Breeding any kind of pet is not only an interesting hobby, but also an opportunity to receive a steady income. However, this requires careful preparation. For example, to grow rabbits, first think about building a rabbit. You can build this design yourself, but you need to take into account some requirements.
What should be the design
In order for the rabbitcher to serve for a long time and solve all the problems, before construction starts, you need to arm yourself with the following information:
- Estimated number of individuals
- Breed rabbits,
- Their age
- Gender as well as physical indicators.
Also consider the fact that rabbitry should be built as simple and convenient as possible. To animals should be free permanent access. This will facilitate the care of them.
Depending on the need, you can make a house for keeping and breeding rabbits of different types: single or multi-tiered, single or consisting of several sections, autonomous or as an extension to an existing room.
Appointment and device rabbitry
There are two meanings of the word "rabbitry": a room with cages for rabbits and interconnected aviaries. Most often such mini-farms are established in the open air.
Most rabbit breeders prefer rabbitries in the form of a well-lit, ventilated and heated room. Cages for rabbits are set in tiers. In regions with a warm climate, outdoor multicellular structures with a canopy are used.
Creating drawings for the rabbit is important to observe the following requirements:
- Provide krolley comfortable living conditions.
- Make cages comfortable for breeding and subsequent breeding.
- The height and width of the room should be suitable for the free movement of the rabbit breeder between the cages.
- Equip enclosures with convenient litter cleaning system.
Common designs and their features
The most popular is the design of a closed type with good ventilation, heated and illuminated with additional devices. Sometimes automatic drinkers are installed. Animal houses are set in several rows, on top of each other (usually 3-storey structures). Between the rows leave one and a half meter passes. Indoors create a utility room for storing equipment, hay and feed.
Make a rabbitry yourself in mini-farm format. Such structures are used in regions with a warm climate, since they are installed on the street. It is recommended to raise the farm above the ground by a meter, for example, by lengthening the legs.
Pitcher rabbitks - ambiguous design, with its pluses and minuses.
- In nature, rabbits live in burrows, so these conditions are close to natural.
- Climatic conditions in the holes do not need to be further regulated, since the necessary temperature and humidity are maintained inside.
- Beneficial effect on the reproduction of rabbits.
- The young growth quickly develops, possesses good immunity.
- It helps to increase the muscle mass of rodents.
- Feeding is facilitated by having one feeder.
- Reproduction is not controlled.
- Observation of individual animals is difficult.
- Getting a crawl out of a hole is also problematic.
- If you install an insufficiently deep fence under the ground, rabbits can escape.
The depth of the hole is 1-2 meters. It is recommended to concrete the floor and walls to prevent rodents from escaping. Sand is poured onto the floor of the pit and a net is placed in order to simplify the cleaning of the pets. Be sure to install a container for water and food.
In regions with a cold climate, it is recommended to abandon the street housing of rabbits or breeding in unheated rooms. Sheds and farms are specially insulated in two ways:
- Warming of cells of each rodent.
- Installing heaters in the rabbit.
In rodent habitats, it is important to maintain a comfortable temperature: in the range of +5 to +20 degrees. In the winter season, do not let the temperature drop more than 5 degrees below zero. Heat in the room contributes to the rapid mass gain in pets, reproduction and maintaining health.
It is not recommended to lower the temperature more than +10 in the place where the pregnant rabbit and the rabbit are kept. Low temperatures adversely affect the growth, development and health of animals. Frostbite can cause death of rabbits. Young animals are born without fluff, therefore they are especially susceptible to the effects of cold. Despite the care of the mother about the nest and the youngs weatherization, care should be taken to ensure the health of the animals and to heat the rabbits. With constant exposure to drafts and cold, young animals are reduced immunity, the speed of development and weight gain.
An unusual method of insulation is the installation of a “pocket” of thick plywood sheet to the bottom of the cage. An electric heating pad or wire is laid in a niche. Heating mode is determined individually, depending on the climate.
Principles to follow when creating rabbit
In order for the rabbits to grow up healthy, multiply and gain weight, it is important to build a comfortable rabbit house in compliance with sanitary and hygienic norms. You should be familiar with the standards of temperature, ventilation and lighting.
Lighting is an important aspect of the life of rabbits. Despite the natural habitat conditions (burrows), in the daytime rabbits are in the illuminated area. The lack of light reduces the ability of rabbits to multiply, inhibits the immune system, prevents the formation and absorption of vitamins in the body. Therefore, in rodents appetite decreases, apathy appears and the risk of spreading diseases increases.
Exposure to direct sunlight can also negatively affect pets. Prolonged contact with the sun leads to hypothermia, inflammation of the mucous membranes and eyes. Therefore, when keeping rabbits on the street, a carport should be installed.
At temperatures below +10 and above +20 degrees, the development of animals slows down, the occurrence of heat stroke is possible. Ventilation in the rabbit core is mandatory to prevent excessive heating.
Types and sizes of cells
There are many accommodation options for rabbits. Each type of design has its own characteristics, advantages, disadvantages and purpose.
The cage for keeping a pregnant rabbit with a young stock should be equipped with a nest. Basics of nest building:
- The window in the box is cut at a height of about 10 cm from the floor, so that the young do not fall out and do not get out.
- The floor in the cage is solid.
- So that the nest constructed from plywood is not rotten, it is necessary to cover the bottom with an iron sheet and sprinkle it with a thick layer of hay.
- At the nest should make the opening cover.
- Take care of room heating if the temperature is lower than recommended (for example, install an infrared lamp in a special box).
Two-section and group cells are suitable for keeping two or more individuals simultaneously. Group content is used for young stock up to six months of age. If aggression is shown by one of the rodents, the individuals should be seated.
Cells: their characteristics and types
Certain cages are made for each rabbit breed. Knowing what animals you plan to have, you can think of the size and type of cells for this particular breed. In addition, the size of the cells is also influenced by the number of rabbits that are planned to be placed in them.
For example, an adult pair of individuals is recommended to be kept in a cage with the dimensions of 1400x700x700 mm. For young animals, which will be in significant numbers in one cage, space is required at the rate of 12-15 square centimeters per individual.
Location
Before you make a rabbitry with your own hands, you should choose its location at which the livestock will not get sick and die. Factors positively affecting the lives of animals:
- The presence of direct sunlight (choosing a place, pay attention to this criterion in the first place, because the effects of ultraviolet animals will get sick more often).
- The absence of unpleasant odors will also have a positive effect on the development of the livestock.
- You should also protect rabbits from sources of noise.
- Rabbit house should be protected from cold wind, damp and high humidity.
If the place is selected from all the above recommendations, then you can start creating a drawing of cages for rabbits. It is important to determine the design features of the future rabbit.
Materials that are recommended to use
It is necessary to understand that we are not building rabbitries for one day, therefore materials are required to use durable and weakly susceptible to various kinds of corrosion. We also remember that rabbits are rodents, so the cage must be protected from them. For this, all wooden elements should be sheathed with metal.
Before you start building a high-quality rabbit with your own hands, you must complete its scheme, which will include cell drawings for rabbits, as well as a plan for the whole structure. In addition, the dimensions of each cage and the whole rabbitry will be indicated here, and a list of the necessary materials (roofing materials, flooring, consumables, etc.) will be carefully recorded.
For each cell, depending on its inhabitants, it is necessary to observe minimum dimensions. This information must be included in the drawings of the house for rabbits.
- Properly made rabbitrets for a pair of animals are rooms consisting of two sections. Each cell should have a size of at least 1400x700x700 mm. Offices for food in the form of bunkers are most conveniently placed at each end of the building. In the middle of the building, directly between the sections is installed sennik.
- For the maintenance of young rabbits (up to 2 months), the parameters of rabbitry construction are as follows: 3000x1000x600 mm (length x width x height). The area of each cell should definitely be larger than 0.12 sq. M.
- Place small rabbits with a rabbit should be in a room of at least 0.6 square meters. Also inside the cage, the so-called nest box with dimensions of 350x300x250 mm is installed specifically for the young. In such a “room” the female with the babies will feel comfortable and calm.
- Making a two-tier version is also not a big deal how to make a rabbit in one tier. This option of construction will allow to save the useful area on a personal plot.
Having decided on the type of construction, the size of the premises for food and animals, as well as the future place, you can start the process of building an rabbit with your own hands.
Build a house for rabbits yourself
Schematically, the construction of rabbit houses can be divided into several stages:
- Preparation for construction includes the selection of the necessary tools, making a list of the necessary materials.
- Next, you should make projects, make a drawing.
- The actual construction work begins with the preparation and assembly of the framework of the future product.
- After the frame is ready, it is sheathed and the roof and doors are installed.
- The final stages are the installation of the ladder and systems for animal feed and watering.
Following this simple algorithm, you can make a house quickly and efficiently.
Training
Preparatory work includes not only the creation of a drawing of the future structure, but also the choice of location, preparation of tools and the purchase of materials. You should also decide on what kind of device rabbitry will be needed.
Such a pre-fabricated structure should be located not lower than 1 m from ground level. This is done in order not to freeze in the cold season.
It is necessary to provide for the division of cells into rooms for young animals and females. Experts in rabbit breeding recommend females to settle in darker (shaded) cells, and young stock can be placed in rooms lighter.
Sometimes rabbit owners, before building a rabbit, provide small enclosures for walking. In addition, care must be taken about ventilation.
What materials and tools to use
The list of necessary raw materials may vary depending on the preferences of the owner, as well as on the basis of the type of rabbit. However, the main materials to be used can be listed:
- Metal corners,
- Nets for rabbits (the cells should be small),
- Of metal products are also used slats
- Wooden bars for the manufacture of the frame. They are also used in the manufacture of supports,
- Boarding,
- Ruberoid,
- Styrofoam. It is used for isolation,
- Ventilation can be purchased full or do it yourself,
- Consumables (fasteners, nails, etc.),
- Latches.
The main tools in the construction are hammer, hammer drill and grinder. Additionally, you need to stock up on a tape measure, scissors for cutting metal.
Drawing up a drawing
The quality of the final result depends on the accuracy of the information in the drawing. Therefore, this process is approached responsibly. The diagram indicates the exact dimensions of all elements, the location of the compartments (cages, feeders, doors, etc.). Also here is a list of all materials and their quantities.
Only after drawing the necessary information on the scheme and checking the amount of necessary consumables, proceed directly to construction.
We are going to frame
The size of the frame depends on the number of cells and tiers in the rabbit. It is made with the help of wooden bars (5x5 cm).
Although you can also use metal. However, the construction of a metal frame requires the presence of welding, which is not always possible at home. The connecting elements in the frame are metal corners.
Once the frame is prepared, it is filled with elements (the basics of future premises). Make them from the grid mounted on the frames of wood.
The frame is sheathed from the inside using a chain-link mesh. It is recommended to select cell sizes approximately equal to 20x20 mm. Pre-grid is cut into elements in accordance with the dimensions prescribed in the rabbit scheme. After these elements are fixed with clamps (here you can also use simple wire and pliers).
The back wall of the house is recommended to make a deaf in order to avoid drafts and protect animals from diseases. Make it out of polycarbonate or plain plywood. Flap doors for cages are made of bars. They are attached to the bottom of the structure, and a lock is installed on top.
A fine mesh mesh is placed on the floor for easy cleaning. Also the mesh floor contributes to additional ventilation of the room. However, for animals it is not so convenient, so plywood is often put on the grid (a sheet should be made so that it is easily removed from the cage). In order to avoid damage to the paws, some owners install a drain in the cage - a plastic product (any non-metallic product is used) in the form of a lattice.
The main requirement for the rabbit's roof is that the coating must be moisture-resistant and not be heated by direct sunlight. Otherwise, the choice of roofing depends on the wishes of the owner.
Feeding troughs and watering systems
The basic rule for the installation of feeding systems, as well as drinkers, is that they must be made of a material that does not emit harmful substances. Usually use wood.
Install the feeders on the nets and place them in different corners of the rabbit. The dimensions should be such that all animals at the same time can freely approach them.
Rabbitks for use all year round
The task of such buildings to help the rabbits survive the winter frosts. Therefore, the all-season version provides for warm compartments in which animals can warm up in winter.
Farmers solve this issue in different ways:
- Some place a kind of "pocket" under the bottom of the building, where the heater is located, supporting the required temperature in winter.
- Other farmers use special insulating materials for wall and floor cladding. Such materials retain heat in cells as much as possible.
Whichever construction option is chosen, it is necessary to follow certain rules of hygiene, lighting, temperature, as well as ventilation and air exchange in the cells. If you correctly approach this issue, your pets will bring not only joy, but also a certain income.
Beginning of work
Between the idea of building a rabbitry and its embodiment there is an important design stage. You should study the peculiarities of keeping eared pets and make the house as comfortable as possible for both animals and the one who will look after them. Always remember that rabbits are living creatures with their needs.
Having decided on the breed, plan further livestock. The size of the animals, their gender and age make their adjustments to the rabbit's design. Starting construction, it is better to consider the possibility of further expansion.
Тщательно выбирайте место. Постарайтесь найти удаленный от источников громкого шума участок. Отдайте предпочтение теневой стороне и возвышениям: летом солнце не будет причинять животным дискомфорт, а в дождливую погоду в крольчатник не затечет вода. Ни в коем случае он не должен соседствовать с компостной ямой.
Ничто не должно препятствовать доступу к клеткам. They themselves should be as spacious and comfortable as possible.
Size selection
The rabbit dimensions are calculated based on the number, gender and age of its inhabitants.
Adult individuals live in individual cages with dimensions of 100x60 cm. It is important for mature males to have more space, therefore parameters can be increased for them.
A mother rabbit requires a cage with dimensions of at least 170x100x60 cm. It is good if her house is in the shade. Install it at a height of 70-80 cm from the ground.
A large pet weighing more than 5 kg needs sufficient space - at least 130x70x40 cm. The roof can be made inclined by reducing the rear wall height by 10-15 cm.
Juveniles are kept in groups of up to 20 heads. Groups of 3-5 rabbits live up to 3 months in separate structures, older animals are kept in batches of up to 4 individuals. The cell area should be 50x50x35.
Of course, you have the right to change these parameters to suit your needs, but try not to make the cells smaller. For normal life, rabbits, like any living creature, need space.
Choice of type of construction
Familiarize yourself with the photos of the ready rabbitrers and see how they are arranged.
Given the number of pets, calculate how many cells you need and how best to install them. In addition to single and two-section, rabbitry can be:
- Single deck
- Multi-tiered,
- With aviary,
- In the form of an extension to the main room.
Having a clear plan, proceed to the construction of the drawing rabbit. Consider in it every little thing: the size, location of doors, feeders and drinkers, taking into account the needs of each pet.
Try to choose environmentally friendly materials. They must be durable: by nature, rabbits are rodents, and otherwise they will quickly become homeless. Wooden parts of the frame for reliability do not be too lazy to upholster with metal (tin can fit from cans).
Also, the tree should not be treated with antiseptic: for rabbits, it is quite toxic. Careful drying of the frame will allow it to last longer.
For plating, the best option would be a galvanized chain-link mesh with a mesh size of 20x20 mm. Flat mesh will go on the bottom. Thanks to her, cleaning is greatly simplified: the effects of animal life will fall into the holes. Downstairs for them can provide a receiving bunker.
For this reason, solid wood flooring will not work. Boards are harder to clean, they absorb urine, resulting in a deteriorating microclimate, and the tree itself begins to rot.
If only a flat mesh acts as a floor, the pet runs the risk of earrings. A small sheet of plywood in a cage protects the legs. From time to time it must be removed and cleaned.
Make the facade of the house and the door of steel mesh. From it (cell 50х50 mm) a sennik is made.
The roof must reliably protect each tier of the rabbitcher from moisture. A simple wavy slate or ruberoid will do. Discard metal, as it gets very hot in the sun.
Will protect from drafts the deaf walls from polycarbonate, boards or plywood. The bearing frame of the rabbitry standing on the street is best done from an iron corner of 45x45 mm.
Nuances of construction
The rabbitry standing outdoors should be located approximately one meter above the ground. This makes it easier for the owner to care for, and protects pets from snakes and other rodents.
The most convenient are folding doors. The hinges hold them from the bottom, and a lock or latch is mounted on top. They are made of wood and mesh, metal unduly weight it.
Allowed to install cells in several tiers. Between them there should be a layer of slate or other moisture-proof material.
Take care of good ventilation throughout the rabbit dwelling. The bottom of the cage of the female should be supplemented with a pallet.
Corner of the pregnant rabbit should have a tight door.
Rabbits feel comfortable at a temperature of 10-20º. Therefore, in the winter you need to either move the house in the open air to a warm place, or insulate the existing dwelling.
Door sheathe plywood. Even better, if you glaze it - this option will allow animals to get more sunlight. Wood flooring is supplemented with a layer of hay. Walls can be insulated with regular foam.
An alternative approach is the construction of a special shed with heating. Be sure to make the foundation, and the room itself can be wooden or brick. The main thing is that there are no drafts anywhere. Doors should also be tightly framed and protect the barn from the cold. On the south side, arrange the area for walking.
For giving it is more convenient the second variant of the organization of the rabbit.
Feeders and drinkers
For their manufacture is usually used wood. Plastic can be toxic, so it’s safer to use a classic material.
Place the feeders along the long side of the rabbit. Do not make a bad decision about the size so that there will not be a crush during feeding. Their height is such that animals cannot take away food.
The size of the feeder in the separation of the female with rabbits is at least 40x4x4 cm. The presence of retractable compartments will be actual.
Between the sections of the rabbit house provide gaps through which it is convenient to feed hay and mixed fodder. Through the nursery with the outer door you can offer the animals rough food.
Attach the drinker to the side wall. “Cheap and angry”, but an effective option is a bowl and a bottle of water turned into it. A small hole is made in the cover. Thus, as you drink from the bowl, the drinking bowl will be refilled from the bottle.
Making a rabbitry with your own hands is easy. Look at the photos - these can be real cozy houses. If animals feel good without discomfort, they will grow and reproduce faster, which any breeder wants.
Before you build a rabbit
Any construction does not begin with drawings and budgeting, but with the definition of goals and objectives for which the structure is being built. In our case, we must first give clear answers to such questions:
- How many animals will be kept at a time? There is a fundamental difference between a farm for a dozen animals and a farm for 200 rabbits.
- Where exactly are you planning to place the cells - on the street, under a light canopy, barely protecting from the sun, rain and wind, or in a warm barn?
- Will systems of automatic feeding of water and food, as well as waste disposal, be implemented?
- Should cells be portable or stationary?
Only by answering these three questions, you can begin to design and begin construction of the rabbit. Now we know whether it is possible to get by with three hastily brought down portable cells, or we need to build a whole rabbit town that will be serviced by semi-automatic mechanisms or living people.
By the way, if you plan to breed rabbits in large quantities and sell the resulting products, you will also have to coordinate construction with government services.
Rabbit place
There are no particularly strict requirements regarding where to place the rabbitry on the site, there is no. The main thing is to adhere to self-evident rules, ignoring of which will inevitably lead to the loss of livestock.
First, to build a rabbit, you need to choose a dry place. Boggy or often flooded areas are not suitable. Excess moisture will not only accelerate the corrosion of building materials, but also create an unhealthy microclimate around the rabbit. As a result, the cells will wear out faster, and the mortality rate among animals will be high.
Secondly, try to position the cells "back" to the most windy direction (usually it is north). Rabbits do not like drafts or wind, so it is better to protect them as much as possible from these phenomena of nature. If possible, there should be thick trees or shrubs around the rabbitry that can soften strong winds.
Thirdly, the rabbitry must not be under direct sunlight all day. In winter, it may be good, but in the summer in the cells will be a true oven. Especially in the southern regions. If it just so happened that you got an absolutely “bald” plot without trees that could cast a shadow on the cages, then either make a rabbit in the room, or raise at least a light canopy (you can even just spruce branches or brushwood), who would save from the scorching sun.
And again, we remind you that if you plan to grow rabbits for sale, you will have to build a rabbit core, taking into account the existing official building codes for such facilities.
Ready Rabbits Mikhailov
Thanks to the Internet, the two most successful rabbit designs have become known to the general public, which today are used by many professional farmers. We are talking about rabbit festivals according to the schemes of Mikhailov and Zolotukhin.
Mikhailovsky rabbitks are a two- or three-tier structure, where the upper tiers occupy residential sections, and on the lower tier there is a hermetic collection container. There are several models of these cells (for young animals for fattening, for pregnant rabbits and rabbits with rabbits, for adult males), but they are all united by a common idea - the presence of a built-in sealed container for all cell sections where manure accumulates.
The rabbitks of this design have a blank back wall, while the other three are mesh. Also, the unit has a built-in ventilation system, heated drinkers and mother liquors.
Another key feature that Mikhailovsky's modern rabbit fame is known for is the maximum automation of all processes. Manure is removed from the cell and accumulates in the container itself. At the same time the smell does not penetrate into the living compartment. Also in the cells are equipped with self-feeders and automatic drinkers. That is, it is really necessary to maintain the cage only once a week - to remove the manure from the hopper, fill the feed in the feeder and change the canister with water.
The disadvantage of Mikhailov's cells is that they need to be bought (and for substantial money), since they will not make them on their own. At best, you get a simplified copy. It will be a good quality cage, but you will not achieve the results that can be achieved with real rabbitry. In addition, rabbits should be raised in cages of the Mikhailov construction by a special method.
General design and layout of rabbit
Zolotukhin's rabbitry is a simpler design that can be successfully assembled on its own. Most of the farmers who make the cells with their own hands, mostly use this design, making changes to it according to their tasks.
In rabbit Zolotukhin also present a system of self-removal of waste, which is a special design of the floor. Instead of the usual horizontal layout, flat slate or plywood is laid at an angle so that the feces and urine roll under the back wall. There between the floor and the wall there is a gap of 15-20 cm, covered with a metal grid.
Residential compartments can be placed in two or three tiers, but in order for the waste removal system to work, each next tier needs to be moved back relative to the bottom one by the width of the grid at the rear.
In its standard form, the cage has two residential compartments on each tier, but Zolotukhin’s design is just that, making the rabbitry with your own hands, you can easily make modifications to the original design. If desired, you can mount a long cage with a dozen compartments on each tier. True, then they can no longer be transferred from place to place if necessary.
The rabbit's back and side walls are made deaf to minimize heat loss. The roof is usually single-flat for the street or flat when placed under a canopy (or indoors).
The dimensions of the rabbitcher are:
- width - 1 meter per residential section,
- height - 0.5 meters per section plus 30-40 cm between the floor / ground and the lower tier,
- depth - not less than 70 cm for the compartments of the lower tier (the upper ones are deeper due to the removal of the rear wall),
- floor slope - 10-15 degrees,
- grid width at the rear wall - 15-20 cm.
The proportions of the door and the grid window on the front side of the cage are chosen at its discretion.
Feeders, drinkers and other small things
Before making the rabbitry, think over the feed and water supply system. Since rabbits require both grass / hay and grain feed, both types of feeders need to be provided in the cage.
The feeder for bulk feed according to Zolotukhin’s method is mounted directly into the cage door so that 1/3 of the total volume of the tank is inside. The feeder is proposed to be made in the form of a tray or hopper with edges of unequal height: the side with the lower edge should be inside the cage, and the high edge should be outside. The sizes of the feeders are selected individually, but the general recommendations are:
- high edge - 15-20 cm,
- low edge - 5-7 cm,
- width - 5-10 cm,
- length - a little less than the door itself.
A bunker for hay and grass is made exactly according to the same principle, it is only placed on the “window” and has a much larger size. Also difference in the materials of manufacture. Obviously, solid material is needed for bulk feed - wood, tin, plexiglass, etc. But the sennik is made from the rabbit's net.
To supply water, of course, it is better to use a nipple system, but for this you have to spend money on its acquisition. To save money, you can construct a primitive bowl drinker from scrap materials. However, it is important that the design of such a drinker meets three requirements — it was minimally polluted, easy to clean, and not overturned by the rabbit itself.
It should also be noted that in the cells of Zolotukhin there is no stationary rabbit mother liquor. A rabbit is simply placed in a wider compartment in which a portable house-hole is put in winter (it must be securely fixed in a cage), and in the summer a large armful of hay is placed, where the female makes a nest. This simulates the natural conditions for animals.
Materials for rabbitry
When building cells, you can use any available materials, but wood is best suited. It is environmentally safe, easily accessible and easy to process.
The skeleton of the cage can be made of wooden beams, or from metal corners. The walls and floor in the rabbitry make of boards or plywood. Outside, they can be sheathed with tin, but from the inside there should be wood. Zolotukhin does not recommend making netting floors, since, according to him, rabbits suffer a lot when they are forced to move on the netting floor. Use the grid only at the back wall, where the feces and urine roll down.
The roof is made either from the same boards or plywood, or from ordinary slate. The front part of the cage is a large window and door. If the door is made of planks or plexiglass, then the very “window” of the grid. Material for the manufacture of feeders and drinkers - according to circumstances.
By the way, it is better to make the floors removable, so that from time to time they can be removed and washed. Of course, for this, the front section or the roof must also be removable, so that the floor itself can be removed.
Primary requirements
A whole farm for several hundred heads, special sheds, cages for outdoor or indoor maintenance can be designed for production. Regardless of the conditions in which the animals will be kept - it is necessary to take into account physical parameters, breed, age and sex. Future design should be easy to manufacture. Constant care for individuals requires inspections, disinfection, feeding. Inconvenient rabbitcher should not adversely affect the health of animals. Therefore, it should be as spacious and comfortable as possible. Proper fulfillment of some requirements will reduce the time for maintenance and make care easy.
Choice of place
Before construction it is necessary to pick up a place on a personal plot. In the daytime, the area should be shaded from direct sunlight. It is best to make the rabbit with his hands located on a hill. We can not allow the appearance of cold gusts of wind, stale and damp air. Do not place the rabbitry near the compost pit. This will lead to the gradual extinction of individuals or the entire population. It is also not recommended to build a dwelling for rabbits near a dog aviary or other sources of noise.
Design
The structure should be solid. therefore you need to choose only good strong materials. The future house should be raised at least 1 m, before building, you should carefully carry out the drawings and find a place on the site. Also in the pet house should be ventilation.
How to keep a pair of rabbits
For two adult animals should build a warm room with two sections. Required sizes:
- Length not less than 140 cm,
- Width not less than 60-70 cm,
- Height is 50-70 cm,
Along the edges of the structure should be placed feeders and drinkers with fresh water. It will be very difficult to get into the feeders with their paws. Between sections it is necessary to place an inclined grid. Hay or green fodder is placed in its frame. The inside of the building is called the sennik. In order to save space, you can make two or three tiers mounted on each other. Но стоит учесть, что в нижней конструкции понадобится искусственная вентиляция. Последние два яруса могут обходиться природной циркуляцией воздуха при помощи ветра. Такие клетки будут компактными и удобными. В них легко можно добавлять пищу и производить уборку.
Групповое содержание молодняка
- Рекомендуемая длина 200-300 см,
- Width 80-100 cm
- Height not less than 35-60 cm
Such constructions are intended for keeping young individuals not older than 2 months. Calculate the volume of housing is necessary from the number of livestock. One individual will need a space of 0.12 square meters. m
Female and newborn baby rabbits
A female with newborn babies needs at least 0.6 square meters. m, also in the cage should be breeding capacity. Recommended tank sizes:
- Length not less than 34-36 cm
- Height is 30-32 cm
- Width 25-28 cm,
In the presence of a box or queen rabbit and its offspring will feel safe. Sawdust, hay or down should be placed at the bottom of the tank.
Any kind of rabbitry should be a spacious and comfortable cage. The dwelling can be:
- Single
- Two-section,
- Single deck
- Multi-tiered,
- With an aviary for walks,
- Attached to the back wall of the main room.
Preparatory work
- Before you begin, you need to make drawings. The scheme should reflect the exact dimensions of drinking bowls, feeders, doors, houses.
- It is necessary to have a building 1 m above the ground. This will ensure the flow of heat in the winter. The location of the rabbitry on damp earth will lead to excessive cold. Permanent colds develop into a lethal outcome.
- Cells must be divided into 2 departments: young and females. For the female, choose a more shaded area. Young animals will be enough bright room.
- There must be a small passage between the rooms. Its height must be at least 10 cm from the grid. Due to this, the kids will not be able to escape from the rabbitry.
- Recommended rabbit size: 1x0.7x0.8 m.
- The structure is recommended to upholster with iron.
- On the floor it is necessary to lay the grid. In the compartment for the female, it is imperative to use a pallet.
- The place for the rabbit rabbit should be closed by a tight door. All other stacks can be closed with a regular grid.
- You can provide a small pen or aviary for walks.
- The walking place must be made of a grid with a base of a wooden frame.
- Ventilation should be located throughout the rabbit.
Materials used
Build rabbitry can be using the following materials:
- Iron corners
- Galvanized iron,
- Special mesh with small cells,
- Soft or hard ruberoid,
- Bars for the base, frame, supports,
- For plating you need wooden boards,
- To create the floor - mesh and slats made of metal,
- Latches,
- Self-tapping screws
- Nails
- Fasteners
- Foam insulation,
- Purchased ventilation or pipe.
Frame and its assembly
The recommended size of a single frame: 70x50x50 cm. The material is cut with a hacksaw. You will also need 4 vertical racks, 8 pieces of a corner. They are required for the foundation and roof of the building.
- Two pieces of the corner tightly connected. Thus it turns out the base structure.
- To get the frame under the cover, you should take two small rectangle.
- Holes are drilled using a drill.
- Thanks to the nuts and bolts, fastening occurs.
- In the corners for attachment should be applied insert.
- Work done can be welded using a welding machine. If there is no such tool, you can do with nuts and bolts.
- Before installation on the racks, it is necessary to finish the corner with wooden bars.
- The first rectangle intended for the base should have a batten consisting of 4-5 bars.
- Crossmembers should be fixed to the corner with the help of drilled holes.
For cladding, you can use clamps or metal mesh.
- The grid is installed on the frame itself.
- The grid can be cut on the edges or leave a single cut.
- In the second case, it can be bent at the corners.
- It is strengthened with vertical racks of metal corners. At the same time, the clamps must be tightened very tightly.
Ruberoid can be used for this.
- It is pulled over a crate created from a bar.
- Stuffed with mounting strips.
- Also allowed to use screws.
For convenience, the doors can be folding.
- Doors must be secured at the bottom of the building with hinges.
- At the top of the set lock or latch.
- To create the necessary metal corner. The recommended material is wood.
- We saw the material to the required size, we connect it into a rectangle and attach it to the slats.
- So that the doors do not falter - they must be upholstered with tin or net.
Ramp for rabbits
The ladder is a simple non-metallic lattice design. She is laid on the rabbit's floor. Thanks to the ladder eliminates the possibility of damage to the paws during frost or strong cooling. Experienced professionals recommend using plastic containers that are designed for transporting and storing fruits as a ladder. Pros when using such containers:
- Low price for the material. In some cases, capacity can be obtained for free,
- Plastic does not oxidize,
- The containers are easy to clean and clean.
The disadvantages include:
- Frequent material changes
- The appearance of cracks during frosts,
- The likelihood of holes from the teeth of animals.
All-season version with insulated compartments
Another convenient design is the all season rabbit hand-made. It has warm compartments that help animals to survive frosts, cold winds and showers without problems. You can build it using this scheme.
Video Pavel Tverkin
Tips for making
- The tree protruding inside the house, the passage in the partition, which should separate the free-standing compartment and the mother liquor, should be carefully upholstered with tin. Thanks to this design, animals will not be able to destroy the walls.
- When installing the cage on the street or under a canopy, it is necessary to place the container above the plank floor. Only after that the metal grid and the ladder are laid on top. Because of this, in the winter when decomposing the compost, additional heat will begin to be released. In rabbitry temperature will rise. The stay of animals in the cage will be the most comfortable.
- If the livestock breeder is a novice and makes the rabbitry with his own hands for the first time in his life, then in this case the professionals recommend using wood waste and waste material. When buying new heads or when offspring appears, there will be a need for new cells. The experience gained will help design the structure of high quality building materials. With subsequent construction, you can use the material most efficiently.
Rabbits and rats
Once the rabbit has been built with his own hands, you should remember about the occurrence of wild rodents. Rats are considered carriers of bacteria, various infections. These animals can cause irreparable harm to adults and their offspring. Therefore, it is necessary to make sure that the rats do not bother the rabbits. For this you need:
- Do not scatter food throughout rabbitry,
- Thoroughly mulch and weed,
- Garbage collection is required throughout. This is especially true of the territory in which the rabbit is located. Rodents in the garbage and waste can make holes. This neighborhood with rabbits is extremely unpleasant,
- It should be cleaned, disinfected and repaired rabbit.
In addition to the spread of infectious diseases, rodents can eat newborn babies. To date, there are a large number of means by which you can get rid of rats. Such preparations are various baits, ultrasonic whistles, ditches. At extermination of rodents it is necessary to be careful. Unreasoned actions can harm not only the rats, but also the rabbits themselves.
Nuances in the manufacture of rabbit
Novice rabbit growers making rabbitry at home need to study construction information and some tips to help avoid mistakes.
- Do not save on materials, especially on fastening systems. The strength of the structure is largely determined by the quality of fasteners.
- Carefully handle the edges on which the crawl can get hurt.
- For ease of cleaning for animals, set the mesh floor with a pallet. Through the mesh, feces and wastes fall into the pan and are easily removed.
- It is not recommended to use as a constipation a piece of wood on a carnation. Install the hook or bolt.
- Parts of the cage that the animal is able to gnaw are recommended to upholster with iron sheets.
Tools and materials
The rabbitry is designed without the use of expensive equipment. Carpenter tools needed. You may need a welding machine.
Manure removal should be provided in the rabbitry, in order to simplify the cleaning of the pets and prevent the development of diseases. Usually install a wooden pallet under the mesh floor.
The base of the cage is a tree that pets can gnaw through. Therefore, in addition to the construction use:
- Metal mesh for doors and parts of the cell.
- Corners made of metal.
- Slate, roofing material, metal leaves, wooden boards to create a roof.
- The mesh on the cells is fixed with a clamp.
Cells consist of several parts, each of which uses its own materials.
- The basis of the design is made of wood.
- To create a floor used metal mesh or wooden slats.
- For the manufacture of walls (except the front) using wooden boards. It is not recommended to use plywood, because the material is not waterproof, less durable.
- The front part is made of metal mesh. Iron material is used if in its manufacture used reinforcing compounds or paint against rust.
- For the roof, a material that is not very hot (roofing felt, slate sheets, wood) is used. Profiled flooring is used to construct cells under a canopy.
How to choose a place
The construction of the rabbitry begins with the selection of a suitable place.
According to construction standards, the construction of buildings for animals is allowed at a distance of 15 m to a residential building.
Main criteria for choosing a place:
- It is recommended to carry out construction on a site that is not exposed to flooding and excessive moisture. Choose a platform located on a slope or on a hill, so that water and melting snow flowed down.
- Minimal wind exposure is an important site selection criterion. Crawls are subject to drafts, so to protect the health of pets, you should choose a place that is not blown by the winds, or enclose the room additionally. Trees can serve as protection.
- Do not build rabbitry on groundwater. The deposits should be located at a depth of at least 1.5 m.
- Land should be suitable for construction: not too loose and loose.
- It is not recommended to install the rabbitry next to the road, industrial facilities and noise sources.
It is necessary to select a site for construction as close as possible to the ideal. In the absence of the possibility of choosing such a site, you should compensate for the shortcomings with available tools or additional equipment.
Step-by-step instructions for creating rabbitry for beginners
For beginners, rabbit bosses independent building rabbitry seems a challenge. But with the right approach and diligence, you can make a quality structure in a short period of time. It is recommended to use the following construction algorithm:
- Choose a suitable site for the rabbit. Choose the size of construction, type of construction and materials.
- According to the prepared layout, a model frame is constructed.
- Constructed floor and roof. In the bottom holes are made under the legs.
- The frame is connected to the shelves, bottom and roof.
- Make a mesh door.
- The back and side surfaces of the cell are covered with boards. On the front of the mesh is attached.
- The door is installed.
The comfort temperature of rodents is from 10 to 20 degrees. Therefore, it is recommended to warm the room for the winter period or transfer the summer constructions to the heated structure.
As the insulation used door trim the plywood sheet or glazing. Walls are insulated with foam. Put an extra layer of hay on the floor.
As an alternative method, the construction of a special heated room is used. The shed is installed on a foundation and constructed of wood or brick. The main criterion for construction is the absence of drafts.
Reviews of rabbit breeding place
Rabbit breeders note that with a lack of space it is more convenient to keep the rabbits in the pits. But it is not recommended to keep females and males together to control mating. There are also fights with "alien" rabbits.
Some breeders keep krols outside without additional cage insulation up to -25 degrees to form an undercoat.
There are cases of keeping rabbits in hanging structures above other animals. In this case, there is a risk of rodents falling, but this danger can be eliminated by installing additional means of protection.
Thus, it is possible even to begin rabbit breeders to build a rabbit with their own hands. To create a structure, it is necessary to calculate dimensions, build a layout and buy materials. It is possible to build a reliable, high-quality and convenient rabbitry for pets without large cash investments.