~My goal is to have 25 cages or less as long as I raise rabbits. We'll only have 15 or so, probably for the next couple years (until I graduate and have more free time). I raise rabbits so I can enjoy them, I don't want taking care of them to become a chore I dread. A 10x10 shed can easily house 45 cages (5 stacks of 3 cages on 3 of the 4 walls), but I like having extra room for visitors, and I have a cool idea of letting the rabbits roam a section of the rabbitry when it's too cold, rainy or too hot for them to exercise outside.
~Extra space is very important to me for chairs, room for visitors, ample space for cleaning the cages, and some space for playpens to be setup if it's too rainy for the rabbits to get exercise outside.
~Outlets for heating, cooling, lighting: In the winter I intend to keep it warm enough in the rabbitry so water bottles don't freeze, and escapee kits survive. Probably 40-50 degrees in the least.
~In the summer I want it to stay cool enough so the rabbits don't overheat and they can continue breeding (bucks can become sterile in temperatures over 90 degrees and stay that way for several months). So the most would probably be 75 degrees.
~Lighting is important. To breed year-round the rabbits need to think it's constantly breeding season. I've had luck getting them to breed this winter but it won't always be that way with the fading daylight hours. With light at least 12 hours each day (14-16 is ideal), breeding can occur successfully year round.
~On two walls (a side wall and the back wall), I'll have the cages and rabbits. On the opposite side wall I'll have the feed and hay, and shelves and storage containers for keeping supplies. In the middle of the rabbitry I'll have chairs and a posing table. On each wall there will be a window, possibly a sky light (this is an idea my dad and I are playing around with).
~The back of the shed will have a roof overhang where I can keep extra supplies that don't fit in the shed, such as the nestboxes, extra cages, and carriers.
~I love the idea of having a mini fridge in the rabbitry so I can have fruits and veggies available right there. I also want to start my own garden this spring/winter so the bunnies can have fresh herbs like basil, mint, and cilantro, fruits such as strawberries, and veggies such as carrots.
Here are some adorable shed ideas I love from Home Depot. It's pretty important to me that the shed looks attractive, as well as practical. I like the blue one the best. Maybe in a color like chocolate or red. We're going to be building mine from scratch since it will probably be cheaper that way, and I'll be able to customize it to my exact liking.
Spring can't come fast enough! I'm done with winter, who's with me?!