# Cage floor wire



## Markymark68 (Jan 8, 2013)

Hi All

I live in Australia and have been looking aimlessly for 1/2" Ã 1" 14 gauge wire to build some cages for my rabbits (NZW and Calis) with no success. 

The closest options are:

1. 1/2" Ã 1" 18 gauge - most likely too flimsly
2. 1" Ã 1" 13 gauge - most likely too big a hole

Just wondering whether there are any Aussies on here that know of an Aussie wire supplier that can supply the 1/2" Ã 1" in the right gauge or if anyone has used the 1" Ã 1" wire with any success?

Many thanks


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

Markymark68 said:


> Hi All
> 
> I live in Australia and have been looking aimlessly for 1/2" Ã 1" 14 gauge wire to build some cages for my rabbits (NZW and Calis) with no success.
> 
> ...


It would be good/best if you can find some, but if all fails----you can put the 1/2x1 on then use the heavier gauge 1x1 under it for support being Very Careful to line up the wires in both directions so there is no blockage to stop the poop from falling through. (If the wires will not line up close enough---then I would NOT go this route---Poop that will not Fall through---Is no fun)


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## TheDerek (Mar 5, 2013)

I would use 1x1 but keep something in there for the rabbits to sit on like a piece of wood or even thick cardboard might work. Have a good nest box and be careful around kindling time, might end up with some kits on the ground below the cage.


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## Markymark68 (Jan 8, 2013)

Fire-Man said:


> It would be good/best if you can find some, but if all fails----you can put the 1/2x1 on then use the heavier gauge 1x1 under it for support being Very Careful to line up the wires in both directions so there is no blockage to stop the poop from falling through. (If the wires will not line up close enough---then I would NOT go this route---Poop that will not Fall through---Is no fun)


That's what I was thinking Fire-Man but me being the perfectionist would rather have the right wire for the job.

If I can get my hands on 20ft of 1/2" x 1" x 30' wide I would be set. I could then use the 1'x1' available here in Australia for the sides and top.

I know it would be expensive but maybe I could mail order the 1/2' x 1' from State side?

Any supplier recommendations?


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## shan7777 (Nov 26, 2013)

Mark!
I've been on this same journey and believe me was VERY difficult.
I manage to track down a company in Sydney who used to make a heap of the commercial cages for farmers.
They are half inch by inch, thick gal, the ones you want for the floor!
I am getting some off them soon.
They were originally called HJN international but could not get a hold of them until I worked out they changed their name to :
Harrison International. See below link
They do 1.2 x 2.4 m lengths for $54 each I think.

http://www.harrisonint.com.au/


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## Markymark68 (Jan 8, 2013)

Thanks Shan777

I had read HJN International used to manufacture the commercial cages but their website did not mention it and a mate said he had called them and dont do it anymore and gave up on the idea. Pity they didnt refer him to the new company.

I will give Harrisons a try - hopefully they ship to Melbourne.

Thanks again


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## Nathanaf8388 (Oct 25, 2013)

Bass, kw cage those are two I'm familiar with
Arrow metal in Australia has 25.4mm x 12.7mm 1.6mm welded wire (those are the metric mesaurments for close to 14gauge wire .5x1


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## motdaugrnds (Jul 3, 2002)

Shan, thanks for the URL. Will be checking that out!


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## Markymark68 (Jan 8, 2013)

No luck yet.....Arrow sell a stainless steel 4' Ã 6' sheet for $75AUD but freight is well over $100AUD from Sydney to Melbourne. Still havent heard back Harrisons.

Coincidently I was at our local produce store picking up some feed for the stock yesterday and I had to have a quick peak at their rabbits. Their cages are made out of 1x1" galvanised welded mesh so I asked the owner how the rabbits were fairing on the 1x1" floor. He seems to think they are do well with no paw issues....although the cages were a bit to small....looked like all the rabbits could do is hop once or twice and that would be the extent of their excercise. The owner did also say thet the size was not good for the dwarfs/mini lops.

All this info has me thinking that if I cant get the 1/2 Ã 1" at a reasonable cost, I might have to try a 1x1" floor.

Will keep you posted


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## Nathanaf8388 (Oct 25, 2013)

I have one cage that's 1x1 wire and the dwarfs act like they step on fire on the wire the bigger footed rabbits such as mini lops don't seem to mind it though 
Did you try this link? http://www.metalmesh.com.au/mesh/welded-wire-mesh


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## Markymark68 (Jan 8, 2013)

Nathanaf8388 said:


> I have one cage that's 1x1 wire and the dwarfs act like they step on fire on the wire the bigger footed rabbits such as mini lops don't seem to mind it though
> Did you try this link? http://www.metalmesh.com.au/mesh/welded-wire-mesh


Must have missed it...I'll give them a call tomorrow. Thanks for the lead.


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## Nathanaf8388 (Oct 25, 2013)

Good luck I hope you find it! I will say I had a dwarf doe as my first doe on said wire had her for over a year on 1x1 and she kindled twice on that wire. She did great never and redness or anything and her kits (well besides the issues with them getting stuck in the cage floor) did great on it and other dwarfs I've put on that wire hate it but I also have a little dwarf hotot who hates any wire.


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

We bought a hutch that had too big of wire but very heavy gauge so we just laid hexagonal chicken wire over it. The underneath layer keeps the chicken wire from sagging or breaking (rabbits can dig and chew through chicken wire) while the chicken wire provides a little more surface area for paws. We didn't bother lining anything up and poop still falls in to the pan.


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## Markymark68 (Jan 8, 2013)

Nathanaf8388 said:


> Did you try this link? http://www.metalmesh.com.au/mesh/welded-wire-mesh


Gave them a call....only square apertures, although they gave me another lead so I'll try that too. 

You folk in the States dont know how good you have it with companies like Bass, KW, and the other rabbit cage fabricators and suppliers. Here in Australia all you seem to find is cheap imported pine/fir hutches that wouldnt last a week.


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## Nathanaf8388 (Oct 25, 2013)

I've made the bottoms and sides and tops out of the bottom grates from huge commercial fridges they worked great! Be creative all this about the perfect setup is negotiable do what people have done for years and innovate I've known old timers who kept rabbits in every type of cage imaginable and successfully! And honestly they were probably healthier than most. Use what's available try different things I like to use grates out of even standard refrigerator for the sides and tops and partition of my cages to this day. Ps I'm glad the lead lead to another lead hopefully it leads you in the right direction!


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## akane (Jul 19, 2011)

We've built all sorts of cages. We had a pvc base with 8' long shelving panels for the floor and sides from free or cheap damaged dog crates as the walls and doors. We also built a cage entirely of pine boards and plywood that had minimal chewing but we provide unlimited hay and occasional branches to chew on. A pellet only diet will lead to more wood chewing. We sealed it in enamel and made the floor panels removable to make it easy to clean, replace chewed sections, and keep urine from soaking in.


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## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

I had thought about lacquering, painting, treating etc. to keep the urine from getting soaked and make the wood last longer. 

However, even with fruit tree branches..mine still chew on the wood(guess what though...no teeth issues ever,lol) and I didn't want them ingesting that stuff with depending on what you use can be toxic.

I bought some rabbits in a heavy galv. all wire cage that they had "made"wood dividers in and then "painted" and then enameled some and when sanitizing the stuff would peel off(I use bleach to sanitize) and it was bad news. I ripped them all out and replaced with just cull lumber. Cull plywood 3/8 thick is $3 a piece for me, however my dad is a retired contractor and the area lumber yards are used to seeing me...plus some that hadn't saw me, when they found out what it is for(rabbit housing) most the time will give you a great deal.

Raw plywood does require more replacing, but then again I don't want to eat a rabbit that has ingested the "other" stuff or ingested any medications, but that's just me.


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## Nathanaf8388 (Oct 25, 2013)

I only treat the outside wood on one of my hutches... With paint


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## redneckswife (May 2, 2013)

To get a great deal on "cull" lumber, I would let my local lumberyards know I was looking, would be a repeat customer and offer to buy all the cull plywood. Set up monthly dates you would be returning also. I have my own pile at the lumberyard up the road..and what doesn't get used for rabbits gets used for other projects or given to dad for his beehive boxes.

It also wouldn't hurt to offer to bring the manager a dressed out rabbit once in a while.

***The store manager is who you should talk to, they are the only ones authorized to agree to this or set the price for the cull wood at the lumberyard.Skip the middleman and haggling with yard employees and go straight to the manager***

They also know though that I won't use OSB or particial board too, so they don't save this for me.

I have gotten 5 pieces of plywood for the price 1 sheet of plywood would cost me by doing the above.


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## tentance (Aug 16, 2012)

i kinda cheated when i built my hutches since i don't have a lot of knowledge or tools or money...
what little money i did have for the project i used to buy the largest dog crates that i could find. into these i wired (read: bent wire like it was a giant twisty-tie) 1/2" X 1" flimsy, plastic coated wire mesh. including the 3 inch sides on the does cages to keep kits from falling out. all the cages were then wired to some stacked cement blocks filled with sand.
it's been 2 years, and the plastic-coated mesh is working just fine, the plastic is even still in great shape. the cement blocks, on the other hand, have urine stains on them.
during that time, my butcher moved out, so the breeding program has been on hold, but the weeds-into-fertilizer and bunny-poo-ponics have been full steam ahead. the girls are so friendly too, it's such a pleasure gardening with them out there.

i also have a one-rabbit tractor that is a garage-sale small dog crate with the tray as a roof and a paver to hold it down in the wind. wind can be a huge problem here sometimes. you never know what kind of awesomeness you can get at garage sales.


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