Rabbits are fertile animals. Only the creation of conditions close to natural will ensure a good increase in healthy offspring. The arrangement of the queen cell for female rabbits must be treated responsibly. Structures must be warm, safe, protected from drafts and direct sunlight. The cells are made convenient for cleaning and disinfection.
Why do you need a queen cell?
Under natural conditions, pregnant female rabbits prepare places for their young rabbits in advance.Usually, the female creates a shelter in the minks, creating a warm and safe environment for newborn babies. By raising rabbits on farms, owners artificially create conditions in which female rabbits safely give birth and raise babies. If you do not take care of creating a corner in advance, then the animal will become very nervous in an open cage, and there is a risk of complications.
It is advisable to install a small closed container with a narrow opening in the cage. A special structure can be attached to the front of the cage so that the female can safely move from the queen cell into a free cage.
Types and designs
When arranging a queen cell, it is necessary to take into account several factors: the area of the room, the seasonality of breeding rabbits, the size of the cages, the number of animals. The rabbitry is equipped with two types of queen cells:
- removable ones are convenient to use with a large number of females, in compact rooms;
- stationary ones are installed in large rooms if there are few females.
Advantages of a removable birthing box: easy to disinfect, simple installation, ability to attach to the cage where the baby is expected, space in the room is saved. The advantages of stationary uterine structures are that you do not need to waste time attaching the uterine structure.
Dimensions and drawings of queen cell for rabbits
Average cage dimensions: 50 cm length, 30 cm width and height. It is recommended to make the entrance hole with a diameter of approximately 15 cm. In order for the female and her babies to be comfortable in the queen cell, the breed of rabbits must be taken into account. For large breeds (white giant, gray giant), queen cells are collected with parameters of 80x50x95 cm (HxWxD) with a hole diameter of 18 cm. For medium-sized animals, structures measuring 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 rabbit cages If they were going to do it themselves, then it is advisable to make the queen cells with your own hands. In order not to harm the health of rabbits, it is recommended to use environmentally friendly materials for assembling structures.
Required material
A budget set of materials: plywood 5-10 mm thick, wooden slats 2-2.5 cm wide. When constructing a cage, you need to think about a method of thermal insulation. Rabbits are raised in different regions, but in cold regions it is important to provide warmth for the female and female rabbits. The simplest solution is to line the cage walls with sheets of foam plastic 2-3 cm thick.
A more environmentally friendly solution is to make two-layer plywood walls and fill the space between the panels with sawdust.
Required Tool
To assemble the cage you will need the usual tools: jigsaw, hacksaw, screws, sandpaper. To make it easier to clean the structure, it makes sense to make a hinged lid. Therefore, hinged hinges will also be needed.
Manufacturing process
To speed up the assembly process, it is recommended to assemble the blanks in advance. To do this, sheets are cut out of plywood for the walls, ceiling and floor (two pieces each). The end surfaces are cleaned with sandpaper. Rectangles of the required parameters are cut out of polystyrene foam (for walls, floor, ceiling). If you plan to put sawdust between the plywood walls, they must first be dried in the sun for 2-3 days. Nest assembly steps:
- Sandwich panels are assembled from plywood rectangles: slats are attached to the sheets along the perimeter, foam is placed inside or sawdust is filled.
- A hole of the required diameter is cut out on one wall, and the cut line is sanded.
- Sandwich panels are connected into a box, fixed with self-tapping screws.
- The ceiling is attached to the box using hanging hinges.
It is recommended to build a queen cell 5-6 days before birth. Before placing the structure in the cage, you need to prepare it. The walls are wiped with a damp cloth and, after drying, disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate. Hay is placed inside, but usually the female rabbits themselves “regulate” the amount of hay and straw.
Heating options
In addition to thermal insulation of the walls, it is advisable to install heated floors of the cages. Most often, two options for floor insulation are used in enclosed spaces. A concrete floor screed is made in the room, into which the electrical cable is placed. This solution has several advantages: concrete protects the cable from moisture, and at the same time it is possible to organize heating of the drinkers so that the water does not freeze into ice. The disadvantage is the cost of concrete (especially for spacious rooms).
A more budget-friendly option is 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. The downside is the need to cover the film covering (use a plank floor or flat slate).
Important Tips
It is not advisable to use fresh pine sawdust for thermal insulation of a structure. Because a strong, pungent odor can unnerve the rabbit. It is also important to thoroughly sand the inside surfaces of the cage to prevent the animals from getting hurt. When the rabbits are three weeks old, they need to be taught to relieve themselves outside the queen cell.
On farms and in apartments, rabbits are kept in cages.To ensure that breeding animals does not cause problems, it is necessary to create appropriate conditions for females and babies. The female rabbits will feel safe, and the babies will grow calmly in the queen burrows installed in the cages.
