The Best Hay For Your Rabbits

We have had several inquires about the type of, and how much hay we feed our rabbit's here at TAP rabbitry. While I have went into great length about the type and amount of pellets that we feed our rabbits, I have only given hay a cursory mention in two my previous articles: How and What We Feed, and Proper Rabbit Nutrition for your herd. So the focus of this article is about how we supplement our rabbits daily pellet regimen with hay.

We feed timothy hay in the mornings. When we get up to go out and check on the rabbits we water and place a handful of hay into the hay hangers of each rabbits cage. I realize a handful is not a very precise amount of hay, but as it is a supplement to their diet and not the rabbits primary form of nutrition we really do not get anymore specific than a handful. For our grow out cages, I stuff as much hay in the hangers as possible as we usually have many hungry little buns waiting for their morning hay. The grow out cages may get hay a couple times a day depending on the amount, age, and size of young growing rabbits in the cage.

Hay Selection

The three most common hay types that breeders feed their rabbits is timothy, coastal (a.k.a bermuda), and alfalfa. We purchase compressed 50lb bales of timothy hay from our local Tractor Supply for less than $16.00 a bale. I cannot find coastal hay in my area in manageable size bales, but I have to admit I have not pursued it that vigorously. We do not feed our rabbits alfalfa hay as the primary ingredient in the pellets that we feed is alfalfa meal. My research has led me to believe that feeding alfalfa hay in addition to a good pellet that is rich in alfalfa can cause your rabbits to have kidney and urinary problems related to an over abundance of minerals (primarily calcium and phosphorous). See my article on Proper Rabbit Nutrition on our blog.

When you purchase or open a compressed bale of hay it should be green in color and have the smell of fresh cut grass. The fresher the hay, the better the nutrient and mineral composition of the hay. This is especially important if you decided to feed your rabbits a diet of hay and miscellaneous greens only. I do not recommend this approach for meat rabbits, but I have several customers who feed all the livestock on their farms nothing but alfalfa hay with some miscellaneous wild greens. It is my own opinion, based on the research that I have done that if you want good, consistent meat yields from your rabbits, hay is better used as a supplement to a good quality pellet rather than as a primary source of dietary nutrition.

Timothy Hay

Sometimes labeled as timothy grass, it is the probably the most common type of hay type fed to cattle and livestock by today's farmers. If you are feeding your rabbits a good quality pellet, then this is the hay that I would use to supplement your rabbits diet with. According to the website 'Feedipedia', “timothy hay has long been recommended to provide fibre, in addition to concentrate feeds, in rabbit diets for small holder rabbit meat production (Cassady et al., 1966; Schlolaut et al., 1995), and more recently for pet rabbit maintenance (McNitt et al., 2013). Contrary to alfalfa hay, timothy hay cannot support maintenance in adults when used as the sole feed (Richards et al., 1962; Uden et al., 1982). However, it has been possible to include timothy hay up to 60 or even 75% in balanced diets without causing health problems (Keener et al., 1958; Uden et al., 1982).”

Alfalfa Hay

If you feed a good quality pellet to your rabbits (one in which the primary ingredient is alfalfa or alfalfa meal) then I would avoid feeding your rabbits alfalfa hay. Alfalfa hay has 3.36 times more potassium than timothy hay, and 2.97 times more potassium than coastal (bermuda) hay. Too much calcium can cause your rabbits to develop stones in their kidneys, bladder and ureters which is not only painful but can cause death in an otherwise healthy rabbit. The potential for complications related to too much potassium and calcium when feeding alfalfa hay along with a good quality alfalfa based pellet is to high in my opinion. If you feed a good quality pellet, then timothy or coastal hay is a much better choice.

Can rabbits live on alfalfa hay alone? Well yes, we have a few customers who swear that they only feed their rabbits alfalfa hay and miscellaneous weeds. However, a diet primarily based on alfalfa hay alone is not sufficient for good quality meat rabbit production. According to the website 'Feedipedia', “As a source of energy, alfalfa cannot fully meet the growth requirements of commercial rabbits, mainly because of its physiological limitation in ingestion (Fernandez-Carmona et al., 1998). Alfalfa hay is also a valuable source of protein (25% of the dietary protein) though its nutritive value varies greatly, depending on several factors such as the harvesting and drying process or plant maturity at harvest. Though alfalfa protein content is sufficient to meet rabbit requirements, the low digestibility of alfalfa protein makes it unsuitable for sustaining high growth rates (Fernandez-Carmona et al., 1998). The apparent digestibility of faecal protein of alfalfa hay is about 21% that of soybean meal value and its methionine content is 42% that of soybean meal one (Villamide et al., 2010). In tropical regions, where alfalfa is not readily grown, other protein sources such as bambara groundnut can be used instead (Aganga et al., 2005). Due to heavy fertilizer applications, feeding alfalfa to rabbits may result in excess K (Mateos et al., 2010). Alfalfa hay is rich in calcium: this may be an advantage during the growth period but it should be limited or avoided in adult rabbits (Lowe, 2010).”

Coastal Bermuda Hay (Coastal/Orchard Mix)

Coastal hay is a pretty broad term that is loosely tossed around as a generic label by many growers. In general, 'coastal hay' is a mix of 'coastal bermuda grass and orchard grass' in which the primary component is bermuda grass. The USDA in Texas classifies this combination simply as 'coastal bermuda hay'. Of the three (timothy, alfalfa, and coastal) coastal hay has the least amount of crude protein. As with timothy hay, coastal hay should not be your meat rabbits primary dietary source of protein, fiber, and carbohydrates if you want to maximize your growth and meat yields. According to the website 'Feedipedia', “Bermuda grass used as a sole feed did not support maintenance in adult rabbits (Deshmukh et al., 1989).” So coastal hay may be a good supplement, but you should not use it as your rabbits primary source of nutrition.

Proper Hay Storage

Storing your hay is important, after all you have spent good hard earned money and your really do not want to waste it by letting your hay get moldy or infested with rodents. When it comes to hay, water is not your friend. If your hay gets damp and begins to mold it is essentially a waste. You can throw it in your compost pile or if you live on a big enough farm give it to your goats and cattle, but do not feed it to your rabbits. Rabbits have a pretty unique digestive system and moldy hay is very likely to upset that balance and make them sick. While our rabbits are voracious eaters, I am not sure if they would even eat moldy hay, but we would not give them the option.

So make sure you store your hay in a container that will keep it dry and rodent free. When we open a bale of timothy hay, we place it in two 50 gallon aluminum trashcans with lids that we bought just for this purpose. The trashcans are stored in a closed shed to keep any rain or other moisture out the hay so that it stays dry and keeps it from getting moldy. In addition, a closed container helps keep field mice and rats from making burrows and or nests in the hay. We really have no desire to feed out rabbits hay that has mice or rat urine and feces in it, and neither should you.

TAP's Tips For Purchasing Hay:

1) Do not purchase hay in those cute little bags you see at your local pet store, Walmart, or feed store. The cost for some of this small 'convienance' bags is almost the same price as you would pay for a 50lb bale. As an example: a 40oz bag of Oxbow Western Timothy Hay at Petsmart is $12.99, whereas a 50lb compressed bale of Standlee 'Grab & Go' Timothy Hay at Tractor Supply is $15.99.

2) Purchase the freshest hay you can. When purchasing hay it should be green of color and smell of fresh cut grass when you open the bale. The greener hay is, the fresher it is. Fresh hay has better nutritional value than older hay. Try and stay away from hay that is more pale or brown than green. The browner the hay the more dust it will have, and while it will still have plenty of fibre, it is not as nutritious as fresh hay as the nutrients in the grass begin to breakdown as they hay gets older.

3) If you are purchasing hay from a local farmer or rancher. Try and make sure the hay you are buying is fresh cut, or has been stored less than 6 months in a covered area. Damp hay is a haven for mold which is not good for your rabbits, and the longer hay is sitting in the barn, the greater the chance it will have large amounts of rodent feces and urine in it which is also not so good for your rabbits.

4) Do not purchase hay that has additives in it such as molasses. This may be good for horses, goats and cattle, but it could upset your rabbits digestive system making them sick. I realize that Texas A&M University performed studies in 2000 in which rabbits were fed alfalfa and molasses blocks which they made at their facility with out any apparent problems. However for small farm use, hay which has molasses in it has a tendency to mold quicker than other types of hay. Because mold has the potential to cause you to have unexpected deaths in your herd, we encourage you to check the label and not purchase hay with molasses or other additives.

Conclusion

We feed our adult rabbits timothy hay every morning (about a handful per rabbit). When the kits begin to wean they also begin to eat the hay we have left for momma, although it is usually in a hay hanger and they can only get to it when the can reach up for it. This allows the kits to focus on eating pellets until the are able to stretch up and reach the hay basket. We recommend that you not feed your rabbits any hay that has additives such as molasses. This may be good for horses, cattle or goats, but not so good for your rabbit.

Whether you purchase your hay from a local farm, ranch, or local retail outlet, it should be green of color and smell of fresh cut grass when you open the bale. Whether you give your rabbits full access to hay all day, or only feed them a measured amount once a day, it is our recommendation that for meat rabbit production, that hay be used as a supplement, not a primary source of nutrition. In addition, if you feed your rabbits a good pellet (one based on alfalfa or alfalfa meal), then you should feed either timothy or coastal hay and not alfalfa.

While your rabbits can live on grasses alone, for best growth and meat production you should use a good quality pellet feed. Having said that, if you wish to raise your rabbits solely on hay, then I would recommend using alfalfa. As always, we ask that if you find this information interesting that you please share it with your friends on Facebook and Google+. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+. You can also subscribe to our blog so that you do not miss any of our new articles or our notices regarding new rabbit's that are for sale.

Related Articles On Our Site:

How And What We Feed

Choosing The Right Pellet Feed

Proper Rabbit Nutrition

Resources:

M. E. Ensminger, J. E. Oldfield, and W. W. Heinemann, Feeds & Nutrition by M. E. Ensminger, J. E., (Second Edition 1990).

Linga S.S., Lukefahr S.D., Feeding Of Alfalfa Hay With Molasses Blocks Or Crumbles To Growing Rabbit Fryers. Deparetment of Animal Science & Wildlife Sciences, Texas A&M University. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd12/4/ling124.htm

Cage Building Part 3: Putting It All Together

As I mentioned in my first two articles, cage building is a relatively simple process that requires only a few tools and a minimal amount of skill. Now that you have gathered the tools and the supplies you need to make your cages, and have decided on the size of the cage and the placement of the doors, it it time to start building cages.

In this third article in the series I will explain to you the process that we use here at 'TAP Rabbirty' to build our rabbit cages. While there may be many different approaches to cage building, the process that we use works well for us. I use an assembly line type technique, which I call the “panel method”, in which I cut all of the sides, bottom and top panels first for each cage, then clean up the edges and wire cuts as necessary before putting the cage together. It is my desire that the theory and thought behind my decisions will hopefully help you to avoid some of the pitfalls that we experienced when we first started building your own building cages.

The Bend Method

When I first started looking for information about building my own cages, I purchased two books by Bob Bennet 'Rabbit Housing: Planning Building, and Equipping Facilities for Humanely Raising Healthy Rabbits' and his small booklet 'Build Rabbit Housing'. Mr. Bennet likes to use what I call “the bend method” to making cages and this is his primary approach in both books.

His method involves straightening a roll of wire until it is long enough for two sides and the top. For a 24” x 24” cage 18" tall, the length of wire would be 5ft (18" per side, plus 24" for for the top). The panel then has to be cut to the specific height of the cage you are building. He then takes a 2x4 board and measures the length of the side, places the 2x4 board on the wire and then with a hammer bends the wire against the board to make a 90 degree angle for each side. He then attaches this to the bottom and then attaches the other two side panels which he has already cut out.

I attempted this method only once, I was not satisfied with the results and it was difficult to get a good bend as a 5ft long piece is cage wire is hard to manipulate by yourself. In addition, I did not like the way the other two side panels attached to the cage where the wire was bent to form two of the sides (a personal idiosyncrasy). The short story is I had to find a way that was easier for me to manipulate the cage wire when building my cages. That was when I decided to make them with what I call the “panel method”.

The Panel Method

I build my cages using what I call the panel method. My method involves straightening a roll of wire out just long enough to cut each individual panel (sides, top, and or bottom). The individual panels are then trimmed to the proper height as necessary and cleaned of wire burrs. The panels are then set aside until I have enough completed panels make a cage. I start with the bottom and then attach the sides one at a time and then the top to complete the cage. Don't worry, I will go into more detail on how I put my cages together later in the article under the 'Assembly Section'.

The panel method makes it easier for one person to measure, cut, and assemble cages by them self. This is especially true if you do not have a long workbench or you have a limited work area. This is why it has become my only method for making cages. I only make individual cages, I do not make two or three hole cages as a single unit as they are not as flexible, and do not suit our rabbitry's needs.

A Coiled Steel Spring (Kinetic Energy)

Galvanized steel wire comes in a tightly compressed roll which then has to be unrolled and stretched straight. Because of this it has the recoil and potential to spring back on you like a steel spring (kinetic energy) and can be somewhat a pain in the butt when you are working by yourself. Having an extra hand is nice, but many times I build my cages by myself so I had to discover a way to keep the rolled wire flat and keep it from springing back on me like a steel trap when I was cutting wire by myself.

The simple solution was to take a 3' long scrap piece of 2x4 and place it over the end of the wire and clamp it in place (tightly) with bar clamps to my work bench and then unroll the wire to the desired length. Then I take another scrap piece of 2x4 and place it over the wire past the point I want to cut and then clap it to the table. This procedure while simple allows me to cut the cage wire safely without the need for an extra set of hands, and keeps the wire from springing back on me so I do not get injured.

Assembly

As I mentioned, I build my cages using what I call the panel method. I follow the same steps each time I make a cage regardless of the size of the cage. I will list the following steps I take to make a cage from start to finish with as many pictures as possible to help clarify what I am doing at each stage. In this example I will be making a 24”x24” cage, 18” tall with a centered door out of the smaller 16 gauge cage wire. For a 24” x 24” cage the size of each side panel is 2ft in length and then trimmed to make it 18” tall. The top needs to by 24” x 24” so I do not trim it. I then attach each individual side panel to the 24”x24” bottom cage panel (1”x 1/2” wire) first with j-clips, then I fold the sides up like a box and attach them together with j-clips. Once I have the sides and bottom securely attached, I attach the top of the cage to the side with the j-clips completing the cage assembly. So let's look at each individual step in detail.

Step 1) Straighten out the cage wire so that you can cut the individual panels that you need to make your cage. Remember each cage has four sides of the same height and length, whereas the bottom and top are the same length and width, but they are not trimmed for height. Straightening a roll of wire out just long enough to cut each individual panels is the one step with the most potential to harm yourself as the wire can easily snap back on your like a steel spring. When making cages by myself, I clamp the cage wire to my work table with a scrap piece of 2x4 pine and wood clamps.

Once you have the wire clamped to your workbench, measure the size of the panel you wish to cut. In this instance because the cages are to be 24”x”24” and I am using a 24” wide roll of 1”x1” cage wire, I simply measure 18” (the height of the cage) down the length of the roll and make my cut across the entire roll with my wire cutters. The result is that I have a panel that is 24” wide and 18” tall when stood on it's side with only one cut. Repeat the process until you have all four of your side panels cut.

For the top, you are going to need a panel that is 24” square, so measure 24” down the roll and cut across the width of the roll to make a 24”x24” panel for the top. You will need to do the same for the bottom panel, but remember the bottom panel needs to be made from 1”x1/2” 16 gauge rolled wire. Now that you have all your panels cut out it is time to move on to the next step.

Step 2) After you have cut out all of your panels, you will note that they are still concave and will have to be flattened. I lay my panels curved side up on my workbench and then starting at the top of the panel begin to bend it in the opposite way. Then I reposition my hands about 4 four inches lower and make another bend in the same direction until you get the panel relatively flat. It may take you a few times to get into the rhythm, but it is not hard and once you have done a few panels you will see how easy it it. 

 

Step 3) Now that all of your panels have been cut and you have flattened them, it is time to remove any of the burrs left on the edges by your wire cutters. We take the panels and then grind off the burrs on my bench grinder. If you do not have a bench grinder, then you can use a dremel moto-tool or you could even use a metal file but that is going to be a lot of work. Now, you do not have to remove the burrs from the panels as they will be on the outside of the cage and will not affect the rabbits, it just looks better when they are removed and it makes carrying the cages more comfortable. Having cage panels with sharp metal ends makes it is easy to scratch or cut yourself, and I prefer to leave my skin intact when at all possible. After all I get enough scratches from the rabbits let alone the cages.

Builder's Note: I trim the cage wire because I use 2ft wide rolls, 25 feet long. If you want to make 24” tall cages then you will have less wire cuts to trim.

Step 4) Once all the burrs have been removed from the panels it is now time to start putting the cage together. Start by attaching one side to the bottom of the cage panel, then fold the panel flat and turn to bottom panel around and attach the panel on the opposite side. Continue this process until all four of the cage panels are in place. For attachment of the cage side to the bottom, I place one j-clip every three inches as the floor will have to hold the weight of the rabbit. For the sides and top I place one j-clip every 4 inches. Remember j-clips are cheap and I would rather put extra clips then not place enough.

Once you have all four of the side panels attached to the cage, you simply unfold the the panels and begin to connect them together with j-clips until all the side panels have been attached to each other. At this point regardless of the gauge of the cage wire, the cage will feel flimsy, however once the top is attached I assure you the cage will become rigid and feel solid. Once you have added the top panel, all that is left to do is to measure and cut the door.

Step 5) At this point you should have a solid square 24”x24” wire cage. Now the only left to do is to measure and cut the door for the cage. Remember from our second article 'Size and Placement Matter' that I recommend that you make all your doors a minimum of 12”x12” to allow for the addition of a nest box if necessary. Measure and mark the center of one of the cage walls and cut out a 12” square opening for the door.

Once the door has been cut and removed, you will need to de-burr or smooth off the cuts made by your wire cutters. You have several options here, but the one that works the best for me is to use my dremel moto-tool with a grinding stone to smooth the wire surface. If you have a small hand held grinder you can use it but you must take care not to remove to much wire. If you do not have a moto-tool or grinder then you will need to use a metal file to smooth the edges.

If you do not have a dremel, hand held grinder or metal file, there is still one more option. In this case when you cut the door out do so leaving enough wire so that you can bend the wire back making a smooth curving surface. Not so easy to explain, but a picture is worth a thousand words in this instance. I still have a few old cages made this way but it is not my preferred method, but it might work well for you.

Step 6) The final step in completing your cage is to make and attach your cage door and latch. As all my cage openings are 12” square, I cut a square piece of wire 14”x14” because I like to the door of the cage to overlap the opening by 1”on all sides. Determining the way you want your door to open is a matter of personal preference. I have started changing all the doors on my cages to open to the side, although I still have a few that open from the top down. For cage latches on our outside cages when we first started raising rabbits we used snap rings for cage locks as the are extremely secure. You can find snap rings at any Walmart, or you local hardware store in packages of 3 to 4 for about $6.00 or less. While we still use some of these snap rings, I now make my own cage latches as well. Making your own cage latches is not difficult, but it is a subject for another article. Now that you have attached your cage latch your cage is now ready for it's new resident.

Potential Cost Savings

Can you really save money making your own cages? Depending on the wire you purchase and the cage size you are making you can make your cages for 54 – 65% cheaper than buying commercially made cages. And that is with buying the smaller 10 to 25ft rolls of galvanized cage wire. Buying the larger 50 to 100ft rolls can save you even more money. I have taken the time to list some of the popular sizes of cages and their manufacturer's as well as the cost of making your own cages for comparison.

Dumar 24”x24” cage 16” tall $24.99 (Tractor Supply)

Dumar 30”x30” cage 16” tall $29.99 (Tractor Supply)

Miller Manufacturing 24”x24” cage 16” tall $32.94 (Walmart)

Miller Manufacturing 30”x30” cage 16” tall $42.15 (Walmart)

Pet Lodge 30”x30” cage 16” tall $29.99 plus shipping (Southern States)

Pet Lodge 30”x36” cage 16” tall $39.89 plus shipping (Mills Fleet Farm)

DIY Cage 24”x24” cage 18” tall (14 gauge 1”x2” wire) $11.65 ($4.99+$6.66)

DIY Cage 24”x24” cage 18” tall (16 gauge 1”x1” wire) $14.94 ($4.99+$9.95)

DIY Cage 30”x30” cage 18” tall (14 gauge 1”x2” wire) $28.86 ($6.66+$22.20)

Because cages are made with a combined total of 6 panels (4 sides and a top and a bottom). maximizing the way you cut your wire can really make a difference in the amount of money you save. So think about the layout and measure twice before cutting your panels. 

Using the common sizes of rolled cage wire that you can find at your local Tractor Supply, Lowe's or Home Depot I have taken the time to breakdown the cost of making individual cages based on the type and number of cage panels required. The cost of the rolled wire is of course based on the cost of the wire at the time this article was written (April, 2016), so over time the costs may vary.

Galvanized Steel Wire 14 gauge (1x1/2”) 30” wide 10ft long $19.99 ($1.99 per ft) from Tractor Supply.

• Enough wire to make 4 2'x'2 cage bottoms, making the cost of the bottom cage panel $4.99 each. Or 3 30”x30” cage bottoms, making the cost of the bottom cage panel $6.66 each.

Galvanized Steel Wire 14 gauge (1x2”) 36” wide 25ft long $39.99 ($1.59 per ft) from Tractor Supply.

• Enough wire to make 15 2'x2' cage panels 18” tall and 15 2'x2' cage panels 16” tall, making the the cost of the cage panels $1.33 each. So you could make 3 2'x'2 cages 18” tall and 3 2'x2' cages 16” tall (total of 6 cages) for $6.66 each without the cost of the bottom of the cage and clips.
• Enough wire to make 9 30”x30” cage panels 18” tall, plus four extra side panels, making the cost of the cage panels $4.44 each. So you could make 1 30”x30” cage for a $22.20 without the cost of the bottom of the cage and clips, and have 4 additional panels left over for another cage.

Galvanized Steel Wire 14 gauge (1x2”) 72” wide 100ft long $179.99 ($1.79 per ft)

• Enough wire to make 30 2'x2' cages 18” tall, making the cost of cages $5.96 per cage for the sides and the top, without the cost of the bottom of the cage and clips.

Galvanized Steel Wire 16 gauge (1x1”) 24” wide 15ft long $17.99 ($1.99 per ft) from Tractor Supply.

• Enough wire to make 9 2'x'2 panels 18” tall, therefore each panel costs $1.99 each and it tales 5 panels (4 sides and a top) to make a cage, so the cost of each cage would be $9.99, without the cost of the bottom of the cage and clips.

When it comes to galvanized rolled wire, I have found the most economical way to purchase your wire is in a 50 or 100ft roll. However, these rolls are very cumbersome and may not be suitable for your purpose if you are making your cages by yourself due to both their size, and weight. Overall the 1”x2” rolled wire is the best buy for cage making. Even though the 16 gauge wire is smaller, because it has a tighter weave pattern 1”x1” more wire is used so the cost is slightly higher (the roll is only 24” wide as opposed to 36” wide).

I have several buck cages that are 24”x24” and I have used the 1”x1” wire to make these cages, primarily because it was all that was available at the time. I have found that although the wire is thinner (16 gauge versus 14 gauge) it works out quite well for smaller cages. I would not recommend that you use this wire for building and cages greater than 24” square as it could get quite flimsy.

Conclusion

This final part in this article series was quite long and I hope it was informative on how I cut, prepare and assemble our cages here at the TAP rabbitry. Because this article is already five pages in length without the illustrations, I have decided to write a seperate article on making your own cage latches. As you can see by the cost comparison you can increase your cage budget by 50% by making your own cages. In addition, I have found that the wire I use to make cages is superior to that of the commercial cages that you can buy at your local Walmart or Tractor Supply. I know from experience as we had to buy two of the cages in an emergency. The bottoms of these cages soon began to rust after about 6 months of inside use. I have cages I made two years ago that have not rusted as of yet and many of them are outside. Yes the j-clips will rust, but none of our cages here at the Tap Rabbitry have.

As always, we ask that if you find this information interesting that you please share it with your friends on Facebook and Google+. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+. You can also subscribe to our blog so that you do not miss any of our new articles or our notices regarding new rabbit's that are for sale.

Other Related Articles On Our Blog:

Cage Building Part 1: Gathering Your Supplies.

Cage Building Part 2: Size And Placement Matter.

References:

Bennet, Bob, Storey's Guide To Raising Rabbits 4^th Ed, North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2009.

Bennet, Bob, Build Rabbit Housing: A Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin A-82, North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 1982.

Bennet, Bob, Rabbit Housing: Planning, Building, and Equipping Facilities For Humanely Raising Healthy Rabbits, North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing, 2012.

Cage Building Part 2: Size and Placement Matter

 

As I mentioned in my first article, cage building is a relatively simple process that requires only a few tools and a minimal amount of skill. One of the most important things you can do when building cages for your rabbitry is to decide what size of cage will best suit your needs and then stick to this standard. Using standard cage sizes will be beneficial to you when your rabbitry begins to grow. Standardization allows you to use cages and cage components interchangeably which is important if you have limited space.

In this article I will explain to you the sizes of cages and cage options and or accessories that we use at 'TAP Rabbirty'. This level of standardization has served us well over the last few years. While my cage standards might not fit your individual needs, the theory and thought behind my decisions will hopefully help you to avoid some of the pitfalls that we experienced and give your some options that you were not aware of before you begin to build your own building cages.

Cage Size (Because Size Matters)

The biggest cost you will incur when building your cages is the purchase of galvanized steel wire. So there are a number of things you need to take into consideration when getting ready to make your own cages. The factor that will have the biggest impact on your wallet is the size of the cage. The bottom line is bigger rabbits need bigger cages, and the rolled wire that you will be buying comes in a variety of different lengths and widths.

We raise New Zealand's (white and red) and heritage breed American Blues for meat, both breeds are in the 9 to 12lb range when they are adults so the two breeds need the same cage size. When we started out breeding rabbits all the books stated for a rabbit of this size you need a cage of approximately 30 x 36 inches that is 18 inches tall. What we have found out over time, is that this cage size is just to big for a single doe, even with a next box, and unless you have a 36” reach, you will find that getting that doe out of the corner of the cage when you want to breed her can cause you both unneeded stress. When we first started raising rabbits this was a real circus with me trying to catch a rabbit I could not reach. So when I tell you I have done this and it is not fun for either you or the rabbit, believe me, a stressed rabbit will not breed, and a stressed breeder can easily get discouraged with the whole process.

While my arm may only span 24 ½ inches, a breeding age New Zealand or American doe is approximately 12 – 16” in length even when she hunkers down in the corner so I can grab her easily in a 30” deep cage. The doe gets a slightly bigger cage than the buck because she needs room for a nest box when the time comes for her to kindle. For the buck, he only needs enough cage space to move around in and to be able to stretch himself out for the occasional full body nap. No nest box needed so the guys get a smaller cage. So our first rule in cage building is never make your cage deeper than your arm length. The average human arm length is 25” so none of our cages are deeper or longer than 30” (2 ½ ft) for does, or 24” (2ft) for bucks. The following are the standard cage sizes we now use for our bucks and does.

• Doe Cage Size – 30 inch x 30 inch square, 18 inches in height.
• Buck Cage Size – 24 inch x 24 inch square, 18 inches in height.
• Grow Out Cage – 24 inch x 36 inch, 18 inches in height.

For these breeds the minimal cage height should be 18 inches. Usually the shortest width of cage wire you can buy is 24”. We make all of our cages 18” tall because we double stack them in both our outside hutch and in our air conditioned buck and kindling barn. However, if you have the room, and you just do not want to waste the wire, then make them 24” tall. Just remember, if you are wanting to stack cages, taller cages means you might just have to stand on a small stool to get to the upper cages. My recommendation on cage size is to determine a suitable size for your rabbits then make all of your cages the same. Standardization will same you a lot of headaches when it comes time to expanding your herd. I have listed a 'grow out' cage size only because I took my original 30 x 36 cages and cut them down to 24 x 36-inches to use when I separate the kits from their mother at 5 to 6 weeks of age.

Door Size and Placement (The Where and Why)

The first part is easy. For large breeds like Californians, New Zealand's, and Americans you need a minimal door size of 12” square in order to get a proper sized nest box into the doe's cage when she is ready to kindle. Make it bigger if you want, but no smaller, you never want to remove a pregnant female from her cage to another cage because your nest box will not fit through the door. Your only option if you make your door opening to small and you have a pregnant doe is to allow your doe to make a nest without a next box. I do not recommend this, but I know some successful breeders who do not use nest boxes.

Now that you know the minimum size of the door opening, where should you place your cage door?When I first made my cages, almost every book I read recommended that the doors be placed offset to one side of the cage (i.e. not centered). I can tell you for me and my wife this was a nightmare. When trying to retrieve a doe for breeding she would always head for the opposite corner of the cage, and as my original cages were 30 x 36” my arm span was about 8” to short, and I simply could not reach the rabbits. It was worse for my wife who is 4' 10” who has a considerably shorter arm length. So by the time we could get the doe out of the cage she was so stressed she was just not going to breed even if she was physically ready. Essentially these cages almost became useless to me, but I had already spent the money to make them and was stuck with them for the time being.

The simple solution was door placement. Had the door been placed in the middle of the cage my reach would have been considerably increased and I would have been able to get the doe out of the cage with less stress for both the animal and myself. So on all my subsequent cages I place the door in the middle of the cage. Because the door is placed in the center of all my cages, on my smaller buck cages (24 x 24”) I have to use an inside bowl type feeder as opposed to an outside cage hanger type. On my doe cages (30 x 30”) there is room for an outside hanging feeder.

For us, placing the door in the middle of the cage made retrieving both our bucks and does from the cages much easier and both the animals as well as ourselves are less stressed when making transfers from cage to cage. So my cage making rule number two is all door openings must be 12” minimum and the door should be placed in the middle of the cage wall.

How Should Your Door Open

I admit, I never liked the idea of the cage door opening into the cage as recommended in 'Storey's Guide To Raising Rabbits'. We found that you always had to push the rabbits away form the door when trying to open the cage, and if you are using a crock or feeding bowl inside the cage, all I can say is “good luck with that”. Our bunnies are ferocious eaters at feeding time and trying to push them out of the way with a door that swung up and in turned out to be a problematic at best.

So on our first cages I made all the doors open from the top down and to the outside of the cage (the door was hinged on the bottom with j-clips to the cage). Some of my buck cages still have doors that swing down, but on my doe and grow out cages I have the door swing open to the right (hinged on the right side). This allows me to add a hay basket on the door to hold the timothy hay in that we feed each morning. The reason we do not put a hay basket on the bucks cages is that we want to reduce the risk of any potential injuries to our stock during the breeding process.

Remember, the does should be placed in the bucks cage and sometimes during the mating process they get rather rambunctious and start chasing each other around the cage. I would rather not have one of them whack their head or poke out an eye on the corner of a hanging hay rack, therefore we place no hanging hay racks in the males cage. However the choice to do so is totally up to you.

Baby Savers

Let's face it, sometimes when a rabbit is kindling she will jump out of the next box and one of her kits will still be latched onto her teat. This happens primarily during the first seven days after birth. At this point the kits are quite small and as their eyes are not open. After falling off of the teat, they may wander around the cage until they fall through the side wire of the cage and end up on the floor. During our first round of kindling, we lost several kits this way. I did not think that the kits would be small enough to fall through the side wire, but I was sadly mistaken.

The solution to this problem is baby saver wire. Now a baby saver is simply a small strip of lightweight wire mesh ½ x ½ -inch that surrounds the entire lower portion of the cage approximately 2 – 3” in height. You only need to apply this to your doe cages, and as this lightweight wire goes on the outside of the cage it's cost is very minimal and it can save you a lot of kits.

Now, having said that, I still lose the occasional kit during the winter time when it has latched onto the does teat and is dragged out of the nest box simply because it gets to cold and dies, but I have saved many more as they are easier to find in the cage rather than on the floor behind the cage racks. This winter, we have found a few on the cage floors, and did not lose a one. We were lucky, but keep in mind that you will still lose a few kits, but having baby savers can decease your loses significantly.

Pee Guards

Pee Guards are small strips of plastic or aluminum that line the interior or exterior of the cage wall so that when your rabbit pees the urine is deflected down into the drip tray and not onto the floor or onto the other rabbits. If you have cages that are going to be outside, then pee guards are not really necessary. Even if you have your rabbits in a sheltered barn or building they may not be necessary. For instance, my friend and fellow breeder Steve Coyne has a dirt floor in his barn which he covers with fresh straw once or twice a month. He does not use pee guards as any urine that finds it's way to the ground is simply absorbed by the dirt floor. The same happens with our outdoor hutch, all of the urine and feces simply falls to the ground to be scooped up later and placed in the garden or compost pile.

However, in our buck and kindling barn which is air conditioned, we have a solid wood floor that is covered with rolled linoleum, therefore it is important for the urine and feces to find it's way into the drip pans rather than on the floor. On these cages, I make aluminum pee guards (approximately 4” in height) out of thin aluminum sheeting and place them on the outside of the cages to direct the rabbits waste into the drip pans. So our inside cages have pee guards, our outside ones do not. Whether you will need pee guards or not will depend on your particular setup, but it is something to keep in mind.

Todd's Rules For Cage Building:

1) Never make your cage deeper than your arm length. Take it fromme, so rabbit's just like to hide in the corner and do not like to be removed from the cage. If your cage is deeper than your arm length, there is going to be a lot of cursing going on as to try and get a good hold on a rabbit who has decided to hunker down in the far corner of the cage. Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.

2) Use 12” minimum door openings or you will discover that your nest box will not fit in the cage. Meat rabbits require larger nest boxes, ensuring your door is 12 x 12 inches means that you can get the proper size nest box in the cage when the time arrives.

3) Place the door in the middle of the cage to make it easier to retrieve your rabbits. Even if you follow rule No. 1, placing the door to your cage off to one side may still leave you with that one corner that is difficult to reach. Trust my experience, placing the door in the middle of the cage will make life easier for both you and your rabbits.

Conclusion

Picking a cage size and standardizing all of your cages will save you time, money, and hopefully reduce the amount of wire wastage you have when making your own cages. As simple as it sounds placing the door in the middle of the cage made a big difference in our ability to get our rabbits out of their cages with less fuss and stress for both us and the rabbits. In part three, I will cover the one thing everyone has been waiting for, the actual building of the cages.

It was important to me however to give you some things the think about before you jump right in head first to making your own cages. It is my hope that this information will help you to avoid some of the mistakes that I first made when I started making making cages for our rabbitry. Mistakes can cost you both time and money. Those of us who decide to make our own cages would rather not waste either as both our time and money are precious.

As always, we ask that if you find this information interesting that you please share it with your friends on Facebook and Google+. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+. You can also subscribe to our blog so that you do not miss any of our new articles or our notices regarding new rabbit's that are for sale.

Other Related Articles On Our Blog:

Cage Building Part 1: Gathering Your Supplies.

Cage Building Part 3: Putting It All Together.

Cage Building Part 1: Gathering Your Supplies

Building your own all wire rabbit cages is a relatively simple process that requires only a few tools and a minimal amount of skill. If you can use a pair of pliers or wire cutters and a measuring tape then you can build your own cages. The only tools you will to make your own cages are: a good pair of wire cutters, needle nose pliers, J-clip pliers, a metal file and possibly a flat head screw driver.

Now, when I first started building cages I scoured the internet and read several books regarding the topic. Each had it own useful advice and every builder of cages has their own experiences. Although after reading some books I am sure the author never built any of their own cages, they just simply repeated the information they acquired verbatim from another source. In this series of articles I will try to enlighten you to some of the tips and techniques that I have learned over the years of building cages. But before you can get started building cages, you have to acquire the right equipment.

The Wire (Galvanized Steel Wire)

As for the cages themselves you will need two different sizes of galvanized welded wire ½ x 1-inch for the bottom of the cage and 1 x 1-inch or 1 x 2-inch for the sides and bottoms. Galvanized steel wire is rolled wire that has been coated or galvanized after the welding process to help prevent it from rusting. The strength and thickness of the wire is determined by the 'gauge' rating. The lower the number or 'gauge' of the wire the stronger it is. The standard for rabbit and small animal cage wire is '14 gauge'. Wire that is labeled '12 gauge' is thicker and stronger than '14 gauge', while wire that is labeled '16 gauge' is thinner and weaker. Many wire rolls may not have the gauge noted on the package, but my experience is that it if it is labeled as 1 x 2-inch, or 1 x ½-inch rabbit or 'cage' wire it is usually 14 gauge. The 1 x 1-inch square will at my local Tractor Supply is '16 gauge'.

You can find galvanized cage wire at your local Lowe's, Home Depot, or Tractor Supply. It can also be found on-line from many vendors, but the shipping cost generally make it uneconomical for most small breeders, and saving money is one of the reasons most breeders make their own wire cages. If your local home improvement superstore does not carry the size of wire you need, they will order it for you at no additional charge. If you are an 'Amazon Prime' member, then you can find the required cage wire on Amazon and have it shipped to you for free. If you are not a member of 'Amazon Prime', then my advice is to save yourself some money and let the other guys pay for the shipping cost.

Knowing the size of the cage that you are going to build allows you to purchase the most economical width of rolled cage wire. As our cages are a maximum of 30” wide, the bottom cage wire only needs to be 30” in width. The standard width of the most popular roll of ½ x 1-inch cage wire used to make the bottom of rabbit cages is 30” so no wastage here. Unfortunately, the wire used for the sides and top of the cages (1 x 1-inch, or 1 x 2-inch) comes in a variety of widths usually 24”, 36”, or 48”. So you have some decisions to make here in regards to cage height.

A quick note about PVC coated wire. I have seen some of this type of wire used by some rabbitry's to make their cages. The idea is that the PVC coating keeps the cages from rusting. I have cages that are in my outdoor hutch that are three years old and they have not rusted as of yet. The j-clips do rust and have to be replaced, but none of the galvanized wire I have used to make the cages has rusted. Because a rabbits teeth grow continuously, they like to chew, often when I go out to the barn and the hutch I will see them working their teeth on the wire. While the PVC coating may not hurt them, I prefer to not take the chance that the coating that they may chew off could case them harm. Use the PVC coated wire if you want, but I would use it with caution. Until I know more about it's safety, I will pass on the PVC coated wire.

Making Your First Wire Purchase

Looking at your choices, a cursory glance might make you believe that a 36” width of rolled cage wire can easily be cut in half to give you two 18” sides (36 / 2 = 18). While half of 36” is indeed 18” you are going to lose 2” on 1 x 2-inch wire due to the cut line. Therefore you are left with the choice of making one cage that is 18” tall and the second cage that is only 16” tall. For small breeds (Mini Rex, Holland Lops, Hot Tot's etc) a 16” tall cage is fine, but for adult New Zealand's, Californian's and American's a 16” cage is not tall enough. However, you could use 16” tall cages for what we call “grow-out” cages that can house rabbits from the time they are weaned until they are about 16 weeks of age.

The same can be said if you choose to purchase 1 x 1-inch rolled cage wire. Once you cut one side to 18”, you will be left with a a section of wire that is only 17” in height. One inch in height may not seem like much, but I have decided on a minimum standard of 18” cage height for my meat breeders and do not wish to make my cages any shorter. However, if you raise meat breeds as well as smaller breeds, then the 36” width might your best cage making choice.

A 48” roll of cage wire will you leave you with approximately 10” of wasted wire if you make your cages 18” in height. However you could make all of you cages 22” in height and minimize your waste. It is debatable if a cage taller than 18” is beneficial to the animal or not, but if you are using racks and drip pans and want to stack cages, you just have to remember that the taller the cage, the less room you have to stack cages. Taller cage stacks makes it difficult for young adults and those who are vertically challenged to get the animals safely and easily out of the cages. If you are hanging your cages from wires, this my not be an issue, but it is something to keep in mind.

As for me, I have come to rely on the 14 gauge 24” width of rolled cage wire. I prefer the 1 x 2 for sides and top, but have recently began to purchase the 1 x 1-inch rolls when that was all that is available. The 1 x 1-inch rolls however are the thinner 16 gauge, but I have not experienced any difficulties with cages made from this wire. Depending on the size of the wire (1x2, or 1x1) I have a small strip of 4 – 5” leftover when cutting the sides. I then use these small scraps to make hay hangers that I put on the doors of the cages to hold timothy hay for our rabbits. For me it was a simple matter of availability of the wire, and I will admit it is easier to wrangle a 24” roll of wire by oneself than it is a 36” or 48” roll. Having the space to work on a 4' (48”) roll of spring loaded cage wire is one factor that people often overlook when they get ready to make there own cages.

My recommendation at first is to start small. Purchase a 24” roll to make your first couple of cages, then when you are comfortable with manipulating the wire you can make the decision whether of not you want to purchase and work with wider rolls of cage wire.

Fasteners (J-clips) and J-clip Pliers

If there is one item that you need to pony up the cash and buy, it is a good set of j-clip pliers. You can buy the cheap j-clip pliers sold at Tractor Supply and other retailers for about $9.00, but I guarantee you you will regret it, and I have had both the experience and the sore hands to prove it. The cheap pliers are thin wall pressed pliers that bend and have to be straightened often during the making of a single cage. In addition, because they are made from pressed metal, the thin handles cut into your hands when you have to apply pressure to the j-clip. I am sure my friend and author 'Steve Coyne' of the Texas Bunny Barn blog will attest to this statement as we have made many cages together for both rabbitry's using these cheap pliers before buying a set of heavy duty j-clip pliers for only about $9.00 more than the cheap ones (total $18.00 for heavy duty pliers).

The second problem with the cheap j-clip pliers is that I found that I had to use an additional pair of needle nose pliers to fully seat the j-clip. So you have to do twice the work which strains your hands even more. Bottom line the cheap pliers are not worth the money you will pay for them. You can buy, nice heavy duty j-clip pliers on-line via Amazon for about $18.00, or check with one of the many rabbit equipment suppliers. I bought the cheap pliers when I first got into raising rabbits because I did not know there was an option and that was all my local Tractor Supply carried. I had to learn on the fly so to speak, but now you will know that there are other options available. So just in case I haven't made myself clear, purchasing a good set of heavy duty j-clip pliers will make your cage building go so much faster and the experience will be more enjoyable.

As for j-clips, there seems to no consistency between manufacturers. I say this because over time, I have found at least three slightly different designs of j-clips. They all work, but the j-clips that I have found that work the best have a more flat 'J' angle. These j-clips however are of a heavier design than the ones I have found at my local Tractor Supply, and to be honest I could not crimp them on my cheap pliers. However they work extremely well in the heavy duty pliers. In addition, for best results I have to put a small crimp in the cheaper made 'Pet Lodge' brand of j-clips available form my local Tractor Supply with my needle nose pliers to get them to function properly in my heavy duty j-clip pliers. The bottom line, do not waste a lot of time searching for a particular type of j-clips, just buy them and be done with it, you may have to make some small adjustments to them to get them to work to your satisfaction, but it is no big deal.

I have never used C-clips (aka hog rings) or C-clip pliers (aka hog ring pliers) to make cages so I cannot really comment on their use and how effective they are, but I find no reason why they should not work quite well. In fact, some hot rings are galvanized steel so they should not rust like the cheaper j-clips will. Just to try the c-clips, I would have to buy all new gear, and I am simply not willing to do that at this time. The prices for the j-clips and the c-clips are about the same, however the pliers appear to be roughly 30 -50% more expensive. 

Wire Cutters

Galvanized steel wire whether 14 or 16 gauge is pretty strong stuff and you will need a good set of sharp wire cutters in order to cut your roll of cage wire to the proper size for assembly. When I first started raising rabbits I purchased a decent pair of 7-inch 'Kobalt' brand wire cutters from my local Lowe's for $8.98. If you have a good set of wire cutters, that's fantastic, if you have a cheap dull pair, either sharpen them or invest in a good pair. A good pair of wire cutters will save you time, hand fatigue and a lot of frustration.

Bench Grinder and or Dremel Moto-Tool (Optional)

I list these two items as optional, but for me they are an essential part of my cage making process. When cutting cage wire, you will discover that the wire cutters leave small, sharp burs on the edges of the wire that you cut. I use a bench grinder to remove the burs from the individual cage panels (see part 3, putting it all together) and my Dremel moto-tool to remove the burs from around the cage opening when I cut out my door openings.

If you do not have a bench grinder or Dremel moto-tool, then a standard metal file will do. It is a while lot more tedious process to use a manual file, but you have to use the tools you have. You do not have to grind the small burs totally flat, but you do want to smooth them enough so that you do not scratch or cut your hands and arms on the sharp edges when removing your rabbits from their cage.

Conclusion

Not everyone can build their own cages, nor do they want to, and that's OK. For me, I find I can save about 30 to 35% by building my own cages. In addition, by building my own cages, I have learned how to take them apart when necessary and do any maintenance needed to repair, reduce or expand a particular cage to meet my rabbitry's individual needs. As I mentioned earlier in this article, cage building is not hard, you just need to have the right equipment a proper workbench or table for the assembly of the cages.

Having a friend or spouse to lend a hand is an added bonus. As I have a shop and the space to make cages, my friend Steve Coyne often comes over and together we knock out cages for both our rabbitry's. Not only does it speed the process along and make it more efficient, it gives you plenty of time to socialize, talk rabbits, and generally just shoot the breeze. In part two of this series I will go through the process of how I make my cages. As always, we ask that if you find this information interesting that you please share it with your friends on Facebook and Google+. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+. You can also subscribe to our blog so that you do not miss any of our new articles or our notices regarding new rabbit's that are for sale.

Other Related Articles On Our Blog:

Cage Building Part 2: Size and Placement Matter.

Cage Building Part 3: Putting It All Together.

Meat Rabbits: Does Color Really Matter?

So you finally made that decision to start raising meat rabbits, you have compiled a massive amount of information and research and collected all of your supplies. After looking at every possibility you have finally decided on a specific meat breed. So you call up a few breeders with anticipation eager to purchase your first rabbits, but no one has the specific color you want. Disappointed you hang up the phone not actually sure what to do next.

Let's step back a minute and take a close look at why you are really wanting to raise rabbits. If you are like most people who have begun to raise their own meat rabbits, then your primary reason for doing so is to supply a clean, safe, healthy and inexpensive meat source for your family. Any of the more common meat breeds (Americans, New Zealand's, and Californian's) will do this, and when dressed out on the table you cannot tell a Black New Zealand (NZB) from a New Zealand Agouti (NZA) or a New Zealand Gold or Cinnamon Tipped Steele .

My point is that for meat breeding, the color of the rabbit has no bearing on the yield and or flavor of the meat. Despite whether the rabbit is an American Rabbit Breeder's Association (ARBA) approved color or not, a pure bred New Zealand, Californian, or American rabbit's are all the same once butchered and dressed out. That is to say, the meat of each specific breed is the same, only the fur color is different.

The bottom line is, color does not matter. So many customers call us here at TAP rabbitry looking specifically for New Zealand White's (NZW) or New Zealand Red's (NZR) because they are the most common colors of the breed. They are sometimes disappointed, when I tell them we are out of a specific color, or when I do not know of a breeder that has what they are looking for. Unfortunately, they over look, the Steele Tips, Agouti's, Charlie's and Brokens (although some people are specifically looking for Charlie's and Broken's) simply because they have not been educated about the other colors of the breed.

Tips For Purchasing Your First Rabbits

1. Check out the standards for the specific breed for which you are interested. There is a ton of information on the internet and in books regarding breed standards. We have two articles on breed standards here on our blog for both The American Blue Meat Rabbit, and New Zealand Meat Rabbits. Purchasing a good quality rabbit, regardless of fur color should be your primary purpose.

2. Do not let price point be your only deciding factor, a $10 - $15 rabbit is well a $10 - $15 rabbit. There is a old computer programming axiom “garbage in is garbage out”. Ten dollar rabbits are usually of inferior quality, having weak hips, backs, and are generally of poor health. Having said that you should not pay out a fortune for a quality rabbit either. While prices vary, a good quality meat rabbit (buck or doe) should cost you about $35 - $50 depending on which part of the country you live in and whether or not your breeder provides you with a pedigree.

3. Do not let not having a pedigree be your deciding factor. In this instance, refer to tip No. 1. Having a pedigree does not insure that you are getting a quality rabbit, it simply means the rabbit came from a quality or verified bloodline. Despite their bloodline, even good rabbits can produce less desirable kits. Some breeders sell these kits at a discounted price, but remember “garbage in is garbage out”. Having said that, a good quality show rabbit that is being sold with quality body proportions but has a stay hair or slight discoloration that would disqualify it from being shown can be a great to addition to your herd. So again, when in doubt, refer back to rule No. 1.

4. Check out your breeder. Look to social media and see what other people who bought rabbits from the breeder have to say about their livestock and their experience dealing with the breeder. A quick look at Facebook or Google+ will defeinatley help you gauge the quality of the breeder and their rabbits simply by looking at what people have to say about them.

Conclusion

As a breeder, I can tell you color should not be your primary deciding point when choosing a rabbit for meat breeding. By all means purchase what you want, but do not overlook a quality animal to add to your herd based solely on fur color. A healthy rabbit with good breed characteristics (meets the standards) will produce higher quality meat than a rabbit of lesser quality. Do not let your desire to start producing your own meat be curtailed for 6 to 8 months because you cannot find a specific breed color. You can always add color into your herd at a later date.

As always, we ask that if you find this information interesting that you please share it with your friends on Facebook and Google+. Don't forget to send us a friend request on Facebook and Google+. You can also subscribe to our blog so that you do not miss any of our new articles or our notices regarding new rabbit's that are for sale.

Related articles On Our Blog:

The American Blue Meat Rabbit

The New Zealand Meat Rabbit

Other Resources:

So You Want To Buy A Meat Rabbit, By Steve Coyne at Texas Bunny Barn

How To Prepare To Raise Rabbits, By Steve Coyne at Texas Bunny Barn.