I’m one of those people who wants everything set up nice and exactly how I want it before adding unpredictable elements. I like to clean the house (or organize) without anyone else in it, for example. So, I also wanted the rabbit shed finished all nice and exactly how I want it before adding the rabbits. This has added a considerable delay in getting the rabbits, since setting up the shed has taken far longer than I anticipated.
But! It’s now done, with one small exception. I still need to make a poop tray (to go underneath the cages on the floor), but that should go pretty fast.
So this is the current setup. The orange bucket and the circular saw don’t really belong, lol. The cages hang from the ceiling (in actuality, from beams I installed as the ceiling). The shed is tall enough to stack them three high. Underneath each cage except the bottom ones, I have a formica sheet at an angle from front to back as a poop, um, chute. I guess.
So, you can see I currently have five cages with a space for one additional cage. And then I have room for an additional six cages on the other side of the shed, as well. Randy’s mower is currently in there, though that’s not where it belongs.
I run 30 x 30′s for my Americans but they are big rabbits. And you may want to think about what you will do to clean the urine. The poo will roll but the urine may go everywhere. Rabbits typically choose a corner but they don’t necessarily choose the corner you want. Thus most of mine go in a back corner but one pees out a front corner on the “walkway”.
Do you know what kind of rabbits you are getting yet?
I was just planning to hose the place down. It’s pretty hose-down-able. Winter, I’m not sure.
I was originally planning on NZ Whites, but I’ve been having some difficulty finding a reputable breeder within driving distance. One person I spoke with in Cherokee has some, but he wasn’t entirely sure when they were born. Hm. Another person I spoke with in Knoxville replied to my email with “I have black NZ available right now and that should be good enough for you” which, fine, but I was looking for white.
Recently (like today) I’ve been thinking of satins. They’re prettier and without the creepy red eyes. Red eyes creep me out. And the fur is still light enough that I should be able to dye it. (For what purpose, I’m not entirely sure. Crafting of some sort.)
Reputable breeders are often found in 4H kids. And I just saw today that there is a rabbit focused 4H group near Ankeny. You might check with local clubs to see if anyone raises rabbits. Or chat up the breeders at the state fair if you go. You may pay a little more but your stock will be worth it.
For what it’s worth my average price per rabbit was $35 but they were also all papered so I can trace genetics which is important with a rare breed.
Yeah, I had been hoping to find a good breeder by now, and had kind of dismissed the Fair as too far away. And now it’s August.
I know of someone who raises rabbits!! Why didn’t I think of this before? I’ll call & ask her what type she raises. (Sorry to put this here, but if I didn’t do it NOW I would forget) : ))