So, I want to overhaul my set-up. I've wanted to for a while, but what I am finding is that technology that makes it easy to clean is still ridiculously expensive and it is still very difficult to find detailed plans for some innovative stacking cages. Unfortunately, I have concrete floors so I have to use trays or some sort of system to catch manure and urine. I also can't utilize a row of hanging cages due to lack of wall space in the area I keep the rabbits. This means that I must use cages stacking on top of one another and that I must have something underneath each one. In the past few years, I keep having to replace galvanized trays on my 36" cages as they can't survive the rabbit's urine pH and moisture. There is no local place to buy trays of that size and shipping is almost as much as the tray itself. Most of mine are Dura Trays now, but they are also pricey and expensive to ship. I've toyed with the idea of building a few hutches for outside, but honestly I worry about predators and humans, the ability to move it when needed, weather, and durability. At least I did find some plans for an outdoor option. Here is a link to one for a nice-looking and functional 2 hole hutch that protects the wood from chewing and waste:
http://www.d1rconsulting.com/industry-articles/98-winemaking-logs/rabbits/135-rabbit-hutch-plans-and-instructions.html
So what to do in the meantime? I found Bass offers a "Flush-Kleen" tray that might be an option, but they aren't very deep and I am not sure how the more rigid plastic holds up over time. I am also not sure how much is involved in PVC connections or if you need a water supply to rinse the trays. They are also expensive at more than $40/tray. I also found some plans for folks that use tin or plastic roofing, puckboard, or other kinds of scrap to create a tilting dropping board underneath cages. Some folks let the manure run onto the ground and others catch it with gutters, pipes, or buckets. I'm thinking of trying something like this on my huge and currently empty KW Cages stacker and see how it performs with just one cage. That would give me a nice grow-out area for a litter and would let me test it at the same. I was thinking of connecting the dropping board to a plastic gutter and letting the gutter run right into an empty plastic bucket that I can take out to the garden directly. This may be a disaster, but I am just sick to death of trays after more than five years of using them. I want something easy to clean that ideally gives me a neat container to use for the garden. I am also thinking of trying a concrete mixing pan on the bottom cage and see if I can create compost as it is being used since it is so much deeper than a regular tray. Probably another crazy idea, but can't hurt to try.
In other similar news, it is so hard to find decent cage wire! I need to do some repairs on a few empty cages where the potty corner has rusted out, but I can't find 14 gauge 1/2" x 1" galvanized after wire anywhere locally. The only vendor I could find online was Klubertanz, and I understand from other rabbit folks that they are taking literally months to fill orders currently. I don't need 100 feet, just maybe 12-20 or so so I have extra for next time I need to make a repair. Any ideas? I don't want 16 gauge because I think the thicker wire is more comfortable for heavier breeds and lasts longer, too.
I don't know if you remember Dennie/Spring Creek Gems. She has since sold out of rabbits and unfortunately deleted her most current rabbitry website. However she created a "brush clean" system. It was stacking cages with corrugated plastic under each level that tilted forward into a plastic gutter. The gutter was at a slight angle and drained into a 1 gallon bucket. On the bottom right of this old rabbitry site of hers you can see one of the earlier designs: http://www.angelfire.com/mi4/bunnyrun/Rabbitry.html
ReplyDeleteI'm still trying to locate photos of the finished project but so far I think they are gone from the web. Anyway, it might be an option to consider and would work with the cages you currently have.
I found a good deal on 100' of 1/2x1/2" wire on Walmart's website, of all places. I paid around $50 for it and it included free shipping to my house.
I remember Dennie and thanks so much for the link! I had tried to find pics of her old setup and failed because the links were dead, so I really appreciate it. That is kind of what I was thinking of doing but with a plastic that doesn't have ripples so I can scrape/brush it when needed without having to worry about grooves. I bet the concrete mixing tubs would work great underneath since I can get them in 36" length. That is also a great deal on wire- I'm going to go check out the site now.:)
ReplyDeleteCoroplast might be a better option then. A lot of guinea pig owners use it as a base for cages. From Home Depot: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Unbranded-24-in-x-36-in-Twinwall-Plastic-Sheet-COR-2436/202090128
DeleteThank you! I actually just got home from Home Depot and they didn't have coroplast in the store (even though their site says it is in stock here), but I will try another one later this week that said they have it on the phone. I also looked for galvanized wire and they didn't have anything appropriate for rabbits, but unfortunately neither did Walmart. I really need 14 gauge I think since it is for 36" long cages, so I might have to call Klubertanz if that is literally the only vendor I can find that offers less than 100' at a time. My husband things I should just save up and buy a new set-up, lol.
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