Remodeling the Rabbitry!!

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

So my Senior Project for my senior year is going to be Rabbitry Management - and part of that is going to be putting in brand new cages for the bunnies since our wooden ones are getting holes in them (which means we have to do this fast and soon!)

Anyway, currently in our rabbitry we have:

• 4 plastic bottomed cages.
• 2wire cages that are 24X24X16 and one that is 24X24X14
• 1 wire cage w/ dimensions different than the others
• 2-story hutch
• Double hutch
• 2 tier wire cages (which we're going to either revamp or toss)
• Wire/wooden hutch w/ galvanized metal tray

When we remodel, we will be putting in all wire cages w/ trays. The 4 plastic bottomed cages will be put in storage and we can use those for kits/quarantine if needed. The two 24X24X16 cages, and the 24X24X14we will keep and add a 24X24x18 to make a 4-cage block, which will be on a stand and all will have trays.

The wooden floored hutches will be refloored and put outside either on the side of the rabbitry or behind. We will use these hutches for quarantine or when we watch other's rabbits, etc. We are thinking about splitting the bottom story of the 2-story hutch into two compartments, but we're unsure if we will or not.

The wire/wooden hutch will also go outside. So we'll have 5 cages outside.

The wire cage with different dimensions, we're unsure what we'll do with this. Probably cover the hole in the side and then put it in storage for kits, etc. It's a pretty small cage so would only be good for juniors anyways. Then the 2-tier wire cage that we got for free off the side of the road (impulse! haha; it's crappy!) we might fix up, which means patching the large missing sections of wire and then building a stand for that and adding trays. It's not a very sturdy cage, so would need to be attached permentley to a stand. If we build a wooden one and attach it, then we would still be able to move it. We'll then put this 2-tier cage also in storage.

We're going to stick with Mini Rex only, so 24x24x18 is a fine size of cage for them. We are going to have 2 brood doe cages. Still working out how big we'll need for those; probably will get the largest size of Havaheart cages that Dels carries - which I do believe is 30X36X18 or something like that....

So when we're finished we'll have:

• 2 brood doe cages
• 4-cage block (for pet bunnies. Magic, Lily, Savannah and Autumn will be in these cages.)
• 12 (24x24X18) cages for show rabbits/baby cages

We will only have 2 breeding pairs of Mini Rex when we first begin, we may add more but we're not sure. So then we'll have 8 cages we can usefor babies, plus all the extras.

Altogether, we will have about 22 holes.

Aside from the cages, we will also be putting in shelves to hold our hay and carrying cages, shavings, litter, extra feed, etc. Still working all this out! So will have updates on storage and more!

So questions:

• Do you think a 30x36x18 is big enough for a doe and her litter up till6/7 weeks? (Keep in mind we remove the nestbox at around 2/3 weeks)

And yes, I will be updating this thread with news AND pictures of the progress (because I have to take pictures for my project!)

I'm hoping to get this all done before 2010!

Emily

 

[irishbunny]

Good luck with your remodeling! I love doing things like that it's so much fun, I'm getting a new shed sometime (hopefully) between October and Christmas, so I'm saving for shelving and whatnot aswell.

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

Thanks Grace!

We have the 'before' pictures, so once my sister gets those uploaded to Photobucket then I will put them up here!

Emily

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

Just a quick update!

Yesterday I turned in my proposal for my senior project...my advisor said that it will most likely get approved! The only thing I had to change was the person who was going to help me with it or someone I had to interview, so I just put down my 4-H leader.

Anyway, due to the insane cost the entire project will cost me, I have set two goals:

Short Term Goal: To take out all wooden hutches, replace their floors; Add 2 brood doe cages, 2 pet cages and 4 cages for our show/breeding rabbits. Break down the crappy all-wire piece-of-junk cage, clean the wire and build a single or double carrying cage out of it.

My long term goal would be to do the whole project of course, and I just don't think I'll be able to afford that much, but I'll be able to further my short term goal when I get more funds.

For my STG, I plan on having this goal completed by November 1st. I have all the funds right now (about $350) and getting more $$ soon from selling two rabbits...plus when the rest find homes that money will also go either towards cages or buying new stock. And I have other misc. items for sale (riding breeches, sheep blankets, a nestbox) which the selling price adds up to $100 together.

So I want this goal to be finished by November for a few reasons. The main would be because our first show is in November and if we bring home any new show rabbits, I want them to have proper new caging....The other is that I'll then have the main leg of the project out of my way and can begin on the other smaller pieces of the project.

The only problem really is that even though I have the money, I have to wait till my English Lops are gone, because that large hutch has to go outside for me to put in the new cages. Minnie is going to her new home within the week but I've had no one interested in Sippi. I can't let the bunnies themselves hold my project back, so I will have to come up with a plan to work around the current caging arrangements (plus with the litter that's not supposed to be here taking up 2 cages right now which I could have already had plans to move outside and then buy the two pet cages!).

So there are still some things I need to work out...and now this is frustrating me because I don't know how I will be able to work around it. But I will just have to come up with something...I hope. Another problem is that I still don't know what I'm going to have the new cages standing on. The choices are either to buy the metal stands that are seperate from the cages, or to build my own stands and have to build them to fit the trays for the cages....What do ya'll think I should do? I'm not sure how much the stands cost extra, but they are stackable so that would knock out one problem there. lol. So many decisions!

Emily

 

[TinysMom]

Oh I love Sippi...I wish I could bring him here but I have no money for the flight nor space to put him (and I'm don't think I could sneak him in the house without Art noticing those ears).

I hope he gets a good home soon.

 

[TinysMom]

How much do you figure it will take for $$ to complete your project?

This is very interesting - I'll have to watch and see what you do!

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

TinysMom wrote:

How much do you figure it will take for $$ to complete your project?

This is very interesting - I'll have to watch and see what you do!

I bet Sippi would love it if he could come to your house, Peg!

I figure for my project, at least the short term piece, around $400. That's just caging, though. I have more ideas which include:

1.A sprinkler system on top of the shed for fire safety as well as to cool the shed in the summer.

2. Adding a cover to one of the wooden hutches to store things under the cover.

3. Putting shingles on all the roofs of the outdoor hutches.

4. And (main other idea) getting top-fill water bottles and EZ Crocks for all cages.

Of course there's still more ideas, but I'm thinking the short term project will cost me at least $400 to $450. I'm hoping not anymore than that.

I will have LOTS of pictures, that's for sure! I have to take pictures for my project anyways, so I'll make sure to have updates with pictures on this thread so everyone can check it out!

Emily

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

Just figured I'd give a quick little update!!

I am getting new cages hopefully next weekend. I found a breeder in Eastern WA who is selling some of her cages and she has just the amount I need, and for $100 cheaper! I'll still be short 2 cages for the 6-cage block, but those won't cost much to add, so once I get the money I can easily add those in.

I will be getting before & after pics of the rabbitry sometime this week hopefully; and I already have my plans of where to put everything inside as far as the cages go, and as far as the hay bale, and the four plastic cages which we will have to use asweanling cages until we get more wire cages.

And!! For the carrying cages, I will be laying two 2x4's across the beams in the shed and setting carrying cages up there so that we will have more floor space! Nestboxes and other large items will also go up there so we won't have to worry about those taking up floor space!

The project is going to cost me less than I orginially thought, but I'm still going to ask for some donations so that I can buy water bottles & crocks and any other needed items.

Emily

 

[JadeIcing]

:highfive:

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

The cages are here!!!

The drive there and back was good - just ran into some flurries of snow, but the roads were clear. It was cold though!

I ended up receiving 4 24x24's, 2 24x30's and 2 30x30's, because I guess the breeder ran out of the 24x24's? Oh well, I got two cages that are somewhat bigger for the same price! I ended up only having to pay $240, which means I saved a total of $160!!

The cages are in nice shape, despite being FILTHY! Pooh, hair, dirty pans... I was told the cages had never been left "uncleaned" but my gosh, they're awful. I'd never let a rabbit live in something so filthy! So, when the weather warms up this weekend, I will be taking my hose (since I don't have a pressure washer!) and a scrub brush and will be cleaning the cages/pans as well as cleaning them with a bleach solution to kill germs.

Then the first step after cleaning will be to get stands for the brood cages and get those set up in the rabbitry before the does kindle! So all of this will be happening before Christmas, and then hopefully I will get the other cages set up quickly after that.

I'll get pictures of the cages tomorrow probably - it's already getting dark outside. As well as pictures of the inside of the rabbitry, and maybe some blueprints of what I'm planning on doing.

Emily

 

[mistyjr]

Good Job,

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

I have installed the brood cages!! It was a little rocky at first, using the stackers, because they weren't very sturdy, but we figured out what was wrong and now the cages are not going anywhere! lol.

I can't wait to have the rest of the cages in the rabbitry!! Sage and Chancey looked so tiny when I put them in the cages and they were checking everything out. I put 2 EZ-mats in each cage for them to get off the wire, and once I build the nestboxes and put those in, they can hop in there as well.

I'm going to have my big brother come over and help me build the nestboxes and I'm going to drill holes in the bottom so urine and other liquids (probably from birth) can leak out. Didn't have holes in our other nestboxes, so I think this will be a great improvement. Especially now since we have trays under the cages - everything will just leak down there.

Anyway, here are the before pictures of the rabbitry (These pictures were taken about 3 months ago. We still had Bruce, Minnie, Sippi, etc.) ; and then the last one is the new cages and the girls in them!

Walking into the rabbitry.

Right side of the rabbitry.

Left side of the rabbitry.

More left side, and the cages on the front wall.

Front wall of rabbitry.

And the feed and grooming area.

And of course the new brood doe cages:

These cages are on the front wall of the shed. May be moved in the future once all the cages are in...but we'll have to see.

I did get a picture of the whole rabbitry from the door, but it was blurry, so I will get a better one when I can use my sisters' camera.

Emily

 

[irishbunny]

Aww wow congrats!
Are those the cages that were really dirty when you got them? If they were, they cleaned up well They look like they have plenty of space in them as well. Keep us updated, it's really interesting.

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

Grace, yep those are the cages that were filthy when I got them. They did clean up really nice. I did the cleaning yesterday. Have before pictures of that, but forgot to take after pictures!

I scrubbed them really well and let the pans soak for a while in bleach, as well as the cages. Then washed all off and let them dry overnight.

Yep, there's plenty of space for a Mini Rex doe and her babies in these cages.

Emily

 

[PepnFluff]

They look really nice Emily! Is it just the two you got or are you going to try get the whole rabbitry in those?

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

I will be doing the whole rabbitry in wire cages. These are brood cage - 30x30. The other cages are 24x24, and there are two that are 24x30. I will still have to add more cages next spring, because I will only have the 10 cages in the shed after the remodel, and I will need more than that!!

Emily

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

Little bit of an update:

I am not going to be able to afford to getall of the neededstackers for a while, so I am just going to be purchasing 4 kits, instead of the 6 I need. I will then move the rabbits around, and since we'll only have 7 rabbits, all rabbits will have a wire cage (Magic & Lily will be in the ones they're currently in) so that will make cleaning a lot easier!

For any babies, I will probably bring in the 4 plastic pet cages, the two wires and then of course we will have the outdoor hutches, so we will still have plenty of cages for any babies, etc.

Basically it costs me $60 to get 4 kits, and I only have $78 left in my funds, unless I used my Christmas Money (which I really don't want too, as I rarely have any money for myself), then I'd have $154-ish? Which would be enough to buy all the kits, and then the two needed pans.

I am going to get some donations, as I still haven't done so yet, and then I will hopefully be able to finish getting the rest of the things I need, as well as doing the other small pieces of the project.

Emily