7 Tips on Making a Rabbit Pen ...

Photo Credit: Keiki Krystal

I find it much easier to build a pen when I have a visual aid to go by. Even if things get altered along the way, it’s still better to have some sort of drawing to start things off. I roughly sketch out what I want the cage and pen area to look like. I then use a measuring tape to get some ideas on how tall, wide, and long I want the cage to be, as well as the area of the run. These plans also help me to know how much wood and wire I will need.

Photo Credit: RabbitMatch.org

It’s discouraging to get started on the rabbit pen and then run out of materials. I try to do everything right the first time, in order to avoid having to fix it later and to keep any injuries from occurring. Trying to rig a cage to make it livable is a good way to end up with an injured animal.

Photo Credit: ironleg

Purchasing a baby rabbit is always fun, but make sure you know how big he is going to get. If you build a cage to fit baby bunnies and they end up being giant rabbits, then they might be very unhappy. I’ve read that most rabbit breeders say not much room is actually needed for bunnies to be happy. I still prefer to give my rabbits lots of extra room. I generally make the cage portion 4 to 5 times larger than the rabbit will be fully grown.

Photo Credit: allychew

I live in an area where hawks commonly carry small animals away, baby bunnies included. If you have a run attached to the rabbit cage, make sure there is a top of some sort over it. This can be made of sturdy fencing or even an actual roof. It’s also a good idea to lock your rabbits up in their cages at night, so you don’t have to worry about your rabbits being attacked by the animals that prowl around at night.

Photo Credit: MarsW

Rabbits get a lot of nutrients out of hay and it’s important to supply them with plenty. Attaching a hay dispenser to the side of the pen will make it easier for you to give your rabbits hay and it will also keep the hay from being trampled. Loose hay can easily be lost through the bottom holes on a cage, trampled into the dirt in an open pen, or mistaken for a place to go to the bathroom by your rabbit. Holders prevent hay from being wasted.

Photo Credit: !Mally BUSY!

If you plan on raising baby rabbits, it’s easier to build and attach the nesting box when you are making the rabbit pen. This will keep you from having to do it later on, plus there will be time to make adjustments if needed. Building a nesting box at the last minute doesn’t leave much room for error. Make sure it is large enough for your rabbit to easily nurse her babies in. Rabbits don’t usually hang out with their kits a lot of the time. Mother rabbits only feed their babies about twice a day, so the box doesn’t have to be overly large for the entire family to spend the day in together.

Photo Credit: halfbyteproductions

Designing a rabbit pen doesn’t have to be a chore. Get someone to help if you think it might make the project more exciting. I love finding new plans for rabbit pens on the net. My pens have ramps for the bunnies to go up into the cage area and get their food and water, a large area for them to play in together, and I had a blast building each of them.

I’ve found these 7 tips on making a rabbit pen to be very useful over the years. My rabbits are all very healthy and seem to be extremely happy as well. I make sure to check the pens over for any signs of deterioration each season. Have you come across some tips on building rabbit pens that you’d like to share? What are some of the best designs you’ve found for rabbit pens?

Top Photo Credit: ironleg