# Rabbit hutch pictures



## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

Well thats what sunday is going to consist of. I havent seen a thread of peoples hutches so id thought id start one. Ill post pictures of building one (have to run to home depot tomorrow) please post pictures! I would love to see some home made hutch set ups. Im getting 4 does and 1 buck in this set up with another 3 hutches soon to be built.


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## cotton45c (Jun 23, 2014)

my breeder set up 
grow out cages are next.


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## MeatPigeons (Aug 10, 2013)

Looks great!


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## Marinea (Apr 15, 2011)

Not a hutch, but what I am going with for my small rabbitry. Four foot long cages with slant boards to catch the poop, which goes into the compost bin for our garden.

Grow out cages are similar, but 7 feet long.


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

The old wooden ones were just too hard to keep clean. Now we just take the rabbits out and pressure wash them. The grow out cages are on the opposite wall.

ETA: That doesn't read quite right, does it? It's the cages we pressure wash, not the rabbits.


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

How wide should i have my hutch? It's going be 8 foot long


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## KatieVT (Dec 22, 2014)

Adisiwaya said:


> How wide should i have my hutch? It's going be 8 foot long


Shorter than your arm reach! I think the typical depth is 2.5 feet. We are borrowing homemade wire cages that are 3 feet wide. We practically have to climb into the cage to get rabbits out.

My husband made me a nice hutch structure that is 2 feet deep. It is 8 feet long - the top divided into two 4'x2' cages, the bottom is one big 8'x2' cage right now for growing out bunnies.


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

Id love to see some pictures KatieVT that's a cool idea


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## KFhunter (Feb 21, 2010)

I made this one last spring, it's about full up now. 










Thinking about converting it to grow out only and making doe/buck hutches that are stand alone.


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## mekasmom (Jan 19, 2010)

Ozarks Tom..... Your cages are inside the machine shed? Do you like having them inside? That is a lot of mess to clean up.


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

mekasmom said:


> Ozarks Tom..... Your cages are inside the machine shed? Do you like having them inside? That is a lot of mess to clean up.


I put poop trays under them, they're 2'x2' and just slide out. You can see them in the picture. I clean them out every 2 weeks.


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## longhairboy (Feb 16, 2015)

Hi, looking into getting some rabbits, and was planning on 2 does and 1 buck. How big of cages should I have for each of them? Do does and bucks have the same sized cages? And how big of a "grow out" cage should I build? (I'm assuming grow out is where you put the baby rabbits once you take them from the mother?)
Thanks


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## cotton45c (Jun 23, 2014)

my breeders are in 30x30 cages and do fine.
thinking on building my grow outs 30x48


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

Our grow out cages are 2' x 4', with the door in the middle so we can reach the corners. Usually we'll separate out the males/females and put 3-4 per cage.


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## longhairboy (Feb 16, 2015)

Sounds great, might try and start on them this week, thanks for the help


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

Having raised rabbits for a long time----NO wood for me---none that they can come in contact with-----wood frames to hold all wire cages is fine.

OK a Picture.


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## buckskinner (Dec 17, 2010)

Fire-Man, that's a nice setup. In the past there were a few members that had pics of carport cover rabbit barns. I'm interested in that type for ease of construction. I can't remember the sizes of these carport covers. Can any one that has them post pics and sizes for me please?
Thanks,
Bobby


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

buckskinner said:


> Fire-Man, that's a nice setup. In the past there were a few members that had pics of carport cover rabbit barns. I'm interested in that type for ease of construction. I can't remember the sizes of these carport covers. Can any one that has them post pics and sizes for me please?
> Thanks,
> Bobby


Bobby, most of the metal carports that were used were 18ft X 21ft. Those set-ups are nice. I chose the trailer so it can be moved----which leaves any urine smell behind. I can have them here today and across the farm tomorrow---If I want.


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

Why don't know use wood? Might be a dumb question. I remember the rabbits chewing on my parents hutches. I'm using what is left from a remodel i did for someone. ( free wood )


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## haunted (Jul 24, 2011)

They chew the wood up and it isn't good for them or the cages.


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

Finally started the frame last night before my lil one went to sleep. 40 below weather truck stays and boat on other side so couldn't work on it. Tonight should be more like a rabbit hutch


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

Wood cages are hard to keep clean.


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## buckskinner (Dec 17, 2010)

Thanks Fire-Man, I could see where your setup would be great with some rotating pasture or even large gardens. I've had my eye out for some time for some old trailer frames to use as a egg-mobile, but maybe I need to look for a couple of them.


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## jbroberson21 (Dec 10, 2014)

I saw a post here http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/ge...side-families/367857-my-pvc-rabbit-hutch.html that shows an awesome PVC pipe cage frame. The user that posted it hasn't posted in a few years so I guess she's not here anymore, so I figured I would include it here. I plan to use it for my next run of cages.


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

Got a few more things done. Just took 2 hours to build a temp plastic room to heat. More 30 and 40 below. Got too love mn. Slowly but surely it's getting built.


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## jcdillin (Aug 12, 2013)

I currently have cages from Bass, but those cages look so much better, where did you get them?



Ozarks Tom said:


> The old wooden ones were just too hard to keep clean. Now we just take the rabbits out and pressure wash them. The grow out cages are on the opposite wall.
> 
> ETA: That doesn't read quite right, does it? It's the cages we pressure wash, not the rabbits.


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## KFhunter (Feb 21, 2010)

I remove the rabbits into temp cages then pressure wash the wood hutch, works fine. The wood cleans easier than the wire. 

I was squirting diluted bleach (1/10) on the wood, but next time I'll use ammonia thanks to this forum I learned ammonia kills cocci and bleach doesn't - I didn't know that. 

Not that I have a cocci problem.


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## unregistered41671 (Dec 29, 2009)

Ozarks Tom said:


> Now we just take the rabbits out and pressure wash them.
> ETA: That doesn't read quite right, does it? It's the cages we pressure wash, not the rabbits.


Ouch!!

I was a fixin to call peta, till I read this last sentence!!!!!:happy2:


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

jcdillin said:


> I currently have cages from Bass, but those cages look so much better, where did you get them?


I got the feeders and nest boxes from Bass (they're only 45 minutes away), and I bought the 1/2" x 1/2" wire from them too in a 100' roll x 2' wide. 

I welded the frame together using 1 1/2" angle iron, along with the poop tray supports. The two cage assemblies are 20' and 24' long continuous, with partitions every 4'. Everything held together with "J clips". The only thing I'm going to change is the door latches.


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

Got a few more things done this weekend before I hopped back in the big rig, the wiring is almost done, (have floor stapled in, the walls for in between the cages wired and most of the doors done for the front, just need roof and hutch walls to be finished. )


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## Tinga (Jul 24, 2011)

6 does cages and 2 bucks on the end attached to the NORTH side of our Greenhouse. The house is just to the front of the cages and blocks ALOT of the wind. ( shown here in summer with makeshift misters in place)
Cages are hung by conduit wire through the cages and attached via conduit hanger to the wood. Corrugated metal trays direct poo to the back where the worms eat it or I scoop it out bi-weekly(ish)


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

All you that are building your own cages, keep in mind that the floor wire should be 1/2x1" so the poop will fall through. Also for the Doe cages use some form of "baby saver wire" on the botton 3 to 4" of all sides/front and back!

Another thing "I" personally would never use any wood to build my cages but for you that choose to use wood and wood braces in the floor------in the long run you will be alot happier with using as narrow of a width floor boards/braces as possible.


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

I'm using free products that were left over from a remodel job and what was in the shed. One thing I would also agree and what I should've done is wire is smaller than I wanted. Doing the homesteading the old way using what i can. Soon as i get the chicken coop up building wire cages to replace these. I don't recommend using chip board (osb) either.


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

One thing i am wondering about the wire cages how do you protect the rabbits when its 40 to 60 below for week or 2 in the winter?


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

Adisiwaya said:


> One thing i am wondering about the wire cages how do you protect the rabbits when its 40 to 60 below for week or 2 in the winter?


Look at Tinga picture----Got a wood frame holding all wire cages---and protection from the wind. This is a picture of my set-up during the winter.


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

Appreciate the picture! Thanks


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## mamma24 (Aug 29, 2012)

Nice looking hutches! We have some wooden hutches and many wire cages. We often get "free" hutches or really cheap, so I applaud you for using free materials! 

We live in the Northern Midwest, it often gets to -20 here for days at a time. We use old horse blankets to cover the cages and then wrap tightly with heavy duty tarps. It is pain to have to unwrap everyday to thaw out water bottles and feed, but in our years of raising rabbits, we have never lost one to the cold! 

Thanks for posting pictures as you go! It's so nice to watch your progress!


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## DexMex (Dec 13, 2014)

Here's mine when it was first built. There was some wood chewing over the past year- but not much. I gave the rabbits plenty of stuff to play with: pine cones, knotted rope, and untreated wood planks to lay and play on. The only thing I would change is the chicken wire- but not because of breakage and rust. But because kits have fallen through on occasion. Tomorrow I'm going to make my own "baby-saver" walls by added a bottom border of hardware cloth. All the wood I used was from scrap wood left on the property by the owner before us.


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## BTurner71 (May 6, 2015)




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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

Forgot to post picture of the cage finished. Painted the outside and floor with sealer so wouldn't rot right away


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## spotter4 (Oct 27, 2015)

Do I need one large cage or separate cages for grow out babies.

Looking to get New Zealand / California crosses.

Steve


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

spotter4 said:


> Do I need one large cage or separate cages for grow out babies.
> 
> Looking to get New Zealand / California crosses.
> 
> Steve


Its according to how many rabbits are going to be in it and how big it is. 1 30x36 cage can hold a dozen 4 to 5 week old babies, but them things grow fast----in 2 to 3 weeks a dozen would not be able to turn around good----LOL. So build accordingly. I usually put a whole litter in one cage that size-----in 2 to 3 weeks I divide the girls from the boys and put them in different cages that size. I always have extra cages should I need another one.


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

Well I had surgery, come home to my rabbits running all over the place. The babysitters decided they needed to have some wild time! How do I round up rabbits? In the time they had free range time they dug tunnels under the chicken coops so if they are in their own yard and I go to pick them up pop under the coops and out the other side into the woods. The only rabbit I caught was my big momma and she came to me and had babies within an hour of being back in her hutch. I did try the wire cage on the ground with the up and in door but they dont stay long enough to shut the door.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

Forcast ;fix the door with a string and put their favorite treat in it use a long enough string so not to scare them when you close it . I have also used a fishing net . and if your doors open in and up a stick will work but only is liable to catch one at a time like a live trap which works as well .use hunger and pacence to your advantage and in a couple days you will have them


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

how can I be sure that in the time I was gone 7 weeks, that any females didnt have a litter someplace? should I leave the females out till I can figure it out? Looks like they have a collonie dug under the chicken houses. I tried closing the holes over and they redig another pop hole by morning. I dont think free range rabbits would be very good for flower beds and gardens in general if they survive winter. Someplace on here I saw someone free ranging rabbits with the chickens, how do you do that? Dont the chickens eat the rabbit food? And the tunnels what do you do about that, at least mine are close to the coops not in a walk way, to fall into. And mine have dug holes under the chicken run fences in a few places and that has wire a foot under ground. So they are running around the place not so very far from the house as yet. but boy they are fast buggers But thats what I get for hiring city slicker -tree hugging animals should be free people to tend the critters. They thought my chickens should be free to fly south so I lost 8 to a raccoon. Got more roosters then hens. Oh well guess if all fails I will re populate rabbits on this mountain.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

if you catch a doe check her nipples for nurseing/milk its a safe bet that the buck has them bred . they will do ok if left out if the varmits don't eat em . in the distant past I had a NZW doe free range on the farm for quite a while she was tame and would eat out of my hand till she disappeared .same with some missurie cotton tails they made it for a long time raiseing a couple litters .but once the predators started n them they to were gone a couisin I have let a pair of rabbits go in his hay barn that lived a few years but every time little bunnies came out the farm cats had them .


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

thanks, I was not sure I could tell for nursing like you can with a cat. the fur is pushed off the nipple on cats. I caught 3 so far I will go check for milk. All my rabbits are black and its hard as heck to tell them apart. What can you use to make rabbits? If this ever happens again. I was thing white out for now. The cage with treats and string worked on these 3.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

a tattoo in the ear is permant ,and a one time shot rabbit supply places sell the tools for this .


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

what are you using to keep water from freezing? I got the heated bases for my chicken founts last winter and they work great no frozen chicken fount, but dont know what to do for rabbits.


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## a7736100 (Jun 4, 2009)

I don't know about after 7 weeks. My cage escapees will usually hop back in the cage if they are hungry and there's pellets in there. Some times shaking a bag of pellets will attract them. Having a caged rabbit will also attract them. It's impossible to catch them by hand. I use a fish net, open x-pen, open cage, banana bait.

If a doe has been nursing a while you can see nipples and bare skin around them. They won't be fur covered as the fur's been chewed off.


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## Forcast (Apr 15, 2014)

well finally got all the rabbits back in place, only one with kits she had them after I got her back to her cage, no signs of nursing on the other females. So I feel better about knowing the signs for nursing, was so worried that I would put the/a mom back in a cage and the babies would die in one of the tunnels they dug. Got another question: have 2 males that had been caged together with no problem, but since they got out (7weeks free range)and the last one caught today I put him back with the older male, but they fought . So they are in separate cages now.


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## Enarans (Oct 15, 2015)




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## BakersAcres (May 31, 2014)

Forcast, 

I have a neighbor who let all his rabbits out of the cages and they have taken up residence under my garden shed. First there were only a few, but rabbits being rabbits......I figured it was free food so I bought a pellet gun. I'll keep their numbers in check with the pellet gun and just let them breed. I still have my caged bunnies so I don't worry about the others if they get eaten.


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## brandkelz (Apr 15, 2011)

A tip that I would throw in is to not go cheap using the hardware cloth wire. You will have to just rip it out and replace it before the year is over anyways. I am learning that lesson now. 

I bought from Klubbertanz, the good wire that is 1x1/2 and Galvanized after weld...cant remember the gauge off hand but wanna say 16 or 14. I will try and get a couple pics of hutches tomorrow after work.


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## crittermomma (Sep 26, 2013)

FireMan - can you post pics of what your rabbit barn looks like from the outside? My hubby would love to build something like your set-up! Thanks!


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

crittermomma said:


> FireMan - can you post pics of what your rabbit barn looks like from the outside? My hubby would love to build something like your set-up! Thanks!


 Sure, not sure what you want to see, but I will post a few. You do realize it started out as a 34ft camper? Stripped to the frame. I wanted raising rabbits to be easy and fun. This made it that way. Raising rabbits became easy after moving them into this "Meals-On-Wheels".


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

A few pics of the beginning.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

Forcast said:


> what are you using to keep water from freezing? I got the heated bases for my chicken founts last winter and they work great no frozen chicken fount, but dont know what to do for rabbits.


I have a livestock tank heater in my water supply tub along with a pond pump. the PVC water supply pipes are run to the two rows of cages making a circle for the warm water to be run continuisly starting in one side of the shed and around to go back into the tub on the other . when the weather is above freezeing it is gravity fed .but with the pump and heater pluged into a "thermos cube " that switches on and off at about 37 degrees and get it going . :bouncy:


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