Rabbit Hutch Build Using PVC Pipe
Rabbit Hutch
I decided to build a rabbit hutch using pvc pipe to keep a few rabbits, but not to have as for pets or to eat. My soil at my house in Kenya is very sandy, so I have been on a mission to strengthen it.
My house is very close to the beach, so my soil is very sandy and nutrient deficient. Through research and trial and error I decided to remove much of my sandy soil.
I used terra preta techniques to build layers of carbon, and compost and manure to provide nitrogen and to support to beneficial microbes.
The combination provides a nurturing environment for my plants to grow strong and healthy. Watch my soil building the videos.
Why Use A Rabbit Hutch To Collect Rabbit Urine And Rabbit Waste?
Life naturally recycles itself. Animals eat plants or other animals, and make urine and feces from the food they consume. Their waste naturally goes back to the earth to help new plants to grow, to feed other animals, and the cycle continues.
I have been using a combination of chicken manure and wood as fertilizer to strengthen my soil. I have found chicken manure and wood to be a much stronger fertilizer than cow or goat manure.
Through further research, I found that rabbit urine and rabbit feces were a better fertilizer than chicken manure and wood. The rabbit urine is also a natural pesticide.
You don’t need to compost rabbit feces because it is not a “hot” fertilizer and will not burn plant roots. But it is still a good idea to compost the rabbit waste to kill any harmful bacteria and substances.
Build Rabbit Hutch Using PVC Pipe
My venture into keeping rabbits is a test. I will likely move my rabbits to another location if my test is successful. PVC pipe is light and easily movable, so I decided to build my rabbit hutch using pvc pipe.
I did run into several issues with this build. The PVC pipe in the U.S. is a thicker gauge than the PVC pipe I had access to in Kenya. So the PVC pipe I used couldn’t hold as much weight.
So I had to use shorter pieces pieces of PVC pipe, which meant I would use more fittings or joints to connect the pipes. I could only find “Tee” and “Elbow” fittings, which seriously restricted the rabbit hutch design.
But I had already bought the materials, so I was all in, and there was not turning back. I had to draw diagrams to figure out how I could build the rabbit hutch using PVC pipes and limited fittings to join the pipes together.
Rabbit Hutch PVC Pipe Design
See my rabbit hutch build using PVC Pipes Youtube
With patience I was able to come up with a design.
Rabbit Hutch Wire Cage Holder
My PVC rabbit hutch is designed to hold a 2 ft by 2 ft x 6 ft wire cage, which will slip into and out of the PVC rabbit hutch frame.
Read my Wire Mesh Rabbit Cage Build article and watch the video.
I didn’t use long pieces of PVC pipe for the length of the rabbit hutch. I made 12 inch sections from the center of one Tee fitting to the center of the next Tee fitting. There are 6 sections the length.
The width is 25 inches from the inside of one Tee to the inside of the Tee connected to the other side of the PVC pipe. This allows for a space of 25 inches for the 24 inch cage to easily sit on. The PVC pipe used for the width and height are the same size.
The height of the frame is 25 inches from the inside of the bottom Tee to the inside of the top Tee connected to the top of the rabbit hutch.
Fiberglass Waste Direction Sheet
The length of the legs which are directly below the base of the rabbit hutch is also 25 inches. Fiberglass roofing sheets sit on PVC pipes connected to a horizontal PVC pipe attached to the front legs, and a horizontal PVC pipe connected to the back legs.
The horizontal PVC attached to the back legs in 4 inches below the bottom of the cage frame. The horizontal pipe attached to the front legs in 12 inches below the bottom of the cage frame.
The fiberglass sheets will catch the rabbit urine and feces and direct them to the gutter.
Rabbit Frame Gutter
I added a gutter below the fiberglass roofing to collect and direct the urine and waste into a bucket. The gutter is a 4 inch waste pipe I cut in half. I used binding wire to secure it to the rabbit hutch frame.
Related Links:
Make a Raised Plant Bed Using Stone Block
Simple Compost Tumbler
Terra Preta Making Black Soil in a Raised Bed
Animated Video: An Alkaline Plant Based Diet Heals
Alkaline Plant Based Diet Book
Alkaline Herbal Medicine Book
