Why don't people keep rabbits in large (500+ sq feet) outdoor paddocks or pens? It seems like it'd be lower maintenance and make the rabbits a lot happier. It'd also be pretty easy to predator proof the fence. Is there something I'm overlooking here, or are people just lazy? I was going to try and build a large pen for meat rabbits, but I'm a little weary because that nobody else does it.
Pic related, the only thing I could find resembling what I'm thinking of.
I have about 104 rabbits currentlly the reason most dont put large cages is because rabbits will just keep humping all the time even guy on guy which could lead to broken bunnys
Rabbits dig, hump and fight. You would also need to have a roof over it due to animals that can climb or fly into the pen. The fence would need to be far into the ground because they are excellent diggers.
When I had meat rabbits(50 or so) they had the typical diy hutches without wire bottoms and we would rotate them in an out of a dog kennel so they had more space to run around. We would power wash the hutches and kennel so they weren't living in fitth or getting bumble foot from shitty wire bottoms. I think it was easier than small wire and wood hutches since that shit rusts and rots fast but then again when you are raising something to be killed people don't really care, which is why you'll see them raised in 2x2 cages that are never cleaned.
>>2165220
That's a lot of fucking rabbits.
What do you mean by broken? Most of them wouldn't live more than 4 months anyway, and I'm sure I could handle putting down a few injured bunnies a year.
>>2165224
I already need to dig proof about 200 square feet of chicken fence, so I wouldn't mind doing a couple hundred more. I haven't had any problems with birds of prey in my area because they're too small to take anything, but raccoons/similar are an issue. Will rabbits go into a hutch or house at night like chickens will? It'd be easy to lock them up at night.
>>2165240
Rabbits are prey for basically anything. Even small falcons can take them on. Hopefully you don't have any weasels in your area because they can get in very tiny holes.
And no. Rabbits are pretty active during the night. A domesticated pet rabbit may adapt to your sleeping schedule but rabbits don't have the time. They take short naps here and there instead of sleeping a solid few hours. They do that with feeding kits in the wild too. Come home, feed them, leave, etc throughout the night and day. My rabbits(indoor or outdoor) were most active at dusk, night and dawn.
My rabbits will fully fenced but it also stop owls, hawks and eagles sitting right there in the trees over them. Got to see some poor wild rabbit get destroyed by a barn owl one night while it had been watching mine. All I heard is the screaming(rabbit make very horrifying, loud noises which I accidentally discovered while luring out one of ours from under the shed and I suddenly grabbed her) so on the bright side you'll probably hear if something gets in your cages.
Because feral cats and other predators could get in there and absolutely destroy them. Also, I don't know about you, but it gets too hot for rabbits to be comfy in my area.
>predator-proof the fence
>chicken fence
Do you mean chicken wire? Because if you want something that predators can't get into, that's a bad choice; I had an outdoor rabbit hutch that was made with chicken wire before I knew any better, some loose dogs tore through it like paper. Something more like hardware cloth would be better.
Don't forget, some predators dig, and some fly. Just because you don't see them doesn't mean they're not around.
>>2165219
cats, dogs, birds of prey, snakes, random assholes who think it's ok to steal a rabbit, hot weather
>Will rabbits go into a hutch or house at night like chickens will? It'd be easy
you can't make a rabbit go where it doesn't want to go
>>2165240
you could try to feed them pellets when you want to go inside. put to feed bowl inside the hutch, the rabbits will go in to eat, and you can lock them up.but I don't know how hungrythe rabbits will be after a day of nibbling grass, so maybe they wont be hungry enough to go to the bowl.
for predator defence you should definitely get something stronger than chicken wire, as >>2165247 said. and build a roof to keep flying predators out. depending on your budget and dedication, you might even consider putting fence all the way across the bottom, that way you're sure that no predator can dig up to them.
Hows this? For the cold winter?
It's the best I can do for my guy.
He sleeps in the bedt with me, jumps down to pee inside his cage and then jumps back onto the bed. Separated my room in 2 sides.
1 computer tv and all the wired stuff
2 my bed and his cage.
