If you decide to breed rabbits in your household, then you should definitely consider where the animals will live. It is best to consider the possibility of building a separate building. But before proceeding with the construction of rabbitry, it is necessary to choose a place for its construction. An excellent option for this purpose will be a site protected from wind and drafts. In this review, we will take a detailed look at how to build a barn for rabbits.
How to contain?
Before you start building a barn for rabbits, you should learn more about the main features of these animals. The worst thing for them is the temperature drops. It is best to design a barn so that there are no gaps in its walls. So you can eliminate the likelihood of drafts.
Particular attention should also be paid to the feeding area. Feeding troughs and drinking bowls should not always be located near animals. They are placed nearby only before the start of the feeding process.
To maintain purity in rabbitry, dirt and animal waste products should be regularly removed. This immediately raises a completely logical question: where to store all this? If there is no possibility to immediately remove waste, then you can allocate a place under the pit for storing excrement in the shed itself. This will help prevent the spread of bad smell.
Requirements
Let's dwell on this in more detail. The conditions for keeping rabbits will also depend on the purpose of the household. 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 poorly tolerate the neighborhood with other domestic inhabitants. Therefore, rabbits and chickens in one barn should not be kept.
The optimum value of air temperature in rabbitry is 12-18 degrees. Fluctuations can be within 5 degrees. Some breeds can tolerate extremely low or high temperatures. However, a significant increase or decrease can lead to illness and death. Also, increased and lowered humidity adversely affects animal health. With a cell content, the recommended indoor air velocity should not exceed 30 m / s.
Rational use of space
Keeping rabbits in the barn requires proper cell placement. Rabbitry can contain both young and brood stock. It is better for young individuals to identify a special place for walking. Cells can be placed throughout the space. The main thing is that the upper ones are installed steadily and do not fall.
Finished buildings
So what are they like? Before you start building a barn for your own rabbits, 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 special labor. However, in this case, you will not be able to individually select the dimensions and design features. To get rabbitry that meets all the requirements, you will need to independently engage in its construction or entrust this work to professionals.
Shed for rabbits from foam concrete blocks
Very often, this material is used for the construction of farm buildings. What is its feature? It is quite cheap and reliable. Foam blocks have a lower cost of bricks, and the wall thickness reaches 30 cm. You can also create combined structures consisting of several types of building materials. Foam blocks are “breathing” products, so the likelihood of the appearance 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. In the barn, it’s still possible to store various materials.
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. In addition, they are not combustible. In the room built from foam blocks, you can easily carry out various communications. This material is easy to grind, so that you can easily equip the shed with a heating system, water supply and electrical wiring.
disadvantages
Like any other building material, foam blocks have their negative sides.
Here are some of them:
- Fragility. Due to this drawback, foam concrete structures 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 mesh will have to be done every 3-4 meters.
- High moisture absorption. Buildings from foam blocks require reliable waterproofing, only in this case you can protect them from moisture.
- Vapor permeability. The building needs to provide external vapor barrier.
In the construction of structures from foam blocks there are certain features. 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 finished buildings.
Cage rabbits in the barn
How to do it right? Many are interested in whether rabbits can be kept in the 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 not to allow the accumulation of vital 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 rabbitry should 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 rapidly. 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 to remove manure, the number of cleanings can be reduced. Also ensure that rabbits always have a fresh litter. Daily cleaners are still drinking bowls and feeders.
For home breeding, it is not necessary to build a barn for rabbits. You can keep animals in a street aviary. So they will receive more ultraviolet radiation, which is very useful. In rooms intended for keeping animals, it is recommended to install windows. Their area should be 8-10% of the surface area of the floor. In addition to natural light, rabbitry can also be equipped with artificial light sources. As a rule, they are left on from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Duration of lighting should be at least 8-10 hours, but not more than 16. The recommended value of intensity is 30-40 lux.
What to feed?
In order for the animals to be healthy and quickly gain weight, they need to provide good nutrition. In the warm season, try to use fresh food to the maximum. The rest of the time you can give the rabbits feed and hay. With this diet, the need for vitamins and minerals is especially high. Therefore, special additives must be added to the food of animals.
Differences in winter and summer keeping in the barn
Many amateur farmers prefer to reduce the number of rabbits in the cold. Only adult breeding individuals remain for the winter. This is a necessary measure. This is the only way rabbits can survive the cold. With the onset of the warm season, the scouts will resume. This approach in small private farms is fully justified. Indeed, in the frosty season, caring for rabbits becomes more difficult, and the cost of food increases.
Cleaning the barn is also difficult because water and excrement freeze at low temperatures. Animals lose much weight, productivity decreases. For the winter, cages with rabbits are best moved to a warm room. In this case, the animals will tolerate frosts well, but will continue to multiply. This option is only suitable if the farmer is looking forward to a winter round. If it is enough to keep the livestock at the same level, then you can leave the rabbits in a cold room. In this case, 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. Rabbits are offered water 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 protect rabbits from overheating. If animals are kept in an open-air cage, make sure that they are not exposed to heat stroke. To prevent overheating, the cells can be covered with straw or hay from above. You can also put them in the shade or under a canopy. A barn for rabbits should be provided with a good ventilation system. In hot weather, do not install cells directly on the ceiling. The air there is the most heated. 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 the content of rabbits. The main requirement is compliance with hygiene requirements. If you are going to build a barn for rabbits, at the design stage you need to work out such a question as a ventilation system. The air in the room must be clean, but drafts are not allowed.