Will this cage work?

[emily381]

I have three of these.

I am looking to start breeding and wondering if this will work for now. I think the bottom holes are fine for kits but not sure about the sides. Has anyone used these for does and their kits before. Any suggestions for making them work. I don't want to buy new cages until we move.

 

[majorv]

What kind of rabbits do you have and what are the dimensions of the cage? For cages that will have litters you usually try to use a cage that has baby saver wire around the sides at the bottom. This keeps little ones from squeezing between the wires...which they can! When we had a hutch with 1" spacing we just put a 2nd layer of 1/2" spacing hardware cloth around the sides to eliminate the gaps. You don't have to do this but I wouldn't put the cage up high in case a kit does get through...you don't want it to get hurt if it falls from a high table.

 

[Imbrium]

To kit-proof, it's just a matter of meshing/covering the walls as high up as kits might be able to reach - easily done by zip-tying any number of things to the cage. Coroplast would work (corrugated plastic - it's like cardboard, except waterproof and it takes long enough for an adult rabbit to chew through that you shouldn't have trouble noticing the beginnings of a chew-hole before it was big enough for a kit to get through. Hardware cloth is another great option (similar to chicken-wire, but with square shaped holes - it comes in hole sizes of 1/4 or 1/2''; 1/2'' would work for your purposes) - you'd want to put it on the outside of the cage/grids and make sure the edges where you cut it to fit are filed down really well to remove any points or that the points are facing outward/away from the cage (ensuring that if someone gets poked, it'll be you and not a bunny). The zipties should be close enough together to prevent a kit from wriggling between the cage bars and the hardware cloth (and when determining how close is "close enough" you need to account for the possibility of a zip-tie getting chewed through)... every 3-4 squares is close enough spacing for both Syrian hamsters and sugar gliders (the hw cloth has to be plastic for gliders, but the spacing's still 1/2'').

I actually used 1/2'' metal hardware cloth to completely mesh a "rabbit" cage very similar to the ones you've got in order to convert it to a cage for a Syrian hamster. I used it as a hamster cage for about a year and never had an issue with it.

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

As far as baby-proofing, I've just zip tied heavy cardboard around the sides, about 4-5" up the wall.

As far as the cage itself goes, they are good for housing individual small-breed rabbits, but they're too small for litters. With a nestbox inside, there isn't much room left for the doe to stretch out. I'd recommend at least 24"x24" cages for small breed doe and litter cages.

 

[emily381]

I have lionheads. The cage is 18x30 so a bit longer but not as wide. They will also have room to run around outside the cage as will the mom.

 

[RabbitGirl101]

I have lionheads. The cage is 18x30 so a bit longer but not as wide. They will also have room to run around outside the cage as will the mom.

Make sure in the last week of pregnancy and in the first two weeks you keep them in the cage. I know most people say is not good to keep a rabbit cooped up but its also not fun having a mother rabbit running around while giving birth. I did this before I had the doe running around on my couch and not only did she give birth on that couch she also left a big stain. Big learning moment for me. I thought i was doing something good and it turned into something bad. That was wayy back though haha, I think that was during my second litter. Rabbits are fine in cages so its ok to keep her in the cage for a while

This cage would be equivalent to a 24 x24 inch cage which is what I keep my lionheads on litters in. Just make sure you have room for the nestbox

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

I have lionheads. The cage is 18x30 so a bit longer but not as wide. They will also have room to run around outside the cage as will the mom.

I realize that it has the same amount of floor space, but the longer arrangement makes it harder to house a doe and litter. I tried once to put a nestbox along the longer side, but that left a very small/awkward area beside it and only a small space right in front of it.

A 24"24" cage evens out the sides to allow a bit more "free space" for mom. The square shape is just more accommodating, though I know it seems silly that it would make that much of a difference.

 

[RabbitGirl101]

I realize that it has the same amount of floor space, but the longer arrangement makes it harder to house a doe and litter. I tried once to put a nestbox along the longer side, but that left a very small/awkward area beside it and only a small space right in front of it.

A 24"24" cage evens out the sides to allow a bit more "free space" for mom. The square shape is just more accommodating, though I know it seems silly that it would make that much of a difference.

I didn't even think of that, good point! You do want a square shape cage!!