Got Wire?

[Goshawk]

I'm wanting to make up some good and sturdy rabbit hutches that won't just rot out.
Where do you guys get your heavy mesh for making your traps? I've given up on finding stainless for a reasonable price, so thicker metal is the next best thing.
Thanks, and Merry Christmas to all.

[Humptulips]

I'm wanting to make up some good and sturdy rabbit hutches that won't just rot out.
Where do you guys get your heavy mesh for making your traps? I've given up on finding stainless for a reasonable price, so thicker metal is the next best thing.
Thanks, and Merry Christmas to all.

I assume you are using 14-gauge wire available at most feed stores. I know there is 12-gauge wire available, but I don't know of a local supplier. Shipping is going to kill you. I get my heavy mesh and you can get 1x1 at the Western Group near Dupont. That stuff is bright though and yes you could get it galvanized but again cost. I will add 10-gauge which is what I buy mostly is very hard to bend without a brake.
I haven't bought any of the 10-gauge 1x1 since this spring, but I am betting 1x1 galvanized is going to go better then $5/square foot. The way prices have been increasing maybe more.
I think you might be better to treat your 14-gauge galvanized. New, I would paint with first Rustoleum rusty metal primer and then a second coat with regular Rustoleum. Rust? Paint them with Phosco first. That will stabilize the rust.
I'll look up contact info for The Western Group if you want but you can find them on the net.

[jackelope]

14 gauge wire for the floors 1/2”x1” is a must. Depending on the size of your cages and the size of your rabbits, you might use the floor braces they sell.
16ga 1x2” works for the rest of the cage.
Galvanized after welded. GAW
None of the feed stores around me have the right wire for the floors.
If you’re going to buy all the wire and all the clips and mini hog rings  and all the other stuff to build rabbit cages the right way, it doesn’t pencil out financially. You can buy cages for the same price. I’ve done the math. We bought all of our cages at woody’s wabbits in Astoria. There’s a cage vendor near Spokane as well depending where you are. You can buy single cages for $30-40. We use 3 hole condo cages. They run around $200 including the litter trays. We have 40 holes.

https://www.woodyswabbits.com

https://greatnortherncageco.com

Do not use any wood. Maybe you already know this. They’ll chew it, it’ll weather, the rabbit pee is super hard on the wood and you can’t keep it clean.

[jackelope]

Note to say that if you really want to build your own, Klubertan’s or KW cages online will sell you all the stuff to make your own. Having a metal brake or some way to make nice clean 90 degree corners will save you lots of time clipping pieces together.

http://www.klubertanz.com

https://www.kwcages.com

[wadu1]

As noted get a break, I use a small break from Harbor Freight it's only 18". It works well for me; I don't make bunny cages. I use it for eve vents, foundation vents and flat stock for tin boxes. The 30" is $70.
https://www.harborfreight.com/18-inch-bending-brake-39103.html

[jackelope]

Also don’t make cages more than 24” deep in my opinion unless you’re a giant. It becomes too big of a pain in the butt to get them out of the cages.

[KFhunter]

Meat breeders should really be on 12ga 1x1/2 with chew proof resting boards.

If you can build drop down nest boxes, you'll save a ton of kits.

Line your cages with kit savers, its just a 4 inch lining of 1/2 inch wire kits can't climb through.

Build a seperate cage for your buck, he'll piss all your neighboring does, you can do spray guards but I just prefer they be away in their own hutches. 

I have a design I'm going to do if I raise them again,  its for feeding hay between the cages. 


Good luck, its fun and rewarding but a lit of work and attention and butchering comes fast and often.


Remember:
Cull hard, Cull often!

Do not hang onto rabbits that aren't doing what you want, conformance, personality and breeding, color etc

[jackelope]

You can buy baby saver wire if you really want to. Either way, do something because inevitably you’ll lose a baby or some babies to squirming through the full sized holes at some point.

[jackelope]

No point in using stainless. The standard is GAW wire.

We torch the cages with a weed burner torch and then pressure wash them every 3-4 months. Once they’re cleaned they look very close to new and some of our cages are 7 years old.

[KFhunter]

Good reason to not use wood too, ammonia is supposed to kill pasturella, wheras bleach does not.

I dunno, weed burner would kill everything. 

[jackelope]

Biosecurity man. Just don’t get pasteurella.
Don’t let your chickens live with your rabbits. Don’t let your rabbits live on the ground. Don’t let every Tom Dick and Harry play with your cute bunnies. We’ve had fur mites one time when the kid had 2 rabbits. That’s literally it. She’s lost 2 rabbits to old age. My wife lost a wool rabbit to wool block. It’s a fact with them. This is the kid’s 7th year with rabbits and she still has the first rabbit she ever got.

[Goshawk]

Thanks all. More information that I can filter through quickly. 
May 2022 be smoooother than 2021!

[mallard]

x2 on Klubertanz. I used them a while back as a one stop shop. At the time they had everything in stock and the best prices.

Reiterating much of what others have mentioned that has worked for me:

- 14ga or heavier on cage bottoms. I've found the larger gauge lasts longer, flexes less, and is a bit easier on the feet. Can also add mats inside the cage if sore hocks are an issue.

- Lifespan of galvanized wire can be extended by torching and painting.

- Using kit/baby saver wire or adding extra wire around the cage on the bottom few inches for the cages that hold kits.

- Give thought to cage size and door location. A large cage with a door on a far side can mean a loooong reach to the far back corner. I generally stick to no larger than 36" wide x 24" deep with a door more centrally located. The exception would be cages specifically for nursing mothers with a nest box and grow outs. Gives a little more space.

- If possible, I prefer to separate bucks and does into separate hutches/barns/etc. Some bucks can get plain nasty around does and make a mess of everything.

[Goshawk]

The other item that's going to be on the winter list sooner than later are shelves for the greenhouse.  Your wire sources ought to be great for that too.

Thanks again, and a Merry Christmas to you all!

PS. Yes I know it's the 27th, but there are 12 days in Christmas!

[jackelope]

x2 on Klubertanz. I used them a while back as a one stop shop. At the time they had everything in stock and the best prices.

Reiterating much of what others have mentioned that has worked for me:

- 14ga or heavier on cage bottoms. I've found the larger gauge lasts longer, flexes less, and is a bit easier on the feet. Can also add mats inside the cage if sore hocks are an issue.

- Lifespan of galvanized wire can be extended by torching and painting.

- Using kit/baby saver wire or adding extra wire around the cage on the bottom few inches for the cages that hold kits.

- Give thought to cage size and door location. A large cage with a door on a far side can mean a loooong reach to the far back corner. I generally stick to no larger than 36" wide x 24" deep with a door more centrally located. The exception would be cages specifically for nursing mothers with a nest box and grow outs. Gives a little more space.

- If possible, I prefer to separate bucks and does into separate hutches/barns/etc. Some bucks can get plain nasty around does and make a mess of everything.

There’s a few things you mentioned that I would cull for. If a rabbit is prone to sore hocks, I don’t want that rabbit breeding and passing on that trait. Not enough fur on their feet is not something you want to promote. The exception would be Rex rabbits and even that. Get some rabbits in your Gene pool that don’t have that issue.

If my kid has bucks that get nasty at all, they’re gone. Does too. Gone as in to the rabbit meat people. Won’t be promoting that trait either, especially around kids.

Like KF said, cull hard.  The 4-H motto is to make the best better.