A Guide to Rabbit Tractors

We've raised rabbits for a couple years now, and it's a wonder why we haven't tried rabbit tractors sooner. They've become a bit of a miracle for us, cutting down on feed costs… and simply being awesome! The rabbits are happier, lounging in the sun and nibbling on grass all day. We love to go out and play with them, and they are always running up to the side of the tractor, excited to see us.

For those who not familiar with them, rabbit tractors are like chicken tractors plus a bottom. They are larger cages with a wire (or wood slat) floor. They are kept outside where grass can poke up into the cage as rabbit food. And the rabbits love it much more than boring pellets.

The Cages

Rabbit tractors come in a variety of types and sizes, and the more creative you get, the more options you have.

All tractors, though, have a few simple requirements: small enough wire the rabbits don't get out, larger wire on bottom (not too large!) to allow more grass to poke through, and at least a partial roof to allow shade during the afternoon.

The simplest rabbit tractors are a large square cube made from cage wire. The roof is made to flip up, and a piece of old plywood is kept on top with a brick. Ours are 4 foot by 4 foot.

We like to get crazy with the extra wire and tin we have on hand and create tractors of different shapes and sizes. We've experimented with triangular cages, domed cages, and anything else we can come up with.

The easiest way to have rabbit tractors is to buy them. You can probably find somewhere that sells them, but chicken tractors are much more popular and readily available. Just add wire to the bottom so that the rabbits don't dig out.

Large dog crates or bird cages bought at garage sales or auctions make for good tractors as well. Make sure that there are no large openings for rabbits to escape out of. If they can get their head through, they can probably get their body through!

When sizing your tractor, try to keep about 4 sq.ft per rabbit. Don't overcrowd your tractor or they can run out of grass too quickly and starve or become competitive and fight.

How They Work

When your rabbits are in their tractors, you'll need to move them from spot to spot every time they run low on grass. If you start to see bare spots, move it immediately. Rabbits constantly need grass; they will quickly lose weight and even starve without it.

We move our tractors twice a day, every morning and every night at the same time we water. We have to move them more often when the grass is sparse or the cages more densely populated.

Rabbits tractors can be a great way to feed out rabbits being raised for meat. They do need to be supplemented with pellet, but it definitely reduces feed costs!

Accessorizing 

Other than grass, your rabbits need a few things to keep happy and healthy in their tractors.

The most important is water. Rabbits constantly need water, no matter the season. A simple dish or bottle will work, just the same thing you use for regularly caged rabbits. In the tractors holding a larger population, we like to use 1 gallon gravity waterers by Little Giant.

Rabbits also love and need cubby holes. A small place to huddle in and hide makes them feel safe and happy, especially during the night. A cheap bucket, pail, or small box will suit this purpose. I like to make plywood huts by hand. They just need to be large enough for a rabbit or two to crawl in. 

Really, I only do this for tractors holding a single or pair of rabbits. Larger groups are fine huddling together. (And it would be unreasonable to supply each rabbit with a cubby hole.)

Also, make sure the rabbits can get out of the weather. If their roof is not rain-proof, their cubby hole needs to be. Make the tractor light enough to move, but heavy enough not to be carried away in the wind. With enough shade and water, rabbits can usually hold out in the summer, but they need to be brought inside during the winter.

So Basically…

Rabbit tractors are a great way to cut feed costs and get your rabbits a little closer to their natural habitat. With some care and attention, they can be a great addition to any farm or homestead.

We love experimenting and are always learning new things.

-Katie

Also, some further notes:

Dog crates make nice rabbit tractors. Fun cubby holes and weeds as treats make it home.

Rabbits love to climb in anything. Anything! Old buckets or stained tubs are just fine.

Although a bucket that hangs on the side is added fun and allows for more grass space on bottom.

A Small Lesson in Space Management

While doing farm chores today, I noticed something I always saw, always liked, but never thought about. We are so busy, going about our chores, dreaming up bigger and better plans, finding ways to make those plans fit onto three acres. We fret about how to fit everything together, and as it comes together, we forget to take notice of just the beautiful way it all works out. Space is multipurpose, amenities tucked into tight places instead of roomy orderliness.

Asparagus grows tall at Heart of the King Farm.

The thing is… it's working out amazingly. It seems no matter how hard we dream, we are provided the perfect solution, the perfect way to make it happen. And I can't imagine how I've let such a blessing go unnoticed. But I realize it now, and I'm so thankful. So, so thankful.

I realized all this looking at our storm cellar. Living in tornado alley, we have a very necessary, but not so pretty cement cellar that is half in and half out of the ground. It was an eye sore, and in the way.

So we put it to work.

Grapes hang from the trellis for easy picking.

Built around the cellar is a tall raised bed where we've grown asparagus, carrots, garlic, rosemary and other vegetables and herbs over the years. Right now it just grows asparagus and grass. Lots and lots of grass.

An old cattle panel bent from one end to the other created an arched trellis, perfect for climbing underneath and picking sweet, delicious grapes--- if you get to them before the birds! They pick them off right when they turn purple and kindly leave us with… a couple.

"After all," Mama Bird says to Baby Bird, "Humans need to eat, too."

Harkness keeps an eye on things.

On one end of the raised bed we keep a small cage and a rabbit that we let out during the day. He is so adorable, hopping to and fro, nibbling on the grass! Just like a rabbit should.

It is humbling to see what amazing work goes on around you, through you and into the farm everyday, and we can be so busy we hardly notice. It's about time I open my eyes and be thankful for all that I have and am constantly given. It's a miracle. It truly is.

…And doesn't that open space beneath the grapes look like a great place for a bench? Another dream we just might squeeze in. :)

-Katie

Bonus: The Small Story of the Killer Birds

This is the story of how I died. (Lol, if you get this reference, go you!)

The morning started out like any other: a glass of chocolate milk, changing from my pajamas into real clothes, stepping out into the morning sun, watering rabbits and moving their tractors, and then I went to take photos for this blog post. 

That's when the horror began.

I took some pictures of the cellar, of the asparagus, of the rabbit (ain't he adorable!). Then I climbed onto the top of the cellar to take pictures of the grapes.

I'm running out of room on my camera, so I'm carefully picking out different bunches of grapes, trying to get a good close up… and I start to hear a weird grumbling sound. Hmm, weird. I keep taking pictures and then I hear a weird grumbling and a pa-caw! I look around and on a t post behind me is a mocking bird.

But it's just a bird. So I go back to taking photos and I find this:

See those twiggy things? It's a nest!

When I realize this, I look back over at Mama Bird. I hear another pa-caw and out of nowhere a second mockingbird (the Daddy?) comes out of nowhere and rushes at me! I screamed and ducked, but the bird stopped before he hit me and turned around to sit on the fence with his companion. 

Okay, so they won't actually hit me, right? I'm good. I keep moving around, checking to see if any grapes might actually be ripe-- of course there were none, those birds were eating them!

I here more grumbling, a couple more pa-caws! I look over to see both birds bulletin towards me, beaks first. I pulled my camera against my chest and jumped out from under the droopy vines one arm clutching my camera and one arm swinging wildly trying to scare them away.

Forget it bird! You can have my grapes!

Well, for now. The birds never followed through on their attack, so they aren't vicious, right? And they were just protecting their young. So, we think we're going to hang up some shiny cds, scare them away.

Maybe we will then be free of this horror!

-Katie 

(for real this time)