fffarmergirl
Well-Known Member
Since LaFonda died, I've become much more attached to the rest of the rabbits for some reason. I want to pamper them more, and I came up with this idea.
We have this old metal shed that we we've been getting ready to move and reinforce and turn into a rabbit shed before winter. I just came up with some ideas to make it so much more pleasant for the rabbits.
The shed is 10ft by 14ft, and we're going to put a good-sized roofed rabbit kennel in front of it. It's all going to be made of recycled materials - hubby is a semi-professional builder and is very good at building things. We already had most of what we need and we just went out to buy the rest.
All we still have to buy is straw - and whether or not we get it depends on whether this plan will work out. So - here it is:
We'll put two rows of straw bales, stacked one high, one in front of another, all along the wall with a space between them. We'll put the rabbit cages on those, with barriers between the cages. The rabbit poop will fall on the earth floor between the bales, and compost in the straw. We'll have straw insulating behind the cages, and we'll put a layer of straw bales over the cages as well. Each bunny will have their own warm little private hidey hole.
There will be straw all over the floor of the building. The whole thing will be secure from predators. Twice a day I'll go let a group of rabbits out into the "commons area" which will have a little door going out into the kennel. Males will be out at one time and females another. While they're out, their cages will be left open and they'll be free to hop in and out at will. We will wait until they've all scent-marked their own rooms before we let them out - do you think that will take care of any possible teritorial issues?
We can put balls and other toys in the "commons" area.
There will be a feeder and waterer out in the fenced kennel area, and hopefully they'll do most of their pottying out there since it will be big enough. Hopefully some day, when the males are neutered and everybody can be out all the time, they'll do all their toileting outside and we can have them sitting on nice straw floors instead of wires.
We'll keep their individual feeders and waterers inside their cages but they'll do most of their eating outdoors. Once they can all have their cages open all the time, the doors, as well as the individual feeders and waterers, will be removed. What I'm thinking is that, over time, they'll behave like wild rabbits. They'll do their eating and pooping outside and go into their little holes whenever they want. At that point, they can have straw floors.
A great thing about this is that it's going to open right up into the chicken coop, which opens only a few feet from the wood shed door, and the woodshed opens into the attached garage . I'll be able to take care of all the animals without going outside this winter. We live in a very cold area with long, snowy winters and many blizzards, so this is very important. I'll get out there a lot more often this way - and the rabbits will be snug and warm.
Once we get the males neutered we can just keep all the holes open all the time and maybe put up some little curtains or even insulate the fronts.
It sounds idealistic.
Will it work?
There are 10 angora rabbits - three males and 7 females.
We have this old metal shed that we we've been getting ready to move and reinforce and turn into a rabbit shed before winter. I just came up with some ideas to make it so much more pleasant for the rabbits.
The shed is 10ft by 14ft, and we're going to put a good-sized roofed rabbit kennel in front of it. It's all going to be made of recycled materials - hubby is a semi-professional builder and is very good at building things. We already had most of what we need and we just went out to buy the rest.
All we still have to buy is straw - and whether or not we get it depends on whether this plan will work out. So - here it is:
We'll put two rows of straw bales, stacked one high, one in front of another, all along the wall with a space between them. We'll put the rabbit cages on those, with barriers between the cages. The rabbit poop will fall on the earth floor between the bales, and compost in the straw. We'll have straw insulating behind the cages, and we'll put a layer of straw bales over the cages as well. Each bunny will have their own warm little private hidey hole.
There will be straw all over the floor of the building. The whole thing will be secure from predators. Twice a day I'll go let a group of rabbits out into the "commons area" which will have a little door going out into the kennel. Males will be out at one time and females another. While they're out, their cages will be left open and they'll be free to hop in and out at will. We will wait until they've all scent-marked their own rooms before we let them out - do you think that will take care of any possible teritorial issues?
We can put balls and other toys in the "commons" area.
There will be a feeder and waterer out in the fenced kennel area, and hopefully they'll do most of their pottying out there since it will be big enough. Hopefully some day, when the males are neutered and everybody can be out all the time, they'll do all their toileting outside and we can have them sitting on nice straw floors instead of wires.
We'll keep their individual feeders and waterers inside their cages but they'll do most of their eating outdoors. Once they can all have their cages open all the time, the doors, as well as the individual feeders and waterers, will be removed. What I'm thinking is that, over time, they'll behave like wild rabbits. They'll do their eating and pooping outside and go into their little holes whenever they want. At that point, they can have straw floors.
A great thing about this is that it's going to open right up into the chicken coop, which opens only a few feet from the wood shed door, and the woodshed opens into the attached garage . I'll be able to take care of all the animals without going outside this winter. We live in a very cold area with long, snowy winters and many blizzards, so this is very important. I'll get out there a lot more often this way - and the rabbits will be snug and warm.
Once we get the males neutered we can just keep all the holes open all the time and maybe put up some little curtains or even insulate the fronts.
It sounds idealistic.
Will it work?
There are 10 angora rabbits - three males and 7 females.
