How to Build a Rabbit Barn

Rabbits make great pets either for showing, breeding and selling, or for simply enjoying. However, when you have rabbits, it is important to have a place for them to live. A rabbit barn must be secure, safe and treated well in order to be the best home for your rabbits.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Barn or barn building materials
• Metal and wire cages
• Dropping trays
• Food/water bowls
• Wood for cage legs
• Building materials/tools

1. Find or construct a barn or other building. The building should be secure, with a door that can lock and secure windows that open. The barn should have a floor, either concrete or packed dirt. The ceiling should be leak-proof and allow for shelter from weather.

2. Obtain cages for your rabbits. You should have enough cages so that you have at least one for every two rabbits you own. You also want to have a special cage for breeding and a special cage for any baby rabbits that you want to raise.

3. Inside the building, lay out the rabbit cages that you have obtained. Begin by laying them out along the outer edges of the barn. The cages can sit up against each other. Be sure to leave room at the door to the building.

4. If you have more cages than will fit around the perimeter of the building, begin a row in the middle of the building. Be sure that there is room to walk around this row, and access all of the rest of the cages.

5. When you have your cages laid out, count the number of cage legs that you will need. You will need cage legs for each corner of the cages. Remember that when a cage meets another cage and is up against it, you will only need one set of cage legs for that section. There should be a cage leg at each corner of the cages, but some cages may share legs.

6. Cut strips of 2x4 timber about 4 feet high. Cut as many of the pieces as you will need for cage legs.

7. Pull the cages out from the wall of the barn so that you have room to build the cage stands.

8. Secure the cage legs into the ground. For a concrete floor, you can balance the legs on the ground. For a dirt floor, dig them into the ground.

9. Add 2x4 cross beams to attach all of the legs to each other. Now you should have a series of cage stands.

10. Place the cages on top of the stands. Secure them to the 2x4s with screws or any other means.

11. Outfit the cages with rabbit beds, food and water dishes, and fresh straw.

12. Put your rabbits into the new homes.

13. Secure the windows and doors of the rabbit barns to make sure that the rabbits are safe.

Tips & Warnings

• Never put a female rabbit with a male rabbit in a cage unless you intend to breed them.

[bunnybunch]

on 12/28/2008 I got an old moble home 10x50 free. We pulled it home and gutted it out. We then put up a bench for individual cages on one wall as well a few sold bottom cages for birthing. On the other side we put stacking cages. In the summer I can put fans at each end and with the other windows open keep the air moving and somewhat cooler. In the winter we put plastic on the windows and replace the blubs with heat lamp blubs. I live in Montana so when it gets cold we leave the lights on. I seldom have frozen water, unless it goes below zero. I also have babies and have no problem with them.