I have heard it said that one of the good things about raising rabbits is they don't smell. You can raise them and no one even knows they are there. On the other hand, I have seen lots of posts in this forum about the ammonia smell of urine. I plan to keep mine in my side yard which is maybe 35 feet from my neighbor's front door. I plan to use all wire cages with no wood anywhere that can absorb urine. Below the cages is going to be dirt or crushed rock. I want to collect waste for my worm bins. I am starting with 4 rabbits with material to expand to 15. I want to be able to double that if I can find a market for my rabbit meat. What has your experience been? I think the only thing that could interfere with my plans is if the neighbors complain. Can this be done in a odor free way?
Just how smelly are rabbits?
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Rabbit urine is strong smelling but there are ways to work around this. A lot of people use apple cider vinegar in the rabbit's drinking water, 2 tablespoons to the gallon. Some people say a touch of cheap artificial vanilla flavouring in the water works well too. If you are feeding commercial rabbit pellets, look for a brand containing yucca; it is supposed to be really effective.
Dirt is a better choice than crushed rock under the cages. It helps deal with odors. A sprinkling of ground limestone over the dirt may help... I know it did with my chicken house. Sawdust is good if you are composting the rabbit manure. The main thing is not to let it build up too much before raking it out.
If you are in an urban or suburban area, I urge you to check the regulations before getting in too deep. It is easy to be discreet with rabbits, but it would be no fun to have to hide their presence entirely. Better to know where you stand.
Dirt is a better choice than crushed rock under the cages. It helps deal with odors. A sprinkling of ground limestone over the dirt may help... I know it did with my chicken house. Sawdust is good if you are composting the rabbit manure. The main thing is not to let it build up too much before raking it out.
If you are in an urban or suburban area, I urge you to check the regulations before getting in too deep. It is easy to be discreet with rabbits, but it would be no fun to have to hide their presence entirely. Better to know where you stand.
You can also use the fresh scent cat litter (which I've used) or I've heard that the horse pellet litter works really well for absorbing the smell of the urine. Peat moss will also neutralize it.
Even with those, right after the bunny pees, you'll smell the urine. But it sure goes away quickly.
Barn Lime on a dirt floor (or concrete, for that matter) is a great way to "sweeten" the barn.
Rabbit poo is hard and dry and non-smell. Pretty much just fiber in a ball.
Even with those, right after the bunny pees, you'll smell the urine. But it sure goes away quickly.
Barn Lime on a dirt floor (or concrete, for that matter) is a great way to "sweeten" the barn.
Rabbit poo is hard and dry and non-smell. Pretty much just fiber in a ball.
I have close to 60 adult rabbits with several kits contained in a 600 sq. ft. enclosure. I use hydrated lime, rake it at least once a week, and use pine shavings in my stackers (cleaned at least 2x per week) and never have an odor. I have a friend that has been coming down and helping me out around here for spring and she is amazed that you can't smell them. The hog pen...now that's a different story...
DevonW
Well-known member
Rabbits themselves don't smell at all (in fact they kind of smell like fabric softener).
The ammonia is the nasty part. Cleaning regularly cuts down on the smell. Using things like StallDry, Peat Moss, and shavings in the drop trays help keep the smell down between cleanings and yucca is the best additive to use to actually prevent the urine from smelling bad, you can add it in the water or buy food with yucca in it already.
The ammonia is the nasty part. Cleaning regularly cuts down on the smell. Using things like StallDry, Peat Moss, and shavings in the drop trays help keep the smell down between cleanings and yucca is the best additive to use to actually prevent the urine from smelling bad, you can add it in the water or buy food with yucca in it already.
hoodat
Well-known member
If you use red worms in your bed of manure it cuts down the smell quite a bit and you also have to remove the manure less often. They break the raw manure and urine down into earth smelling compost that is great on the garden. You may have to add some hay or sawdust if your rabbits don't drop hay when they feed on it.
Lets just say, a rabbit, kept as a pet, with attention who is by nature clean
not bad, they can have a bit of a 'piney' scent.
A rabbitry that is a few days behind,
yeah, lets just say, Ammonia management becomes a HUGE issue, as it will cause a 'wet' atmosphere and be strong enough to knock you back through the door.
not bad, they can have a bit of a 'piney' scent.
A rabbitry that is a few days behind,
yeah, lets just say, Ammonia management becomes a HUGE issue, as it will cause a 'wet' atmosphere and be strong enough to knock you back through the door.
hoodat
Well-known member
One good thing about rabbits as pets is that they tend to pick one corner of the cage for a potty and can even be trained to use a litter box like a cat.
Different people have different tolerances for odor and even things like how much breeze goes through your yard and how shady/sunny it is can be factors. I think you'll get an idea how much work it will be to keep your rabbits from offending if you start off with only a few rabbits at first and see how it goes for a couple of months. Make sure one of them is a buck - they're smellier. If the odor becomes a problem you aren't in so deep you can't get out again. Your idea to start with 4 is a good one.
Actually, you can cut down on the bucks order by cleaning the nooks next to the vent (sweat or scent glans depending on which book) but I don't find the smell offensive (smells like pinesol to me) so I only pick the crusties out, or clean them during a pre-breeding or show check.
OneAcreFarm
Well-known member
Jack":35ec0ul1 said:
ok...EEWWWW! :x ... :lol: I know it is one of those things that needs to be done, but BOY that was a mental image I can do without.....crusties, indeed!
Actually got in the the habit, mainly cause I had one buck DQ'd for 'genital injury or infection', best I can figure is that the doe he was bred to got a little nippy in her rejection.
Gees
thats OK, wanna know about some of the stuff you eat...
I'm a Vegetarian, I know most of the worst, and I was raised by those who have no fondness for meat (health grounds, not really moral)
Lets just say, that at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, early Last Centrury, that one of Dr. Kellogg's (yes of the cereal fame) tricks
was to show two slides and ask, which is the Manuer, and which is the meat...
most people got it wrong...
But then, my wife does accuse me of cremating hamburgers
Gees
thats OK, wanna know about some of the stuff you eat...
I'm a Vegetarian, I know most of the worst, and I was raised by those who have no fondness for meat (health grounds, not really moral)
Lets just say, that at the Battle Creek Sanitarium, early Last Centrury, that one of Dr. Kellogg's (yes of the cereal fame) tricks
was to show two slides and ask, which is the Manuer, and which is the meat...
most people got it wrong...
But then, my wife does accuse me of cremating hamburgers
SatinsRule
Well-known member
Rabbits are only as offensive and smelly as their owners allow them to become. If you clean up after them regularly and put down barnyard lime or some kind of bedding to help combat odors, there's not much smell involved with them at all.
yeah what he said^^^^^^^^^^^
If you want to bath a rabbit, do it in a tub or a rubbermaid tub in the bath tub, put about 3" or so of water and just cup it up and over.
most of the 'scent' is from around the vent, hydrogen peroxide works well in helping to clean it.
If you want to bath a rabbit, do it in a tub or a rubbermaid tub in the bath tub, put about 3" or so of water and just cup it up and over.
most of the 'scent' is from around the vent, hydrogen peroxide works well in helping to clean it.
Also regularily scrub the pee corners of the cages with a bleach water solution, and rinse well. Obviously not near the rabbit droppings, so that the bleach solution does not get on the droppings if you use them for your worm bins.
