Love the wheel assembly! I would four wheels so the whole thing rolls

@TheRabbitryCenter

Ай бұрын

That’s something g you could entertain but you’d want one side to have castors that spin so you can pivot the tractor and turn or else you would only be able to go forward and backwards. thanks for watching!

As a smaller woman I would build the wheel assembly on both ends for even easier portability. Then I could pull or push it like a wagon instead of like a wheelbarrow

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

Instead of each end, I'd build a shorter tractor 6-8 feet in length. If you can lift a wheelbarrow with soil in it you can lift this.

Thank you, very informative, and a great way to cut down on feed costs.

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

thanks for watching!

Hey there! Thanks for the video and I will copy the wheel mount! Thank you for that! :) Some thoughts: In my third or so build I swapped the cage wire to the inside, so the rabbits wont bite into the wood. It looks sturdy at start, but once you raise some generations in it, the wood will suffer. If you do that, you have to add an additional cage wire as a second layer on the outside, so magpies wont try to get to the rabbits. One of mine lost an eye to the birds...that was sad. And to all of you, using this (or a similar build): Build as lightweight as possible. If you have some rabbits in it, those thinks tend to get HEAVY. If its too sturdy ... its just right. Furthermore I added an automatic water dispenser (they are pretty cheap) and added a water tank (5L or more) to it which I can fill up (via a valve) with my garden hose. If you have a lot of rabbits in it 5 litres will be gone in a day EASILY. Furthermore I recommend to let the bottom cage wire "overlap" around 10cm to the outside of the framework, so predators wont have a chance to even try to dig in. If you have a BIG yard, like you do, the gras will be more then enough. But to the people with a smaller garden: Be aware. The gras will be eaten FAST and afterwards they start digging. Furthermore if you have rabbits in it, they will flatten the gras down and compact it. Move OFTEN (I advise twice a day). Maybe one more hint: I fixated a lifting system for the roof. I added one bar of wood on the top of the cage and have a wood plank attached to the roof opposing this bar. If you lift the roof, the plank will go down on the bar and act as a "stand" for the roof. For closing just lift the roof a bit, so the plank comes lose, give it a little push and you can close the roof down again. I added some height to mine according to the height of the surrounding cagewire, so I dont have to cut it. But thanks a LOT for the video and have a nice day! :)

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for taking the time to write your comment and share your experience. We all raise rabbits a little different which demands a different approach. I built this design specifically for a grow out tractor, which will be used from 8-12 weeks and then be vacant until another litter of meat rabbits need to grow out. We wrapped our permanent runs for our extended cages the way you described. Thanks for watching!

Love the channel. I keep coming back. One suggestion. The exposed bolt that locks out the wheels. They sell rubber caps for that or even wrapping some duck tape would work. I spend the majority of my year in flip flops. Or I can see somebody catching a hand reaching for the lever. That wouldnt be fun. Thanks for the videos. 👍

@TheRabbitryCenter

2 ай бұрын

great suggestion. thanks!

Thank you for the video and measurements. I really like the way you built the wheels, very clever to get them up and down.

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

so glad you liked the video!

Awesome video! You have given me some great ideas! I've been pruning my apple trees and the rabbits are enjoying the cutting! Thanks again!

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

Great to hear. You’re very welcome!

what a beast !

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

thanks for watching!

I'm addition to the there are many other diseases than can be spread from wind rabbits and critters, even from other people after contact with other rabbits. We used to have some tractors for our rabbits but after 3 other rabbitries around us so lost 100% of their rabbits and we lost 0%, the only difference we could identify was that we didn't have any ground contact with our rabbits any more. Current issue in the pnw is being attributed to a parasite that native wild rabbits are immune to but domestic rabbits aren't

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

thank you for sharing your experience. There’s more helpful information at the end of the video. In this video I recommend using a rabbit tractor for growing out meat rabbits for 1 month(8-12 weeks)until processing. Housing older rabbits for longer periods or rabbits you intend to sell is not recommended. More info in this video kzread.info/dash/bejne/f52fo7igY8bJk6g.htmlfeature=shared

Good job !!... Just one question: Can't the metal mesh hurt the rabbits when they eat the grass?... (I've seen others with wooden slats for that reason) If you put the roof at a slight angle you can collect a lot of rainwater and store it for use in dry weather. Even water from the roof can go directly into irrigation ditches on the side of the tractor... The irrigation ditches will in turn feed trees (fruit trees, acacias, etc.) which in turn will provide shade and food for the rabbits... (I suggest creatively applying permaculture techniques in rabbit farming) Greetings from Argentina :)

@TheRabbitryCenter

2 ай бұрын

Interesting, thanks for taking the time to write your comment.

My rabbits chew on the wood on the inside of the tractor. To prevent this I have to put the cage wire on the inside instead of the outside.

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

Absolutely, If your rabbits are going to be in the tractor, for a longer period of time, I’d provide branches and hay to chew on and wrapping the inside will be necessary to prevent any chewing and if you double wrap(creating a barrier) you can prevent contact with wild rabbits.

@jacquiegines

3 ай бұрын

@TheRabbitryCenter. Great build, good looking and sturdy. For me, too heavy and too much work to prevent chewing. Just build this tractor from 3" pvc pipe. No chewing, no wood rot, no double wiring and much lighter to move. You can still drill holes for the wheel assembly and either t- in the piping for shelving or run rebar, steel pipe or wood through the pipe to form the basis to build the shelving. Nuts and bolts with washers through drilled holes in the pipe will affix the roofing panels and wrapping the wire around the pipes affixing with zip ties, j clips or hog ties will hold the wire to the cage. Alternately you can use wide washers with nut bolts to screw-fasten the wire to the pipe.

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for commenting and sharing your build plans. Our grow out tractors are housing 8-12 weeks old rabbits. The chewing isn't a problem. We throw in branches and hay daily which helps their digestion and teeth. When using tractors for a permanent cage, you'll absolutely need to wrap the inside with hardware cloth to prevent chewing. @@jacquiegines

My only advice is to put half inch wire around the outside walls. We had a rattlesnake invade one of our tractors, through the chicken wire.

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

thanks for sharing I couldn’t agree more. I would add hardware cloth if snakes are a predator you deal with.

Love the raised section! Is there a reason you blocked the rabbits from going under it? We've been using tractors for our meat rabbits for a few years now. Here are some of the things we chose to do/learned with ours that might be helpful tips: *We use portable electric fencing for keeping away large predators. (Bears, coyotes, bobcats, and cougars) *Old wheel chair wheels work great for moving them. *Mosquito netting on the outside is helpful protection if bugs are bad **Always make sure they're in the shade in hot weather, as the roof isn't sufficient protection!

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for the input. I appreciate it. The section below the cage floor is closed off in order to prevent the rabbits from urinating on their siblings.

Could you us 2x3’s instead of 2x4’s? To make it lighter? How is the weight

@TheRabbitryCenter

16 күн бұрын

yes, it wouldn’t be treated wood which would make it about 50% lighter.

I have a couple areas of concern. 1) Is there a risk of coccidiosis or other parasites from the ground? 2) A weasel could get through the 2x4 mesh on the sides.

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

At the end of the video there’s a lot of helpful information.

I want your black tort!!! Is that a Doe? I have a Huge NZ/Tamuk Black Tort Buck and his mini's are always bucks.... So - still have it?

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

Sorry no, we were re homing that rabbit a few years ago video is a bit dated

✌🙂✌

Good video ..but to much on building..at the end the valuable information was to shot pop up and yellow writing nearly impossible to make out

@TheRabbitryCenter

12 күн бұрын

Thanks for watching and sharing your comment!

What did you do for water? Nice build.

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

there’s a 44 oz bottle on the shady side of the run 11:55

@pobo6113

3 ай бұрын

@@TheRabbitryCenter sorry I must have blinked.

Is there an age guideline to determine if it is safe for kits on grass & weeds? I think you said 8 weeks old…? Thanks!

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

at the end of the video there’s an explanation on how to introduce greens and use the tractor correctly

What's the value of the raised space you created? Any risk with treated lumber and the rabbits chewing?

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

we provide hay and branches for the rabbits to chew on. This helps their teeth and digestion. Our rabbits are only in there from eight weeks to 12 weeks so if you’re planning on a permanent stay, you want to wrap the inside with hardware cloth. there’s a lot of information at the end of the video how to use these correctly and prevent problems

@patrickwalters6794

3 ай бұрын

Ahh OK that makes sense for hay. I've got two similar tractors but didn't build that part, instead I've opted for typical hanging feeders for pellets and hay. Great build!

Are you able to move it around with the rabbit still in it? Seems like they would break their legs off

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

They don’t sit still, when you move the tractor the rabbits immediately jump in the enclosure for the ride.

@cturinetti

3 ай бұрын

I agree. I never made one on wheels but I put 2 x 3 gauge wire on my first rabbit tractor. When I dragged it they would run to the shelf in the enclosure, but I had two that didn't get up on the shelf and got a leg caught under it as I dragged the tractor. Having it up on wheels might give them more of a chance to hop up before you set the tractor down.

@roberttheredeemed

3 ай бұрын

@@TheRabbitryCenter bloody brilliant

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing!@@cturinetti

@bettinaripperger4159

16 күн бұрын

@@TheRabbitryCenterweeeeee 🐇 🚜

Just be careful of Rabbit hemorrhagic disease as well as others that can take out your entire rabbitry. We had lionhead rabbits and lost them all to a sickness and even had to throw out the cages because sterilizing them didn't work and new rabbits kept getting sick.

@TheRabbitryCenter

29 күн бұрын

11:34 There’s some helpful info at the end of the video. Recommend for grow outs not permanent cages. Thanks so much!

You're taking a risk by pasturing your rabbits in a tractor. You could easily end up having to treat them for fleas or ticks or even worse. You might get away with it for growouts on a short-term basis, but I wouldn't risk any breeding stock that way.

@TheRabbitryCenter

3 ай бұрын

Thanks for sharing, At the end of the video we discuss how we use them. Rest assured, It’s not for breeders.

@madinius3511

3 ай бұрын

To be honest: I use them for breeders too (if available). I dont have any problems so far and Im in my third year. Its more important to know your rabbits. Some of mine are somehow scarred in the tractor and wont leave the shelter...I dont put them in there if I see this.

@hsmrengring854

3 ай бұрын

If you let chicken come on the grass first you will not have any problems