to install.	with poor processing, rabbits can get a splinter; decays and requires replacement after a short service life.

A good solution would be to use combinations, for example, the first layer can be started from a metal profile welded in the usual way, without small and frequent holes. The second layer is made of a fine mesh. The profile will prevent it from deforming and such a floor will last a long time.

It is impossible to make the floor non-mesh in the main compartment, since animal excrement will pass through the holes and accumulate in the pan under the cage.

Install the selected material on most of the future cage floor and secure with fasteners. Leave 40-50 centimeters blank

Step 6

The rest of the empty space under the floor must be made of wood and solid, since there will be a rabbit's nest. It is best to screw a board, which must be well polished, to the beams, so that the animal does not get injured. At the junction of the cells and the board, screw in the metal rail and weld the mesh to it.

Step 7

We proceed to the upholstery of the walls. The back one is also made of boards sanded and impregnated with gentle antiseptics. The front is made mesh so that you can watch what the pets are doing. Leave the ceiling unbound.

Step 8

We sheathe the plank walls from the inside of the cage using plywood. The material must be multi-layered and of good quality. The thickness can be any, but it is not necessary to take a very thick sheet, so as not to make the structure too weighty.

You can fix plywood with screws or nails. The main thing is that the sharp part of the nail does not come out from the outside and does not hurt you when caring for the cage.

Step 9

We build the roof. To do this, we need a sheet of plywood and hinges, like on doors or cabinets. First, we fasten the hinges to one of the upper beams of the frame, then we plant a sheet of good plywood on them. It is better to choose a thicker material here, because the roof of the house will constantly rise and fall. Make sure it fits snugly. If there are large gaps between the frame and the roof, harmful drafts cannot be avoided.

If you did not succeed in attaching the lid to the frame tightly, do not despair. Take some felt or padding polyester and cover the perimeter of the roof. This can be done even if there are no gaps, since in winter such insulation will come in handy for eared ones.

Step 10

At the junction of the mesh and the boards, install a plank that goes from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall. Make a medium-sized hole first so that the rabbits can move freely from one cage to another.

Step 11

Place the cages on the props previously installed in the rabbitry. Now, from the bottom of the cage, mount the pallet. It can only correspond in size to the mesh part of the floor, since the feces of the female rabbit and rabbits will not seep through the wooden floors.

Step 12

Now install the feeders and drinkers inside the cages. They can also be made with your own hands from wood, in the form of small troughs. Be sure to find a place for hay too. Some breeders place it in homemade hanging structures so that the rabbits can reach it and not trample it at the same time, turning it into bedding.

Now that you have learned how to make the simplest version of rabbit cages, let's turn our attention to other popular options.

Family cage

The family dwelling for the eared ones no longer consists of two, but of three sections. A male producer with good quality characteristics of health and appearance is settled there. Females settle in the lateral compartments, and a male in the middle compartment. Manholes are equipped between the rooms, this time with latches. This is necessary so that at the moment one of the females is ready to conceive offspring, release it to the inseminator, and then do the same with the other rabbit.

This option for building cages is considered very effective for breeding thoroughbred animals, since it allows you to sort out individuals suitable for each other in advance and track upcoming pregnancies.

Construction features

Let's name some points in the construction of cells from three sections, which will help you during construction.

Rabbit cages in two tiers

The construction of a two-tiered rabbit cage is not too different from a single-tiered one. Such a structure will have the following parameters:

• height 2 - 2, 5 meters;
• width of 1, 4 meters;
• along the edges of the structure, every 10 centimeters are given for the installation of feeders.

The sizes may vary depending on your idea, but making the cage smaller is not rational.

Building instructions

So, we start building a two-tier cage.

Photo	Step
	Step 1. In the same way as in the first instruction, we connect the bars to make four frame frames. Each of them will serve as the bottom and top for two cells. We also saw off eight bars of the same height for the corner parts of the cellular "skeleton".
	Step 2. Making cage floors. Most, as in the case of a single-tier structure, will be mesh, the smaller part will be solid, made of a board. At the back wall we leave a small distance of about 10 centimeters, where we will place a drain for animal waste. This distance should be closed with a dense mesh with cells of a larger size than that of the main one for the floor.
	Step 3. The back wall is made of planks, then sheathed with plywood from the inside. Side and front walls are also equipped with medium mesh mesh.
	Step 4. With the help of slats and metal plugs, we separate the inside of the house for the eared compartments, leaving a space between them for a sennik in the shape of the English letter "V".
	Step 5. We attach metal sheets to the waste slope compartment that go to the pallet under the cage. Each cell has its own collection of faeces and is installed so that it can be pulled out and cleaned. For the upper tier, it is placed on the ceiling of the lower one, and for the lower tier - on special corners of the stand mounted in the holder frame for the cages.
	Step 6. We equip the roofs for each of the tiers of plywood, hammered with felt or dense linoleum.

Make a back wall or hinged roof for the caged animals.

Video - Cage for rabbits, self-build

Cell according to Mikhailov's method

Today there are many popular ways of breeding eared. One of the most effective is Mikhailov's mini-farm. The features of the mini-farm are as follows. It allows you to get a large number of healthy offspring and raise them into productive mature individuals with minimal attention from the farmer.

The design features of Mikhailov's mini-farm make it possible to achieve the following positive effects.

Cell cleansing occurs without human intervention. And we are talking not only about animal feces, but also about food waste containing harmful fumes. Rabbits do not inhale them and keep them healthy. Due to the fact that such a high level of hygiene is maintained inside the rabbit houses, insects that carry infections do not fly inside, since they simply have nothing to profit from.

Putting food and water into the troughs takes place once a week. Yes, now you are relieved of the need to constantly monitor the presence of these nutrients in the cells of the wards every day. The fact is that the feeders are constantly filling themselves, as the feed is consumed from the feeders. Another plus - in winter, the water in the drinking bowls is automatically heated.

Zones for females and those giving birth to rabbits with offspring also warm up in frost, which makes it possible to cross animals all year round and ensure the health of newborns.

The internal structure of the cage is as close as possible to natural conditions, which provokes the connection of instincts in animals. So, the queen cell resembles an animal hole, since it is located below the main level of the cage, and the entrance to it really imitates a rabbit hole. The ceiling in the nesting compartment is tilted, as if it were really not a cage, but a dugout of the eared ones.

Open areas of the wall alternate with closed ones so that rabbits can get privacy and rest from the attention of humans or other animals.

Mikhailov's cage is also equipped with hinged doors that allow the bunnies to pick up the bunny unnoticed or, on the contrary, add it. This is necessary when too small or large litters are born in one individual. If there are too many cubs, the mother can kill or eat several live. In this case, it is imperative to transplant the baby and transfer it to the uterus, which gave birth to small offspring.

The part of the cage that is installed to the north is insulated. On the contrary, the southern side is equipped with ventilation so that fresh air can enter the houses. The roof is equipped with a pipe through which gases from animal feces are emitted. Feeders and drinkers are sealed so that no waste gets into them.

Design Consideration

The area of ​​each cell is 1.4 m 2. Up to 25 heads are placed inside. The main structural element is a shed - a barn, consisting of several tiers of rabbit cages in one or two tiers. Such a shed can contain 70 houses. If we take this number as a basis, then in 35 of them queens will live, and in the rest - adult males and young rabbits.

It is customary to make about two rows of cells, occupying together 8.5 m 2. These cages have one roof.

The realized cell "Mikhailov"

The shelf life of Mikhailov's mini-farm is about 20 years. Further, it will have to be updated or completely replaced with a new design.

Necessary materials

We warn you that if you do not have sufficient experience in construction, it is easier to purchase Mikhailov's cage. But if you're sure you can handle it, stock up on the following materials:

• plywood sheets;
• paint;
• nails;
• roofing iron;
• wooden beam;
• boards;
• roofing material;
• Hard and soft fiberboard;
• picket fence.

Assembling the stand

Assemble the stand by carefully examining its image in the photo. The horizontal section of the stand will contain a support for a homemade transformer compartment, as well as a shelf for tools and a bench. Here, a rectangular manhole is arranged, leading from a sealed tank to a bunker for collecting feces that merge into it along the shaft walls. The mine is covered with fiberboard and roofing felt resistant to frost and moisture.

Walking area and nests

Two pairs of racks are mounted on the stand, the cross-section of which should not exceed 10 centimeters. They will be supported by the tier located below, consisting of several compartments in which rabbits are caught for inspection or settled.

The walking compartment is equipped with a drinker and a feeder. In the lower part of it there is a hole measuring 20 by 20 centimeters, which goes into the mine. The floor is lined with a picket fence, laid on slats, which are upholstered with metal strips to protect against rodents. The flooring is made at an angle of 45 degrees.

The nest compartment is equipped with a hinged door that swings open and forms a free area for interaction with the rabbits. The location of the bottom of the mother liquor goes down relative to the level of the main floor by 9 centimeters. Outside, the walls of the house for mothers and babies are insulated with any available materials. The access door is also insulated. For its arbitrary overlap, a view is installed.

Drinking bowls and feeders

The drinking bowl is represented by an automatic structure. The water trough itself can be anything, even a plastic bowl, even a wooden one. This bowl contains outlets from several canisters with a volume of 5 liters. In each canister lid, centimeter holes are drilled so that the water flows down gradually and only when the rabbit has heated enough so that the trough does not overfill.

What size the area of ​​the drinking section will have directly depends on the capacity and size of the canister itself, as well as the trough. The compartment door is made of a sheet of plywood and metal. One edge of the drinking trough should be hidden from rabbits in order to install a small electric boiler there, which automatically starts working when the air temperature drops below + 8 ° C.

A feeder is installed next to the drinker, into which mixed feed in granules is poured. It is installed in a small gap between the parts of the flooring, in which the disposal device is located. Waste gets into it - crumbs and flour, as well as granules trampled by rabbits. And from there they slide into the utilizer.

The roughage feed bowl is located at the top and bottom of the farm. From the outside of the cage, a tank is suspended from it, in which hay and vegetables are laid.

Installation of the upper tier

The upper tier can serve as a mother and jigging level. In the first case, it is made obliquely, in the same way as described above. In the second, they are divided into two sections of different sizes, in which small rabbits will then be placed.

The length of the upper tier is 25 centimeters longer than the lower one. A drinker and a feeder are also installed in each of the sections according to the methods described above.

Roof

The roof is made inclined, a pipe for ventilation of the premises is mounted on top of it. This tube is necessary to remove from the cell accumulations of harmful fumes that are released during the life of the eared.

Bottom part

At the bottom, the cage is equipped with a box into which rabbit droppings are poured. This allows the use of animal excrement for garden purposes and deprives the farmer of the need for constant cleaning of the cages from faeces.

Mikhailov's cage is an effective option for the rabbit business. This construction requires minimal labor and time from the farmer. So, it takes about half an hour a week to take care of animals - to fill the feeders, drinkers and empty the trays. The eared ones kept in such a farm gain in three months of their life such a weight that rabbits in normal keeping can only get in 6-8 months.

Cages for rabbits Zolotukhin

Another famous farm concept for efficient rabbit breeding. Nikolai Ivanovich Zolotukhin studied the life of rabbits in natural conditions from an early age and in the prime of his career developed this amazing structure that increases the efficiency of raising rabbits by activating their natural instincts.

The Zolotukha cage farm has three tiers, it is made quite simply. Let's start looking at the instructions for making it.

To build a cage, we need:

• wooden beams;
• boards;
• metal grid;
• sheet metal;
• high quality polycarbonate;
• slate.

Building instructions

So, first of all, let's determine the size of the future cell:

• the width of the rabbit dwelling is 2 meters;
• construction height - 1.5;
• the depth of the structure is not more than 80 centimeters;
• rear floor slope - 5 centimeters;
• the mesh at the back wall is 20 centimeters;
• the doors are made in the form of a square with 40 centimeters in length on one side.

Let's start building.

Photo	Step
	Step 1. Cell scaffolds are assembled according to the technique you are already familiar with. Each of them is divided into two equal halves, between which there is a small distance for placing the sennik.
	Step 2. For the floor, this time, not mesh, but durable slate is used. When laying and attaching slate sheets to the frame, expect that 20 centimeters must be retreated from the back wall. This space is covered with a welded mesh through which the eared feces will go.
	Step 3. Now let's start making the walls. The back walls are made from carbonate sheets at a specific angle. The upper part of each of the walls is mounted to the end of the slate floor of the next tier in height. At the very top tier, it is straight. Thanks to this design, the rabbit droppings roll along the walls of each of the tiers and eventually fall into the pallet.
	Step 4. We make a door for queen cells and feed compartments. In the first case, we prepare it from wood and insulate it to create the necessary conditions for the rabbits. In the second, we do it from the mesh.
	Step 5. Summer housing nests are also made with mesh walls. They are separated from the remaining space by a plank partition, which can then be removed and a spacious cage for young animals can be obtained. Winter queen cells are wooden, with closed walls. The entrance to it is also wooden, with a closing hole, the lower part of which is in contact with the floor. Hay is spreading on the floor.
	Step 6. We make feeders. These devices represent a tray that occupies most of the cage wall located in front. The feeder is inserted into the cage only one third, its bottom is performed at an angle. This is necessary so that the trough can be filled from the outside without opening the cage. Also, a drinking bowl is installed inside.

Zolotukhin's cells are famous and have been successful for many decades. Their simple manufacture makes them popular and the rabbit effect is amazing.

Cages for dwarf rabbits: step by step instructions

Not only farmers can make a cage for a rabbit, but also those who have chosen this cute animal as their pets. Of course, buying such a structure is easier, but it does not cost little money, which can instead be spent on buying vitamins and food for the eared ones.

Making a house for a rabbit with your own hands will take very little time and will not require serious labor.

Step 1. Assemble the cage scaffold according to the mechanism described above. This time, the parameters of the wireframe will be as follows:

• length - 1 meter;
• the height of the beams for the back wall is 55 centimeters;
• the height of the beams for the side walls is 70 centimeters;
• frame width - 70 centimeters.

Step 2. Assemble the frame so that there is a distance of 15 centimeters between the lower end of the back wall and the future floor.

Step 3. Nail wide wooden slats to the bottom of the cage or install a welded metal mesh. This support is needed to give rigidity to the future mesh floor. When the slats or profile are installed, mount the fine mesh over the top.

Step 4. Make walls for the cage. The back can be made of plywood or boards, and the rest of the metal mesh with medium-sized cells. Make one of the walls also plywood or wood and cut a hole in it for the door.

Step 5. Make the door from a wooden frame and metal mesh and hinge to the hole.

Let's summarize

Now you know many of the most popular ways to build rabbit cages. The choice of the option that suits you will be based on the following nuances:

• starting budget;
• rabbit-breeding experience;
• region of residence;
• the size of the livestock, etc.

The main requirement is high quality construction

For example, cages using the Mikhailov mini-farm method will help to minimize labor costs and the loss of time for caring for animals, however, it is very difficult to place this serious structure inside the barn, which makes the use of the structure in regions with long cold winters almost impossible. In addition, the equipment of such a cage requires money and construction experience. It will not be profitable for novice breeders to spend so much money, especially if they are not sure they will want to keep rabbits for years.

Zolotukhin's cages do not require large financial costs, but they imply that the number of rabbits they contain will not be small. Therefore, this option is not entirely rational for beginners to engage in the rabbit business of farmers.

For rabbits to grow and develop well, it is important not only to feed them correctly, but also to provide them with comfortable living conditions. That is, to build comfortable spacious dwellings for the animals. Rabbit cages vary in size. It all depends on what kind of breed they will be designed for.

Minimum dimensions

The cages are made in such a way that one head has at least:

• for sexually mature rabbits - 0.5-0.7 m 2;
• repair bunnies - 0.17 m 2;
• young stock - 0.12 m 2;
• male-producers - 0.3-0.5 m 2.

A large rabbit (giant, flanders) will need a dwelling of at least 0.75 (w) x 0.55 (h) x 1.7 (d) m. Smaller animals (chinchilla) - 0.6 x 0.45 x 0.9 m. The sizes of cages for dwarf and decorative rabbits will be appropriate.

What should be the design

Usually, rabbit cages are built on a cobbled frame. The back and side walls as well as the roof are made of thick plywood or board. The front part is made of a mesh with a fine mesh (for example, 2.5 x 5 cm). The floor of the cage should be sloped. It is also made of mesh (1.5 x 5cm) or battens stuffed parallel to each other. A pallet for collecting manure is installed under the floor. This design will keep the "room" clean. The lid, in the event that the cells are installed on the street, should be made single-pitched and protruding forward by about 20 cm and on the sides - by 10 cm. From above it is covered with slate or profiled sheet.

Above the ground, the cage should be raised at least 70-80 cm. Taking care of the animals with this arrangement is much easier. And the animals themselves will be protected from attack by dogs and small rodents from entering the cage. Very often, the cells are arranged in rows in several tiers. One dwelling can be used for one or two adult rabbits (or several small ones).

Hanging removable drinking bowls and feeders are hung on the front side. It is best to make them rotary. This will make it easier to feed the rabbits. In addition, animal feces will not get into the feeders. Next, let's see what the "quarters" for the queens should be, as well as the sizes of the cages for keeping rabbits and their breeding.

Rabbit cages

Dwellings for sexually mature females are divided into two parts: feed and uterine. As a partition, plywood is used with a hole sawn in it with a diameter of 20 cm. It should be located above the floor at a height of about 10-15 cm. This is necessary so that little rabbits do not crawl into the stern. The floor in the mother liquor is not made of slats or mesh, but of solid plywood. The front door of the mother liquor is made of board or plywood. For the stern part, it is made of mesh. Before the nesting, the mother cell itself is installed in the nest compartment with dimensions of 0.4 x 0.4 m and a height of 20 cm.

Standard double option

In addition to multi-tiered, long cages are often used in private households. A pair of animals is planted in them at once. Sizes of cages for double rabbits:

• in length - 210-240 cm;
• width - 65 cm;
• in height from the side of the facade - 50-60 cm;
• in height from the side of the back wall - 35 cm.

On the lateral sides of such cells, queen cells are arranged. The rest of the aft compartments are located. The floor in them is made lattice, and in the nesting compartments - solid. In the middle of the cage there is a V-shaped nursery for the distribution of roughage. Drinking bowls and feeders for grain are hung on the door.

Cages with aviaries

Such dwellings are usually arranged for young animals. Walking for teenage rabbits is very beneficial. After all, these animals are by nature very active and like to move a lot. The sizes of cages for rabbits, designed for two animals, and with an aviary are usually as follows:

The aviary is arranged along the back wall and has the same height as it is - 60 cm. The cage and walk are separated by a removable partition.

Group cages for young animals

There are other types of similar designs. Of course, in this case, certain sizes of cages for rabbits are also selected. Drawings are drawn up, for example, in such a way that the dwelling turns out:

• in length equal to 2-4 m;
• in width - 1 m;
• with a front wall height of 50 cm;
• back - 40 cm.

In this case, the back and side walls and cover are made of thick plywood, while the front and floor are made of mesh. The length of the visor is 30 cm.

Cages for California rabbits

This breed has recently become more and more popular in our country. It's all about the very good adaptability of Californian rabbits to weather conditions in any region. Very thick wool grows on their paws. Therefore, they do not freeze in winter. For animals of this breed, dwellings are arranged in the same way as for any other not too large. The optimal cage size for Californian rabbits is 120 x 60 x 60 cm.

N. I. Zolotukhin's cells

This option has recently been of great interest among rabbit breeders. NI Zolotukhin has been raising fluffy animals for more than 60 years and independently designed two varieties of rather convenient and practical cages for them - three-tiered and pyramidal.

The main feature of the first option is solid plywood floors. Only a 15 cm wide strip is made from the net at the back of the cage. The biological feature of rabbits is that they go to the toilet in this place (70% of all feces and all urine are collected here). To prevent waste products from falling on the heads of the animals from the lower tiers, the back wall of the cage is made inclined. That is, the grid on the floor protrudes beyond the plane of the complex. The back panel is made of opaque polycarbonate.

The floors of the pyramidal variety of Zolotukhin's cells have the same design. However, in this case, the tiers are simply displaced relative to each other by the width of the grid strip. As a result, the complex takes on a pyramidal shape when viewed in profile.

Another feature of Zolotukhin's cells are folding feeders. They rotate not on hinges or some complicated device, but on ordinary nails. The dimensions of the cages for Zolotukhin's rabbits are not too large - about 70 x 100 cm. However, the animals feel in them very well. Keeping rabbits in this farmer's cages does not need to be thoroughly cleaned weekly. It is enough just to sweep completely dry floors from time to time. Manure is cleared from the back of the tiers from the ground 1-2 times a year.

Sheds

So, now you know what the size of the cages for rabbits should be. Drawings of similar structures are presented on this page. Now let's see where to place the finished cells. Of course, you can put them right on the street. In this case, the tiers are usually placed under the trees. With this arrangement, in summer, the animals will be protected from direct sunlight, and in winter - from the piercing wind. However, it is better to install cells in special sheds. This is the name of structures with a gable roof, the side walls of which are formed by the back walls of the tiers. That is, the cells are installed in two rows with the facades inside the resulting room.

The doors of the shed are made double-winged. They are often double. In this case, in addition to the solid canvases, a mesh door is installed. In the summer, the boardwalks open. The mesh door remains closed. As a result, animals receive more light and fresh air. On the south side, an open-air cage is usually arranged for walking young animals.

Rabbit shed

It is not necessary to place the cells in the shed. You can also protect animals from rain, snow and severe frosts by arranging a comfortable barn for them. The most important thing in drawing up a project for such a structure is to ensure that there are no drafts in it. Their rabbits do not tolerate at all. The roof of the barn is best made single-pitched. In this case, it will be possible to dry and store hay on it. The floors are usually arranged slightly sloping towards the entrance. With this design, it will be more convenient to clean.

Be sure to arrange several windows in the barn. Rabbits need fresh air and plenty of light to thrive. Inside the shed, there must be a corner for storing inventory.

Baby cages are usually placed along the walls. The dwellings of rabbits with queen cells are in the middle of the barn.

What you need to know

The prescribed sizes of cages for feeding rabbits, keeping queens and breeding rabbits must be observed during manufacture. If you put a large animal in a small "room", nothing good will come of it. Deprived of the ability to move freely, the animal will develop poorly. The discomfort in the cages is also reflected very strongly in the ability of rabbits to reproduce. In addition, with a lot of crowding, the risk of various kinds of infectious diseases increases.

As you can see, making cages and even a barn for rabbits on your own is not at all difficult. Comfortable dwellings for these animals have a fairly simple design. The optimal cage size for rabbits depends only on the characteristics of the body constitution of this particular breed.

Rabbit breeders rarely buy ready-made factory cages. In the manufacture of the latter, today much attention is paid to the aesthetic side of the premises for rabbits: such products are beautiful, original, but they are expensive and do not always correspond to the standards of maintenance. It is much more economical to make housing for rabbits from available materials at hand with your own hands. This is quite within the power of many animal breeders.

Show all

Outdoor cages

The outer cage system for keeping rabbits is considered the most beneficial and most appropriate to their physiology.

The production of cells is possible from any building materials:

• brick;
• building blocks;
• boards and beams from any wood;
• metal mesh and die-cut;
• slate and roofing material.

Beautiful and original designs for keeping rabbits



Classic double design



Double cage with a permanent queen cell

The roughage nursery is hung from the outside, and the trough and drinker are placed inside. Sometimes a manhole is constructed into a walk surrounded by a metal mesh.



Option 1: with a permanent mother liquor

The most common design for raising rabbits at home is considered a cage for two rabbits, developed by scientists at the Institute of Animal Breeding and Rabbit Breeding almost 70 years ago.

Main dimensions:

• length 200 cm;
• width 65 cm;
• the height of the front wall is 55 cm;
• back wall height 40 cm.

The structure is installed on wooden supports at a height of 80 cm, this is the optimal size for convenient handling of animals. For breeding large breeds, it is permissible to increase the width and height by 5-10 cm, and the length by 50 cm.

The nesting department is permanently established. Primary requirements:

• boardwalk or plywood floor;
• facade length 40 cm;
• the width of the mother liquor is equal to the width of the cell;
• manhole 20 cm high and 17 cm wide;
• the presence of an external door for monitoring the offspring.

The cage is divided by a hay nursery made of two frames covered with a 35x35 mm mesh. The aft compartments are fitted with mesh doors on both sides. Detachable hinged feeders and drinkers.



Option 2: insert queen cells

The difference between cells with a plug-in mother liquor is to use it as needed. The dimensions of the portable nesting compartment are 40x30x20 cm, it is made of plywood. When installed, the rabbit has an additional resting place at the top of the insert box.

The absence of a permanent nesting compartment allows you to slightly reduce the size of the house for rabbits:

• length 142 cm;
• width 70 cm;
• heights of the front and rear walls: 79 and 56 cm.

A design of this type is called maple-chegodaevskaya. When the cages are not occupied by adult rabbits, young animals can be kept in them, 3-4 heads per place.



Plug-in mother liquor

The need for building materials

The consumption of building materials for one double cage is:

• board, timber - 0.2 cubic meters m;
• metal mesh for the floor with a cell of 18x18 mm - 1.3 sq. m;
• mesh for walls with a cell 35x35 mm - 0.6 sq. m.



The appearance of a double cage

Group cages for young animals

The need for area or stocking density of young stock, sorted by age and sex, is 0.25 sq. m per head, the optimal joint keeping is up to 10 rabbits. Based on these figures, simple group dwellings are being built. They can stretch up to 7 meters in length, the groups are separated only by partitions in a common long cage.

The structure has a 70 cm wide shelter and a 1 meter wide net walk. Single-storey structures are grouped into blocks for ease of maintenance.

In the south, rabbit dwellings are installed facing west to avoid heatstroke in animals.

Roof and additional tiers

The roof of the cages is made of boards with a front overlap of 25-30 cm and a back up to 20 cm.

Insulating roofing can be any: profile, slate, roofing felt or other materials. But it is better to cover structures for keeping rabbits with natural materials, for example, reed mats or straw mats.

Tiers

If you arrange a plank roof without a slope, and on top of it install another cage, similar to the first, you get a two-tier structure. This is the optimal solution when there is a shortage of territory for arranging cages on one floor, but on condition that a metal or plastic pan for collecting feces is installed under the bottom of the top.

Three-tiered and multi-tiered structures are possible. But in this case, there may be difficulties with the maintenance of the upper cells.



Bunk cages under a canopy

8 essential steps to making a cage

A detailed guide to making a house for rabbits with all the variety of options for structures and methods of their construction is based on one diagram.



Scheme of a classic double cage

Step-by-step instructions for making a cage:

1. 1. A drawing is drawn up or a typical version of the cage is taken.
2. 2. The place for the rabbitry is determined, on which, according to the dimensions in the plan, supports are installed from wooden (brick, stone, block, metal) pillars.
3. 3. Anchor points are connected (connected) between themselves by wooden beams in a single plane at one level.
4. 4. On a flat, large, strictly horizontally installed table, a strong frame frame of the floor of the future cage is assembled (from a bar with a cross section of at least 50x50 mm).
5. 5. A net for the floor is attached to the frame or boards are stuffed in the case of solid floors for the mother liquor.
6. 6. The frame frames of the side and rear walls are assembled alternately with the simultaneous reinforcement of a metal mesh on them, the required number of doors to the stern and mother compartment, if necessary, continuous sheathing of the rear walls is performed.
7. 7. The roofing board is assembled from the boards.
8. 8. Starting from the floor frame, all manufactured parts of the floor, walls and roof are assembled into a single structure, which is fixed on the supports.



Cell framework

It is not necessary to nail or supplement anything in the cage already installed on the supports unnecessarily: everything must be taken into account before installing the structure on the supports. Otherwise, it will become unreliable and short-lived.

According to this plan, you can build homemade rabbit houses of any type from various materials.

Non-standard solutions and ideas for making cells

Rabbit breeding is considered a fast-paying and highly profitable business with a skillful organization of a rabbit farm, even on a small plot and with insignificant start-up investments. A novice rabbit breeder can use new models and original ideas in technologies for arranging a dwelling for animals, despite the fact that they only solve local problems.

Zolotukhin's method

Professional rabbit breeders do not find anything particularly revolutionary in Zolotukhin's method, but there are still original ideas. The main postulates of an experienced rabbit breeder, based on practice and long-term observation of animals:

• the floor should be solid, not mesh, and arranged with a slope towards the disposal of feces, which will prevent pododermatitis in rabbits;
• only the back wall should have a small section of the mesh floor;
• displacement of the 2nd tier by a small distance towards the faeces runoff will ensure the normal sanitary condition of the lower row;
• displacement of the 3rd tier relative to the second will provide cleanliness in the second, and so on.

Cell design according to Mikhailov

Academician Mikhailov's method called "accelerated rabbit breeding" is aimed at creating the most comfortable and ideal sanitary conditions for raising rabbits. This goal is embedded in the design of a rabbit house, which is quite difficult to make on your own.

The use of Mikhailov's system gives good results. But the price of cells of such a design is too high, and the payback period is quite long.



Dwellings for rabbits according to Mikhailov

Most inexpensive options

These include fast-build and durable structures made entirely of metal mesh. But keeping animals outdoors in mesh houses in the fresh air is impossible in the Russian climate. Therefore, when using such cages, a room is necessary, and this may not be affordable for the breeder.

It is quite difficult to create conditions for the cultivation of these animals, identical to their natural habitat. But developments in this direction are already underway.