firstegg

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Our First Egg!

Sunday, February 7, 2016

On the importance of big cages for angoras...

So we seem to have a lot of new hits on our blog, most likely because we have kits for sale and I have placed a few craigslist ads. Thanks for stopping by!

And now, on topic, what size of cages are appropriate for an angora? How do you know?

Our adult rabbits are in 30x36 cages, with frequent outings (made more difficult by the snowy weather). We housed them in the garage. But, now that we have 12 rabbits, including the kits, it was too much for our garage! Too much mess, grass on the floor, odor, too hard to get dirty pans to the yard, etc. it worked really well for two to three rabbits, not well for 12.

So what to do? A rabbit shed would be perfect. But we cannot afford a shed at this time. So, after reading several posts online, we decided outdoors is best for us. After reading a compelling blog from a meat rabbit producer in Maine, who housed his buns outdoors, thoughtfully, with careful planning, I was convinced that our angoras would do fine in a Nevada winter.

So where to put them? We have a covered deck, but it is our Outdoor room in the spring, summer, and fall, we have an outdoor bed, rugs, ceiling fan, etc. it did not suit our purpose for that "room."

So, we searched on Pinterest for other outdoor rabbit solutions. That is the preferred place to immediately feel inadequate about your DIY skills, creativity, and level of organization, don't you think? We oohed and ahhed appropriately at all the great outdoor rabbit housing ideas, and then got real. Mother Earth News is a better website to get hooked on, for down-to-earth solutions on a homestead. People there care about thier animals and land, but don't have an endless supply of money and time.

Outdoor rabbits need protection from the wet, sun, and wind. That includes drafts. They need to have good airflow, but three sides of thier cages protected (back, sides). They need to be in the shade. Water bottles will freeze in the winter, and they will need a lot of attention in weather over 80-85 degrees.

So we sited our cage banks (two 30x36 stacking cages) near a wall, with plywood on top that overhangs on front and back, on paver bricks, covered with a 10x12 heavy duty tarp on three sides with an overhang. We trailed ivy over the top to help disguise the tarp. It's brown, so that also helps. We also have a tarp dedicated to cover the front in blowing snow and rain. But, it is not facing the wind, and is in a protected location, in the shade.

Eat that pinterest. Pictures to come soon, as soon as I find that endless supply of time.

Our kits now moved to the 30x36 bank of cages. I knew the grow-out cages were too small now, because they were not properly able to groom themselves anymore, due to a low cage height. Rabbits sit up on thier back feet to groom, and they were not feeling as inclined to be able to sit on thier haunches on our short cages. In addition, they were getting too many knots in thier coats, from rubbing up against the sides. So, that is how you definately know your cage is much too small.

After moving our kits to much larger cages, outdoors, i am happy to report that everyone is well groomed, with happy faces. They can see the birds, sunshine, snow, and blue skies. They were so happy this morning.! So were our adults, they all took a quick run on top of the frozen snow.

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