Better Farming Series 36 - Raising Rabbits 1: Learning about Rabbits; Building the Pens; Choosing Rabbits (FAO, 1988, 56 p.): Building the rabbit pens: (introduction...)

Better Farming Series 36 - Raising Rabbits 1: Learning about Rabbits; Building the Pens; Choosing Rabbits (FAO, 1988, 56 p.)

(introduction...)

Preface

Introduction

(introduction...)

What do you need to raise rabbits?

Learning about rabbits

(introduction...)

What kinds of rabbits can you raise?

What can rabbits eat?

How many rabbits should you raise?

Now you must decide

How to begin

(introduction...)

Where can you put your rabbit pens?

What materials can you use to build rabbit pens?

Building the rabbit pens

(introduction...)

Some simple rabbit pens

How to build better rabbit pens

The rabbits

(introduction...)

Choosing good rabbits

How to handle your rabbits

Bringing your rabbits home

Preparing the pens and putting in the rabbits

(introduction...)

72. Whichever materials you use, it is best to build your pens side by side, as shown below. That way, two pens will share a wall and you will need fewer materials.

73. Build your pens on legs above the ground. That way, the rabbit droppings will fall to the ground and not collect on the floor.

74. In addition, a pen on legs will help to keep the rabbits safe from other animals.

Pen on legs

Note

Be sure to fit your pens with metal guards (see page 38) to keep rats and other small animals from getting to your rabbits.

75. A good size for a rabbit pen is 70 centimetres wide by 90 centimetres long and 50 to 60 centimetres high.

Pen sizes

76. This size of pen is good both for full- grown and for young rabbits, so, you will need to build only one size of pen.

77. Make the inside of each pen as smooth as you can. This is to keep your rabbits from hurting themselves.

78. There are many ways to build pens. If you know another farmer who raises rabbits, perhaps you can get some good ideas from him.

79. The drawings on the next page show you several simple rabbit pens that you can build easily.

80. If you want to build a better pen, the drawings on pages 22 to 43 will show you how. You will also learn how to make feeders for plants and grain and how to build nest boxes.