Rabbit barn: rules for keeping rabbits, building instructions, photo

If you decide to start breeding rabbits in your household, then you should definitely consider where the animals will live. It is best to provide for the possibility of erecting a separate building. But before starting work on the construction of rabbitry, it is necessary to choose a place for its construction. An excellent option for this purpose would be a site protected from wind and drafts. In this review, we will take a detailed look at how to build a rabbit shed.

How to properly contain?

Before you start building a rabbit shed, you should learn more about the main features of these animals. The worst thing for them is temperature fluctuations. It is best to design a barn in such a way that there are no gaps in its walls. So you can eliminate the likelihood of drafts.

Particular attention should also be paid to the place for feeding. Feeders and drinkers should not always be located next to the animals. They are placed nearby only before the start of the feeding process.

To keep the rabbitry clean, dirt and animal waste should be removed regularly. This immediately raises a completely logical question: where to store all this? If it is not possible to immediately take out the waste, then it is possible to allocate a place in the barn itself for a pit for storing excrement. This will help prevent the spread of bad odors.

Requirements

Let's dwell on this in more detail. The conditions for keeping rabbits will also depend on the purpose of farming. Animals can live both freely and in cages. They can be under a canopy on the street or in a closed barn. The advantage of the second option is that the animals are completely protected from adverse natural factors. In addition, they do not tolerate neighborhood with other domestic inhabitants. Therefore, rabbits and chickens should not be kept in the same barn.

The optimum air temperature in the rabbitry is 12-18 degrees. Fluctuations can be within 5 degrees. Some breeds are able to tolerate extremely low or high temperatures. However, a significant increase or decrease can lead to illness and death. Also, high and low humidity adversely affects the health of animals. With cage content, the recommended air movement speed in the room should not exceed 30 m/s.

Rational use of space

Finished buildings

So what are they? Before you start building a rabbit shed with your own hands, you should consider whether it would be more profitable to buy a finished product. Of course, this option is quickly installed and does not require much labor. However, in this case, you will not be able to individually select the dimensions and design features. To get a rabbitry that meets all the requirements, you will need to build it yourself or entrust this work to professionals.

Shed for rabbits from foam blocks

Very often this material is used for the construction of outbuildings. What is its feature? It is quite cheap and yet reliable. Foam blocks have a lower cost of bricks, while the wall thickness reaches 30 cm. You can also create combined structures consisting of several types of building materials. Foam blocks are "breathable" products, so the likelihood of fungus and mold on them is small.

In addition, the room will be quite warm and comfortable. It can not only contain rabbits in cages. It is still possible to store various materials in the barn.

The advantages of foam blocks as a building material

The main advantage of the material in question is its durability. In this parameter, foam blocks are superior to wood. Plus, they don't burn. In a room built from foam blocks, you can easily conduct various communications. This material is easy to ditch, so you can easily equip the shed with a heating system, plumbing and electrical wiring.

disadvantages

Like any other building material, foam blocks have their negative sides.

Here are some of them:

1. Fragility. Due to this drawback, foam block buildings need a solid foundation. It is best to use monolithic slabs for this purpose. You can also use a strip foundation, but in this case, reinforcing meshes will have to be done every 3-4 meters.
2. High level of moisture absorption. Buildings made of foam blocks require reliable waterproofing, only in this case it is possible to protect them from dampness.
3. Vapor permeability. The building must be provided with an external vapor barrier.

There are certain features in the construction of structures from foam blocks. But in terms of reliability and appearance, they are in no way inferior to structures made of other building materials. You can verify this by looking at the photos of the finished buildings.

How to do it right? Many are interested in whether it is possible to keep rabbits in a barn. Such conditions do not interfere with the normal life and development of animals. The main thing is to keep clean. The air should not contain ammonia and hydrogen sulfide vapors released during the decomposition of manure. Therefore, it is extremely important to prevent the accumulation of waste products of rabbits in the room. Animals also do not tolerate high levels of dust and fluff in the air. Therefore, the ventilation system in the rabbitry must be carefully thought out.

What to do when a rabbit gets sick? It cannot be kept in the barn with the rest of the individuals, because if the problem is infection, it will spread quickly. It is also better to quarantine recently acquired rabbits.

Hygiene

This issue should be given special attention. Compared to other pets, rabbits are more demanding on hygiene conditions. Cages and aviaries, if they are outdoors, need to be cleaned at least a couple of times a week, preferably more often. If animals are kept indoors, cleaning should be done daily. In rooms equipped with special openings in the floor for removing manure, the number of cleanings can be reduced. Also make sure that rabbits always have fresh bedding. Drinkers and feeders are also cleaned daily.

For home breeding, it is not necessary to build a rabbit shed. You can keep animals in the outdoor aviary. So they will receive more ultraviolet light, which is very useful. It is recommended to install windows in rooms intended for keeping animals. Their area should be 8-10% of the floor surface area. In addition to natural lighting, it is also possible to equip the rabbitry with sources of artificial light. As a rule, they are left on from 6 am to 9 pm. The duration of illumination should be at least 8-10 hours, but not more than 16. The recommended intensity value is 30-40 lux.

What to feed?

In order for animals to be healthy and gain weight quickly, they need to provide adequate nutrition. In the warm season, try to use fresh food as much as possible. The rest of the time, you can give rabbits compound feed and hay. With such a diet, the need for vitamins and minerals is especially high. Therefore, special additives must be added to the food of animals.

Differences in the winter and summer keeping of individuals in the barn

Many amateur farmers prefer to reduce the number of rabbits in cold weather. Only adult breeding individuals remain for the winter. This is a forced measure. This is the only way rabbits can survive the cold. With the onset of the warm season, the rounds will resume. This approach in small private farms justifies itself. Indeed, in the frosty season, it becomes more difficult to care for rabbits, and feed costs increase.

Cleaning the barn is also difficult, because water and excrement freeze at low temperatures. Animals lose a lot of weight, productivity drops. For the winter, cages with rabbits are best moved to a warm room. In this case, the animals will tolerate frost well, but at the same time they will continue to breed. This option is only suitable if the farmer is counting on the winter round. If it is enough to keep the livestock at the same level, then you can leave the rabbits in a cold room. At the same time, try to lay out more hay in the cells. Animals can keep warm in it. Spruce branches and carrots can be included in the winter diet. Water is offered to rabbits twice a day - in the morning and in the evening, and only in a warm form.

In summer, the main task of the farmer is to keep the rabbits from overheating. If the animals are kept in an open enclosure, make sure that they are not at risk of heat stroke. To prevent overheating, the cells can be covered with straw or hay on top. You can also put them in the shade or under a canopy. The rabbit shed should be provided with a good ventilation system. In hot weather, cages should not be installed directly against the ceiling. The air is the hottest there. It is also recommended to make a font for rabbits in the shade. Make sure that there is always water in the drinkers.

Conclusion

In this review, we examined the main features of keeping rabbits. The main requirement is compliance with hygiene requirements. If you are going to build a rabbit shed, you need to work out such an issue as a ventilation system at the design stage. The air in the room must be clean, but drafts are unacceptable.