My rabbit hutch

[stinkbelly]

I still have to build the roof . Not sure if I'm going with tin or a old political sign . The hutch is in the shade for most of the day other then early morning .

Will you need any sides to protect against rain?

[Junkers88]

looks great, maybe you can add a rabbit "pellet" catch trough that allows this fertilizer to be caught in a bucket, rather than just on the ground

We have friends that raise a pile of bunnies for meat and what they did was place a piece of plastic roofing (looks just like the tin but it's a smoked colored plastic) at an angle under the hutch with a piece of roofing gutter at the end that ramps down to a 5 gallon bucket. They collect the poo every morning to put into the compost pile for next years garden.

Richard.

[Strummer]

Will you need any sides to protect against rain?

Didn't know that . Guess I will need to build sides

[mmoses]

Will you need any sides to protect against rain?

I never built sides on mine.

Rabbits will prefer the air flow then the occasional sprinkle.

[bobc]

We have friends that raise a pile of bunnies for meat and what they did was place a piece of plastic roofing (looks just like the tin but it's a smoked colored plastic) at an angle under the hutch with a piece of roofing gutter at the end that ramps down to a 5 gallon bucket. They collect the poo every morning to put into the compost pile for next years garden.

Richard.

That is a very interesting idea.

[Mike Fangman]

Didn't know that . Guess I will need to build sides

I would just let the roof overhang about 10" all the way around. No need for sides in the summer heat.

[texan16]

Pretty cool build. How long do you feed rabbits out before you make lucky rabbits feet out of em ?

[Strummer]

Pretty cool build. How long do you feed rabbits out before you make lucky rabbits feet out of em ?

This will be my first adventure with them so I'm really not sure . Everything I have read says 5 to 6 weeks you can process them

[fox1]

I raised a lot of rabbits when I was younger and I ended up having to surround all of my hutches with chicken wire to keep stray cats out from under the pens. Even if the hardware cloth on the bottom of the pen is to small for the cats to claw at the rabbits feet they will still stay under there and harass the rabbits.
If you have a doe with a new litter and she gets to stressed from being harassed she will kill and eat her young.

[Rat]

You will need to treat that wood, I recommend boiled linseed oil. It is non-toxic and easy to apply. The rabbits will crib the wood so you need something non-toxic and it needs to be protected because the rabbit's urine and feces will soak in and then you have unsanitary conditions. Once rabbits get sick, it is all over. Remember, a rabbit's sole purpose is to die.

24" pens are deep, if you have a wild rabbit you may have a hard time catching them; arms are just too short. Two of our cages are 24" and I hate them, I only keep my friendliest does in them.

You will need some kind of sides during the winter, they can handle the cold but they will need a wind break. I use plasticore on the sides with insulation nails; easy enough up put up when needed and take down when not.

You will need something for them to stand on as well. I use a piece of board and a small platform made for rabbits. This does two things, gives them something to crib and a place to get away from predators that come calling. The wire allows their toes to get bitten by predators, it's ghastly when it happens and can cause a doe to abort her kit and let infection set in.

Get medicine for ear mites and treat them religiously (whatever the medication says).

I butcher mine at four pounds.

Raising rabbits is a blast and they are great table fare. We raise New Zealand Whites because they do best in our heat. But we still need to use fans and ice bottles in the heat of summer. And forget about breeding in the summer (unless in an air conditioned environment), it ain't gonna take. The bucks actually become impotent at about 90°.

[Rat]

This will be my first adventure with them so I'm really not sure . Everything I have read says 5 to 6 weeks you can process them

Mine are 8-12 weeks to 4 pounds, but you can process them at whatever weight you want.

[Strummer]

Got the dividers done and in place . Each are removable of needed . Only thing left is the roof

[Scotsman 1]

Loved reading this thread.

[Chew]

Looking good so far! Rat is a wealth of knowledge. Hit him up with any questions. I had dogs in the neighborhood trying to get at mine through the wire. Kept them stressed out. Just be on the lookout for it.

[fox1]

Looks good
I love me some rabbit gumbo, smothered rabbit, smoked rabbit.... You get the idea