Mother Earth News_December_2016_2017

Heavy-Duty DIY

HOMESTEAD HACKSHOMESTEAD HACKSHOMESTEAD HACKS

Our readers share clever projects that will help you live

a self-sufficient life in the country, the suburbs, or the city.

66 MOTHER EARTH NEWS December 2016/January 2017

Rabbit Tractor

I thought it’d be great to have a tractor for raising meat rabbits, just

like people do with their chickens. I started by gathering up recycled

supplies that I’d been saving for this purpose and then got to work.

1 For the top and bottom, build two 30-by-72-inch frames out of

1-by-4s. I salvaged my lumber from some large shipping pallets.

2 Attach the two frames together with 1-by-4-inch boards cut 30

inches long to form a box frame. I also put support boards across the

top and bottom to sturdy up the structure. (See photos, below.)

3 Cut some plywood to the cutting list specifications to form a

box at what will be the wheel end of the rabbit tractor. This will cre-

ate a safe place for the rabbits to seek protection from the elements

and sleep. To create a shade wall, cut another piece of plywood into a

23-by-28-inch rectangle to fasten to the opposite end of the tractor.

4 With staples, attach the 2-by-3-inch welded wire to the bottom

and cut it down so that it’s long enough to wrap up over the ends. Do

the same with the^1 ⁄ 2 -inch hardware cloth for each side.

5 Raise the end with the solid-walled box a few inches off the

ground and let it rest on blocks while you attach the wheel to the

front of the rabbit tractor, wheelbarrow-style. You could do the same

thing using two wheels, one on either side, for a wagon-style setup.

MATERIALS

• 1-by-4s


• 1^1 ⁄ 4 -inch screws for wooden
  frame


• 1 sheet of plywood
  -^3 ⁄ 4 -inch fencing staples


• 2-by-3-inch welded wire mesh
  for bottom (use 1-by-2-inch
  welded wire if you’ll be raising
  small bunnies)
  -^1 ⁄ 2 -inch hardware cloth for
  sides


• 1 center-mounted wheel (2
  wheels if using a side-by-side
  design)


• 2-by-2s for handles


• 3-inch screws for handles


• Lightweight sheet metal for roof
  -^1 ⁄ 2 -inch screws to attach roof


• Piano hinge


• Large knob

TOOLS

• Circular saw


• Hammer


• Battery-powered drill with
  screwdriver tip


• Wire-cutting pliers


• Tin snips


• Tape measure, straightedge,
  pencil

CUTTING LIST

Plywood:

• Two 23-by-28-inch ends


• One 19-by-27-inch floor


• Two 19-by-23-inch sides


• One 5-by-28-inch front lip
  1-by-4s:


• Six 29^1 ⁄ 2 -inch pieces


• Four 24-inch pieces


• Three 22^1 ⁄ 4 -inch pieces


• Two 4-by-4-inch pieces

2 3 4

7 8 9

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