How do you keep the pee smell down?

[Jackrabbit]

I’ve had rabbits for about 2 or so years now, overall I really enjoy having them around! Lately tho I’ve been having trouble keeping the pee smell down…. I’ve noticed it’s only when I walk past the bucks cages the smell is so strong it makes me want to wear a mask. (This isn’t the case for the does, when I walk past they’re cages it does not smell). I’ve only tried a spray that I bought online. It works but is expensive. So I’m looking for a cheap and efficient way to keep the smell down! So tell me what do you use to keep the pee smell down?

 

[ladysown]

clean daily. I"ve heard of people using something called PDZ? when I had guinea pigs in the house I used horse stall bedding and it was amazing how it worked.

 

[RabbitsOfTheCreek]

I clean the cages every week. If they can't get to the litter, I put scent pellets on top of the litter after I clean in, but if they can get to it then I put in the scent pellets and then the litter. A few days ago my dad put one of those incense fountains where you burn an incense on top and the smoke goes down and it smelled really good.

 

[Preitler]

Personally, I'm quite wary of scented products and chemicals, doesn't matter if those chemicals are "natural". They do nothing to reduce the amount of ammonia or other stink, just numbing and overpowering our smell receptors. Rabbits have a much more sensitive respiratory system then we do, thanks to selective evolution we can handle smoke a thousend times better than most animals.

That said, I reckon I might be more olfactory tolerant than average, and might tend to the opinion that a lot of our modern health problems are connected to exposing us to myriads of chemicals without a second thought.

What works for me for litterboxes in my house are plain wood stove pellets covered with a layer of wasted hay/forage. I roll up and renew the hay layer once a week, and scoop out damp pellets.
Outside hutches have drop pans and good ventilation. There are a few litter boxes in there because they make cleaning easier with rabbits that use them, there I use an elevated grid (1-2", I use the dried stalks of Jerusalem Artichoks) covered with hay.

 

[MnCanary]

PDZ is zeolite, a mineral that absorbs ammonia. People with horses use it, and it is inexpensive. Every day, scoop out the wet areas, sprinkle PDZ on that area and cover with fresh bedding.

Also, fresh air! Blowing in fresh air and/or exhausting old air does two things: getting rid of ammonia and drying the bedding. Dairy farmers use huge fans to cool their animals and dry the bedding. They report they use about 1/2 the bedding when there is lots of air moving.