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Rabbit Hutch Plans:
How to Assemble PVC Rabbit Hutch and Cages
You finished building the rabbit hutch plans. Now you can hang 4 to 8 wire rabbit cages on the outdoor rabbit hutch and set up an automatic water system.Get help building these PVC Rabbit Hutch Plans --
Go to Rabbit Hutch Building Plans Pet rabbit owners: Build your own Pet Rabbit Living Spaces!
Build Your Own Rabbit Cage
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The PVC rabbit hutch framework is large, measuring 7+ feet long and nearly 3 feet deep. It will accept 30 inch deep cages with about an inch to spare.  It has two sectioned tiers. Each section is approximately 42 inches wide. This will accommodate up to 40 inches of cage width per section. (Any wider, and the fit will be too snug - you’d have to fight to get the cages in and out.) The rabbit hutch plans allow for cage arrangement options! - 4 cages: each 36 inches by 30 inches, 2 on top and 2 on the bottom. These cages would house breeding does, growing bunnies/fryers, or...
- 6 cages: 4 cages on the top tier, each 20 inches by 30 inches, plus 2 36 x 30 cages on the bottom. This set up would house 2 breeding does on the bottom, a couple bucks on top, plus a couple extra 20 x 30 cages for replacement does or bucks, or...
- More options?If you raise dwarf rabbits, you might be able to hang even more cages, since the smaller rabbits don't require as much cage space.
If you’re raising meat rabbits for your family’s consumption, one or two of these rabbit hutch frames with the rabbit hutch plans all set up might be the only hutches and cages you’ll need.
Get help building these PVC Rabbit Hutch Plans --
Go to Rabbit Hutch Building Plans Pet rabbit owners: Build your own Pet Rabbit Living Spaces!
Build Your Own Rabbit Cage
Why are these PVC Rabbit Hutch Plans so Awesome?
 Glad you asked...! The PVC rabbit hutch is fairly light-weight, yet durable and nearly indestructible. Placed under a canopy or barn out of direct sunlight, it will last for many years. The cages install and dismantle in moments. What a time-saver! No back-breaking scrubbing of wooden hutch bottoms that reek of urine. Just snip the one twist-tie, pull out the two pipes the cage rests on, and the rabbit cage drops into your arms. Now you can... - Hose it off in the lawn
- Scrape any remaining hair or organic debris with a wire brush
- Use a pressure-sprayer to disinfect with a 1:10 bleach solution (strong)
- Let it sit for an hour
- Rinse off and reinstall!
You can even remove all the cages and haul the whole PVC hutch outside for cleaning. Because, after a while, it WILL need it. (You don't need bleach for the PVC hutch.) Because you can use a hose, your cleaning chores are done in no time, and your rabbits will stay healthier.
These white PVC rabbit hutch plans with cages that are easy-on-easy-off make our job so much easier, even fun!
How to Install the Rabbit Cages
Let’s walk through the rabbit hutch plans by hanging 4 doe cages on the PVC hutch frame, and install feeders, watering system and drop pans--everything you need to get the hutch ready for your rabbits.To complete the rabbit hutch plans, you need: - Two (2) 40 inch lengths of 1/2" aluminum conduit pipe per cage. The cages will hang on the pipes. If You’re hanging 4 doe cages, you’ll need 3 10’ pipes cut into 3 sections each. You’ll have one 40 inch piece left over.
- 10 - 12 feet of 17 gauge electric fencing wire. Get it at a hardware or feed store.
- Two (20 10’ corrugated plastic roofing panels, each cut into thirds (40 inches each). You’ll need 3 lengths per section, so you can sufficiently overlap the panels.
- One (1) galvanized feeder per cage. Doe cages need 12 inch feeders; smaller cages need 5 inch or 7 inch feeders.
- Automatic water system. I use one manufactured by Edstrom. I recommend you ask breeders in your area what they use. You can get quite high-tech with these--auto-fill and auto-shut-off, medication ports, heater cables, etc. Our system is simple. It uses gravity to deliver the water to the rabbits, and a hose to refill manually. We don’t use heating cables, and we don’t medicate our rabbits. See below for more detail. You can, of course, use watering crocks in place of an automatic water system.
1) The 1/2" aluminum conduit comes in 10 foot lengths. Cut them into three equal pieces of 40" each. 2) Put a 36 x 30 cage into place, and insert a conduit at the two corners of the cage, as shown. I put them about 3-4 inches from the edge, at the very top. 3) Cut a length of 17 gauge wire, and lash the cage to the white PVC cross bar on which it rests. Place the wire in the approximate center of the cage, above the door. This will be the only tie-down you will need! The extra length of wire tie-down in the picture will be used to secure a water tubing, so the rabbits can't chew a hole in it.
(This picture illustrates how easy the rabbit hutch plans make it for you to get cages in and out of the hutch.) 4) Repeat for the other 3 36 x 30 cages. 5) The remainder of the 17 gauge wire will become the front support for the drop pans. Twist-tie it above one of the side PVC tees just under the bottom of the top-tier cage. String it tightly to the middle leg. Wrap it around the top of the top coupler, and continue stringing it tightly to the other side PVC tee. Twist-tie it tightly. See picture.
6) Cut corrugated plastic panels into three’s. With these you’ll fashion two drop pan sections. Each section will require 3 panels, 40" each. 7) Drill holes into the panels, 3/8" diameter, or big enough to accept the 17 ga wire. The goal is to fasten the three panels together so they fit snugly across the entire width of each section. Once fastened together front and back (put the holes at the top of the corrugation waves), drill one hole at each edge of the drop pan section. Place the holes about 4-5 inches back from the front edge, one on each side, and about an inch from the edge. This is so the panels will jut out enough under the feeders to catch any fines that drop out of the hole-punched or screened feeders. You won’t want any fines or other debris to drop into the feeders under the drop pan. 8) Install the two drop pan sections. Rest them on top of the wire in front, and on top if the cages and conduits in back. Secure the front corners using 17 gauge wire through the holes at the edges and affix them by twist-tying them to the PVC legs or to the wire itself. The back end should take care of itself without a problem. 9) Install the feeders. Right now I really like the feeders that Morton Jones Company makes. They’re reasonably priced, and have punched holes instead of screens. My preference, I guess! Great! Only thing left to complete these rabbit hutch plans is the automatic water system. If you use crocks, this is fine as well. You will ideally ensure the crocks never run out, and that you rinse them every day for best results. 
Automatic Water System
When I first began building my rabbit hutch plans, I discovered a wonderful Edstrom Automatic Watering System kit at Morton Jones Co. It had everything I needed to take care of 6 cages. You can see most of it in this picture--a one-gallon bucket, pre-drilled to accept the yellow valve. T-connectors, 3/16" tubing, valves and tubing stand-offs. All you need to do is cut the tubing to the correct lengths for your cage set up, connect them with T-connectors, fasten the valves and valve-holders to the cages, and put a drain valve at the end. Set the bucket on top of the upper cage, and voila. If you purchase from Morton Jones, pick up their free Edstrom booklet while you're at it. Your PVC hutch and hanging rabbit cages are now ready for occupancy. Whip out the hose, fill up the tank, put feed in the feeder, and bring on the buns!
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