Our first meat rabbits

[cassie]

I would suggest you get the book Storey's Guide to Raising Rabbits by Bob Bennet. It may not answer all of your questions but it will address a lot of them. I have found it to be a good basic guide. You can find a copy on amazon.com. That is where I got mine.

 

[NatJ]

we would like to make them a run for the kids to handle them and play with them as well as to give them proper exercise. Could anyone give us pointers to build one.

You could just buy a dog kennel (one of the big chain link ones), and only let the rabbits in it while a person is there.

Check that it's flush to the ground all the way around, so they can't just scoot under.
But I don't think you'll have to worry about them digging out while you're right there with them--if you see them digging, you'll have time to stop them and fill in the hole.

And predators will mostly not be an issue if you're right there.

 

[Anime2lover]

You could just buy a dog kennel (one of the big chain link ones), and only let the rabbits in it while a person is there.

Check that it's flush to the ground all the way around, so they can't just scoot under.
But I don't think you'll have to worry about them digging out while you're right there with them--if you see them digging, you'll have time to stop them and fill in the hole.

And predators will mostly not be an issue if you're right there.

Our ground is not flat at all, we live on a small hill that dips down. We would have to dig down or build up to use a dog kennel, though it is still a possibility. We want them to be able to come and go whenever they want, except at night.

 

[NatJ]

Our ground is not flat at all, we live on a small hill that dips down. We would have to dig down or build up to use a dog kennel, though it is still a possibility. We want them to be able to come and go whenever they want, except at night.

In that case, you will certainly need something more secure

 

[Anime2lover]

In that case, you will certainly need something more secure

In that case, you will certainly need something more secure

Yep. Think that burying a dog kennel panel under the ground will stop anything from digging in or out??

 

[Anime2lover]

Really? I once had a big New Zealand buck for a pet. I don't know if he enjoyed being handled or not but he tolerated it. He was calm and on occasion I would turn him loose and he would hop around the yard. I think it depends on the individual rabbit.

Did he let you hold him for more then a minute??)

 

[NatJ]

Yep. Think that burying a dog kennel panel under the ground will stop anything from digging in or out??

It might work.
Might also rust.

The biggest problem I can see with a dog kennel: weasels and ferrets would be able to go right through it. That wouldn't be an issue if you were there with the rabbits, because they would just stay away from you. But it would be an issue if you were trusting the fencing to keep the rabbits safe.

For keeping chickens safe from digging predators, a wire apron can work well. It's just a piece of wire mesh on the ground all around the pen, on the outside but attached. Predators usually try to dig right next to the fence, but they run into that wire, and they don't realize they could back up and dig under.

But a wire apron outside would not keep rabbits in, although one on the inside might.

I think I read somewhere of a rabbit-run with stone or concrete pavers for the base, and plenty of bedding over that. Of course that would be dig-proof in both directions, but then it's more like a cage with a solid floor, with no access to dirt or plants (unless you then shovel a bunch of dirt on top of it.)

Trying to make a predator-safe, escape-proof rabbit pen is difficult, which is probably why they are so often raised in wire cages (although of course those have other disadvantages.)

 

[Anime2lover]

It might work.
Might also rust.

The biggest problem I can see with a dog kennel: weasels and ferrets would be able to go right through it. That wouldn't be an issue if you were there with the rabbits, because they would just stay away from you. But it would be an issue if you were trusting the fencing to keep the rabbits safe.

For keeping chickens safe from digging predators, a wire apron can work well. It's just a piece of wire mesh on the ground all around the pen, on the outside but attached. Predators usually try to dig right next to the fence, but they run into that wire, and they don't realize they could back up and dig under.

But a wire apron outside would not keep rabbits in, although one on the inside might.

I think I read somewhere of a rabbit-run with stone or concrete pavers for the base, and plenty of bedding over that. Of course that would be dig-proof in both directions, but then it's more like a cage with a solid floor, with no access to dirt or plants (unless you then shovel a bunch of dirt on top of it.)

Trying to make a predator-safe, escape-proof rabbit pen is difficult, which is probably why they are so often raised in wire cages (although of course those have other disadvantages.)

Cement is expensive.... Same with concrete. If we can find some excess from a construction sight, then creating an underground cement slab to bury would definitely be doable though.

 

[cassie]

Did he let you hold him for more then a minute??)

Of course I did. He would just settle down on my lap and sit there. He was a very large, calm, laid back bunny. Nothing much rattled him.

 

[Anime2lover]

Sounds

Of course I did. He would just settle down on my lap and sit there. He was a very large, calm, laid back bunny. Nothing much rattled him.

Great.