With prices going up, some people are considering raising more of their own food. Chickens and rabbits are a good place to start. Rabbits have traditionally been raised for the table where land was in short supply. When you are raising your own rabbits for meat, there are some tricks that help you produce a steady supply year round. While not everyone will have the facilities available to take advantage of all of these suggestions, it may be worthwhile to make them happen if you really do intend to rely on what you can produce yourself.
Most commercial rabbit breeders opt for wire rabbit cages. They are easier to clean and you can see what is going on with each rabbit easily. With a good manure collection system you can even have more than one level of cages, making the most of your space. Make sure the cages are large enough to allow your rabbits to move around sufficiently and accommodate a nestbox. The average nestbox for medium sized rabbits is 12 inches by 24 inches by 12 inches, with the open side lower so the doe can hop in and out easily. Medium sized rabbits like Californians, New Zealands, Champagne D’Argents and other similar breeds were originally created as meat rabbits.