# Wanting to start raising rabbits for food.



## RayRay (Aug 7, 2017)

I figured with y'all's experience with outside underground enclosures y'all could help.

I want to make it underground so that way the heat doesn't kill the rabbits they can't survive above ground here in the summer. It needs to be fire ant proof and last for years.

I saw a think online about it but figured id have y'all chip in.


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## ZEROPILOT (Aug 7, 2017)

I have NO idea.
But you're right about the heat thing. My wifes rabbit used to sit right up against a 2 liter bottle of frozen water on hot days until I rigged up a fan with a little mist for him.
How about just building in a very shady area or in a well ventilated area that you can keep air moving in?
Is it for personal consumption? Or will you be looking to sell them? It's likely best to see if there is a real market for them before you spend too much time and money.


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## Tidgy's Dad (Aug 7, 2017)

I think it's probably about as hot here as it is in Texas and people keep rabbits in above ground hutches and pens in the shade as both pets and food animals with no problems. They still reproduce quite happily, too when given the chance.


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## RayRay (Aug 7, 2017)

We have had rabbits before and they have died in above ground hutches with frozen two litter bottles.

Me and my dad have read up on it and there was a group who was trying to help under developed places get enough protein and they came up with keeping the rabbits underground with a cage they can go above ground to eat drink and poop so that their burrow stays cleaner.

They just use what ever is cheapest, but I was wondering what y'all use for tortoises underground enclosers. I've seen one or two on here before.


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## Tom (Aug 7, 2017)

I make my tortoise houses out of wood. Seems to me in your climate, and for a rabbit, a simple buried dogloo would work well. If you sealed the top of the igloo to the floor, it would keep fire ants out. I make rain covers to go over the entrance burrow, and point the entrance slightly down hill.

My last outdoor rabbit here dug his own burrow and did quite well that way. Survived our 110+ summer days with no ice bottles or external cooling of any kind.


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## tortdad (Aug 7, 2017)

BBQ rabbit is quite good 

My ex wife was feeding one that was living under my shed. Well one day I had repaired a BB gun and used that rabbit to make sure I had sighted everything in correctly. The BB gun worked flawless and that rabbit tasted delicious


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## Tom (Aug 7, 2017)

tortdad said:


> BBQ rabbit is quite good
> 
> My ex wife was feeding one that was living under my shed. Well one day I had repaired a BB gun and used that rabbit to make sure I had sighted everything in correctly. The BB gun worked flawless and that rabbit tasted delicious



I see. Hence the "ex" part...


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## RayRay (Aug 7, 2017)

Tom said:


> I make my tortoise houses out of wood. Seems to me in your climate, and for a rabbit, a simple buried dogloo would work well. If you sealed the top of the igloo to the floor, it would keep fire ants out. I make rain covers to go over the entrance burrow, and point the entrance slightly down hill.
> 
> My last outdoor rabbit here dug his own burrow and did quite well that way. Survived our 110+ summer days with no ice bottles or external cooling of any kind.



Thanks I'll look into that


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## tortdad (Aug 8, 2017)

Tom said:


> I see. Hence the "ex" part...



She didn't even know until years later when one of my boys told her


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## RayRay (Aug 8, 2017)

tortdad said:


> She didn't even know until years later when one of my boys told her



Lol


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## RayRay (Aug 8, 2017)

ZEROPILOT said:


> I have NO idea.
> But you're right about the heat thing. My wifes rabbit used to sit right up against a 2 liter bottle of frozen water on hot days until I rigged up a fan with a little mist for him.
> How about just building in a very shady area or in a well ventilated area that you can keep air moving in?
> Is it for personal consumption? Or will you be looking to sell them? It's likely best to see if there is a real market for them before you spend too much time and money.



It's for personal comsuption.


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## Jacqui (Aug 8, 2017)

tortdad said:


> BBQ rabbit is quite good
> 
> My ex wife was feeding one that was living under my shed. Well one day I had repaired a BB gun and used that rabbit to make sure I had sighted everything in correctly. The BB gun worked flawless and that rabbit tasted delicious



 cold. I love rabbit, but to kill somebody else's pet.


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## mike taylor (Aug 8, 2017)

It was wild . It lived under a tool shed . I would have killed it to . My boys had rabbits for ffa. We made a metal tray under the cages to funnel all the poo outside . Installed a small a.c. unit in the shed set to 78 . All was good . We had anywhere from 30 to 40 of them . Boy do they make a great stew .


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## tortdad (Aug 8, 2017)

Jacqui said:


> cold. I love rabbit, but to kill somebody else's pet.


Just because the ex old lady was feeding it don't make it a pet


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## Jacqui (Aug 9, 2017)

tortdad said:


> Just because the ex old lady was feeding it don't make it a pet



Does to me, UNLESS she was feeding it to grow for food, which is not the impression you gave me.


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## tortdad (Aug 9, 2017)

Jacqui said:


> Does to me, UNLESS she was feeding it to grow for food, which is not the impression you gave me.


Then I'm a cold S.O.B


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## mike taylor (Aug 9, 2017)

That's nothing new Kevin. Tell us something we didn't know . Rabbit killer ! Haha


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## tortdad (Aug 10, 2017)

mike taylor said:


> That's nothing new Kevin. Tell us something we didn't know . Rabbit killer ! Haha


A sperm whale can make a fart bubble so large you can put a horse in it.... there's something you didn't know


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## Cowboy_Ken (Aug 10, 2017)

tortdad said:


> A sperm whale can make a fart bubble so large you can put a horse in it.... there's something you didn't know





Been there done that.


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## mike taylor (Aug 10, 2017)

I seen Ken's post last week Kevin ,so I did know that . But only because Ken posted the blue whale thing last week . What I don't know is how they timed that fart to put a horse in it .


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## Tom (Aug 10, 2017)

mike taylor said:


> I seen Ken's post last week Kevin ,so I did know that . But only because Ken posted the blue whale thing last week . What I don't know is how they timed that fart to put a horse in it .


And how did they make the bubble stand still while they loaded the horse into it. I assume they must have had the horse in a large submarine to do this…

You'd think someone would have videoed it with their iPhone…


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## mike taylor (Aug 10, 2017)

You would think so ,but maybe it was pre 90's when they did it .


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## Reptilian Feline (Aug 25, 2017)

In Sweden, mostly in the old days, people built above ground cellers to store produse over winter and into summer. The thick walls and sloping sides, it looks like a small hill with a door, kept the temp at a steady 12 C, just as if it had been in the ground. Maybe you can build something like that for your rabbits?


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## harris (Aug 26, 2017)

Reptilian Feline said:


> In Sweden, mostly in the old days, people built above ground cellers to store produse over winter and into summer. The thick walls and sloping sides, it looks like a small hill with a door, kept the temp at a steady 12 C, just as if it had been in the ground. Maybe you can build something like that for your rabbits?


I love this!


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## Bambam1989 (Aug 31, 2017)

I raised rabbits for years when I lived in Texas.. close to 20 years. These were for food as well as ffa. A rabbit is gonna chew through any plastic or wood (they ARE rodents after all). Metal wiring is the only thing I recommend. When you have them in above ground cages they have to have full shade all day long. Keep the sides open so air flows easily. Misting fans and ice bottles are what we used to keep ours cool. The only way I would feel comfortable keeping rabbits on the ground is to pour a concrete foundation and concrete walls about 1-2ft tall, fill that with dirt and then wire for the top and sides... I hope that makes sense.


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## Tom (Sep 1, 2017)

Bambam1989 said:


> I raised rabbits for years when I lived in Texas.. close to 20 years. These were for food as well as ffa. A rabbit is gonna chew through any plastic or wood (they ARE rodents after all). Metal wiring is the only thing I recommend. When you have them in above ground cages they have to have full shade all day long. Keep the sides open so air flows easily. Misting fans and ice bottles are what we used to keep ours cool. The only way I would feel comfortable keeping rabbits on the ground is to pour a concrete foundation and concrete walls about 1-2ft tall, fill that with dirt and then wire for the top and sides... I hope that makes sense.



BamBam? Rabbits are lagomorphs, not rodents… I'm just sayin'...


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## Bambam1989 (Sep 1, 2017)

Tom said:


> BamBam? Rabbits are lagomorphs, not rodents… I'm just sayin'...


Yes your right. Carl Linnaeus (botanist, zoologist, and physician from 1700s) originally grouped them with rodents but it later was decided that it was a case of convergent evolution. 
So I change my statement. They are very rodent LIKE.. and will chew on everything.
Thanks Tom for pointing out my mistake


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## Tom (Sep 1, 2017)

Bambam1989 said:


> Yes your right. Carl Linnaeus (botanist, zoologist, and physician from 1700s) originally grouped them with rodents but it later was decided that it was a case of convergent evolution.
> So I change my statement. They are very rodent LIKE.. and will chew on everything.
> Thanks Tom for pointing out my mistake



I had a bio professor in college. It was a big deal to him that everyone knew that rabbits weren't rodents. It really bothered him… I guess the lesson has stuck with me after all these years. He'd be so proud.


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## mike taylor (Oct 4, 2017)

Air conditioning in a shed is the cheapest easy way to go . Build a shed . Then add shelf racks with no bottom . Set the cages on the rack . Get a piece of sheet metal install it at a angle under the cages . Build a door to the outside . Line the door opening with sheet metal to prevent rotting of wooden shed framing . Install a water hose at the other end of angled sheet metal. So you can spray the poop down the metal and outside the shed into a bucket . Install a small window unit in the shed . Feed and water them pooping machines . You can buy prebuilt rabbit cages at tractor supply cheap . If you build their cages underground or on the ground you'll be shoveling poop for days . Plus the smell of rabbit pee is killer .


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## mike taylor (Oct 4, 2017)

Plus if you are planning on breeding them a little tip . Never stick the male in the females cage . Always put the female with the male . The female will kill the male or bite off his junk . True story . Now ask me how I know that . As soon as the male is finished with his business remove the female . Should only take a few seconds . As rabbits breed fast . Didn't know if you knew this tid bit of information or not .


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