Rabbit Supplies and Equipment
(c) Gryph- if you repost this article, please post with a link back to my website.
Rabbits are fairly easy to take care of. They need basic shelter, food, water and minimal grooming like brushing or nail trimming (especially for longer haired rabbits or during molting season). Taking care of these basic tasks can take only a few minutes each day. You should also handle your rabbits often. Even if you are eventually planning to eat them at some point in the future, you still have to handle them in order to groom them, breed them, or even just clean cages.
Cold weather isn’t usually much of a problem for rabbits. As long as it’s well protected from drafts and has a constant supply of water, a rabbit (even newborn kits in a well-made nest) can withstand temperatures as low as -20°F without additional heat. Heat can be more dangerous. Temperatures above 90°F (or 85°F in high humidity) can cause death and so it’s vital that rabbits are kept cool and out of direct sun on hot days. You can use water frozen in plastic bottles or frozen tiles in their cage and your rabbit will lie along the bottle or on the tile to stay cool.
It's best to have your equipment before you bring home rabbits. Also, choose what you plan to feed and have that on hand as well. Grooming supplies can vary depending on the rabbit, so I broke that down into it's own page. I have a list of some of the most common supplies and the suppliers I prefer on my page titled Suppliers. A lot of the supplies I discuss here are listed there with links. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have all of your equipment lined up and ready to go before you even think about bringing home your first rabbit.
For water, you can use water bottles, crocks, or a watering system. Lixit is probably the best brand for water bottles, and I wouldn’t go smaller than 32 oz bottles except for the smaller breeds of rabbits. Avoid the inexpensive bottles that can be purchased at chain stores such as Wal-Mart. They have a habit of failing and if you don’t notice the problem then you can easily lose your rabbit to dehydration. If you decide to use bowls use heavy ceramic bowls or the kind that can attach securely to the case such as Quick-Lock Crocks or EZ-Crocks so that your rabbit doesn’t dump them. You can also use an automatic watering system, although be careful to maintain and clean them regularly to prevent clogging. With an automatic watering system it can be almost impossible to tell if an individual rabbit is not drinking due to illness or a clogged water line as well. When the weather turns cold, crocks are better. My favorite cold-weather water container are the black rubber feed bowls. One quart bowls can be found on Jeffers Pet for less than $2.00 per bowl, and when they are frozen you can easily knock the ice loose.
J-feeders are popular for supplying rabbit pellets, although some people prefer crocks or bowls. J-feeders can be conveniently filled from outside the cage, saving you time during chores. They can also hold a large amount of pellets at a time, which is recommended for a doe with a litter. The best feeders have screen, perforated, or slotted bottoms to filter out fines (the dust leftover in the bottom of rabbit food bags). Rabbits won’t eat fines. If you use crocks or bowls, be cautious with plastic as some rabbits will chew the edges.
Nest boxes are essential to raising a safe litter of kits. They provide seclusion for the doe and protection for the litter. Make sure they are portable, sturdy and sanitary. Steel nest boxes have a benefit over wood ones because they don’t absorb urine and breed bacteria, and they are easy to clean, plus the bottoms can be replaced when they start to wear out. Don’t buy a nest box that is too large; it should be very snug, not large enough for the doe to stretch out in. During cold weather, bedding such as straw, hay, wood shavings or a combination of these is recommended. Some people like to build nesting areas into their hutches- just keep in mind that these are much tougher to sanitize and clean than portable nest boxes, and your rabbit is just as likely to use them as a litter box as they are to use them as a nest. Some people get creative with nest boxes and use Rubbermaid-style totes, cardboard boxes (bear in mind these will get chewed up), stacking plastic bins, and other materials to make nest boxes out of.
If you use wire-bottomed cages, it’s a good idea to supply a resting area for your rabbits to avoid sore hocks. You can purchase resting mats or you can make your own. Just remember that odds are good that your rabbit will chew on it, so be careful what you make them out of. Some people like to cut plastic lattice from the hardware store down for resting mats.
Even though many breeders disagree I believe it’s important to provide your rabbits with entertainment. Rabbits are intelligent and can get bored. I have found that some of my bucks especially get bored, and having entertainment of some sort keeps them happy and healthy. A bored rabbit is a trouble-making rabbit. An opportunity to stretch out in a rabbit tractor can be nice and provide your rabbit an opportunity to graze on fresh grass. Simple things such as empty tuna cans (check for sharp edges) and plastic containers such as sour cream or yogurt containers can suffice. You can use inexpensive hard cat or dog balls or baby teething rings (not the kind with water in them) as toys for your rabbits. You can also fill empty toilet paper tubes with hay. Your rabbit will also physically and psychologically enjoy chewing on things. Wicker baskets, sticks, cardboard and pine cones are all great choices. Be careful with what kind of wood you use- check to be sure it’s a safe type of wood for your rabbit to chew and that it’s untreated. Apple wood and willow are excellent choices.
For reasons of simplicity, I will use the term cage to mean cage or hutch, depending on your preference. There are different approaches to housing rabbits. A good cage or hutch will keep your rabbit healthy, clean and safe. Your choice will probably be affected by your climate and the area that you plan to keep your rabbits. Rabbits may be kept indoors or outdoors depending on your type of housing. Remember that rabbits do better in cold than in the heat, so if you are in a climate that gets very hot in the summer, be sure to provide plenty of shade, water, cooling and ventilation for your rabbits. If you plan to house your rabbits outside of a closed shelter, a hutch may be a better option than a cage. This is usually a wooden frame with wire or wooden sides, wire bottom, and a solid roof. Be warned that wood hutches can be more difficult to clean and disinfect. In addition, since rabbits are chewers, they will often chew on the wood of their hutch. If you have a sheltered area like a barn or a shed that will offer protection from the elements, then you will only require a wire cage. A good compromise for outdoors is to slide a wire cage into a hutch-like frame that can be removed for cleaning. Be careful of pet-type hutches sold at pet and feed stores, as they aren’t very sturdy and won’t hold up over long time use. Solid-bottom pet cages can be okay for small rabbits indoors but they need to be kept extremely clean.
Rabbits are well suited for small spaces and don’t need a lot of room to be comfortable. ARBA sets out required guidelines for space for individual rabbits. Most commercial meat breeds, for example, fall under the third category of 4 square feet of floor space and a height of 14 inches. To meet the minimum floor space of 4 square feet, a 24” x 24” cage or hutch is the minimum size that a single senior rabbit of that class should be kept in. When raising rabbits, you should have a cage or hutch that is at least 24” x 36” or 30” x 30” for each doe and her litter.
Maximum Sr Weight in Pounds (Breeds) Required Cage Space, Required Cage Height
<4.4 lbs (American Fuzzy Lop, Britannia Petite, Dwarf Hotot, Himalayan, Holland Lop, Jersey Wooly, Mini Rex, Netherland Dwarf, Polish) 1.5 ft, 2 14 in
4.4 lbs - 8.8 lbs (Standard Chinchilla, Dutch, English Spot, Florida White, Havana, Lilac, Mini Lop, Mini Satin, Silver, Tan, Thrianta) 3.0 ft, 2 14 in
8.8 lbs – 11.9 lbs (American, French Angora, Satin Angora, Belgian Hare, Beveren, Blanc de Hotot, Champagne d’Argent, American Chinchilla, Cinnamon, Crème d’Argent, Harlequin, New Zealand, Palomino, Rex, Rhinelander, Satin, Silver Fox, Silver Marten) 4.0 ft, 2 14 in
>11.9 lbs (Giant Angora, Giant Chinchilla, Checkered Giant, Flemish Giant, English Lop, French Lop) 5.0 ft, 2 14 in
My preference for rabbits is to use galvanized mesh wire floors, as I believe they are much more sanitary and healthier for your rabbits. Be sure to use the right size wire though to prevent leg and feet injuries. The ideal floor wire is 1” x ½”, and 14 gauge is better than 16 gauge although 16 gauge will work if you can’t find 14 gauge as long as you offer resting mats. 1” x ½” will allow their droppings to fall through. If they stay on a surface that allows their feces to accumulate such as wood, it may cause disease from bacteria building up and risk a coccidiosis (cocci) outbreak which is a highly contagious infection in rabbits caused by a protozoal parasite with a low prognosis of healing (more on that later). Avoid hardware cloth (½” x ½”), as it can shred your rabbits’ feet and it will wear through very quickly, plus poop doesn’t fall through as well.
Having the type of hutch or cage which allows easy access to all corners is best. Try to keep the size of your cage or hutch of a width and depth that you can catch your rabbit. For example, I’m only 5’2” with short arms and I can’t reach the back of a 30” cage, so for my brood does I prefer cages that are 24” deep and 36” long. The only area I struggle to reach is the very far corner.
Another option for housing is to raise your rabbits part-time or full time in a rabbit tractor. This is usually a movable hutch that can be moved around to allow your rabbits to graze on grass. Just remember that without a floor, your rabbits will dig out. Colony raising (see below) can be done in tractors as well.
Finally, you will need a place to put your kits when they are weaned until they are ready to either sell or butcher. Ideally, you would have a place for females and a separate place for males (rabbits are capable of breeding as young as 3 months). What I recommend for a breeding trio of rabbits, for example, is to have five cages. Using the ARBA chart above, let’s use Rex as an example. You should have three 24” x 24” cages, one for each doe and one for the buck. Then have two 24” x 36” breeding pens. Your does can live in their cages while they are bred and until a few days before they kindle. If you breed your does at the same time, then you will be able to wean the kits and separate them into the two breeding cages, one for junior does and one for junior bucks. If you breed your does on the day you wean their litters, then in 4 weeks when the doe is getting ready to kindle again, you can process out your juniors and put her back in the breeding pen, and so on. It’s important to prepare a few more rabbit cages than you think you will need, because crowding young rabbits keeps them from thriving.
Cold weather isn’t usually much of a problem for rabbits. As long as it’s well protected from drafts and has a constant supply of water, a rabbit (even newborn kits in a well-made nest) can withstand temperatures as low as -20°F without additional heat. Heat can be more dangerous. Temperatures above 90°F (or 85°F in high humidity) can cause death and so it’s vital that rabbits are kept cool and out of direct sun on hot days. You can use water frozen in plastic bottles or frozen tiles in their cage and your rabbit will lie along the bottle or on the tile to stay cool.
It's best to have your equipment before you bring home rabbits. Also, choose what you plan to feed and have that on hand as well. Grooming supplies can vary depending on the rabbit, so I broke that down into it's own page. I have a list of some of the most common supplies and the suppliers I prefer on my page titled Suppliers. A lot of the supplies I discuss here are listed there with links. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have all of your equipment lined up and ready to go before you even think about bringing home your first rabbit.
For water, you can use water bottles, crocks, or a watering system. Lixit is probably the best brand for water bottles, and I wouldn’t go smaller than 32 oz bottles except for the smaller breeds of rabbits. Avoid the inexpensive bottles that can be purchased at chain stores such as Wal-Mart. They have a habit of failing and if you don’t notice the problem then you can easily lose your rabbit to dehydration. If you decide to use bowls use heavy ceramic bowls or the kind that can attach securely to the case such as Quick-Lock Crocks or EZ-Crocks so that your rabbit doesn’t dump them. You can also use an automatic watering system, although be careful to maintain and clean them regularly to prevent clogging. With an automatic watering system it can be almost impossible to tell if an individual rabbit is not drinking due to illness or a clogged water line as well. When the weather turns cold, crocks are better. My favorite cold-weather water container are the black rubber feed bowls. One quart bowls can be found on Jeffers Pet for less than $2.00 per bowl, and when they are frozen you can easily knock the ice loose.
J-feeders are popular for supplying rabbit pellets, although some people prefer crocks or bowls. J-feeders can be conveniently filled from outside the cage, saving you time during chores. They can also hold a large amount of pellets at a time, which is recommended for a doe with a litter. The best feeders have screen, perforated, or slotted bottoms to filter out fines (the dust leftover in the bottom of rabbit food bags). Rabbits won’t eat fines. If you use crocks or bowls, be cautious with plastic as some rabbits will chew the edges.
Nest boxes are essential to raising a safe litter of kits. They provide seclusion for the doe and protection for the litter. Make sure they are portable, sturdy and sanitary. Steel nest boxes have a benefit over wood ones because they don’t absorb urine and breed bacteria, and they are easy to clean, plus the bottoms can be replaced when they start to wear out. Don’t buy a nest box that is too large; it should be very snug, not large enough for the doe to stretch out in. During cold weather, bedding such as straw, hay, wood shavings or a combination of these is recommended. Some people like to build nesting areas into their hutches- just keep in mind that these are much tougher to sanitize and clean than portable nest boxes, and your rabbit is just as likely to use them as a litter box as they are to use them as a nest. Some people get creative with nest boxes and use Rubbermaid-style totes, cardboard boxes (bear in mind these will get chewed up), stacking plastic bins, and other materials to make nest boxes out of.
If you use wire-bottomed cages, it’s a good idea to supply a resting area for your rabbits to avoid sore hocks. You can purchase resting mats or you can make your own. Just remember that odds are good that your rabbit will chew on it, so be careful what you make them out of. Some people like to cut plastic lattice from the hardware store down for resting mats.
Even though many breeders disagree I believe it’s important to provide your rabbits with entertainment. Rabbits are intelligent and can get bored. I have found that some of my bucks especially get bored, and having entertainment of some sort keeps them happy and healthy. A bored rabbit is a trouble-making rabbit. An opportunity to stretch out in a rabbit tractor can be nice and provide your rabbit an opportunity to graze on fresh grass. Simple things such as empty tuna cans (check for sharp edges) and plastic containers such as sour cream or yogurt containers can suffice. You can use inexpensive hard cat or dog balls or baby teething rings (not the kind with water in them) as toys for your rabbits. You can also fill empty toilet paper tubes with hay. Your rabbit will also physically and psychologically enjoy chewing on things. Wicker baskets, sticks, cardboard and pine cones are all great choices. Be careful with what kind of wood you use- check to be sure it’s a safe type of wood for your rabbit to chew and that it’s untreated. Apple wood and willow are excellent choices.
For reasons of simplicity, I will use the term cage to mean cage or hutch, depending on your preference. There are different approaches to housing rabbits. A good cage or hutch will keep your rabbit healthy, clean and safe. Your choice will probably be affected by your climate and the area that you plan to keep your rabbits. Rabbits may be kept indoors or outdoors depending on your type of housing. Remember that rabbits do better in cold than in the heat, so if you are in a climate that gets very hot in the summer, be sure to provide plenty of shade, water, cooling and ventilation for your rabbits. If you plan to house your rabbits outside of a closed shelter, a hutch may be a better option than a cage. This is usually a wooden frame with wire or wooden sides, wire bottom, and a solid roof. Be warned that wood hutches can be more difficult to clean and disinfect. In addition, since rabbits are chewers, they will often chew on the wood of their hutch. If you have a sheltered area like a barn or a shed that will offer protection from the elements, then you will only require a wire cage. A good compromise for outdoors is to slide a wire cage into a hutch-like frame that can be removed for cleaning. Be careful of pet-type hutches sold at pet and feed stores, as they aren’t very sturdy and won’t hold up over long time use. Solid-bottom pet cages can be okay for small rabbits indoors but they need to be kept extremely clean.
Rabbits are well suited for small spaces and don’t need a lot of room to be comfortable. ARBA sets out required guidelines for space for individual rabbits. Most commercial meat breeds, for example, fall under the third category of 4 square feet of floor space and a height of 14 inches. To meet the minimum floor space of 4 square feet, a 24” x 24” cage or hutch is the minimum size that a single senior rabbit of that class should be kept in. When raising rabbits, you should have a cage or hutch that is at least 24” x 36” or 30” x 30” for each doe and her litter.
Maximum Sr Weight in Pounds (Breeds) Required Cage Space, Required Cage Height
<4.4 lbs (American Fuzzy Lop, Britannia Petite, Dwarf Hotot, Himalayan, Holland Lop, Jersey Wooly, Mini Rex, Netherland Dwarf, Polish) 1.5 ft, 2 14 in
4.4 lbs - 8.8 lbs (Standard Chinchilla, Dutch, English Spot, Florida White, Havana, Lilac, Mini Lop, Mini Satin, Silver, Tan, Thrianta) 3.0 ft, 2 14 in
8.8 lbs – 11.9 lbs (American, French Angora, Satin Angora, Belgian Hare, Beveren, Blanc de Hotot, Champagne d’Argent, American Chinchilla, Cinnamon, Crème d’Argent, Harlequin, New Zealand, Palomino, Rex, Rhinelander, Satin, Silver Fox, Silver Marten) 4.0 ft, 2 14 in
>11.9 lbs (Giant Angora, Giant Chinchilla, Checkered Giant, Flemish Giant, English Lop, French Lop) 5.0 ft, 2 14 in
My preference for rabbits is to use galvanized mesh wire floors, as I believe they are much more sanitary and healthier for your rabbits. Be sure to use the right size wire though to prevent leg and feet injuries. The ideal floor wire is 1” x ½”, and 14 gauge is better than 16 gauge although 16 gauge will work if you can’t find 14 gauge as long as you offer resting mats. 1” x ½” will allow their droppings to fall through. If they stay on a surface that allows their feces to accumulate such as wood, it may cause disease from bacteria building up and risk a coccidiosis (cocci) outbreak which is a highly contagious infection in rabbits caused by a protozoal parasite with a low prognosis of healing (more on that later). Avoid hardware cloth (½” x ½”), as it can shred your rabbits’ feet and it will wear through very quickly, plus poop doesn’t fall through as well.
Having the type of hutch or cage which allows easy access to all corners is best. Try to keep the size of your cage or hutch of a width and depth that you can catch your rabbit. For example, I’m only 5’2” with short arms and I can’t reach the back of a 30” cage, so for my brood does I prefer cages that are 24” deep and 36” long. The only area I struggle to reach is the very far corner.
Another option for housing is to raise your rabbits part-time or full time in a rabbit tractor. This is usually a movable hutch that can be moved around to allow your rabbits to graze on grass. Just remember that without a floor, your rabbits will dig out. Colony raising (see below) can be done in tractors as well.
Finally, you will need a place to put your kits when they are weaned until they are ready to either sell or butcher. Ideally, you would have a place for females and a separate place for males (rabbits are capable of breeding as young as 3 months). What I recommend for a breeding trio of rabbits, for example, is to have five cages. Using the ARBA chart above, let’s use Rex as an example. You should have three 24” x 24” cages, one for each doe and one for the buck. Then have two 24” x 36” breeding pens. Your does can live in their cages while they are bred and until a few days before they kindle. If you breed your does at the same time, then you will be able to wean the kits and separate them into the two breeding cages, one for junior does and one for junior bucks. If you breed your does on the day you wean their litters, then in 4 weeks when the doe is getting ready to kindle again, you can process out your juniors and put her back in the breeding pen, and so on. It’s important to prepare a few more rabbit cages than you think you will need, because crowding young rabbits keeps them from thriving.