Rabbit Mower

1. Lay the mesh on a flat surface. Measure and mark along each 10 ft length at 17” (in the middle of a 2” square), then at 35” (just after a 2” square). Cut between each set of marks, giving you two 4 ft by 17” panels (A and B) and one 4 ft by 7 ft panel.
2. Take the 4 ft by 7 ft panel and mark along each 4 ft line at 23”. Cut along this line. The piece that is slightly thinner is panel C, and the larger piece is the roof.
3. Take panel C and measure 17” from each end. Bend the panel at right angles at these marks. This is the floor and ends of your cage.
4. Take panel A and attach it to panel C along the bottom and sides. You can use the mesh itself, where you cut in the middle of a 2” square to attach the two together, leaving the smooth edge of the panel on top. Use wire or J-clips when necessary to tie the two panels together, but make sure that any sharp bits of wire are on the outside of the cage, so that your rabbit can’t cut itself.
5. Attach panel B to the other side of panel C to make a lidless box.
6. Double check the box to make sure it is tightly bound together with no sharp bits of wire on the inside.

1. Take the roof panel. Cut 2 ft off one end, leaving you with a 2 ft by 5 ft roof. Place your tarp on the ground and put the roof panel on top of it in the center. Fold the excess tarp over the mesh and staple it together.
2. Turn the panel over so that the tarp is on top. Make two marks along each 5 ft side, one at 2 ft (Line X), the other at 3 ft (Line Y).  Mark lines X and Y at 9” and 15” from one side.
3. Cut two pieces of wire, each about 14” long. Fold them both in the middle, so that they double back on themselves. From the underside of the roof (where the welded wire mesh is visible) push each wire through the tarp at the 9” marks, so that the U of the wire goes either side of a cross of the wire mesh.
4. Twist the wire until there is just an inch or so of wire untwisted. Put a piece of hose over each of the twisted wires. These are your handles. Then push the remaining inch of untwisted wire through the tarp at the 15” marks on lines X and Y, and twist them together on the other side of the welded mesh, making sure that you bend any sharp bits up towards the tarp and away from your rabbits.
5. Attach one five ft side of the roof panel to the top of panel A, using wire or J-clips. Do not tighten the clips too much, as you want the roof to be able to move easily. These are your hinges.
6. Now you need a way to fasten the roof down to the cage after you have put your rabbit inside. Cut 5 pieces of wire, each about 5” or 6” long. Make a small loop on one end of each wire and push that through the tarp and around the edge of the wire mesh with the long side of the wire hanging down. You want 1 in the middle of each two ft side of the roof, and 3 evenly spaced along the non-hinged 5 ft side. Loop these 5 fasteners at the other end and hook them over the cage to close.

If you plan to have a pregnant doe (female rabbit) in the cage, a nest box is essential. However, even if the doe isn’t pregnant, it’s still not a bad idea, as it gives your rabbit a place to hide. A really simple and cheap nest box that we use is a 15” tall, tapered trash can laid on its side with some straw in it. We attach a small piece of 1” x 2” lumber across opening of the can at the bottom, so that small babies cannot wander out. We also drill some holes on the bottom at the back, so that any liquid can drain out.

Now you are ready to put your rabbit inside. When handling a rabbit, pick it up by the scruff of the neck under the ears. Do not hold a rabbit by their ears alone, as they are very sensitive.

You can place more than one rabbit in the cage. Rabbits are a social animal and appreciate company. However, if a pregnant doe is nearing her time to deliver (the gestation period is between 28 to 34 days), leave her on her own. They prefer a quiet, calm space to have their young, and if a doe becomes distressed close to the delivery time she can kill or abandon her babies.

Also, if you have a doe that is not pregnant and that you do not wish to breed, do not place a buck (male rabbit) in the cage with her. The expression “breed like rabbits” is no idle saying. The main factor that makes them so successful at reproducing is that they do not have any one specific time when they are fertile. Whereas most animals ovulate at a particular point in a cycle, does can become pregnant whenever they encounter a buck. It is the stimulation that makes the eggs descend, and provided there is sperm present, they will be fertilized.

Always provide your rabbit with fresh, clean water. The simplest way to do this is with a commercial waterer or water nipples.

As for food, rabbits prefer the fresh grass, alfalfa, weeds, grains that we provide, so the lawn will be all they need during the day. You can then provide them with concentrate food in a feeder or certain kitchen scraps when you put them up at night, provided they are not overweight. Please note that there are some weeds and greens that are poisonous to rabbits, so it is always best to consult full lists of what rabbits can eat. It is also a good idea to ease a rabbit into any food that he/she is not used to eating.

For rabbits that have always lived in a cage and eaten only concentrate food, there will be a learning curve with the tractor. They will have to get used to eating grass, and it is a good idea to feed first-timers small amounts for several days before you put them on the lawn, to make sure they don’t get a stomach upset.

Place your mower, with rabbit inside, at one end of your lawn. Once they have eaten the grass down to the height you wish, move the cage along. The time it takes to mow the grass will vary, depending on how many rabbits you have inside the mower and how tall your grass is. You also don’t need to worry about the rabbit’s droppings: they make an excellent fertilizer and, unlike other manures, they are not “hot” and so will not burn your plants. Gently spread it around and water it in after moving the mower.