How to Build a Rabbit Hutch for Breeding Rabbits
Rabbit farmers know the value of a well-made hutch. A poorly made hutch does not allow access to the rabbits, and because rabbit hutches require certain functions, a poorly functioning hutch will not serve the rabbits' needs at all. In contrast, a well made rabbit hutch will house the rabbits, serve their needs, and allow you to breed your rabbits and grow the number of your stock.
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Things You'll Need
- Five panels of 18-inch-by-18-inch-by-1/2-inch plywood
- Seven 12-inch metal "L" braces
- 24 3/8-inch wood screws
- Two 2-inch metal hinges
- One rotating metal clasp
- One 18-inch-by-18-inch patch of chicken wire
- Staple gun
- Metal Staples
- 2 water bottles
- 2 6-inch-by-6-inch blocks of wood
- Screwdriver
- Two curved wood hooks
Instructions
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Prepare the Open-faced Box
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1
Fit one "L" brace onto the edges of two plywood panels so they form an "L." This "L" will serve as your back and right sides.
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2
Screw the L-brace into place using the screwdriver and the 3/8-inch wood screws.
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3
Make an additional "L" using another L-bracket and two more planks of plywood. This "L" will serve as your bottom and left sides.
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4
Screw the L-braces into place using the screwdriver and the 3/8-inch wood screws.
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5
Attach the back/right piece to the bottom/left using two more L-braces until you have the makings of a box. The box, of course, will not have a top or a front.
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6
Attach the top to the open-faced box using three more L-braces and the wood screws.
The Front Door
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7
Drill a starter hole into the face of one of the planks of plywood at a position one inch from any corner.
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8
Insert the jigsaw blade into the starter hole.
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9
Cut out the center of the plywood using the jigsaw, making sure to leave a one to two inch outer margin of wood.
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10
Staple the chicken wire to the square hoop using the staple gun. Each staple should be one inch apart.
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11
Connected the door to the open-faced box using the hinges and four 3/8-inch wood screws. You can connect the hinges to any edge of the door then connect them directly to the top of the open-faced box.
The Separator
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12
Cut a 16-inch-long-by-1/4-inch slot in the ceiling of the hutch using the circular saw.
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13
Slide the 20-inch separator board into the ceiling slot.
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14
Draw a line on the hutch's floor on either side of the separator. Withdraw the separator.
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15
Cut a 1/4-inch deep slot between the lines using the dremel. This slot will hold the separator, so it won't slide. Once in place, the separator can keep male rabbits from the female rabbits. Then you can withdraw the separator and the rabbits can mate.
Inner Functionality
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16
Attach half of the metal clasp to the bottom of the door.
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17
Attach the other half of the clasp to the bottom edge of the open-faced box.
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18
Screw the curved wood hooks into the inner ceiling of each half of the hutch.
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19
Hang the water bottles on the hooks.
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20
Insert the wood blocks into each side of the cage. The rabbits require something to chew, and if you don't insert a wood block, they will chew the sides of the hutch until they destroy it and escape.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Do not remove the separator until you want the rabbits to mate. Rabbits do not have a breeding season and can mate again as soon as the female rabbit gives birth. Without the separator in place, rabbits who don't breed will often fight and kill one another.
References
- Photo Credit Maria Teijeiro/Digital Vision/Getty Images
