Newbie Q: how often do you clean/disinfect cages and dishes?

I've read repeatedly that it is important to keep rabbit dishes and wire cages clean and to disinfect them 'regularly", but I am not sure what 'regularly" means. Obviously when there's been disease a thorough clenaing is called for. If the rabbits are healthy--do you just knock any stuck droppings through on a regular basis and then wash/disinfect the cages between litters (for does) or fryer batches, or is some more frequent cleaning called for?n When do you clean buck cages? I've read helpful posts on this forum about different disinfecting methods, just wasn't sure about frequency.

And I'm not at all sure about cleaning/disinfecting feeders (we plan to feed on hay, greens, whole grains and root veg, though may need to feed pellets at first if we can't buy naturally raised rabbits) and waterers. With my goats I rinse the water buckets out thoroughly once or twice a day but only use bleach if they've been pooped in; do rabbit waterers need routine disinfection even if they look clean--weekly? monthly?

Sorry to pile on so many questions at once. I'm trying to figure things out so I can start right.

I pressure wash and/or steam clean about every six months or so. I think as cages get older and develop microscopic pitting of the wire they would need more frequent cleaning. If you are using trays they need to be dumped often enough (at a minimum) that the feces don't pile up and come through the floor, or that will cause corrosion, not to mention unsanitary conditions for the rabbits.

I have brushes and putty knives in both my barn and growout area to knock off any clinging bunny berries, and do that as part of my daily routine. Most of the rabbits rarely have anything stuck to the wire.

Certain breeds require more maintenance- wooly rabbits especially need more attention because their wool gets stuck to the wire and urine and feces will stick to it. I have mainly Rex which are very short furred, so that is not an issue for me. If your rabbits "blow coat" heavily you will have a similar problem, even with "normal coated" breeds.

My bucks don't seem to spray very much either. I do see occasional evidence in spotting on the J-feeders, so obviously some do, but other than a Satin buck I have it hasn't been a big issue. The Satin never sprayed at the breeder's barn, but he was housed next to bucks only.

When I originally brought him home he was in a cage in my growout area next to some other Satins from her (does included) and he sprayed all over. Feeding him was disgusting because he sprayed the feeder and lid as well. He has now been moved to a cage with metal dividers between rabbits and the behavior has stopped.

JoannaCW":28kg3xs4 said:

wash/disinfect the cages between litters (for does) or fryer batches, or is some more frequent cleaning called for?

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I don't wash the cages between litters, and I rotate my does to different cages as they are bred so I have them in a lineup according to due dates. So far, I haven't seen the need since the wire stays clean. I usually clean the growout pens between batches, scrubbing with dishsoap and water, with a final spritz of rubbing alcohol left to dry on the wire.

JoannaCW":28kg3xs4 said:

do rabbit waterers need routine disinfection even if they look clean--weekly? monthly?

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My barn has an automatic system, but my growouts are on gravity fed crocks. When I refill the reservoir bottles, I remove the bowls and wipe them out with a sponge. Depending on how many rabbits are in each cage, I have to refill once to several times a week.

If you use bottles, I have found that the plastic air soft BBs scrub the algae off pretty well when you shake and swirl the bottle. You could also use rice or peas instead of BBs.

I have an automatic water system so, the only time I need to clean crocks or bottles is on the rare night it gets cold enough to freeze the lines, then I sterilize the containers when I bring them in (as soon as the auto lines thaw.)

Cages get washed and sanitized once a year for the permanent breeders and, after every lot for the grow out pens. Nest boxes get it after every litter.

I have pieces of old tarps around my buck that is a bad sprayer so, I just trash those and place new ones every month to minimize his smell in the barn. My other two buck rarely spray so, they are fine with the same cleaning the does get.

The only pen I torch is the isolation pen and, I do that after every time it's needed. (when the rabbit either dies or recovers) so maybe once a year, if that, I don't have to isolate one often.

I have deep cleaned a couple of cages but have never disinfected any of them. It is nothing I do on a regular basis. I clean out the soiled litter (I use pelleted horse bedding) every 4 days. I rinse out my bottles on occasion but nothing beyond that. I use cage crocks and dump the out periodically to get rid of the fine particles. I don't clean the crocks any more than that. I do have a large rabbit that uses a large dog bowl and I will rinse his off every couple of months. I have 19 rabbits in 16 cages (soon 19) inside my house. As long as I get the cages done every 4 days I don't have any issues with smell. I also haven't lost of had a sick rabbit in the 4-5 years that I have been keeping them.

Nothing against super cleaning cages, just for me it would only be a periodic nicer looking cage as my rabbits are happy and healthy.

For me, other than routine cleaning of food and water crocks (I rinse them out once a week or so), my rabbits determine their cleaning schedule. I have one doe, Daphne, who is determined to use the front corner of her cage as her litter box. That corner gets cleaned on a regular basis. I have a buck, Boris, who relaxes on top of his box and poops there. That gets cleaned daily.

I guess what I am saying is that I don't have a regular schedule for cleaning. Things get done as needed- depending on the rabbit. It's easy for me, having a small rabbitry. If I were to have a problem with an illness or injury, of course things would change. I just try not to set myself a rigid schedule, as other things on the farm don't always allow that.

Entire clean out with bleach/vinegar (never mixed of course!) and repack/dig out floors and put in fresh sand/lime; walls/cages/ceiling/floor every spring and fall. Cages cleaned once a month, soft bristle brush and misting of vinegar plus burning if hair just won't brush off. Dishes and bottles bleached and scrubbed once a month. If I see webs, they are knocked down as soon as I see them. When I have quarantines, cleaned before and right after with bleach/vinegar (again never mix of course) or every 2 days (they are kept inside in my room, so can't let sit long). I also clean my brushes/mats with soft bristle brush every day and wash once a week. I spray the posing mats down after working with each rabbit with vinegar or alcohol, if I'm just doing a few will use vinegar if doing lots alcohol as it dries quicker but still gets rid of smell, I've had bucks get over excited from smelling the does/bucks I was working with before I brought him out and does being grumpy from smelling where a buck or another doe even had been. Things still get dirty lol.

Poop trays, Once a week with vinegar and water. The waterers, once a month or when I see algae accumulating with vinegar and water and I scrub the inside with a baby bottle scrubber. Cages, once every 6 months with vinegar and water.

depends, once a year, when i move rabbits to different cages i spray a 10% bleach solution down, or if anything is grossly dirty.