# My PVC Rabbit Hutch



## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

Ok, I promised to post this. I built this about 3 years ago. It is 10ft long, 3ft wide, the legs are 2ft high and the cages are 2ft high. It is divided into 5 cages, each 2ft wide. Of course it has cage wire in it, all on the rabbit side of the pipe so the rabbits don't chew on the pipe. It is built with 1 1/2 inch pvc. It is currently empty due to neighbor dogs, and I need to replace the wire, but hope to be filling it up again soon.










End view


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## Madame (Jan 1, 2003)

Sweet!!!!!!! How's the wire attached to the PVC pipes?


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

Madame said:


> Sweet!!!!!!! How's the wire attached to the PVC pipes?


I just used some of the thin electric fence wire I had left over wrapped through the squares and around the pipe then twisted. It works well and is pretty cheap ($12/roll).


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## Madame (Jan 1, 2003)

Okay, next question - how much weight will the floor hold? I raise NZs and Calis which get pretty big.
As you may have guessed, I'm seriously tempted to try to build one!...two... three...


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

Madame, I had full grown Cali's in it. A buck on the end and 4 does. When the does were bred, there were wooden nest boxes in there as well. Never had a problem until the neighbor dogs tore the bottoms out.


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## myheaven (Apr 14, 2006)

please tell me sss the neighbors dog or something of the like?


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

myheaven said:


> please tell me sss the neighbors dog or something of the like?


Well, I didn't own a gun at the time, but do now. I also have a Pyr now that I didn't have at the time. The dogs got all my rabbits and all my chickens within a very short amount of time, right after I moved here. Now, dogs better watch out!

I was able to catch some of the dogs and hauled them off to the local shelter. In the first 6 months I was here, I took 9 full grown dogs and a litter of what appeared to be pit or pit mix pups to the shelter.


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## mustangsally17 (Nov 3, 2007)

AWESOME! Sister..you are the PVC QUEEN!!!!


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## Susan (Jun 29, 2008)

thanks for showing us the hutch....


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## MariaAZ (Jun 5, 2007)

Oh my gosh, I'm in LOVE with this plan!!!!! What is the rationale for the mid floor support 1/3 from the back rather than in the center? Just wondering, the thing is so well-planned out I'm just going to pick your brain for ideas!

I'm seriously taking notes here. We raise Rex and have two 4-hole hanging cages that are currently supported by those metal fence stakes which don't really offer a heckuva lot of stability. We want to build a stacking unit with a slanted floor between levels for easy cleanout, but haven't really gotten far on developing anything for the frame. This PVC thing could be just the ticket! Heck, I'm thinking I could actually expand a bit with this kind of cage.


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

MariaAZ said:


> *Oh my gosh, I'm in LOVE with this plan!!!!! What is the rationale for the mid floor support 1/3 from the back rather than in the center?* Just wondering, the thing is so well-planned out I'm just going to pick your brain for ideas!
> 
> I'm seriously taking notes here. We raise Rex and have two 4-hole hanging cages that are currently supported by those metal fence stakes which don't really offer a heckuva lot of stability. We want to build a stacking unit with a slanted floor between levels for easy cleanout, but haven't really gotten far on developing anything for the frame. This PVC thing could be just the ticket! Heck, I'm thinking I could actually expand a bit with this kind of cage.


It gives added support for the nest box that I put in the back. I had also considered using the pvc roofing to enclose that area for built in nest boxes, but then changed my mind after considering the rabbit's tendency to chew, and the fact that I would not be able to remove them to clean them out. 

I built the wooden boxes, which I don't have anymore and will need to rebuild, so they would just fit through the door which is 12x12. They were 16in long and had a round door near the top to help prevent kits from coming out with the doe. The size also helped with checking the kits, as I could pull the nest box against the door and mom couldn't get to me while I counted babies.

Also, it's all fallen off now, but I had red PVC edging around the doors. I ordered this from a company that is no longer in business, but could probably find it again. It was very inexpensive. I use it occasionally for small areas that my electric fence is touching a rock or some other place that is causing it to drain power.


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## truckdriverx72 (Oct 31, 2007)

Did you have an actual set of plans to begin with, or was this just your own creation? I'd say "pretty da-- good"!!


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## Beulah Gardens (Feb 26, 2008)

Oh, I love that! Mine is so big and heavy, I have to wait until the guys are all home if I need it moved. that thing I could drag around all by myself. thanks for sharing.


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## farmmom (Jan 4, 2009)

truckdriverx72 said:


> Did you have an actual set of plans to begin with, or was this just your own creation? I'd say "pretty da-- good"!!


I made it up. I looked and couldn't find plans anywhere, so I laid it out on graph paper and bought the stuff and stuck it together. Pretty simple. It has some connecters that must be ordered as no hardware store will have them. These are the 4 and 5 way connecters, maybe the 3 way corners as well, I don't remember.


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