This past October, Collin helped me design and build a completely new Rabbit cage system for my rabbits.
I’ve tried the stacked cages, and open bottom cages for composing
When I first got rabbits again, I had an all metal stacked system with the plastic trays that slid underneath each cage. It was a three high stack system and then I had the bucks cage separate with its own tray underneath. I have to say I’m terrible at starting on top of dumping those, so they were always full and heavy and awkward for me to dump. I always dreaded doing it.
Then I tried a system where the droppings fall through into the floor and you take it out to the compost pile every once in a while. Yet again, I’m terrible at making myself do that, so the pile usually gets pretty big before I work on it. And it’s just kinda gross and the pee stains the legs of the base frame and the walls. Is just a gross situation for me. I don’t like rabbit pee everywhere.
So I came up with a design I wanted to build that would be less work
The end of last summer I started researching the kind of gutter system design I wanted to build for my rabbit cages. I had seen a really cool one from a guy I bought a buck from, and I wanted something similar, but that would fit my particular situation. So I started googling and looking on Pinterest for different ideas.
I wanted something with gutters, that was two stacked. So I could put females on the top, so babies would be away from cats and other dangerous critters, and the males on the bottom level so they wouldn’t spray me in the face when they get excited. (male rabbits spray urine when they get excited)
So we built a frame to fit three 30” 30” cages with a gutter system. The dimensions are 7’ H, 27” D leg set, 30 1/4” D frame, 97” L frame. The floor is bathroom stucco style wall paneling that we placed upside down so the smooth side is facing up. I can clean it up to look even cleaner than in the picture if I run water over it every once in a while as well. I also use a squeegee to get the poops off the floor that defy gravity and then I have to clean the gutters out every few days as well. Pee drains beautifully, I just have trouble with poops. Which I’m fine with! I’m working on trying to dump the bucket when it reaches 1/4 full as that’s about a 5 gallon bucket worth and I can carry it on my own. Otherwise I need Collin’s help to take it out to the bunny poop pile.
We attached the cages with small pieces of wood and screws to the boards above the cages. Three in front, three in back. They are holding up great! I was worried the rabbits would chew on the wood, but they only did a little itty bit, then got bored with them and are leaving them alone! Credit to using this method goes to Collin, to whom I apologize for doubting this great idea at the first.
Then we added what I think is a very important step, a pee guard!
We also added some J-clips for some added reinforcement as I have collapsible cages from TS. Now I know TS cages aren’t the most desirable, mostly because they end up rusting after a few years. But I already had some and wanted my new cages to match in look and also was on a tighter budget at the time I built these. I sanded and put rust-oleum on my current cages. So I’m interested to see how long I can make the last!
The one thing I want to add to my design is a separation wall between the lower cage levels so the bucks don’t get pee on each other. Gosh the boys get excited at time and the pee does fly!
Well, that’s about it for my cage system. I’m really liking it so far. I hope I didn’t bore anyone with my description and story.