Rabbit Production. James I McNitt
hutch is a small unit of solid construction used for housing a few animals on a backyard scale. A hutch generally is of wood and chicken-wire construction and may have a wire-mesh floor or a solid floor bedded with straw (Fig. 4.4). Inexpensive hutches are satisfactory for the backyard rabbit raiser with a few does. They can be constructed easily, using inexpensive material that may be on hand. Hutches are also used in developing countries and are constructed of local building materials, such as twigs or bamboo (Fig. 4.5). Rabbits are very adaptable and can be raised in many types of hutches, provided that there is adequate ventilation and provision for manure removal and that the rabbits can be kept dry.
Fig. 4.4. A small-scale, backyard rabbit production enterprise. (Courtesy of D.J. Harris)
Fig. 4.5. A rabbitry in Malawi (East Africa) constructed of inexpensive local materials. Rabbits are quite suitable for small-scale production in developing countries. (Courtesy of J.I. McNitt)
Modern commercial rabbitries do not use hutches. They use wire cages, which are usually suspended from supports on the ceiling. These cages provide good ventilation and waste disposal and place the rabbits at a convenient height for the rabbit raiser to work with them. A variety of different types of wire cages are used successfully. The Quonset-style cage is one of the best, because it requires less wire than a rectangular cage, all corners of the cage can be reached easily, and the door doesn’t fall down when one is reaching inside the cage. Quonset-style cages suspended back-to-back provide a ready-made hay feeder (Fig. 4.6) that is useful when hay is fed for enteritis control or to prevent fur chewing. This area can also be used for feeding greens to the rabbits. Usually, either 14- or 16-gauge wire is used (Fig. 4.7); 12-gauge wire is ideal but is generally too expensive for routine use (Fig. 4.8).
Fig. 4.6. A Quonset-style hanging wire cage. This style of cage can be readily used for feeding hay. (Courtesy of D.J. Harris)
Fig. 4.7. Components of a Quonset cage. (Courtesy of Helene Hedian)
Fig. 4.8. The sizes and identification of sheet metal, wire, and woven wire cloth. (Courtesy of the OSU Rabbit Research Center)
Another style of cage, which has been referred to as the European-style cage, has two compartments. The young can be kept in one compartment and the doe in the other. Before weaning, the young have access to both compartments; at weaning, the door separating the compartments is closed. It is believed that this system produces less stress to the litter than when the doe is totally removed. This has not been experimentally proven, however.
The dimensions of the cage will vary, depending upon the rabbit breed, the management system used, and the personal preferences of the rabbit raiser. A good rule of thumb is to allow 0.067 m2 per 0.45 kg (3/4 square foot per pound) of mature body weight. For medium breeds and commercial production, a cage 76 cm deep × 76 cm wide is satisfactory. A cage 76 cm deep × 91 cm wide should be used for giant breeds of rabbits. The height should be about 46 cm. For the sides and top, 2.5 × 5.0 cm mesh is used, and for the floor, the mesh should be 1.25 × 2.5 cm. A type of wire called “baby-saver” is available; it decreases in mesh size from top to bottom so that kits don’t fall out the sides of the cage or crawl through to another doe’s cage. The door should be of adequate size to allow easy access to all parts of the cage and permit introduction of a nest box.
Wire for cage construction can be purchased from rabbit supply houses or wire manufacturing companies. Ask other rabbit raisers or check current issues of rabbit magazines to find suppliers. It is best to buy locally to minimize shipping charges. Commercial raisers should build their own cages, using hog rings or J clips to hold them together. Hog rings are preferred because they do not hold water and cause rusting and they are more effective when joining three or more wires. If only a few cages are needed for a backyard rabbitry, they can be purchased from another producer, or kits of pre-cut cages can be purchased, requiring only to be clipped together. If large numbers of cages are to be built, a power-driven J-clip tool and a power wire shear can be purchased or rented.
Bucks should be kept in 76 × 76cm cages. For junior does prior to breeding, a 30 × 76 cm cage is adequate, or two or three junior does can be housed together in a larger cage. If the latter is done, they should be separated three weeks before intended breeding to prevent pseudopregnancy. Hanging wire cages should be suspended at a height convenient to the rabbit raiser so that he or she can readily reach into all parts of the cages. In general, cages should be single tiered. If forced-air ventilation is used, then a double-tiered arrangement (Fig. 4.9) may be considered. However, snuffles and other respiratory ailments are often a problem with double- and triple-tiered cages. Adequate ventilation to prevent build-up of humidity and ammonia is extremely critical. Also, with double or triple tiers, it is difficult to readily observe animals or nest boxes on the top and bottom tiers. With double or triple tiers, various types of waste disposal systems have been used, including automatic scrapers (Fig. 4.10) and deflection boards to direct feces and urine into a collection area.
Fig. 4.9. A two-tier arrangement of cages. (Courtesy of Bass Equipment Company)
Fig. 4.10. A two-tier caging arrangement with an automatic manure scraper powered by a small electric motor. (Courtesy of OSU Rabbit Research Center)
Large cages are sometimes used to save on labor and cage construction costs. These units house numerous fryer rabbits in each from weaning to marketing. Feed is provided in large feed hoppers. This system reduces some of the high labor requirements that exist when litters are kept individually in cages. A fairly high stocking density is needed to keep the animals from running and playing, which increases energy expenditure and feed requirements. A density of 16–18 rabbits per m2 with a finished weight of 40–45 kg/m2 may be satisfactory. Fighting is not usually a problem. Junior does, from weaning to four months, can also be kept in group cages.
Feeding Equipment
Feeders
Various types of feed hoppers are commercially available. The most popular is the J feeder (Fig. 4.11). Hoppers should have sufficient capacity to hold at least a one-day feed supply and should be designed so feed is not scratched out (scrabbled) and wasted. If scrabbling is a problem, a scrabble guard can be made by inserting a piece of 2.5 × 5.0 cm cage wire into the feeder above the feed. Wires placed 5.0 to 7.5 cm apart over the opening may