Content of the article:
Experienced breeders are well aware of how important it is that the cages for rabbits have the right design and are made of high-quality and safe material. Since it is from these factors depends on the health of pets and their ability to reproduce. The cage can be purchased finished or made by hand. The latter option is preferable, since during construction the breed and the number of animals accommodated in it are taken into account.
Required materials and cage design
Regardless of what type of nursery will be built, they all have the same base:
- frame;
- wall;
- floor;
- ceiling;
- doors.
The cage for rabbits is made of wooden material or mesh, but by no means made of iron. In the heat it will be very hot, and in the cold the animals can freeze to it.
The frame is made of thick bars, with the length of the legs should be at least 35 cm. If the nursery will stand outdoors, it is better to make them even higher - from 70 to 100 cm. In addition, a cage of such height is much more convenient to maintain, and animalswill be protected from predators. The walls are made of plywood, boards or mesh. For the floor in the feeders use slats or a grid, as waste is well awakened through them. The roof is made of the same materials as the walls. If the industrial rabbit cage will be standing outdoors, then an additional roof will be required to protect it from rain.
Every detail in the nursery must be smooth and safe, without splinters or sharp ends at the net, so that the animals cannot get hurt.
. Types of
cells. Nurseries differ in the type of construction:
- are common with or without queen cell;
- I.N.Mikhailova;
- N.I.Zolotukhin;
- with an open-air cage.
In the first embodiment, the cage has high legs and two separate feeding areas and a nest. They are separated by a solid partition with a manhole. In the nest door is made of solid wood, and in the area for feeding from the frame with the grid. If there is free space, then a walking cage is added to the cage. Entrance to it can be done through the back wall, or arrange it from below under the dwelling, as in the photo below.
Often kennels with an open-air cage are used for mating, since active movement not only positively affects the health of rabbits, but also improves their reproductive abilities.
Mikhailov industrial cells are considered the most complex and advanced, they look like small farms. They provide ventilation, shelves, heating of the mother liquor and drinkers, as well as a unique waste disposal system - everything is poured into one container. 
Below is a photo of a drawing of Mikhailov's cage for rabbits, according to which you can make it yourself. 
Cell N.I.Zolotukhina
The main difference between the kennels of this author and others is that instead of a net or reek for the floor they use plywood or flat slate, and there is also no pallet. The floor is installed with a slight slope. A grid is mounted along the back wall 10-20 cm wide. Through it, feces and urine are removed, especially since in most cases rabbits relieve themselves from the back wall. 
Feeders are used tilting to clean them, just tilt it to yourself, and not completely removed from the cage. It is necessary to divide it into half with a grid, so that the bunnies cannot get through. 
Zolotukhin also proposes not to equip the mother liquor during summer time. It is enough to isolate the required size of the place with a board with a width of up to 20 cm, and put in a corner of hay. The little rabbit will make a nest for herself. Thanks to this method of cultivation, the conditions for living in a cage for rabbits are closest to the natural. As a result, rabbits are born less susceptible to infectious diseases. As soon as they grow up, the board is removed, as a result, there is more room for walking. In winter, instead of the board, you must install a house for a rabbit with offspring.
In the video below, Zolotukhin talks about the principle of the action of cages for rabbits, made with his own hands according to the method he invented.
For the construction of cells using the Zolotukhin method, it is not necessary to possess certain skills and expensive building materials. Enough mesh, planks, flat slate or plywood, as well as sheet metal. The frame, the nest doors and partitions are made of wood. Floor of slate or plywood and mesh. Also, the grid is used for doors in feeders. Sheets and other prominent wooden places are hammered with sheet metal so that the rabbits do not nibble them. In the nest should not get a lot of light and drafts, so the door is made solid, and not from the grid. At the edge of the floor in the queen, a threshold of not less than 10 cm is knocked in, so that the bunnies cannot fall out when the door opens.
The rear wall of the upper tier is made straight and the lower one is inclined so that the waste from the top does not fall into other cells and rolls along the wall to the outside.
Steps to create
Step-by-step instructions on how to make a rabbit cage with a built-in queen cell and bins for feed:
- places where there will be sections for feeding, fixed mesh for the floor.
- The rear wall is installed and a solid floor for the mother liquor is mounted.
- The side walls of the cage are covered with plywood and partitions with manholes for the uterine compartment are placed. Manhole diameter - not less than 20 cm.
- The covers are attached to the sockets.
- A block is mounted in the middle of the cage to the frame for separation into sections, after which feeders are installed.
- Nursery turn over and with the help of rails finally fix the net for the floor.
- Installed feed hoppers and coarse feed compartment. Instead of rods, you can use a grid with a cross section of 2x5 cm.
- The cage roof and sliding door with a handle for feeders are mounted.
- The doors with a grid and solid for the sockets, as well as valves for them, are fastened to the frame.
- If the nursery will stand outside, then you should additionally make a waterproof roof. For this, a framework of laths is nailed to the existing roof, and a roofing material, for example, slate, is fixed to it. Do not forget about the slope, so if the height of the nursery in front is 70 cm, then it should be 60 cm at the back wall. This is necessary for removal of precipitation from the roof.
Before you start making a cage for rabbits, it is necessary to make detailed drawings with dimensions.
The proposed option is convenient because it has a bunker for feeding large capacity. It holds at least 6 kg of feed. Also, this design allows you to install additional tiers. The main thing is to put a waste collection pan between them, or an inclined surface on which they will roll into the tank. But do not do too many tiers, as the feed is filled up from above.
The mesh size for rabbit cages should not be more than 2x2 cm, otherwise they may fail and get stuck.
Recommendations
Before you start making your own cage for rabbits, you should decide on a place to install a kennel. It must be protected from strong winds. It is undesirable to establish a nursery on the south side, as in summer the animals will be under the heat of the sun all day. Also the size of the cage is influenced by the breed of rabbits, some of which are markedly larger than others. The optimal size of cages for rabbits of various colors is 150x70x70 cm. It varies depending on the number of animals. It is better to make the roof removable, so it will be much more convenient to disinfect the cage.
If rabbits live in a nursery in the winter, the floor is better to be made of wood. The lower part is made solid in the form of a pallet, therefore it must be extended. And on top of it is set the floor of the rails, stuffed with a step of 1.5 cm. It is better to make feeders and drinkers removable so that it is more convenient to clean them. In order not to freeze the offspring in winter, you should additionally insulate the walls with any thermal insulation, for example, foam plastic. Insulation must be hermetically packed in a film so as not to draw in water. In the uterine section, you can lay a heating system underfloor heating or heating pad.
Other kennels make dwarf and ornamental rabbits, and always with an aviary. The cage for such rabbits is most often built with their own hands in the form of a house, with a lot of ladders and shelves. If the pet will live in the house, it is best to buy a ready-made version, since they have an attractive appearance.
