- southernontariorab
My temporary rabbit cage
Updated: Mar 13, 2022
When I purchased my first rabbit it was still winter. I actually had to put off picking him up by two days due to a snow storm. I had nothing set up but I had some galvanized wire mesh ordered to make tractors and to make a cage more secure for him.
I previously showed and bred dogs so I had extra dog crates sitting around and I decided to repurpose them into rabbit cages. The crates were in great shape and had removable plastic trays. I used a medium crate to bring him home and for him to stay in while he lived in the house while I figured out where I was putting the rabbits pens outside and build a frame for them. Just starting out with meat rabbits, I wanted to try to start out without sinking a lot of money into it.
If you decide to try using dog crates yourself, let me give you an overview of the pros and cons.
Pros
-Doesn't cost anything to repurpose an old crate and opens up some of your storage space.
-Medium and larger crates give your rabbit quite a bit of room .
-The tray stops waste from falling through onto your floors.
-Waterers can still be clipped to the cage.
Cons
-The tray isn't deep enough to stop your rabbit from kicking it's bedding out the sides of the cage.
-Unless you cut your crate you can't use the feeders that are designed to hang on the outside of the cage.
-The wire on the bottom of the crate is spaced too wide apart to stop your rabbit from escaping if you remove the tray.
I am going to be manufacturing two external bottoms for my crates that they can be placed into with the tray removed. One will have 1/2" x 1" wire, and the other will be 2" x 4" wire. The first is to be used while sitting up on its shelf in winter or in the rainy season. The latter is to be used so it can be sat on the yard so the rabbit can enjoy foraging.
I will still have rabbit tractors but they will be used for the kits as they are growing out. It will provide them more space, while the crates will allow the breeding rabbits to experience the same life style, just on a smaller individual scale. I want the rabbits here at Ontario rabbits to have a great quality of life, regardless of their end destination being the freezer.