HUGE DIY Outdoor Rabbit Pen (with BURROWS!)
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- Опубликовано: 20 сен 2024
- Are you raising rabbits or thinking about raising rabbits?
Here's a happy alternative to most outdoor rabbit set ups that rely on small cages or hutches.
This set up includes TONs of space for rabbits to roam and socialize.
Materials used:
Two by fours & four by fours for the lumber (a mix of pressure-treated and untreated wood)
Cattle fencing (this is the larger fencing)
Hardware mesh cloth (smaller mesh fencing for small rabbits)
Poultry nails (for nailing down the fencing into the lumber)
Outdoor storage totes and HVAC elbow tubing (for the artificial burrows)
Outdoor nails (get the ones that are painted to avoid rust)
Metal panels for the roofing
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A couple of issues we dealt with in our first colony set up was flooding and poop build up. I buried my wire too deep and the rabbits dug tunnels in the ground above the wire. With heavy rains, these low spots were prone to flooding even with a roof and totes as am option. The second problem was their poop. It never got smelly because I kept adding litter but it was difficult to remove and built up quickly. I believe this was a design flaw on my part. My area was too cramped for us to go inside it easily for maintance. I would keep this in mind if designing a space because it is frustrating if you don't. Your setup looks great though.
What would you do differently with the bottom of their run to avoid poop and water build up?
@sabrinanicoara4797 We moved them back to wire in our case. But if I kept them on the ground, I would use really deep litter and make sure I can easily access to remove the mulch at least every month or so.
Thankfully our pen has not had an issue with water build up due to the roof and the additional side panels we added (not seen in this video). Prior to the metal side panels we added, sideways rain (during a rainy season) could mean water would get into part of the pen. Since then, no issues.
The poop clean up is a constant chore but it's not as bad as cleaning up after our goats. A shovel with a flat end is my favorite tool to use + my hands (with gloves on of course lol) & a wheelbarrow.
I strongly recommend building the door to any pen to be wide enough for a wheelbarrow to get in & out.
Thats a lovey set up. Id recomend that anyone building rabbit housing makes sure its Rat prof. I lost most of my first two litters to rats. It was a terrible lession to learn. All the best
Oh goodness, that's horrifying. I think the hardware mesh cloth (that's tightly knit together) has saved us in that regard. But it only goes up part way around the pen (about four feet up). Hopefully they can't scale past that. This is something I will investigate! Thank you and sorry to hear you went through that :'-(
@@letschasethegoodlife Thank you, Rats will be able to get in to your set up. They can jump and climb. At the time my neighbour had really badly kept chickens. So I had many rats around. Hopefully you never have a rat problem. In the UK I brought Rat Proof mesh on Amazon. All the Best.
Yes rats are truly amazing creatures. I actually had one hanging out in my garden last winter. My neighbour said they were getting into the loft, but we couldn't work out where! Anyway he has no compunction in using poison 😢 and one day I saw the little brown rat vomiting blood. It was horrific. Since then I said I would try and reduce any food outside (I had chucked out some breadcrumbs for the birds) and I bought some live traps so that should they return, I can catch and release. @@guineapigfarmer6064
Sweet setup mine coast me $4000 because I built it like a house, I go in and hang out with them here in Canada 🇨🇦 weather I bilt it enclosed and instalation it I love rabbits I do have 11 and 13 new born ❤
Can you please share some ideas? We are making a rabbit shelter in India
But she breeds these for meat
This is FANTASTIC! I love rabbits! Thanks for sharing and for caring so well for your bun buns!!! 🐇🐰
@@AllTheThingsOfHome they will be killed for meat so
Awwwww, my bunnies would love this. ❤ great job. I'm glad this popped up for me to see. 😊
This looks fantastic! I'm looking at getting rabbits again in a couple of years and was wondering about doing something like this for them. This is very encouraging.
Bunny heaven 🤩. Adorable bunnies. They're very lucky!!
We really tried to make it a palace! We love these little bun buns
The door lock keeps falling out of alignment because the brace(the diagonal board) is facing the wrong way. You want it to go from the top hinge side to the bottom far side. That way, the brace is pulling the door up, and it will stay in alignment longer. Many modern gates have a tension brace that can be adjusted, so you can fix the sag as it arises.
Genius! Thank you so much, we will try that out!
In my experience, this is going to be a high risk path. When it rains lot of water will be sprayed by wind on the floor of this setup. The bedding material will ensure the moisture is trapped in there and stays moist for longer period of time. Lice, mites and other insects will build up. So you will end up with lot of parasite issues. IF you can mitigate rain water entering from all four sides this would work the best.
My intention is not to be negative. Just sharing my painful experience.
That’s exactly what happened with my bunnies. I did the same thing and it didn’t work out well. Highly regret it. It was just a matter of few weeks before they started getting sick. Now I’m looking for another solution.
@@Dell-gd5vn it had too be absolutely DRY, ventilated and regularly cleaned and refreshed with fresh bedding. Otherwise it doesn't work
Exactly my first thoughts, as I am fighting with similar issues. I inherited rabbits from a previous owner, in cages, and pens. Cages are small, pens are concrete floored... both of them are good enough, as I let caged rabbits exercise outdoors, and I deep bed the concrete floor BUT it's just sooooooo much work I cannot handle it with other things around.
I am currently designing a rabbit pen with:
-big space
-elevated flooring, with mesh-flooring ONLY in the corners to keep it dry, let the urine fall through but also keep the deep bedding
-semi covered sides, so they can see outside, but stay protected from harsh winds and rain
-easy access panels and whole-side doors for maintanance
-in-built has feeders and watering system so they can chose when they eat
This would seem like a lot, but I have kept them for almost 1 year now, and there are tons of works and routines that needs to be done in a simple pen, and if you miss them, they tend to ruin the rabbit's living conditions as you have said.... so that's why the "fuss" about the new design.
I will keep my breeder bucks outside, exercised, cause they need constant attention and daily play/groom/hide&seek sessions too. :D We just love the connection we have with them, and it's also easier to check them out if anything happens (parasites, illness, injuries).
All in all, I can say that rabbits are low maintenance, but if someone wants the full experience for themselves AND the animals aswell, they do require a well thought-out place and routine. We do eat them aswell, and we think this is the least we can provide to an animal that provides us with life. :)
@andrassalfay5869 , did you ever get your design finished? We're going to be building a new setup for our buns, and I'm looking for a really good design
I really appreciate your comment. I've actually added metal panels to the side to counteract sideways rain since seeing your comment! Diatomaceous earth around the pen perimeter as well and making sure vegetation is pruned back and the flooring changed out frequently.
Bobby at 'The Rabbitry Center' uses the tote system. Not sure if that is where you saw ot or not but i know he uses them. I like yhe way you have yours as well.
I wish I had made this video as I was building everything and my memory wouldn't be failing me. But I just checked out their channel, it could very well be where I saw that!
@@letschasethegoodlife Please keep us posted and show us when they have kits...
I have built similar like your big cage and i doubt.but when i see now i feel confident thank you for sharing
What do you use to keep the bugs away from your bunnies? I want to let my babies outside but the fear of the bugs that can harm them keeps me from wanting them to even be outside. Thank you for sharing your tips🙂
I love it , thank you 🙏 for sharing best wishes 🙏☮️❤️
I’ve been looking for something like this! I’d love the dimensions and measurements.
I love this, wondering if the does bother each others babies.
I rarely keep more than one mom + her litter together. Usually I separate the momma and her litter on the smaller side. One time I did allow two moms and their litters all together though and do not have issues. I would definitely say it’s something to keep an eye on though and just one more variable to monitor. Thank you sharing your kind words!
This is really nice! Those rabbits are so lucky. Do you also have little rabbit tractors? I've seen people who mow their lawns with 3 or 4 rabbit tractors aligned next to each other, they move them every 4 hours or so, and the rabbits just mow the grass and also leave behind the best fertilizer.
Awesome fencing. But I think they will suffer from sun heat directly as fence is open from all sides.
It's a good point. Avoiding sun heat is a big factor for rabbits for sure. We built this set up on the shadiest part of our property, so the tall trees surrounding it block any afternoon sun. However, it is something we still watch though and I've brought in plywood to give them a shade wall when the season calls for it.
@@letschasethegoodlife
: you can put a screen-Tarp for seven better shade. on the side that the Sun hits them in .
That's is what the burrow is for, the shadow
Cinnamon Rabbits! We love ours.
They have beautiful coloration! Nice to hear you enjoy yours as well!
Hello. Our school is planning to build a habitat, would you kindly send or share building plans and measurements?
tank you for sharing i love rabbits i am in mauricie quebec and here there his 6 month of cold i be putting plastic around for cutting the wind and snow and maybe liots of straw ,loll i just got 5 or 7 bb cant be really sure yet .....so beautifull
Wow, this is really nice and bons are so happy in there. What type of bedding did you use and how deep is it? How often do you have to clean the enclosure? I am building an 8'x8'x8' for my bunnies.
That's so exciting! I hope your project went well. Ours is 20x10x10. We use straw and dirt for bedding. Plus they have nesting boxes with sheeps wool and underground burrow boxes too. It requires cleaning multiple times per week, but the cleanings go much quicker than if we were to use a deep bedding method. I prefer doing more frequent cleans unless it's super cold and the deep bedding will help provide insulation/serve a purpose.
I love your set up but I'm wondering how the deep bedding is working for you? I did something similar several months ago and now the bunnies constantly dig and mix the deep bedding in with the dirt and their poop. Because of their digging, it dies not layer well. I worry about their exposure to poop and cleaning it is not easy. What are your thoughts?
Question-Do you garden or have plants outside at all? To make cleaning that bedding easier, what I used to do is simply allow the four rabbits I had to do what they do, dig around, make a mess, etc, but at least 1-2x a week, I raked EVERYTHING OUT. Then that was added to my garden plants as a mulch or mixed into the soil, or topped with new soil even! I kinda miss having them, just for the nitrogen boost. It was easier to just start over, even if it meant cleaning, but it took like ten minutes… and then I would try not to make the substrate quite so deep the next time. Of course bedding can add up. I wouldn’t add it to plants if it’s something oily like cedar, or something known to irritate other plants, but then again it’s mostly just straw, hay and grass mixed with droppings. I would just repurpose that mixture as a compost or mulch in the garden… Not on any vegetables or edibles, though, but on tropicals, trees or ornamentals. Specifically plants that enjoy the moisture retention (mulching), nitrogen & nutrition (poop, straw etc). I mean maybe you could use it for veggies, but I just rarely grow any. I grow more tropical plants. 😊 You can use it right away as a mulch/plant food boost, add it to an existing compost heap (if you know what you’re doing) or start a new compost area-but specifically with ONLY the used bunny bedding mix. That is actually the ideal method, and garnered me pretty good results within a few months, I have to say.
This seems interesting and something I would consider on nice days to let my 2 little guys outside. I'm actually gonna show my wife this video. What do you do on really cold or hot days? Do those little cubbies keep them warm and cool enough on hot and cold days?
I'd worry about fisher cats or something else digging under at night but looks like a whole lot of fun and space to sprawl out for the buns!!
We do have metal flooring that's bolted into the wood frame which helps!
Looks great, how do you handle heavy rains and storms?
I would put them back yard fenced to the river they got whole yard not get out
We've tried free ranging but unfortunately they dig under our house, form burrows, and could weaken the foundation. If it wasn't for that, I'd seriously consider it again!
How marvelous!!
i wish i could have one like this one
Don’t those metal tubes get really hot in summer for little bun buns? Please tell me THESE ARE PETS!!!! ❤
Food
That’s life
Beautiful! Yes, may I have the dimensions of your set up, please?
Yes of course! I will be sending the details soon!
really nice home for rabbits
Very nice but I would've preferred having it on top of nice green grass for them to graze on instead of dirt and can you organize it a little better looks a little mess and the underground tote is a great idea for keeping rabbits cool
Well yes, preferable for rabbits to be out freely grazing and burrowing in fields
Hi I would really like the design details for the rabbit pen please!
That looks awesome. I’ve been thinking about meat rabbits for quite a while. This looks like a great set up and if I get into it and like it will be something I consider.
As a child i had rabbits in a cage. I lost several day old newborns to ants. How is tha not a concern in the colony system?
Wow nice work 👍.
The channel you're looking for is The Rabbitry Center.
My dream for my rabbits 🥹🥹🥹
Hi, this looks so nice. I want to build like this .
Oh I thought it was going to be a run with burrows that the rabbits dug themselves. With the wire they can't engage in their natural behaviour. That said these rabbits are better off than a lot of the poor creatures trapped in hutches, seemingly as toys for kids that quickly lose interest!
I just started learning about rabbits and rhdv2. Would having them on the ground like that increase they’re chances of contracting it? Looks very beautiful btw! Great job!
I remember when I first got rabbits I was pretty alarmed learning about RHDV2 as well, but we have not had any issues to date. They also don't have any exposure to wild rabbits, so I think any risk should be very minimal/low.
Yes it does increase the risk. Depends on your location and if any known cases have been reported.
@@letschasethegoodlife it can be on your shoes and anyone can carry it in your home kit by walking over it and not even knowing.
V*r*se* do not exist.
Please did normally cover this rabbits house every day, especially at night, thanks
Because they have their individual burrows, they are not covered at night. their home provides plenty of shade and a cool breeze for them in summer and their burrows are insulated and provide them with warmth in the winter.
I was sent this video for my extreme diggers I got. I already had plans to do something almost identical. However I am trying to figure out a better solution for the ground to prevent digging. I feel like your setup is going to be hard to keep the bottom of the warren cleaned up. The bigger the area the rabbits have, the more messy they get with going potty wherever.
Thanks Tony, glad this video is a helpful reference. And yes, I would say the bottom flooring is the least favorite part of our set up. It is tedious to clean since the metal grating is down below. A shovel easily catches on it, so it's a slow and steady cleaning job every time. I do think the bunnies seem to prefer having dirt and straw in the flooring as it satisfies a lot of the digging urges. It also helps that they seem to poo mostly in just one corner.
How did you figure out which
h rabbits to put together? I have six does who are.in individual pens and 2 males. Figure the males will each have their own space but was hoping to put two in or three does together. Do each of the does have their own burrow? Do you collect the fences for fertilizer? Lots of questions!
Wow soooo cool!
Is it ok to put adults together in 1 cage?
It's can be dicey with rabbits due to their complex social structure. More than one adult female doe can live together in peace, but it's usually after they've established their heirarchy. It can really help for them to know each other in advance (be able to see eachother through a fence or something first).
You do not want to have more than one adult, non-neutered male together in a pen. Even brothers will likely fight.
Is it easier to clean and how often you have to clean?
Looks good
Waohh they r soo cute 🥰
Very cool
Hidden springs farm made burrows in his pens…shouldnt u have used hardware cloth over the whole pen to keep predators out?snakes can get through the top half of your pen..I love the burrows..
All we have are tiny Gardner snakes where we live. I see one maybe once a year while on a hike or something. That being said, I agree that hardware cloth all over the pen would be better!
This would not be predator proof where I'm from because martens and weasels can climb through this.
How deep down and how long from tote the hvac to the outside? Exact measurements and dimensions please
It is 27" from back of the burrow to the entrance HVAC. 10" Deep from lid to bottom. 19" long on the box and 12" wide on the box. Hope this helps!
Did y’all buy the rabbit or wild rabbits?
Do you keep the males and females seperated?
Yes. For the babies, they need be separated after a month’s time
wouldnt the predators be able to taunt the rabbits through the wire?? because obviously it's not covered to the point where they wouldn't be able to see eachother and this can affect the rabbits quite badly if any predators were to sit and watch them/taunt them. it could really frighten the rabbits. this is why keeping domestic rabbits inside is 100% safer and gives them a much better and happier life. I can see the effort it took to build and the space it provides for the buns is nice but it's just not safe. they could die even from just seeing a predator due to shock and being scared. It would of been far better if the buns were inside.
Thank you for your comment. Each side of the pen has multiple burrow boxes and so if they are spotted by something, they can go underground and out of view. Thankfully, they've only really needed to do this a couple times when they were scared of a neighbor's dog that wandered over. They also have bales of straw they can burrow into above ground. This is what they would do in the wild, too. I understand the human element of thinking wanted to provide animals with the exact life that we have, but the outdoor + fresh air + opportunity to graze on fresh vegetation (we have tractor for this) + have their own social structure more closely mirrors their natural habitat.
You could even argue that having a pet indoors is more unnatural and that no one should even have pet rabbits and that they should all be wild. There's a lot of different perspectives out there and a give & a take with all of this. In our case, we definitely strive for to have happy, healthy rabbits.
Thanks again for your comment. I appreciate your viewpoint on this too!
@@letschasethegoodlife indoor rabbits are happy and healthy too
Won't they dig burrows n escape?
As she showed @1:53, the wire mesh goes across the bottom of the pen.
Sadly they can't!
How many rabbite per square foot ?
What about the pool & urine build up?
Clean it
Using a shop brush (the commercial looking ones) has worked well to push everything into a pile and then shovel out. It’s not too time intensive and keeps things fresh. I wish I would have used the shop broom method from the start!
How many does live together in that space?
Three does. I could probably do more, but these three have been so happy together and socialized, I’m hesitant to switch it up.
@@letschasethegoodlife for their safety I wouldn't.
@@aiodensghost8645 For sure, I think I'd rather error on the side of caution. We adopted these bunnies from the previous homeowners who had them housed in an outdoor hutch (which was pretty spacious as far as a hutch goes). But these girls didn't get along when I put them together in our fenced garden. Since we changed to this bigger set up, they are best buds for more than a year going strong!
Plans?
What is your watering container?
It's a Double Wall Metal Poultry Fount. Usually used for chickens, but we found that the rabbits did well with this water set up as well. It uses some type of natural mechanical vacuum/pressure to make sure the water at the bottom is continually resupplying itself. Much more convenient, but we do check it twice daily during our morning and evening rounds to make sure everything looks good.
How do you deal with poop and urine
Their poop and urine are one of the best fertilizers available! We regularly scoop and place it in our garden and re-bed their area with fresh straw.
Though the fence may protect the bunnies from being physically hurt or eaten by predators, rabbits can still be taunted and very easily go under cardiac arrest!!
We do have 7 underground burrow boxes, multiple nesting boxes, and have added metal panels on the sides. Plus they have straw and hay bales to hid in. I do appreciate your comment though! The last thing I'd want is for that to happen!
$2K for that?😅Nah no thanks. Entire point of it looking cheap.. is so it is cheap😅I’ll just spend a little extra and get one already made & with more detail & features for that price😅
It was at the peak of the pandemic when lumber was skyrocketing. I’m guessing it would be half the price now.
Do your rabbits ever come in your house?
They are a bit messy so we do keep them outdoors but do regularly visit their home!
Are these pets ?
Yes and no. They are meat rabbits but we adore them and really try to provide them with a happy outdoor home, mimic their natural environment and give them lots of attention.
@farmomma how do you have a heart to do this .. look at these poor things they have no idea they will be dispatched to their death .. I feel so sorry for them
@@HoppyBunnyBunchExactly, they have no idea. Why feel sorry for a happy, healthy rabbit?
@@HoppyBunnyBunchwell yes but any human who eats meat or fish dispatches animals to their death.. we just don't see the process cause we buy it in a plastic tub!
that is pure wasted space. why wouldnt you make that be 3 or 4 levels? it would make use of all that space you wasted and give them 3-4 times the living space.
Rabbits need open floor space to run and don’t really benefit from levels
Youd have to design it to be cleanable then
It's not actually. The height between the roof and ground actually keeps the area cooler. Also, if you made it into levels you would have to make it so you can clean each level, and cool each level if needed. Your design would also negate the underground burrow system.
Im not sure what you have bunnys for when you just have them locked outside in such horrible cage that is in no way bunny friendly and dirty as hell. These bunnies will attract lots of flies in summer and if they are weak due to cold and wet weather then those flies will kill those animals. Thats not wild bunnys 👎👎 would you lock a chihuahua in a cage outside? No shade for them no weather protection no shelter no corner for them.. what if a fox or cat is lurking? Where do the bunnys hide? Not sure why you people have bunnys when you just lock them outside while sleeping in a comfortble clean bed yourself. You mentioned that those bunnys are not allowed inside your house because they are "messy" 👎👎 what if your kid is messy? Locking it outside too? Bunnys are cleaner than most dogs.. mine uses his litter box so what exactly is messy? The hay that falls out?
you are hilarious
If only animals could survive outside..
@@leschx they do..but not these bunnys..atleast not for very long.
Glossy, have you had your mental health checked lately. These aren't pets they are meat animals. Cold and rain do not kill rabbits besides they have burrows for weather protection. Cats and other predators can't get in their pins.
Girl i completely agree with you @@GlossyLipsArt
rabbits dont belong outdoors...
Poor bunnies 😢..
What??
I thought the same. Shelter is like a horror movie and besides that those are not outside bunnys but pet bunnys that belong mostly inside to free roam.She mentioned her bunnys are "messy" so thats why they are not allowed inside.. really sad for these bunnys
@GlossyLipsArt .....
Those rabbits are perfectly happy. They have space to run, to dig, they're safe from predators. This is a massive step up from hutches or cages. People like you are never happy. 🙄
@@louiselockyer7695 let me guess.. you also lock your rabbits outside? You dont seem to understand that those rabbits are not meant to live outside. Its like saying a chihuahua can live in an outside cage because its bloodline is also somewhat wolf 🤦🏼♀️ i also live in a wet,cool area and i assure you those bunnys will get one illness after the other due to weather,bugs,wild animals etc. Their urine attracts bugs.. especially flies.. those bunnys dont poop and pee in litter boxes which means under their feet its bacteria heaven.. one small cut and they get their feet infected.. if they get ill the bunnies will stop cleaning themselves which means flies will lay eggs inside of the bunny.. bunnys dont sh1t where they sleep and are actually extremely clean animals. So human .. not sure how you get the idea of them being happy when you lay your behind in a compfy bed every night. Either make your bunny happy and sacrifice your time or dont get one. Simple
@GlossyLipsArt my rabbit does indeed live outside. I rescued her from an abusive home where she was outside in a guinea pig cage. She developed aggression and the owner gave her to me for free instead of giving her away as snake food.
So I took her and bought her a massive pen, made a beautiful spacious, dry home for her. She isn't allowed inside because of where I live.
Then I got her to a vet for the first time in her life. Paid all the expenses, and tried to rehome her to an indoor home. Failed, because no one locally wants her.
After several months I've decided to keep looking after her. She binkies, she flops. She eats the best foods and grazes good quality hay.
She is happy. And it's the best I could do and without me she'd be abused or dead
So keep making shit assumptions about me, like the idiot you sound like.
Indoor housing is ideal for rabbits, but in a situation where it isn't possible, yes, housing outside is necessary.
I am yet to experience an infection, since rabbits are tidy animals, even unspayed ones choose certain areas to pee and poop. If these areas are cleaned frequently, neither flies nor bacteria thrive.
The rabbits simply need protection from Predators (including preventing them scaring them through the mesh), they need a clean spacious area to run and graze. They need water dishes to prevent dehydration.
They need places to hide, and enrichment.
My rabbit has all these things and so do theirs. So how about shove your opinion somewhere else.
No just no rabbits are indoor pets and they literally just said it rains quite a lot where they live do some research
Hence the roof. Also, these aren't pets. Ditto, do some research. Rabbits live outdoors, they can also live indoors. Rabbits come from the outdoors and most homes are kept too warm for a lot of rabbits. They thrive in cooler weather.
You’re gonna hate to learn that they probably eat these rabbits. they are not pets. This is also an extremely humane set up compared to some of the hutches people make.
What??! Are you aware that rabbits live in fields and burrow? Keeping them indoors is about the most unnatural thing you can imagine!
bunny do not belong outside.
Right, they belong in our tummies and I'm sure they will end up there soon.
They are RABBITS
They are animals, I have bunnies and they NATURALLY like it better out there.
😂oh my goodness!
So watership down was a lie ? Lol
That wire will rust, and your bunnies will dig out.
Sounds like negative thoughts. There is plenty of time before that happens. It could literally go 10 years before anything like that happens.
The wire hasn't rusted yet. Maybe because it's galvanized? No predators have dug in and no bunnies have dug out in two+ years now. Fingers crossed it all continues to go well!
Op is just being ignorant. Jealous?
Galvanized steel takes roughly 35-70 years to decomp in soil.