Manure management options

[Harbisgirl]

Hello. I'm going to start raising meat rabbits in the spring and I'm working on my cage layout. What are the different options for manure management? I'll have hanging cages in a barn - at least for awhile until I decide if/where a hutch would go on our property. I know I'll need to line the walls with plastic to protect it from urine but how do you manage the manure/hay mess? We raise dairy goats and chickens and use a deep litter method but I'm not sure how that works with animals in cages. So far it looks like the most popular methods are a sloped ramp to let it all roll forward into a gutter, or let it accumulate and rake it up, or pull out trays and dump them. I plan on having two layers of cages so i guess I'll need to do trays or a ramp to keep the upper cages from pooping/peeing on the level below but what is the most efficient? I don't mind putting more effort into infrastructure if it will make life easier in the long run

 

[ladysown]

I've done a variety of things with bunnies over the past 20 odd years. My preferred method since I can see output which helps me catch if anyone has gone off feed, or has an impending issue... is catch trays that I clean daily (in the fly season) and every other day (in the not fly season). Mind I don't have meat rabbits anymore so the every other day clean in the not fly season works for me as my hollands and dutch are kept in the same size cage as the meat bunnies were. For me the drop to the ground method encouraged more flies in the actual rabbitry. The slanted ramp thing just got to be a mess and ROYAL pain the butt in the winter (frozen poop and pee). AND it was a misery to have to reach over the ramp to reach the rabbits. And I had a friend who reversed it (so just walked behind rabbits so wouldn't have reach over mess to reach rabbits).... soon discovered the feeding anything other than pellets caused a mess of hay and poop where the ramp met the cage. compounded of course in the winter months. Individual cages with pull out trays works well for me. Individual cages means I can pull one out easily if I need to do a spot clean due to feeding hay/does nesting/any type of wet spot.

 

[Phrick]

I just made this video for a friend, it shows my setup. (The clanky noise you hear is the ceramic floor tiles I put in the cages as a resting/cooling board haha)

The coroplast sheets are 4x8 same size as a sheet of plywood, really easy to work with. You can see that I had to tape an extra piece at one end, I don’t love that but it does work. Husband chose the color I’d be happier if it was less visible but I’m just grateful it’s done. I did add some extra crossbars made of pine fencing slats, underneath the coroplast on the long sides, to help hold the shape. Drilled through the coroplast with short wood screws into the boards then covered the screws/holes with caulk to stop leakage. Every so often I go in with a paint scraper to chip the worst of the pee buildup off the coroplast and out of the gutters.

 

[Harbisgirl]

I just made this video for a friend, it shows my setup. (The clanky noise you hear is the ceramic floor tiles I put in the cages as a resting/cooling board haha)

The coroplast sheets are 4x8 same size as a sheet of plywood, really easy to work with. You can see that I had to tape an extra piece at one end, I don’t love that but it does work. Husband chose the color I’d be happier if it was less visible but I’m just grateful it’s done. I did add some extra crossbars made of pine fencing slats, underneath the coroplast on the long sides, to help hold the shape. Drilled through the coroplast with short wood screws into the boards then covered the screws/holes with caulk to stop leakage. Every so often I go in with a paint scraper to chip the worst of the pee buildup off the coroplast and out of the gutters.

Great idea, thank you. Nice and tidy, I like that

 

[McNally Family Rabbitry]

We use trays under the cages. Very easy to slide out and dump every couple days. Like mentioned above it is good to be able to keep an eye on their amounts and consistency of the poop to make sure everyone is healthy and thriving. We got all our cages from Grandview Rabbitry. Some we have modified to have a deeper plastic tray under instead of the 1" steel pan style

https://grandviewrabbitry.com/product/model-600-rabbit-cage/

 

[Kellilea6]

Great idea, thank you. Nice and tidy, I like that

Wow! I love this! Keeps the rabbitry so clean. I feed my rabbits hay, though so that would be a problem.

 

[Skai]

Hello. I'm going to start raising meat rabbits in the spring and I'm working on my cage layout. What are the different options for manure management? I'll have hanging cages in a barn - at least for awhile until I decide if/where a hutch would go on our property. I know I'll need to line the walls with plastic to protect it from urine but how do you manage the manure/hay mess? We raise dairy goats and chickens and use a deep litter method but I'm not sure how that works with animals in cages. So far it looks like the most popular methods are a sloped ramp to let it all roll forward into a gutter, or let it accumulate and rake it up, or pull out trays and dump them. I plan on having two layers of cages so i guess I'll need to do trays or a ramp to keep the upper cages from pooping/peeing on the level below but what is the most efficient? I don't mind putting more effort into infrastructure if it will make life easier in the long run

My rabbits are in a 10'X20' reinforced hoop house. I use wire bottom cages, no stacking. I keep a deep layer of pine shavings under the cages. I also keep a half dozen chickens in the hoop house with access to a large run. The chickens take care of the waste and compost it by scratching thru it looking for worms and bugs. This has turned out to be extremely efficient. I started this method last May and haven't had to do any shoveling at all. The shavings are probably close to a foot deep now and the chickens love it and eat any food or hay that drops thru the bottom of the cages, so no wasted food. I do believe the decomposing lower layer is providing a little warmth in the hoop house and I'm going to have some lovely compost come Spring.