Anyone use oil drip pans?

[ThunderHill]

Hi! I currently have all-wire cages hanging from the rafters inside a metal pole barn, with a deep litter pile underneath. It's not optimal for us due to the strain on the barn, the mess, and that I'm not really able to remove the cages easily. We have 10 total holes, some 24x24 and some 24x36, hanging back to back in the center of a 12x12 area (old horse stall) and New Zealand rabbits.

I'm planning to move to a system of stacked cages attached to simple wooden frames, with dropping pans for each cage. We would have 6 frames with 2 cages each, for a total of 12 holes, all 24x36. The 12x12 space would have three frames on opposite sides, with plenty of space in the middle for a cart to centrally dump pans, a table for weighing, etc., and feed. We're also adding quail cages in the same format (different section of the barn) but 3 high, and have seen numerous sources online recommending the oil drip pans for their droppings. I'm posting this to see if anyone has used these for rabbits, and if so, how often you have to dump them and any other feedback or advice you might have. (I've read through all the old threads I could find about drip pans, and found lots of great info on absorbent materials to use, fly control, etc., but nothing specifically on oil drip pans.) They seem a bit shallow and flimsy, but an initial test with a large doe in this set up seems to be going fine. After 4 days I only needed to scrape out one corner and it could have probably gone a whole week. There hasn't really been much smell as there is good ventilation. I've also looked at those cement mixing pans, but they are much heavier and bulky, so I might use those under the bottom cages and put does with kits and growouts on the bottom, then use the lighter oil pans under the top row for single-rabbit cages producing less waste. Any thoughts? Is this a terrible idea that I'll regret later?? Several of my cages are needing floors replaced anyway, so either way I'll be doing some building. This picture is what I'm planning (currently has two quail and one rabbit, but I'd have them as two rabbits and then three quail.) Most of this design is an idea we got from a YouTube site called Coturnix Corner. Thanks in advance for any input!

 

[RabbitDad]

I've been using them since day 1.
I'd advise against a 100% wire cage bottom. First, it isn't necessary and second, I think it would be very uncomfortable.
Rabbits try pretty hard to stay clean. They usually choose one spot as their "restroom".
I'd put wire in that spot then use a heavily painted wood surface for the rest.
I used Rustolium brand alkyd enamel in case I had to wash it. So far they haven't messed it up.

 

[Alaska Satin]

I've been using them since day 1.
I'd advise against a 100% wire cage bottom. First, it isn't necessary and second, I think it would be very uncomfortable.
Rabbits try pretty hard to stay clean. They usually choose one spot as their "restroom".
I'd put wire in that spot then use a heavily painted wood surface for the rest.
I used Rustolium brand alkyd enamel in case I had to wash it. So far they haven't messed it up.

I have found the opposite: any solid parts to the cage at all, especially on the floor, are certain to collect nastiness. This is especially true during molt, and in the winter, when you find urine glaciers and frozen compost piles waiting to melt and become rank anywhere there's a flat spot, or even an edge or under-cage support. Our rabbits do not mind the wire as far as I can tell; when given a flat wooden board or plastic sitting board, they never sit on it, but prefer to use it is a chew toy or to fling it around. So I have gone to 100% wire cages with no solid parts whatsoever (I do put nest boxes in for the does when they're about to kindle). The rabbits are healthy and happy and I have yet to have a problem with sore hocks, even in the mini Rex. I think the kind of wire is key - 1" x 1/2" heavy gauge galvanized wire, with the 1/2" spaces facing up, to provide maximum support to the rabbits' feet.

I also don't like to use anything painted in the cages. Rabbits can and eventually will chew everything, even a flat piece of wood. I have had rabbits chew holes right through flat 3/4" plywood cage separators. It took them two years, but they did it... anyway, I definitely don't want them eating paint.

Hi! I currently have all-wire cages hanging from the rafters inside a metal pole barn, with a deep litter pile underneath. It's not optimal for us due to the strain on the barn, the mess, and that I'm not really able to remove the cages easily. We have 10 total holes, some 24x24 and some 24x36, hanging back to back in the center of a 12x12 area (old horse stall) and New Zealand rabbits.

I'm planning to move to a system of stacked cages attached to simple wooden frames, with dropping pans for each cage. We would have 6 frames with 2 cages each, for a total of 12 holes, all 24x36. The 12x12 space would have three frames on opposite sides, with plenty of space in the middle for a cart to centrally dump pans, a table for weighing, etc., and feed. We're also adding quail cages in the same format (different section of the barn) but 3 high, and have seen numerous sources online recommending the oil drip pans for their droppings. I'm posting this to see if anyone has used these for rabbits, and if so, how often you have to dump them and any other feedback or advice you might have. (I've read through all the old threads I could find about drip pans, and found lots of great info on absorbent materials to use, fly control, etc., but nothing specifically on oil drip pans.) They seem a bit shallow and flimsy, but an initial test with a large doe in this set up seems to be going fine. After 4 days I only needed to scrape out one corner and it could have probably gone a whole week. There hasn't really been much smell as there is good ventilation. I've also looked at those cement mixing pans, but they are much heavier and bulky, so I might use those under the bottom cages and put does with kits and growouts on the bottom, then use the lighter oil pans under the top row for single-rabbit cages producing less waste. Any thoughts? Is this a terrible idea that I'll regret later?? Several of my cages are needing floors replaced anyway, so either way I'll be doing some building. This picture is what I'm planning (currently has two quail and one rabbit, but I'd have them as two rabbits and then three quail.) Most of this design is an idea we got from a YouTube site called Coturnix Corner. Thanks in advance for any input!

I really hate cleaning pans, especially in the winter, and would go to great lengths to keep from doing it... But if space is limited (and I've been there, hence my detestation of pan cleaning!), oil drip pans are a great way to go for single rabbits. As you noted, they are a lot higher-maintenance for litters.

My husband has been fine-tuning our barn since the last century and due to his inventiveness, I've got what I consider about as perfect a set-up as can be found in this world. Here are the key innovations that has made my life so much better:

Cage supports that double as much-needed storage shelving. There is a center support that holds two rows of cages, and a row along each wall (these are built into the frame so do not overly stress the walls).


We lined the barn walls with metal roofing, which has done an amazing job of protecting the barn walls from the incredibly destructive urine (husband thinks that someday the rabbit barn will hold farm equipment or machinery or something other than rabbits, hahahaha ). It cleans up nicely with an annual pressure washer treatment - which was obviously not done recently in these photos.. Please ignore the fur everywhere, too - all the seniors have gone into molt in preparation for our State Convention Shows this weekend!

I've gone to modular cages, meaning each cage is its own unit rather than a row of attached cages. I have buck cages, kindling cages and growing cages, which can each be pulled out for cleaning or replacement, and I can rearrange sizes depending on which season it is and what I need. Especially in the winter, when cleaning isn't exactly an option (water freezes pretty quickly at -20F), it's outstanding to be able to pull a dirty cage and simply replace it. It does take more wire to build them since they each have their own walls, but it is also nice that because they're separated, there's no fighting, barbering or other hanky-panky going on between cages. I do attach a solid barrier to one side of the buck cages to keep them from spraying each other, which can be easily taken off and cleaned as well.

One of my favorite details is that to make pulling cages simple, and so I can do it by myself, we have PVC and/or metal pipe attached to front and back of each cage with zip ties (A). This way, hanging the cage does not deform it the way wires coming straight off the cage would: the pipe spreads the stress out across the top of the cage. In front, I attach it simply with heavy wire twisted around screws set into the shelf (B):

In the back, the pipe is simply set into heavy-duty hooks screwed into the beam , so I can just lift it in and out, and don't have to fool with twisting wires etc:


Another nice thing about this system is that it can be customized to the height of the person taking care of the rabbits. Adjustments to the wire suspending the cages in the front also allows me to tip the cages very slightly backward, which helps keep kits in the back of the nest boxes and less likely to pop out.

The layout is very nice for collecting the manure and worms from underneath the cages for the garden - shoveling under the suspended cages is easy since there are almost no posts to work around, and when I want to pressure-wash everything, the cages are easy to pull outside.

I realize I am blessed by my husband, and that not everyone has the resources to build such a wonderful barn, but I thought I'd share in case people could use some of these great ideas.

 

[RabbitDad]

As for "chew toys" I cut several 2"x2"x6" long fir boards to throw in the cages.
Depending on the rabbit, they can last from a month to two months before being chewed in half.
I was advised early on that they chew anything... & need to.
The theory was to distract them from chewing on hutches.
So far it has worked!
I did however notice a post in the barn that has been severely chewed. I suspect that was my fault since I neglected to put "toys" in their play area / yard.

 

[Alaska Satin]

As for "chew toys" I cut several 2"x2"x6" long fir boards to throw in the cages.
Depending on the rabbit, they can last from a month to two months before being chewed in half.
I was advised early on that they chew anything... & need to.
The theory was to distract them from chewing on hutches.
So far it has worked!
I did however notice a post in the barn that has been severely chewed. I suspect that was my fault since I neglected to put "toys" in their play area / yard.

Our rabbits get sticks and branches regularly, and they are happy to eat the bark and then chew the wood to bits; they have blocks of scrap wood as well, but that has never stopped them from chewing everything else (especially when there was another rabbit on the other side). Maybe our rabbits all have ADHD, because with a few individual exceptions, nothing in or on their cages is ever left alone.

 

[ThunderHill]

@RabbitDad Thanks so much for the replies and great suggestions!

@Alaska Satin Thanks for the pictures and details of your set-up. It looks great! You've given me a lot to think about and some great ideas to consider!

 

[eco2pia]

I have used the oil drip pans before, they will eventually corrode. I have instead discovered large dog kennel trays, many of which I got off craigslist for free. They are plastic and approximately the same dimensions, I use them for many things around the yard.

However, I have had stacking cages and while I understand the appeal in a small yard, I would not do it again--the amount of cleaning was too tedious and made feeding rabbits hay and weeds less attractive also. Leave the tray one day too many and you will have foul stinky rabbit urine all over your shoes/pantlegs, and dripping into the lower cages. Unlike quail rabbits pee a lot. I tried a gutter system that drained into a 5 gallon bucket, but found that still had a tendency to clog and get smelly. Now I have chickens under the cages, and that has really been the best low maintenance option. It is not NO MAINTENANCE but it is as close as I have found, and I am perpetually over-committed. I can rake daily, or just leave it for months. The chickens churn it up and keep it from smelling bad. If you leave it though, the flies will breed and drive you (and possibly your neighbors) a little batty.

 

[RabbitDad]

I have used the oil drip pans before, they will eventually corrode. I have instead discovered large dog kennel trays, many of which I got off craigslist for free. They are plastic and approximately the same dimensions, I use them for many things around the yard.

However, I have had stacking cages and while I understand the appeal in a small yard, I would not do it again--the amount of cleaning was too tedious and made feeding rabbits hay and weeds less attractive also. Leave the tray one day too many and you will have foul stinky rabbit urine all over your shoes/pantlegs, and dripping into the lower cages. Unlike quail rabbits pee a lot. I tried a gutter system that drained into a 5 gallon bucket, but found that still had a tendency to clog and get smelly. Now I have chickens under the cages, and that has really been the best low maintenance option. It is not NO MAINTENANCE but it is as close as I have found, and I am perpetually over-committed. I can rake daily, or just leave it for months. The chickens churn it up and keep it from smelling bad. If you leave it though, the flies will breed and drive you (and possibly your neighbors) a little batty.

Cleaning up after five horses in the same barn every week, what the rabbits contribute is rather trivial.
I've never given it much thought, just something that needs to be done.

 

[eco2pia]

Knowing what will work in your life is the most important thing. If you like stacking cages that is great, but I still maintain that the lip on an oil pan is shallow, and rabbits pee a lot. There is low fill capacity, and maintenance is required!

 

[ThunderHill]

Knowing what will work in your life is the most important thing. If you like stacking cages that is great, but I still maintain that the lip on an oil pan is shallow, and rabbits pee a lot. There is low fill capacity, and maintenance is required!

Thanks! Yeah, my worry is I will underestimate the work it will take and then end up regretting my move from a deep litter system. With a full time job, young kids, chickens and now quail to care for, efficiency is really important! I'm trying to really think it through before committing to anything. For now we're building the quail racks with the oil pans and it seems to be going really well! Still a lot of work to do on these (build the third row of quail cages, move the rabbits temporarily living there, water system/feeders, cage latches, etc.), but so far, so good!

 

[RabbitDad]

Thanks! Yeah, my worry is I will underestimate the work it will take and then end up regretting my move from a deep litter system. With a full time job, young kids, chickens and now quail to care for, efficiency is really important! I'm trying to really think it through before committing to anything. For now we're building the quail racks with the oil pans and it seems to be going really well! Still a lot of work to do on these (build the third row of quail cages, move the rabbits temporarily living there, water system/feeders, cage latches, etc.), but so far, so good! View attachment 36388

I'd hate to be the guy in the bottom bunk!

 

[RabbitDad]

I don't really understand the priority of maintenance. It's not like it's optional. Or can one expect to eliminate it.
Just find the most efficient method then deal with it.
To think that an oil drip pan doesn't hold enough... increase your maintenance schedule.

 

[ThunderHill]

I don't really understand the priority of maintenance. It's not like it's optional. Or can one expect to eliminate it.
Just find the most efficient method then deal with it.
To think that an oil drip pan doesn't hold enough... increase your maintenance schedule.

I agree. It's either frequent pan dumping, a few minutes each time (which doesn't seem like it would be that bad, but this could be wishful thinking or just naivete talking!), or a massive, smelly muck-out several times a year, which we truly dread! Either way, the work is there to be done! And then there's the added expense of whatever absorbent material we decide to use in the trays to consider. My farm helpers (kids) prefer the trays (or at least think they will!), and we can stretch the space to give bigger cages to our bucks if we stack them, which is something I really want to do. So I am still leaning in that direction, but haven't fully decided yet. I love the feedback I've gotten from this community!

 

[eco2pia]

I don't really understand the priority of maintenance. It's not like it's optional. Or can one expect to eliminate it.
Just find the most efficient method then deal with it.
To think that an oil drip pan doesn't hold enough... increase your maintenance schedule.

This sounds reasonable on the surface..."Just" do the thing, "Just" do it more often...
Probably part of the reason I do not like pans @RabbitDad is that my rabbit daily visits are generally performed in the morning before I leave for work, while wearing professional work clothes--so I am not dumping pans wearing flats and slacks, but I will happily give everybody food and a quick scratch. Then I do my main cleaning on weekends. So no, a single oil pan under a cage holding a 13lb doe and a growing litter of kits is not going to have the capacity to make it to the weekend. I have actually tried this and proven it. Repeatedly. Maybe it would be different if I raised Netherland Dwarfs.

Could I just change my life and schedule in order to do it exactly the way you choose to do it? Probably. But why should I? There are many good ways to accomplish the same thing, which we all want--healthy happy rabbits.

Actually, I could not change my life and schedule to reflect someone else's--I have the job I have, which reflects the skills I have, and pays the bills I have, in the area of the country that I live--Cost of living here would not allow much deviation from my current system. So I guess to change my maintenance schedule to allow the use of oil pans, I would need to move to another part of the country, and change career paths. That is hardly "Just" anything.

 

[jaxmarblebuns]

I never though of this. If I were to do this I would use wood pellets instead of shavings, their absorption and and stink control is amazing. I have one rabbit who uses a litter box, I only have to use about a pint and change it every 3-5 days. 3 days is ideal, but I can leave it till 5 days and he is still dry/clean and their is no smell (the price is about the same as shavings as well, i think maye a little cheaper if you take into account all aspects).