I can still remember my father raising rabbits for meat and the trauma of seeing one of our own prepared for dinner. It was common in our home as my father came from a small farm and lived during the depression era when no one they knew had any money. In those days, you were either frugal and raised your own food or you went hungry.
From a similar mindset or just desire, there is much to learn from even a small-scale rabbit business. A person doesn’t necessarily need fancy breeds, fancy coops, or expensive food to learn what a simple deer or doe can teach them. You can definitely get by with a simple homemade rabbit hutch and the rabbits of your choice obtained from the “guy on the road.”
Regardless of whether you’re old enough to remember raising rabbits for meat or you’re among the younger generation who simply enjoy having a pet rabbit, you can have fun and save a lot of money by building your own rabbit hutch.
For those looking for an alternative to the modern rat race and have purchased a small farm or plan to in the future, raising rabbits can be fun and profitable. There is a growing market in the United States for rabbits, primarily for breeders to display at rabbit shows and competitions or simply as family pets.
In any case, there are many rabbit hutches for sale in a wide variety of styles and sizes. Of course, the price varies accordingly; from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. There is a huge variety of outdoor cabanas to choose from. You may want to build a simple A-frame cabin on the ground or a fancier two-level cabin with a ramp leading to an inner sanctum that will protect Mr. Bunny from the elements.
The good news is that if you want to build your own cage, you can do so for less than $50 dollars in materials for a smaller version or only about $100 for a large commercial-grade coop.
Even if you are a complete hobbyist, there are plans available that will give you detailed step-by-step instructions on how to build various types of cages. These often include pictures and all include schematics for length, width, height, and scale, as well as giving you a list of the materials and tools you’ll need to complete the job.
As veteran rabbit breeder James N. Peterson wrote to would-be do-it-yourself hutch builders,
“A couple of inexpensive chicken coops…should house your first rabbits just fine – animals were successfully bred in much less substantial places long before this era of antibiotics. With a little common sense and a little loving daily care , anyone can raise pesky rabbits.” bugs. Just keep them clean and forget about the Easter bunny…”
On the other hand, if you are a more experienced handyman or carpenter who wants to erect your own cabin and maybe even build a commercial size one, there are also schemes of several styles and varieties to choose from.
Have fun.
