Really close to raising rabbits for meat seeking advice and input on my hutch plans.

[Srawl]

Raising chickens is going great so i figured I might try my hand at meat rabbits. I purchased chickens for dummies and it was a lot of help. Are there any books any of you could recommend for rabbits?

Also included are my hutch plans i threw together quick based on a few things I saw online that I liked. please tell me what you think.

I would probably start with one buck and 2 does. There are 4 pens that are all 2'x3'x18"

Also I live in Texas so cold isnt to much of a concern but the heat may be.

You all were a lot of help before I took the dive into chickens so please tell me everything you think will help. I am here to learn

 

[Kelsykin]

Heat will be a big issue for you in Texas.
Based off the drawing I would make the doors much bigger. Trying to get a doe out to put in with the bucks you will want a bigger opening.

Also the sides where the cages meet I would make sure it is solid metal. So that you don't have them fighting nor accidental litters. I know that my bucks are all in 30" x 30" cages. My does are in 30" x 36" cages. Those get cramped a bit with the nest box and little ones running around. 18" high for the cages should be fine.

What breed are you interested in? That will also tell you how big a hutch you need. Does that you will breed need more space. Bucks need less. I know my pure Flemish Giant Doe will require a much bigger cage than my Flemish New Zealand cross doe.

We started this past July. Wanted 1 buck and 2 does. Came home with 3 does and 2 bucks. Now I have 19 rabbits. I am suppose to be picking up 2 more in the next few weeks. I also have 4 more rabbits on order for January delivery. Oh and I really would recommend getting 3 does and two bucks. Just in case one buck has stage fright ( had one buck that was terrified of the girls. He would hide in the back of his cage and run from the doe. LMAO ) He has since matured and no longer hides in the corner.

 

[Kelsykin]

Oh and are you using wood, metal or PVC for the supports?

 

[Srawl]

I would love to go bigger with two bucks and three does but I just don't have the room for them right now. The supports are all wood. And the doors on the cages are not drawn to scale but thank you for the advice. I'm not sure exactly which breed I want I was thinking either chinchilla New Zealand, or California.

 

[Kelsykin]

I have New Zealands and the girls can get to be prissy little brats until they are bred. Never had Californians. I have been told they have better personalities. Not sure.

With the wood make sure that it is far enough away that they can't chew it if you use pressure treated or paint it. Also be aware that rabbits will pee on the wood. Peed on wood is hard to keep clean and many times get infested with worms. You could do the same if not similar set up using T-posts. I could take some pictures of the ones I have if you like.

Same construction, but you use nuts and bolts with large washers to secure it to the T posts. My DH is planning to make a bunch more next spring to use for isolation cages. These will also be going into the duck pen so the ducks can clean up and of the left over feed.

 

[wormraiser]

I'd love to see some pics when you get done and going I'm wanting to have some meat rabbits as well ( if my wife and kids don't just make pets out of them )

 

[Kelsykin]

Right now I need to clean those cages. We also do not have them set up, because we got them with the attached T posts after the ground froze for the winter. I will get pics if I can tomorrow. I think that is when DH wants to tear them apart. It is suppose to warm up. Here it is my DH going Awwwwwwwwwwww how cute. We really need to keep this one.

 

[Kelsykin]

I am so sorry. I got busy with moving rabbits and rearranging the rabbitry. Then we had to move rabbits around. We had a buck turn out to be a doe. Of course the buck turned into a doe was in a cage with 3 other bucks. So this should get interesting fast. I have a few pictures of the stacker cages that I am going to try to transfer from my phone to my computer. Computer and hone are in a love / hate relationship. They love to hate each other lol I will see if my husband can figure out the issue.

 

[Kelsykin]

Here are some photos of our Stackers. They are inside for now, but next Spring will be moved outside.

The cages are on U Posts. Wire of the cages slipped into the slots.