Dimensions and drawings of a queen cell for rabbits and how to do it yourself
Rabbits are fertile animals. Only the creation of conditions close to natural ones will ensure a good growth of healthy offspring. The arrangement of the queen cell for female rabbits must be treated responsibly. The structures must be warm, safe, protected from drafts and direct sunlight. The cages are easy to clean and disinfect.
What is the mother liquor for?
Under natural conditions, pregnant rabbits prepare places for rabbits in advance. Usually in burrows, the female equips a shelter that creates a warm and safe environment for newborn babies. Raising rabbits on farms, the owners artificially create conditions in which the rabbits safely give birth and raise babies. If you don't take care of creating a corner in advance, then in an open cage the animal will be very nervous, there is a risk of complications.
It is advisable to install a small closed container with a narrow opening in the cage. You can attach a special structure to the cage facade so that the female can safely move from the mother liquor to the free cage.
Types and designs
When arranging a mother house, several factors must be taken into account: the area of the room, the seasonality of breeding of rabbits, the size of the cages, the number of animals. The rabbitry is completed with two types of queen cells:
- removable it is convenient to use with a large number of females, in compact rooms;
- stationary are installed in large rooms, if there are few females.
Advantages of a removable baby: easy to disinfect, easy installation, the ability to attach to the cage where the baby is expected, saves space in the room. The advantages of stationary uterine structures - no need to waste time attaching the uterine structure.
Dimensions and drawings of the queen cell for rabbits
Average cage dimensions: 50 cm long, 30 cm in width and height. It is recommended to make the entrance hole with a diameter of about 15 cm. In order for the female with the babies to be comfortable in the mother liquor, the breed of rabbits must be taken into account. For large breeds (white giant, gray giant) queen cells are collected with parameters 80x50x95 cm (HxWxL) with a hole diameter of 18 cm.For animals of medium size, constructions with dimensions of 60x50x70 cm are suitable, holes are made with diameters of 15-18 cm. Females of decorative breeds will be comfortable in buildings with dimensions of 25x25x40 cm, with a hole with a diameter of 10 cm.
DIY making
If the cages for rabbits were assembled on their own, then it is advisable to do the queen cells with your own hands. In order not to harm the health of the rabbits, it is recommended to use environmentally friendly materials for the assembly of structures.
Required material
A budget set of materials: plywood 5-10 mm thick, wooden slats 2-2.5 cm wide. When building a cage, you need to think over a method of thermal insulation. Rabbits are raised in different regions, but in cold regions it is important to provide warmth to the rabbits and the female. The simplest solution is to sheathe the walls of the cage with 2-3 cm thick foam sheets.
A more environmentally friendly solution is to make the plywood walls two-layer and fill the space between the canvases with sawdust.
Required tool
To assemble the cage, you will need a common tool: a jigsaw, a hacksaw, self-tapping screws, sandpaper. To make it easier to clean the structure, it makes sense to make a hinged cover. Therefore, hanging hinges are still needed.
Manufacturing process
To speed up the assembly process, it is recommended to assemble the blanks in advance. To do this, cut sheets from plywood for walls, ceiling and floor (two pieces each). The end surfaces are cleaned with sandpaper. Rectangles of the required parameters are cut out of polystyrene (on walls, floor, ceiling). If you plan to fill sawdust between the walls of plywood, they are previously dried for 2-3 days in the sun. Nest assembly steps:
- Sandwich panels are assembled from plywood rectangles: slats are attached to the sheets around the perimeter, foam plastic is laid inside or sawdust is poured.
- A hole of the required diameter is cut out on one wall, the cut line is sanded.
- Sandwich panels are connected into a box, fixing with self-tapping screws.
- The ceiling is attached to the box using hinges.
It is recommended to build a queen cell 5-6 days before the birth. Before placing the structure in the cage, you need to prepare it. The walls are wiped with a damp cloth, after drying, they are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate. They put hay inside, but usually the rabbits themselves "regulate" the amount of hay and straw.
Heating options
In addition to thermal insulation of walls, it is advisable to equip cage floor heating. Most often, in enclosed spaces, two options for floor insulation are used. A concrete floor screed is made in the room, into which an electric cable is placed. This solution has several advantages: the concrete protects the cable from moisture; at the same time, it is possible to organize heating of the drinking bowls so that the water does not freeze into ice. The disadvantage is the cost of concrete (especially for spacious rooms).
A more budget option is a film infrared floor covering. The advantages of the material are an affordable price, it is possible to organize insulation of the floor of individual cells. Minus - the need to close the film covering (using a plank floor or flat slate).
Important recommendations
It is undesirable to use fresh coniferous sawdust for thermal insulation of the structure. Since a strong pungent smell can unnerve the rabbit. It is also important to carefully sand the inner surfaces of the cage so that the animals do not get hurt. When the rabbits are three weeks old, they need to be taught to relieve themselves outside the queen cell.
On farms and in apartment conditions, rabbits are kept in cages. So that animal breeding does not cause problems, you need to create appropriate conditions for females and babies. Bunnies will feel safe, and babies will grow up quietly in queen burrows installed in cages.
