How
to Build a Rabbit Cage
I
make all my own cages and have always done so. I've
made hundreds over the last 40 years, and now they're
second nature to me. I use all wire cages because
they are self-cleaning and odor-free. Making a cage
is very simple. Aside from a table or workbench to
work on, you need:
- 1" x
1" 14-gauge woven wire for most of the cage
- 1" x
1/2" 14-gauge or 16-gauge woven wire for
the cage floor
- wire
cutters (I use small bolt cutters)
- hog
rings (3/8")
- a
pair of hog ring pliers
- measuring
tape or ruler
If
you prefer, you can use j-clips instead of hog rings.
I like the hog rings best because they're easier
to remove if you make a mistake (and I make plenty)--you
just cut the rings with your cutters. Hog rings also
have many other uses, such as repairing hockey shin
pads.
My
cages are all 30" deep, 36" long, and 18" high. But
they can be any size you want. For example, a dwarf
rabbit has plenty of room in a 24" x 24" cage. The
bottom wire for the floor should be 1" x 1/2" mesh
(to prevent tiny feet from getting caught and broken),
while the sides, front, and back can be 1" x 1" mesh.
The top can be 1" x 1" or 1" x 2".
Below
are directions for making a 30" x 36" cage.
- Cut
a 30" x 36" piece of 1" x 1/2" woven wire
(floor)
- Cut
a 30" x 36" piece of 1" x 1" woven wire or 1" x
2" (top)
- Cut
a 18" x 132" piece of 1" x 1" (front, back,
and sides)
You
need to fold (bend at a right angle) the 18" x 132" piece
of woven wire in three places. To fold the wire,
I lay the wire on a table (or bench) and bend the
wire down along the edge of the table or workbench.
Fairly easy to do. For the first fold, measure 36" across
the piece of woven wire and fold. From that first
fold, measure another 30" across and fold again.
From the second fold, measure 36" and fold the third
time. The remaining "side" of the piece of woven
wire should now be 30". You've made the sides of
the cage. Making a cage that is essentially one piece
saves time and hog rings.
Next,
attach a hog ring to the edge of the 30" side and
connect the ring to the edge of the 36" side. Continue
attaching hog rings at 4 - 5" intervals, connecting
the edges together. Attach the floor with hog rings
place at 4" intervals and do the same for the top.
Voila ! Your cage is put together.
Now
comes the door. Cut the opening for the door 2" from
either side of the 36" length of your cage (depending
on whether you want your door opening to the left
or right). The opening should be about 13" wide,
2" from the bottom, and 2"from the top. Now you
need a door. Cut a piece of wire 1" bigger all around
than your door opening. Connect it to the cage with
hog rings.
I
make my own door latches (bunny-proof, too) from
heavy galvanized fence wire. They are difficult to
make because they have to be bent for an exact fit
and the wire is very stiff. I recommend buying ready-made
door latches. They are very cheap, and they can be
purchased from any place you can get rabbitry supplies.
You
cut the feeder opening the same way as the door opening,
just be sure it is 2" above the bottom of the cage.
I think all feeders are about the same size, so the
opening should be 2" x 8".
And
that is a basic rabbit hutch!
My
favorite supplier of rabbit feeders, bottles, door
latches, etc. is
Morton
Jones
(925 Third Street)
P.O.Box 123. Ramona, CA 92065
800-443-5769 (order line)
The
prices are reasonable and the service is fast and
efficient. I use the all metal feeders and the LIXIT
large rabbit bottle from Morton Jones.
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