Making Lemonade [Selective Culling Project - very long term]

[U_Stormcrow]

18-24" is pretty standard. Only need to do higher for your benefit. It ends up being wasted space for the rabbits. Make sure to only make it as deep as you can comfortable reach from the access door.
No need to have to climb halfway in because you were being cheap and built that pen from a 4x4 crate and didnt want to make 2 doors and a dividing wall.

Building hanging wire cages. The are meat bunnies, so they need some space. But as it turns out, the stuff for the walls is only 24", not 36", so after I take 2" from the top and 2" from the bottom to fold over and add some strength, that's a 20" height. I'll build two, take a close look at it, decide if I need to make changes before I make the other two (or three). Trying to decide how best to use the space.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Building hanging wire cages. The are meat bunnies, so they need some space. But as it turns out, the stuff for the walls is only 24", not 36", so after I take 2" from the top and 2" from the bottom to fold over and add some strength, that's a 20" height. I'll build two, take a close look at it, decide if I need to make changes before I make the other two (or three). Trying to decide how best to use the space.

You can always use the smaller ones for grow outs if you decide to go bigger.

So you're doing free hanging cages instead of stackers?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You can always use the smaller ones for grow outs if you decide to go bigger.

So you're doing free hanging cages instead of stackers?

Yes. I have 4x4s set upright 32 1/2" apart, with 13' 8" between them (don't ask, its based on the dimensions of an existing structure) with a roof about 7' on the shallow side. So I figured I could hang two levels of cages, and still have plenty of space underneath to catch bunny gold for gardening.

 

[NatJ]

I figured I could hang two levels of cages, and still have plenty of space underneath to catch bunny gold for gardening.

Two levels, one above the other?

I assume you will have something in between, to catch or deflect the waste from the upper cages so the lower ones stay clean & dry. Personally, I would go with something angled, so the waste falls down behind or to the side, rather than a flat tray that requires regular dumping.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Two levels, one above the other?

I assume you will have something in between, to catch or deflect the waste from the upper cages so the lower ones stay clean & dry. Personally, I would go with something angled, so the waste falls down behind or to the side, rather than a flat tray that requires regular dumping.

Yup. Roofing steel or polycarbonate. Whichever is cheaper r I got now.

 

[SheaLoner]

Yup. Roofing steel or polycarbonate. Whichever is cheaper r I got now.

I actually went with a sheet of coroplast when I had stackers. Worked well. Still intact 5 yrs later as a roof for what was the bottom row, seperated the stacks when moving, never put them back togethor.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I actually went with a sheet of coroplast when I had stackers. Worked well. Still intact 5 yrs later as a roof for what was the bottom row, seperated the stacks when moving, never put them back togethor.

Sheet metal has won out, as continuation of the existing roof. Will last most of forever, matches everything already on the property and will provide an almost 4' wide sheltered walk for when I'm out filling feed buckets or usingf the second freezer.

What I can't bring myself to do, however, is spend $50 for a piece of concrete board just to put it in the bottom of part of their cage to give them a solid surface to wear their little nails on. But any wood I use will be swollen with rot and falling apart in months. Considering using porcelain tiles or similar. durable, but lower weight. Four of those would fill one corner of the cage, 22" x 30", provide a spot for a bunny hut.

 

[SheaLoner]

Sheet metal has won out, as continuation of the existing roof. Will last most of forever, matches everything already on the property and will provide an almost 4' wide sheltered walk for when I'm out filling feed buckets or usingf the second freezer.

What I can't bring myself to do, however, is spend $50 for a piece of concrete board just to put it in the bottom of part of their cage to give them a solid surface to wear their little nails on. But any wood I use will be swollen with rot and falling apart in months. Considering using porcelain tiles or similar. durable, but lower weight. Four of those would fill one corner of the cage, 22" x 30", provide a spot for a bunny hut.

I raided the local lowes for all their chipped or cracked tiles. Got them for almost free.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I raided the local lowes for all their chipped or cracked tiles. Got them for almost free.

Oh that's a great idea!

 

[MysteryChicken]

My Malay Boy's weight at 6 months.