If you have only one or two rabbits, purchasing a pre-made rabbit cage or hutch makes the most sense expense-wise.
However,
if you're planning on keeping a rabbitry (raising more than a few) and
you know will that number of rabbits will be growing, your wisest choice
is to build the cages yourself.
Purchasing the building materials in bulk becomes less expensive the more wire you use.
Another
reason to consider building your own cages (or hutches) is that you can
design them in whatever way works for you while taking advantage of
every square foot of space in your rabbitry.
5 Tips for Purchasing Rabbit Cage Wire
All
wire is not created equal when it comes to rabbit housing. Whether
you’re purchasing or building cages, there's a few things you should
know about the wire you should purchase.
Please Note: Hutches made with chicken wire or hardware cloth are not suitable for housing rabbits!
1. Wire used for rabbit cages should always be galvanized welded wire.
If given a choice, choose the one that was welded before it was galvanized as the rabbit will be sitting on smoother and stronger wire.
2.
Wire for the sides and top of the cage ~ With wire gauges, the higher
the number equals the lighter the wire. That means that 14-gauge wire is
heavier (thicker) than 16-gauge wire. You can use 16-gage wire for
small rabbit breeds. Medium or large rabbits need 14-gauge wire cages.
The mesh (the rectangular holes) should be 1 inch by 2 inches, or
possibly a little smaller.
3. Wire for the cage floor ~ For the floor you'll want to use 14-gauge galvanized welded wire.
For better support, the mesh should measure 1/2
inch by 1 inch. This mesh size will allow manure to drop down to the
tray or ground below.
4. Floor wire tip: Always
use a smaller mesh for the floor of the cage than you did for the sides.
Your rabbit's feet can break or become dislocated if they get caught in
larger mesh.
5. Cages that will house a doe with kits ~ "Baby-saver wire" is a special wire that's used for the side of cages housing a breeding doe.
The bottom of baby saver wire has 1/2-inch by 1-inch mesh while
the top graduates to 1-inch by 2-inch mesh. Baby saver wire is very
effective at keeping kits inside the cage should they accidentally come
out of the nest box while they're still young. It's expensive, so expect
to pay a little more if you buy a ready-made cage that's built with it.
However, if you're breeding rabbits, it's worth the extra expense.
Build Rabbit Cages or Hutches for Cash
If
you make several cages or hutches and become good at it, you could
always build more and create a side business for yourself selling cages
to other rabbit enthusiasts.
It's truly something to consider, because
selling just a cage or two a month could go a long way in offsetting
other rabbit-raising expenses.
By Chris McLaughlin
Homesteading Expert
