Starting a colony

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CochinBrahmaLover

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So woodchips are available! I was putting off starting a colony until I could get woodchips easily, cheaply & a lot of them (I don't like straw as bedding, much)

So the area I picked out has a building (but the front doesn't have a door... Will that be ok? Or do I need to include somewhere where's there's NO open spaces? ) & plenty of room.
But, they could dig out in an hour. Soft dirt (well, frozen now) & a fairly flimsy fence. So, how do you keep yours from digging out? Chicken wire, hard wire? We can't make the whole area concrete, but might be able to get some and put it about an inch down, 2 inches wide. I'd imagine that they wouldn't deter them much, though.
Our fence is kinda flimsy, and I'm a bit worried they would just push underneath it. If I put hard wire cloth on the ground, & connected it to the fence, would that fix it? I'd imagine so. We can't put in a new fence.
Thanks.
 
Hardware cloth on the floor, or maybe OSB-boards? They'll need to get replaced after a while (I knome that has had them for years) but will be easier to sanitize than dirt. If the floor is very uneven they'll probably not bare your weight when you walk around in there though.. but it's an idea on level ground :)

Not sure what you mean about the building. But putting in lots of different boxes and stuff are good.
If the fence is secured to the ground-wire it should keep them in. How's the top? Predator safe? What kind of fence do you have?
 
Could you used 2x4 fencing for the floor? I'm asking rather then suggesting. That is what we are planning on doing for our indoor winter colony.
I would think the board would get really smelly and gross quickly wouldn't they?
 
dobergoat":3agv7vwx said:
I would think the board would get really smelly and gross quickly wouldn't they?
Click to expand...

It's commonly used in hutches and such here :) But it was just an idea, it would be more easy to sanitize than dirt. Then again, many people have dirt floor in colonies without a trouble, so I have no intention of pushing the idea :)
 
I would worry about them digging through 2x4 holes.

And yes, wood would get nasty very quickly, but so will dirt, unless it was a very deep bedding

Would it be possible to line the building with patio stones?

To attach the fence to it you could use a foot wide section of fence and put half under the stones and the other half up the walls and zip tie or wire the two fences togeather every foot or so.
 
The building is our hay storage area - started out as a goat hutch, built a new goat hutch, then used it as a goat hutch. But the goats are gone. The 'building' is like a little shed - they can't get rained on under (well, the hay is never wet nor snowed on) and its covered in 3 sides. We also cover it in a tarp.
We have dog boxes (like for huskies) we can put in there, too. But my mom is worried about the rabbits urine ruining it - anyone have experience? I'd clean it appropriately.

I also looked at the whole area and its probably 500sq ft, so I'm going to cut it in half (and this will probably be actually done in spring)
 

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