8 AGRICULTURE HANDBOOK NO. 3 09, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



THE RABBITRY AND ITS EQUIPMENT 



Select rabbitry equipment that 

 is adapted to your local conditions 

 and to your proposed operations 

 by reviewing the literature on the 

 subject. // possible^ visit rahhitries 

 and discuss problems with success- 

 ful breeders. Have your equip- 

 ment ready when the first rabbits 

 arrive. 



Buildings 



The type of building you need 

 for housing the hutches will be de- 

 termined by local building regula- 

 tions, climatic conditions, and the 

 amount of money you can invest. 

 In planning your building and its 

 equipment, emphasize comfort of 

 the rabbits and convenience of the 

 caretaker. The building should 

 have a simple design, protect the 

 rabbits from winds, rain, and 

 bright sun, and provide light and 

 fresh air (figs. 2, 3). Where mild 

 climates prevail, hutches may be 

 placed in the open but should have 

 individual roofs and protection 

 from the weather. 



Sunlight helps maintain a sani- 

 tary condition in the rabbitry but 

 whether it actually helps the rab- 

 bits themselves has not been deter- 

 mined. Rabbits apparently enjoy 

 being in the sun where tempera- 

 tures are low or moderate but it is 

 not necessary that they receive di- 

 rect sunlight. In fact, exposure 

 to direct hot sun may have serious 

 deleterious effects on rabbits. 



In mild climates, hutches may be 

 placed in the shade of trees or 

 buildings or under a lath super- 

 structure (fig. 2). 



In hot climates, some cooling 

 measures must be provided in ad- 

 dition to shade. This can be ac- 

 complished by the use of overhead 

 sprinklers, or foggers placed within 

 the building. Make sure that the 

 building is adequately ventilated 



and that the rabbits receive the 

 benefit of prevailing breezes. In 

 areas where strong winds and 

 stormy weather prevail, you can 

 put up hutches in a building that 

 is open to the south and east; use 

 curtains or panels to close up the 

 building during inclement weather. 

 Where you have extremely cold 

 weather, more protection will be 

 needed (figs. 4, 5). 



Hutches 



Provide individual hutches for 

 mature rabbits. The hutches should 

 be no more than 21/2 feet deep so 

 you can easily reach the rabbits, 

 and 2 feet high. Make the 

 hutches 3 feet long for small 

 breeds, 3 or 4 feet for medium-size 

 breeds, and 4 to 6 feet for giant 

 breeds. All figures are for inside 

 measurement. Whether you ar- 

 range the hutches in single, dou- 

 ble, or triple tiers depends upon 

 how much room is available. If 

 you have enough room, waist-high, 

 single-tier hutches are preferable 

 as thev are most convenient for 

 observing the rabbits and will also 

 save time and labor in feeding 

 and management. The two- or 

 three-tier hutches, necessary when 

 space is limited, are not entirely 

 satisfactory for caring for and ob- 

 serving the animals in the bottom 

 and top tiers. The inconvenience 

 of squatting or stooping to feed 

 and care for rabbits in the bottom 

 tier and of having to use a stool 

 or ladder for the top row of a 

 three-tier arrangement results in 

 additional labor and time as com- 

 pared to a single-tier arrangement. 



Rabbits are more easily cared for 

 in well-built hutches than in poorly 

 constructed temporary ones. Self- 

 cleaning, all-wire hutches (fig. 6) 

 need no bedding and you can easily 

 keep them in good condition. 



