CAL SATIN BABIES!!!!!!

[MamaSheepdog]

Satins, have you tried using the pellets only in the pee corners?

 

[ilovehome]

I had a crew of six Havanas that kept getting out of the nest box, even after I removed the fur. I guess they were still too hot. I gave up after a couple of days, and just put the hay on the floor. They have been just fine.

 

[Random Rabbit]

I use a light layer of pine shavings in all my pans, but in the picture the "shavings" are Equine Fresh pellets. I tried it to see if there was any kind of noticeable and appreciable difference between that and shavings. There are some positives, but in the end, it costs considerably more over time to use the pellets and will switch back to shavings when the supply of pellets I have runs out. Other than that, I use nothing else on them.

We are using Wood Stove pellets.... i try to get most of the pellets Where the rabbit potties the most, as these don't seem to wick liquid as the shavings will. So far it has been Very cost effective... Shavings were running $6 a bale... and at times were more wood chip-y . Anything that says Horse... as in the stall pellets... will cost twice as much And is taxable. The wood stove pellets can be purchased for $4.25 a bag... and are tax exempt....

 

[SatinsRule]

I use a light layer of pine shavings in all my pans, but in the picture the "shavings" are Equine Fresh pellets. I tried it to see if there was any kind of noticeable and appreciable difference between that and shavings. There are some positives, but in the end, it costs considerably more over time to use the pellets and will switch back to shavings when the supply of pellets I have runs out. Other than that, I use nothing else on them.

We are using Wood Stove pellets.... i try to get most of the pellets Where the rabbit potties the most, as these don't seem to wick liquid as the shavings will. So far it has been Very cost effective... Shavings were running $6 a bale... and at times were more wood chip-y . Anything that says Horse... as in the stall pellets... will cost twice as much And is taxable. The wood stove pellets can be purchased for $4.25 a bag... and are tax exempt....

Oh, good call on the wood pellets. I'll have to remember to check for them the next time I'm at Wally World or any of the home improvement centers.

Satins, have you tried using the pellets only in the pee corners?

I'll admit that it's my goal, but the problem with stackers is that keeping the pellets from rolling around while I'm putting the trays back in can be a real challenge. It's also a guessing game because every rabbit I have pee's in a different spot in the cage, and of course, the bunnicles just go wherever the mood hits them.

yes, Will that many rabbits in a cage. Cleaning would be more often. I started to use peatmoss as i had a thread on the cage trays. SOmeone i cant remember right now . Is doing this and suggested it. I have started using it and i love it. It does cost the same as shavings. But less smell ,less cleaning, and very good for the garden as the shavings isnt good for the garden. Give it a try

One more item to go onto the Lowe's/Home Depot list. If it's affordable and keeps down the smell, I'm all about that. As for the shavings, I'm going to start composting the waste in the near future and it will have time to break down before going into gardens. Around here, it works because wood rots pretty easily due to the heat, humidity and moisture involved.

 

[toastedoat37]

Look for a local woodshop that uses a planer or joiner in their shop, they would be more than happy to give you their wood shavings most times. I end up having to pay to dump my woodshavings from my shop.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

One more item to go onto the Lowe's/Home Depot list. If it's affordable and keeps down the smell, I'm all about that. As for the shavings, I'm going to start composting the waste in the near future and it will have time to break down before going into gardens. Around here, it works because wood rots pretty easily due to the heat, humidity and moisture involved.[/quote]


Here it takes a very long time for the shaving to break down. I have a large pile from when i did the meat birds the way back when with the first time i did them and that was 9 years ago and it is still stitting there.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I have a large pile from when i did the meat birds the way back when with the first time i did them and that was 9 years ago and it is still stitting there.

Why not use them as mulch? Or start composting the hay and bunnyberries with them? The high nitrogen content of the hay and rabbit urine will be balanced by the wood chips.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

Why not use them as mulch? Or start composting the hay and bunnyberries with them? The high nitrogen content of the hay and rabbit urine will be balanced by the wood chips.

Ok. great that is good to know. So the hay and rabbit berries with the wood chips are all ok together. And put in the garden next year.

 

[Random Rabbit]

A lot of the fruiting berries...Blueberries, blackberries...etc really like the wood shavings, chips, pellets. They do so much better with slightly, acidic soil.

 

[toastedoat37]

I live where its colder and wet,and how fast you make good compost depends on how hard you work at it,,you need to have both brown and green stuff mixed together, you ad grass clippings and rabbit droppings with your wood chips and then turn the pile often, they decompose quite fast. You have to turn the pile if you want to make compost fast.It needs to get oxygen down in the pile.

I get coffee grounds from a local coffee shop to add to my compost in the winter,,the extra nitrogen keeps it working.If you live in a dry area you need to water your compost pile.If you do a search you can find some very good information on composting online.If your compost is working properly it will get hot down in the pile.If its cold it will take longer ,but if you have some good stuff in there for the worms to eat ,they will help you out.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

:hijacked: sorry satin rule i didnt mean to hijack your thread.

 

[SatinsRule]

Why? I was the one talking about building a composting box, and the info that has come out in this discussion is helpful to me. :bananadance2:

 

[6riversfarms]

Why? I was the one talking about building a composting box, and the info that has come out in this discussion is helpful to me. :bananadance2:

It has been helpful to me too. Lot of good info.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

Good i dont feel so bad. Your post was about your beautiful babies .then one thing lead to another...Ok then, i have a question on compose.
My compose is to big to turn and it is just sitting on the ground in the corner of my yard. I have fence around it to keep the dogs out of it. So it isnt in a compose bin or anything. So my compose take years to do anything and in the mean time . It keeps building and building up. So my pile gets wider and wider. In the spring my husband uses his four wheeler with his plow and pushed allot of it. I dont have the arm power to go over the pile and stir it up with a shovel or pitch fork.

 

[SatinsRule]

Good i dont feel so bad. Your post was about your beautiful babies .then one thing lead to another...Ok then, i have a question on compose.
My compose is to big to turn and it is just sitting on the ground in the corner of my yard. I have fence around it to keep the dogs out of it. So it isnt in a compose bin or anything. So my compose take years to do anything and in the mean time . It keeps building and building up. So my pile gets wider and wider. In the spring my husband uses his four wheeler with his plow and pushed allot of it. I dont have the arm power to go over the pile and stir it up with a shovel or pitch fork.

Okay, what specifically is your question?

 

[toastedoat37]

you might find some nice compost deep inside that pile, might surprise you if you dig down into it,,,,if its set there that long,,,,the worms should be in there working on it.

__________ Mon Jun 11, 2012 12:49 pm __________

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

My husband will put his left over worms in the compose when he is done fishing for a while. ...I guess i really didnt have a question. LOl. Just more of a compliant ,that it just sits there and dose nothing. I did have 3 people take truck loads from it for there garden but it wasnt the part with the shavings. I guess it will be ok in the middle.

 

[Random Rabbit]

Mary Ann... What a lot of people do is have a second bin Next to the first one. Then occasionally, (like once a year) they will fork the pile from one bin to the other....

Another way is to "Sheet compost"... just start at one corner of Your plot..pile and simply continue the pile in a line. then when say You have 5 feet... start next to the begining of the line and do a second, and third row... This is pretty much what we did for our squash patch... a couple years letting it 'work'... and wow did the squashes grow ! ( by being kinda level... the tiller worked it in very nicely)

 

[MamaSheepdog]

As RR said, a second bin next to your first pile works great. I remember that you have a lawn, so next time you mow, take shovels full of your old stuff, make a layer of that, and then put your grass clippings on top, and add a final layer of the older stuff. Wet down the layers as you go, making it damp but not soggy or it will smell. I forget the exact ratio of brown matter to green, but I think about twice to three times the dry matter to green matter should do it. The hay and bunnyberries is also considered "green matter".

You will be pleasantly surprised I think to find finished compost as you work toward the middle of your old pile.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I see, thank for that. When i dug in just part of it to put in the garden. OMG it stunk. It was horride. It smelled like a swamp . Dont know why. Tilted it in and the smell was gone. Make a new pile now , But the hay out wayed everything in it. Yes i have grass clipping in it as well. But i dont spread it out. I dont want to do that. As my dogs run free in my yard and part of it is fenced off because of the raccoons ect. That is like a bush area. I dont want this stuff going in there because it will never dry out.