Designing rabbit tractors, seeking advise! Complete newbie to rabbits.

[Lucky KY Chicks]

Okay I have never had or raised rabbits. I'm now endeavoring to get meat rabbits to feed us and my raw fed dog. I'm not interested in keeping rabbits in individual cages full time. I'm sure it's highly efficient and safest but it's just not the way I want to do things. I'd just rather not have rabbits if I have to do it like that. The only exception is bucks but they will each have their own tractor with the ability to have fresh grass daily. Now for the questions! Has anyone tried to pasture rabbits using tractors? I plan to use 2x4 hole wire fencing on the bottom to prevent dig outs. Will small babies dig enough to escape? I plan to have Silver Fox Rabbits so they will be large. I was going to allow 10-15 square feet per adult rabbit in each tractor. Opinions on this? To little to much? That would also need to house all the kits until weaning. I was planning a 4'x10' PVC frame covered in hardware cloth on the sides and 2x4 wire on top and bottom. There would be a 4'x4' plywood shelf on one side? Will they chew this to pieces? A little chewing doesn't bother me but is it unhealthy for them to chew plywood? Paint? The roof is up in the air at this point. What do you all recommend? Also if I have totes for houses/nesting boxes are these appropriate? I'm looking at some that are 24 " x 18"x 15" tall. I planned on cutting holes in them for the rabbits. Will they chew these up? If I provide plenty of the totes, 1 per 1 or 2 rabbits, do I need to build a three sided wind break or will they just go in their boxes under the roof? Will older kits share a box with the mother. Will she allow it? Will the buck use a tote shelter? I'm sure I'll have more questions but that is enough for now!

 

[daneblackburn]

I had trouble with them digging out, but I recently got a couple old beagle raised kennels and put some construction cloth on floor turned out ok

 

[Lucky KY Chicks]

@daneblackburn looks like a good system! When they dug out before what did you use as the floor? Knowing what not to use is helpful to!

 

[daneblackburn]

It is a 5x8 tractor frame and it has roughy a third as shelter the rest is construction cloth. I did not put a floor in, 2 by 4 frame. Thought it would make it to difficult to move. raise Cornish cross in them.

 

[daneblackburn]

Trying to upload and can't get it to do it

 

[CityFarmer202]

Mine sleep in cages in the barn at night because cages really are the foolproof way to raise rabbits, but i hate keeping any animal in a cage 24/7 so during the day the run around in the chicken runs. the boys will fight, so i put them in their own tractors, which are just old chicken tractors. the girls run together with the chickens. They do dig if you let them. I have to fill all their holes in every day before they make actual tunnels and dig out. Its so fun to see rabbits running around. This is my favorite boy Harliquin, and the white one is a new zealand white doe eating some corn with the chickens, sorry, its a little fuzzy.

 

[Lucky KY Chicks]

Super cute @CityFarmer202

 

[CityFarmer202]

yeah, thanks

 

[Lucky KY Chicks]

Anyone with more input?

 

[wyoDreamer]

I can't remember where, but I saw info someone posted about their rabbits. They had some dedicated fenced areas for the rabbits to live in, they were a pretty good area, guessing about 10x10, with brush and vegetation. They had buried fencing about a foot down so the buns couldn't dig out and the bucks had small fenced areas for themselves. The rabbits lived their lives in that pen and the person used a fish net to catch the rabbits.