# Emergency rabbit pen



## Seasoned-prepper (Aug 27, 2013)

I want to start off by saying this is an Emergency pen. For after SHTF. We want to be able to help other people after SHTF, and one of the best ways, I think is to help them help themselves. I can give the young couple next door a couple rabbits to eat... or better yet a couple rabbits to breed... show them what the bunnies can eat and they will be able to feed themselves... My thoughts are that these emergency pens could be placed right in the back yard and moved along the ground. You'd still need to feed them other things, but they would nibble the grass and weeds from the yard. Keep in mind we are going to be eating these bunnies, so we aren't worrying about them being on the ground.. 
Now to the pen... I will load some pics so you can see below... these pens are made from the 2" by 4" goat fencing... it is sold at Lowes and Tractor Supply... a 4 foot by 100 foot roll will make about 20 pens... The roll costs about $60 if you buy it on sale... 
The pen will measure 20" by 28" by 12" high... You'll need to cut 2 pieces from the 48" length 14" wide (the closed sections will measure 12") let the 2" ends of the wire on these pieces... 
Cut your next piece 28" wide from the 48" length of fence (don't let the ends of fence on this piece) all closed sections no ends should measure 28"... 
Now on that 28" piece... cut it in half... so you have a piece 24" by 28" .. 
You want 2 pieces that measure 20" by 28" both with 4" pieces of wire on the 20" width... the ends of wire we will use to close the cage...


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

I'd make them taller. 12 inches is a bit short for meat breeds. Our cages are 18 inches. A smaller wire, a 1/2x1 inch, around the bottom will be necessary if they are going to be used for breeding. New borns will go through a 1 inch opening.


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## Seasoned-prepper (Aug 27, 2013)

Yes Miss Terry, my normal pens are 18" as well... 30" by 30"... I calculated the size for Emergencies and to get as many pens as possible from a roll of fencing 100 feet long... 18" would probably give you about 4 less pens per 100 foot roll... Thank you for your comment...


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

terri9630 said:


> I'd make them taller. 12 inches is a bit short for meat breeds. Our cages are 18 inches. A smaller wire, a 1/2x1 inch, around the bottom will be necessary if they are going to be used for breeding. New borns will go through a 1 inch opening.


At the risk of being called an idiot (which, unfortunately, I may be), am I on the right track here for bunnies (just one or two pairs)?

https://www.hayneedle.com/product/trixienaturaxl2storyrabbithutch.cfm?ltype=child&tid=TXE006-1

https://www.hayneedle.com/product/trixienaturarabbithutchwithwheels.cfm

https://www.hayneedle.com/product/trixienaturarabbitoutdoorrunwithpeakedroofcover.cfm


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Some people successfully keep rabbits in a colony but we've never had success with keeping rabbits together. The does are territorial and will fight. The does will also attack a buck to protect her kits. Bucks will kill the babies so the doe will breed.


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## Seasoned-prepper (Aug 27, 2013)

That is a sweet looking pen buddy... yes you are on the right track... one rabbit per pen if you plan to breed... You can keep more than one together as long as they are the same sex and have been together since birth... I have 4 does and four bucks together right now... bucks in one pen and does in another... they are about 7 months old and get along good... They are not breeding bunnies, they are for eating.. those pens are of course bigger than a single size pen... 3' by 6'... lots of information online and some good books on bunnies also... lots of luck...


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## Pessimistic2 (Jan 26, 2017)

Seasoned-prepper said:


> That is a sweet looking pen buddy... yes you are on the right track... one rabbit per pen if you plan to breed... You can keep more than one together as long as they are the same sex and have been together since birth... I have 4 does and four bucks together right now... bucks in one pen and does in another... they are about 7 months old and get along good... They are not breeding bunnies, they are for eating.. those pens are of course bigger than a single size pen... 3' by 6'... lots of information online and some good books on bunnies also... lots of luck...


OK, learned something new...ONE rabbit per pen, unless they are raised together. Ummm, what about getting them together to breed? These are gonna be meat bunnies, but you need "little bunnies" to grow up into the "meat size!" :scratch


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Pessimistic2 said:


> OK, learned something new...ONE rabbit per pen, unless they are raised together. Ummm, what about getting them together to breed? These are gonna be meat bunnies, but you need "little bunnies" to grow up into the "meat size!" :scratch


Take the doe to the bucks pen. You can take the buck to the does pen but the buck will waste a lot of time checking out the new pen. If the buck is "doing his thing" and looks like he's having a mini seizure and falls over, it's a good thing. He's done his job.


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## Seasoned-prepper (Aug 27, 2013)

Just like Miss Terri said, take the doe to the bucks pen... Does are territorial and sometimes will attack the buck if you do the opposite... After you put them together for about 30 minutes or so, go back in about an hour and put them together again... Then mark that on your calendar... at about 26 days, I put the nesting box in for the doe... the box should be around 10 by 10 by 18 for medium large rabbits ... a little bigger for large breeds... put lots of hay in it so she can build her nest... then at about 31 to 33 days you should have some bunnies... Be careful... some does can be protective of their kits, and rabbits can bite! Pet her and maybe give her a treat like dried apple... I usually wear a leather work glove when I first check.. just to make sure they are ok with me reaching in... If they are mean I don't breed them again... It's only happened a few times, but just wanted to let you know... At 5 or 6 weeks the kits should be eating pellets and hay well enough to separate them to their own pens... if you're just planning on eating them, you can separate bucks from does and put them bucks in one pen, does in a different pen... You should look up rabbit nesting box so it's built correctly... That way the kits won't get pulled out of the box when the doe jumps out... because them little boogers will hang onto that teat for dear life... hahaha


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Seasoned-prepper said:


> Just like Miss Terri said, take the doe to the bucks pen... Does are territorial and sometimes will attack the buck if you do the opposite... After you put them together for about 30 minutes or so, go back in about an hour and put them together again... Then mark that on your calendar... at about 26 days, I put the nesting box in for the doe... the box should be around 10 by 10 by 18 for medium large rabbits ... a little bigger for large breeds... put lots of hay in it so she can build her nest... then at about 31 to 33 days you should have some bunnies... Be careful... some does can be protective of their kits, and rabbits can bite! Pet her and maybe give her a treat like dried apple... I usually wear a leather work glove when I first check.. just to make sure they are ok with me reaching in... If they are mean I don't breed them again... It's only happened a few times, but just wanted to let you know... At 5 or 6 weeks the kits should be eating pellets and hay well enough to separate them to their own pens... if you're just planning on eating them, you can separate bucks from does and put them bucks in one pen, does in a different pen... You should look up rabbit nesting box so it's built correctly... That way the kits won't get pulled out of the box when the doe jumps out... because them little boogers will hang onto that teat for dear life... hahaha


The only thing we do different is that I use pine shavings in the nest box. The hay we have is alfalfa and we've had problems with the hard stems injuring the kits. All aggressive animals go straight into the freezer. There are just to many well built, good tempered animals to take the risk. If you've never had a 12lb rabbit firmly attached to your hand....IT HURTS.


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## terri9630 (Jun 2, 2016)

Oh, another thing. Does don't have heat cycles. The act of being bred causes them to ovulate. That said some does are easy breeders and some need to be in close proximity to a buck (cage next to bucks) for a couple of days before she will allow the buck to breed. I had one no no nonsense doe that gave the buck just so long to breed. If he took to long she would go after him and you better get her out.

Bucks will also go "heat sterile" when the Temps get to high.


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