My Rabbit Journey~New Pics pg 17

[BunsNChicks]

Jamie-
Did you get Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits? It is a very helpful book. I got 2 American Chinchillas and American so I could breed for my raw fed dogs. Are you concerned about parasites if you feed them on grass?
Liz

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Quote:
I really should get that book, you're the second person to recommend it to me.

Thanks I actually dont' really have to worry about feeding the bunnies to my dogs now, I had to put my GSD to sleep this week. I don't think my small Papillon would be able to do much with a rabbit, as he's missing a lot of his teeth.

 

[BunsNChicks]

I'm really sorry to hear about your GSD Little dogs don't cost much to feed so I wouldn't even bother with the rabbit anyway. Big dogs cost ALOT when you are feeding them raw! Thats why I decided to do rabbits and chickens...and goats.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

So here's my set up so far. It's not really that much of a "set up" as it's only one hutch.

I came up with a fairly good and easy solution to all the poop and pee going everywhere. This solution is only temporary until we get our waste drawers installed under the hutches. But for now it is working really well.


1. Plastic Garbage bags tacked to the underside of the frame all the way around. My hutches are 36"x36" each. Took three gargage bags each. I used tape at the seams:

2. Then I used tape to stick the bags to the inside of these old recylce containers, I have lined them with newspaper and they'll be dumped a couple times a week. I already have several orders for the bunny compost.

This is what it looks like all finished:

Here are the girls:

~~~this girl is 5 months, she is 3/4 New Zealand and 1/4 Flemish

~~~this is my 5 month old Champage d'Argent doe

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Quote:
Thanks, it has been a difficult week.

We are also planning on eating the rabbits of course, and I have three other families who have commited to buying some later on in the year.

 

[BunsNChicks]

Nice hutch! You should join the yahoo group Meat rabbits, lots of valuable info there. Also the rabbits will chew on the wood of the hutch...but it would probably take years to do so. Make sure you keep any of the wood area super clean so the rabbits don't get parasites You may also want to put in a water line instead of filling water bottles all the time. I have found mama rabbits drink a TON!

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

Quote:
Thanks for the tip! We are going to build one more hutch, but larger. My husband wants to do one that is 8 feet long and have one 36"x36" square hutch (same size as the one's in the pics above) and the rest of the 5' of space be for does with active litters. We are going to grow our bunnies out in tractors after they are about 6 weeks old. When we get more invloved with this whole process we'll definately be thinking about things such as you suggested!

About the chewing...Yeah my NZ really chews a lot already. I have talked to my husband about getting some of those corner metal strips inside the hutches to protect the 2x4's. I will also be giving my bunnies apple and pear branches from our yard and neighbors yard to chew on.

 

[cmtigger]

I actually prefer the premade metal cages for my rabbits- and when I kept them outside (now they are in stacked cages in a shed with my cavies) I just did a wood enclosure around the cages. Less wood for the rabbits to be able to destroy and poop on. (I don't know how long those 2x4s under the floor are going to last, and they are going to be pretty tricky to sanitize.) I currently use trays, but when I had them outside, I just moved the cages and shelter around like a tractor too. (I've housed banties the same way)

I also recommend the storey's guide. I have an older version. ARBA has some resources too.

 

[Jamie_Dog_Trainer]

We plan on using a plastic paint on those 2x4's that will come into contact most with the urine so they'll be easy to clean. The paint is really expensive though, its used as flooring on the Ferries here in Washington state, and also makes really good dog kennel flooring.

 

[cmtigger]

How safe is that paint if they start to chew on it? And do you want to eat rabbits that have been eating that paint?