Requirements for a Rabbit house

Proper ventilation of the rabbitry is essential. The walls, roof and door of the hutch can be covered with chicken wire netting (37mm mesh) or made up of wood or bamboo placed 20mm apart.In high altitude areas with lower temperatures it may be desirable to have a solid wall in the direction facing the prevailing wind. Temporary protection for strong winds, low temperatures and rain can be provided with curtains of Hessian, reeds, grass, plastics, etc.

The roof of the rabbit unit should be leak-proof and can be made of thatch or metal sheets with some insulation underneath.Ease of management depends to a great extent on the construction of the floor. It may be solid, perforated, or semi-solid.

Each has its advantages and disadvantages:A solid floor can be made from wood, plywood or different kinds of boards. It allows bedding to be used, eliminates draughts through the floor and causes less trouble from hock sores, but is difficult to clean. The use of a solid floor will permit the hutches to be stacked in two or three tiers with the bottom row 30cm off the ground, and this may save some building space.

However, a solid floor in the hutch frequently lead to outbreak of coccidiosis, a disease causing diarrhoea, loss of appetite and often death, because of build-up of manure in corners of the cage and contamination of feed and water.

A perforated floor is self-cleaning as manure and urine pass through to the ground and this assists in disease control, but if not properly constructed it may injure the animals. It can be made of woven or welded wire of not less than 16 gauge.

Suitable mesh sizes are 12mm for small and medium breeds and 18mm for large breeds. Chicken wire can be used, but its thin wires may cause sore hocks and the urine can corrode the wire to failure within a year. The wire netting is streched over a wooden frame, trimmed flush with the bottom edge, and stapled every 5cm. Where it is fastened to posts the wire edges should be turned down to avoid injury to the rabbits. Self cleaning floor is usually recommended.