Odor control is small spaces

I have a 50 sq ft space (actually it is an enclosed porch) that I set up as a cool room with a small AC for my 3 Californians. They all have trays under the cages but I feel like I need to change the trays twice a day to keep the smell down. Any suggestions? I am using pine flakes right now because that is what I had but was wondering if there was better thing to use. I use peat moss with the ones outside but they have constant air flow.

Thanks

I've used white vinegar in the trays when I can't clean them immediately. It neutralizes the urine smell pretty nicely.

I find that pine dust in the trays(not to sit in), rather than the curls are much more absorbent, less odour too.

Sprinkle some baking soda on the trays?

Sprinkle lime, it will dry out and help. Helps a ton in and around my coop!

This might sound like a stupid question, but are you talking about lime juice from the fruit?

Racingjunky":1xsblleg said:

This might sound like a stupid question, but are you talking about lime juice from the fruit?

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No, limestone; agricultural lime.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agricultural_lime

Have you tried cat litter down in the trays? I haven't done it with ours (first one gets here on the 15th) but I remember my Dad did it when we had house rabbits. They had the pull out trays and he would pour clumping cat litter down in them. Not where they could reach because of the danger of blockage. Then we would scoop it out daily just like a litter box. Blue Buffalo makes a clumping litter out of crushed walnut shells.

There are many types of livestock odour control products, especially for horses.

I have heard good things about "stable boy" and I use agricultural lime dust that is spread on crop land to add calcium and raise pH because I sell my manure for gardens and it is very safe.

There's a technique that is relatively unknown. It goes all the way down to the microbiological level for control odor.

It's called "Korean Gardening" I just learned of it and it seems simple and quite effective. It may be worth your while to investigate it further.

grumpy

I use horse pellets (for the stable) in the tray if I have a rabbit inside. Rabbits are on wire floors so they can't access the pellets.

We have the mini rexes on a screened in porch. I empty trays every couple days except when it is really hot or if does have litters or a bunch of kits in a cage. Then I empty trays every days. When I empty trays I spray them really well. Once a week I use vinegar to disinfect, deodorize the trays.

I have a piece of plexiglass behind the bucks cages- it is just propped up but it keeps any urine off the side of the house and I rinse off the plexiglass when I do trays.

Other thing I do is put a thin layer of straw on the floor (ours is concrete) around the perimeter of the cages. If any urine misses the tray, it is absorbed by the straw which is discarded at least once a week and replaced. I also spray down the whole floor every week when I change straw.

I use PD stall eaze in my trays, I use SAWDUST, it is MUCH more absorbent than shavings, and as far as odor, sorry, you just have to change it more often, after a day or two, the bacteria starts breaking down the urine and that's when you build up ammonia.<br /><br />__________ Tue Jun 04, 2013 7:26 pm __________<br /><br />oh... and sawdust is FREE (which is a very big plus)

I second the horse stall pellets. All our rabbits are inside our house. Odor control will vary depending on size of the rabbits you have and how deep a tray you have. On my 4 larger rabbits 5-8lb each I have 4 cages with not very deep trays. I can get 5-7 days before odor becomes noticeable. All my other rabbits are smaller or have deeper trays, they pose not problems with odor and get cleaned weekly.

Jack":3aje77nf said:

I use PD stall eaze in my trays, I use SAWDUST, it is MUCH more absorbent than shavings, and as far as odor, sorry, you just have to change it more often, after a day or two, the bacteria starts breaking down the urine and that's when you build up ammonia.

__________ Tue Jun 04, 2013 7:26 pm __________

oh... and sawdust is FREE (which is a very big plus)

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Where are you getting the sawdust?? I need ideas. Oh, I also tried the Korean Gardening approach to making microbial life eat the smell away (found link on YouTube). It is working as I speak. I just applied it for the first time today, when the temperatures reach 105 this week outside, we'll get a better picture as to how well it works along with the coconut coir. Has anyone ever tried it? I can get it here in town and I think it was @ $11.00. A large package would last me about 3 to 4 weeks of cleanings (I clean once a week if I can hold out that long). Here's the thing, I only apply the coir in the corners this is why I want a little sawdust too. Next time I will apply it in their favorite corners and that should make it go further. I think the coir was 5kg. Here's a link for some: http://www.atlantishydroponics.com/general-hydroponics-cocotek-coconut-coir-bale-5-kg-5588

Not sure how many of you have experienced record temps but up here in my area of California, we were hot. This all made the urine stink go through the roof, sadly not literally. I keep my buns in the garage for now, until a predator proof area gets built. They have a small ac unit for the really bad days. I do not want to see my power bill. I will say that my angora has been living in my home, but since the smell seems under control I may put her back in the garage for a test. She is a persnickety little doe but I've had it. I love her, but I love her more in the garage.

I find that lime works well.
I don't think this would work for you, but just to put it out there: turning your waste bins into worm bins almost eliminates the smell, because the worms compost it.

Yucca makes a good deal of difference too, I think. I didn't realize that the new feed I started buying about six months back had yucca in it, but I did realize after a few weeks that it seemed like the smell was better... Then someone told me it's because of the yucca, I did some googling and it seems there is some merit to that thought.

Before I used the compressed pine bedding (looks like pellets). Affordable, very absorbant (use just a handful in each tray) and really cut down on the urine smell. The berries don't smell at all on their own, it's only when they get wet from the urine that they start to stink (and stink well!) so if you can put some of the pine pellets in the corner where your rabbits defecate they soak up the urine quickly and keep the berries from getting soaked.

I actually don't even use the pine bedding in the singles cages anymore - don't seem to need it. I do however still use it in the litter cages and in the cages with rabbits that like to play with the waterer (I think they put more water in the tray than they get in their mouth - I catch two does in particular that sit there and press on it with their chins and their front paws until they get everything soaking wet)

You can buy yucca on it's own (look at feedstore in horse supplement areas) and add it to your feed if there are no brands near you that put it in already.