Cages for nutria: drawings and dimensions, how to do it yourself at home

Nutria is often planted in private farms. The animals have beautiful valuable fur, delicious dietary meat. They are clean, smart, watching them is interesting and informative. Before you start cute animals in your own backyard, you should take care of housing for them. About the existing varieties of cages for nutria, today's detailed conversation.

Basic requirements for nutria cages

These rodents are unpretentious in content, but can easily gnaw through a wooden cage. Therefore, the main requirements for a house for animals are strength and spaciousness.For the manufacture of cages, metal meshes with small cells or a metal grill are suitable. So the animals will have enough fresh air, there will be no opportunity to escape, and the owner will have the opportunity to watch the pets. Each animal needs 0.5-0.6 square meters of area.

Cage for a family is selected at least 2.5 square meters. If it is needed for the winter keeping of animals, then it is made warm, the summer versions of the houses are lighter, without insulation. You can make a lightweight structure collapsible, with the onset of cold weather, transfer it to a warm barn. It is desirable to make a house with a pool, nutria are very fond of water, they need it for full development and he alth.

Types and features

Cages, depending on the climate in which the animals are kept, are divided into stationary, insulated and non-insulated options. Lightweight cages can be moved to the barn or yard, depending on weather conditions.

For summer content

In the southern regions, animals are kept in light metal cages without insulation. This is a frame made of metal tubes, on which a strong metal mesh is stretched. Such houses are strong, durable, easy to clean and disinfect. The only drawback is that they are cold and not suitable for regions with a harsh climate.

The floor of the house is also made of mesh, on the outside, under the cage, a tray is placed to collect waste. The meshes for the floor are small so that the animals do not hurt their paws. The side and back wall can be made of metal, but flat slate is more practical, which does not rot, does not absorb moisture, and animals do not gnaw it.

The width of the structure is calculated so that with an outstretched hand the owner can reach the farthest corners of the house. The roof is made of wave slate, plywood, metal sheets. It should be removable so that it is convenient to clean the cage.

Also, houses are made of wood, metal barrels, slate and brick. They are placed indoors or under a canopy to protect animals from cold and drafts. In the northern regions, animals are kept year-round in insulated sheds. The cage doors are equipped with strong locks, nutria are smart animals, they are able to open the cage and escape.

Summer enclosures

Rodent families are kept in them in summer, consisting of 1 male and 4 females.

Important: several males do not live in the same room, they do not get along well with each other.

The enclosures are made spacious, the site is fenced with a net dug into the ground by 30-40 centimeters. The floors are concreted, one wall is left mesh, the other is covered with flat slate. Then the nutria will be able to bask in the sun and rest from the heat in the shade. The aviary is equipped with a pool for animals. The height of the aviary is at least 1 meter.They are equipped with several pieces, separating families from pregnant females or young animals.

The houses are set up in it so that the animals can hide from the weather. The houses are built of wood, covered with mesh or covered with slate from the inside so that the nutria do not gnaw at the structure.

Permanent cages

In warmer regions, permanent cages are built from bricks, stones, or blocks. The side and back walls of the building are made of brick, in the front part they make a lattice of reinforcement and a door. Such a cage is warmer than a metal one, but it cannot be moved, therefore such a dwelling for animals is mounted in the absence of cold weather in the region.

Design Options

The house should be comfortable for the animals, the strength and durability of the structure is also important for the owner.

Ground building

Aviary, or ground building - the most optimal housing for nutria. Space, the opportunity to walk, the presence of a pool - these are ideal conditions for animals.

For a family of 5, a house is built in an aviary made of brick, concrete or stone:

• length - 1.0-1.2 meters;
• width - 0.8-0.9 meters;
• front height - from 0.7 to 1.0 meters;
• back wall height - 0.5-0.7 meters.

The inside of the house is divided into 2 halves: for rest and feeding. With a large number of livestock, several buildings are built. The length of the enclosure is 2.7-3 meters, the width is 0.8-0.9 meters. For the convenience of work, the drawings of the aviary are first made, indicating all dimensions. The roof is made removable, made of slate, plywood, metal.

Wooden portable house

It can be installed outdoors or brought indoors in cold weather. Such a cage will be unprofitable with a large number of animals, but at the initial stage of breeding it is quite possible to use it. Strong wood is chosen for the cage.

From the inside, the walls of the cage are protected with mesh or slate. The floor of the cage is made of mesh, under which the pallet is substituted. The front part with the door is made of mesh. The ceiling is not profitable to make wooden, the tree quickly rots when the urine and feces of animals evaporate. For the ceiling use a metal sheet, slate. Housing is divided into 2 compartments. Feeders are located in 1, nutria live in 2.

Barn-to-barn design

With this type of content, nutria are located in a barn, if necessary, they independently go into an aviary, closely attached to one of the walls, through a hole made. In cold weather, the manhole is plugged, blocking access to the frosty air. The aviary is also mounted from the grid. Inside the barn, the animal compartment is fenced with bars or nets.

Multi-tiered

Multi-tiered structures save space significantly and are used with a large number of animals or for young animals.The frame of the cage is made of metal or wood, the base is a metal mesh or a lattice of reinforcement. The cells are placed one on top of the other, with a distance between them of 10-15 centimeters, for the convenience of cleaning the pallet.

Young pens

Young nutrias in the summer are conveniently placed in enclosures, over which a canopy is mounted. A concrete floor is poured into the enclosure, metal or wooden posts are mounted around the perimeter, on which a metal mesh is stretched. The floors are sprinkled with sand or sawdust. The aviary is divided into 2 parts: animals live in one, the swimming area with a pool is located in the other.

Other options

For nutria, you can use cages where rabbits lived, or purchase cages that were inhabited by arctic foxes or foxes at the nearest fur farm.

Recommendations for selection

When choosing the type of cage for nutria, you need to consider:

• weather conditions in the region;
• number of animals;
• strength of structure;
• its durability.

This is why experienced nutritionists prefer metal cages. The animals cannot damage the structures, they do not rot from animal waste products, the cells are clearly visible and washable. For the winter, the structures are cleaned in a warm barn, in the summer they are placed under a canopy to protect them from the sun and rain.

How to make a cage with your own hands at home

You can make your own nutria house.

Required materials and tools

To make a portable house you will need:

• strong wood bars;
• foam for thermal insulation;
• metal mesh for walls;
• metal cutout for the floor;
• flat and wave slate;
• plywood.

Tools needed:

• wood saw;
• self-tapping screws;
• ruler;
• metal scissors.

Materials for crafting can be found at your own farm or scrap metal.

Cage scaffold preparation

First you need to prepare a drawing with the dimensions of the future house and the necessary details. Then the frame is made of timber according to size. It is necessary to make a basis for the side walls, back and front.

Installation of mesh

The mesh is stretched over a wooden frame, providing protection from the inside, the whole structure is fastened with self-tapping screws. All wooden parts of the cage are closed from the inside with a mesh or flat slate so that rodents cannot damage them.

Plywood layer and ceiling

Plywood is laid on the mesh from the inside. The foam is tightly fixed on the plywood and covered with another sheet of plywood. It turns out a strong and warm “layer cake”. The floor of the cage is made of metal notches. The door is constructed from a metal mesh. The roof is a slate sheet or it is made of metal, with a hinged opening. You can make a roof out of plywood and upholster it with metal from the inside.

A plastic or metal waste tray is installed under the cage, inside there are stationary drinkers and feeders. Of course, people who breed nutria and those who start a animal for fun have different goals. For keeping these animals at home, a cage bought at a pet store is quite suitable, and for a personal farmstead, each owner will find the best option from the many offered and provide their animals with comfortable living conditions.

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