New idea for a rabbit colony.

[MamaSheepdog]

Btw, does rabbits on wirefloors chose potty corners

Yes they do. That's why it is so easy to "potty train" most rabbits.

 

[Zab]

So, hypothetically, in a big enough cage one could put a bedding of straw and enjoy both the benefits of wirecages and the benefits of bedding,, since the straw wouldn't need to be exchanged very often?

 

[Frecs]

So, hypothetically, in a big enough cage one could put a bedding of straw and enjoy both the benefits of wirecages and the benefits of bedding,, since the straw wouldn't need to be exchanged very often?

Possibly. But...

I have my rabbits in wire cages. But, I give them lots of hay loose in their cages to both eat and make a warm spot to snuggle. They compact the hay down over all or most of their cage floor and each time I dispense more hay (daily generally) they add more until they have as much as four inches of hay flooring. In their "potty corner", the hay is layered with poop and the lower layers are wet with pee (they keep the top layer dry). So, about once a week or so, I will pull out the hay from the back corners, move the front hay back, and give them a big load of fresh hay. Makes for very happy busy bunnies on those days! They love to fix up their cage! :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop:

And, yes, this is hay, not straw. I got 15 bales of good hay for the cost of straw so it serves double duty. :mrgreen:

 

[Zab]

So, hypothetically, in a big enough cage one could put a bedding of straw and enjoy both the benefits of wirecages and the benefits of bedding,, since the straw wouldn't need to be exchanged very often?

Possibly. But...

I have my rabbits in wire cages. But, I give them lots of hay loose in their cages to both eat and make a warm spot to snuggle. They compact the hay down over all or most of their cage floor and each time I dispense more hay (daily generally) they add more until they have as much as four inches of hay flooring. In their "potty corner", the hay is layered with poop and the lower layers are wet with pee (they keep the top layer dry). So, about once a week or so, I will pull out the hay from the back corners, move the front hay back, and give them a big load of fresh hay. Makes for very happy busy bunnies on those days! They love to fix up their cage! :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop:

And, yes, this is hay, not straw. I got 15 bales of good hay for the cost of straw so it serves double duty. :mrgreen:

Sounds like how a regular deep bed on solid floor works When I had my pet bunny in a 1x1 metre cage he'd keep one corner as a pottycornr that I had to clean 1-2 times per week. Top was always dry but it needs to be changed either way :lol: The rest of the cage was clean though and it could go several months without that straw being in need of replacement.

I figured that in a 8 feet long cage, perhaps 3-4 feet could be bedded with straw... but perhaps they'd realy spread it over everything and pee on it anyways.

I like that you keep giving them straw/hay despite the extra workload

 

[Frecs]

So, hypothetically, in a big enough cage one could put a bedding of straw and enjoy both the benefits of wirecages and the benefits of bedding,, since the straw wouldn't need to be exchanged very often?

Possibly. But...

I have my rabbits in wire cages. But, I give them lots of hay loose in their cages to both eat and make a warm spot to snuggle. They compact the hay down over all or most of their cage floor and each time I dispense more hay (daily generally) they add more until they have as much as four inches of hay flooring. In their "potty corner", the hay is layered with poop and the lower layers are wet with pee (they keep the top layer dry). So, about once a week or so, I will pull out the hay from the back corners, move the front hay back, and give them a big load of fresh hay. Makes for very happy busy bunnies on those days! They love to fix up their cage! :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop: :bunnyhop:

And, yes, this is hay, not straw. I got 15 bales of good hay for the cost of straw so it serves double duty. :mrgreen:

Sounds like how a regular deep bed on solid floor works When I had my pet bunny in a 1x1 metre cage he'd keep one corner as a pottycornr that I had to clean 1-2 times per week. Top was always dry but it needs to be changed either way :lol: The rest of the cage was clean though and it could go several months without that straw being in need of replacement.

I figured that in a 8 feet long cage, perhaps 3-4 feet could be bedded with straw... but perhaps they'd realy spread it over everything and pee on it anyways.

I like that you keep giving them straw/hay despite the extra workload

Cool. See, my bunnies trained me! :lol: And, yes, I suspect that if Maggie's bunnies are like mine, the hay will not stay in just one area. They will spread it around and do with as they please. And, it really isn't that much effort. I just pull out three or four handfuls of soiled hay, push the old/clean hay back, and pop in a big bundle of fresh hay. Since my rabbits really did not care for the tiles I gave them to lay on, chewed up and ate the wicker baskets I gave them, and otherwise showed little appreciation for my efforts toward their "comfort", the least I can do is satisfy their preference for hay carpeting... by using the deep litter over wire, I have the best of all worlds -- excess urine goes out and into the ground, my rabbits have a comfortable and sanitary home, and everyone is happy.

 

[Zab]

I don't think of deep bedding as a big workload, but I have never experienced wire so I wouldn't really kow what differense it makes I suppose there is cleaning with wire too, only outside the cage.

 

[Frecs]

I don't think of deep bedding as a big workload, but I have never experienced wire so I wouldn't really kow what differense it makes I suppose there is cleaning with wire too, only outside the cage.

About once a month or so, I shovel out under the rabbit cages and transfer the poop and decomposing hay to my garden beds. Thus, I don't have to purchase bags of manure and mulch; and, it counts as exercise, thus saving me $$ for a gym membership! :mrgreen: I also have periodic cage wire cleaning days (when it isn't freezing cold, thanks very much!) though I haven't yet established a frequency (I don't do water hoses on freezing days!)...mostly based on when I notice a need. That might make me sound unattentive or like I run a dirty rabbitry but it isn't dirty at all.

and, I do believe we have officially hijacked Maggie's thread. You are in trouble now! opcorn:

 

[MaggieJ]

and, I do believe we have officially hijacked Maggie's thread. You are in trouble now! opcorn:

Not at all!

Digressions can be useful. Zab, you can be sure that sitting on wire will not be my rabbits' only choice. I think a few shelves attached to the walls should give them nice places to perch.

 

[Zab]

and, I do believe we have officially hijacked Maggie's thread. You are in trouble now! opcorn:

Thank you for letting mr take the blame! :croc: :laugh:

MaggieJ I figured you'd put something in for them I think you already have straw (?) so I figured it could be worth a shot.. I wouldn't be surprised if they'd decide to just use it as a toilet though. But shelves are always good for lots of reasons

 

[Frecs]

and, I do believe we have officially hijacked Maggie's thread. You are in trouble now! opcorn:

Thank you for letting mr take the blame! :croc: :laugh:

I knew you wouldn't mind! :lol:

 

[Honorine]

I'm trying to imagine what its going to look like and am having a hard time, guess I'll have to wait for pictures!! I'm wondering if it would be possible to wrap it around the outside of a chicken coop, just run a continous U around the outside. That way they would be inside my chicken fence, chickens could access under the cages. I'll have think about this. Looking forward to pictures when you get it together.

 

[MaggieJ]

I think your idea would work fine. I remember an animal shelter in Toronto years ago that had exterior runs made of heavy-duty wire. I thought then that it was a great idea to let the animals get some fresh air.

It's going to be some time before I can implement my idea. I'm not capable of building it myself and then there is the problem that money is very tight. But I can plan and dream and hope things improve.

 

[Miss M]

But I can plan and dream and hope things improve.

I've been there most of my life!

 

[Honorine]

My DH makes fun of me, calls me a 'cobbler' because I'm always taking what I have and making do, because I'm always broke. Thats why I want to do the colony, this year isn't looking good, may have to let go of most of my breeds except for ones that are good meat producers. That means no Silvers, which is killing me, and all the Mini Rex. I could keep the Pals in a colony with some Florida Whites, and feed them a lot more of a diverse diet and hopefully cut back on pellet use. Thats whats killing me, even with only 30 rabbits I'm still paying 60-80 bucks a month for food. Silvers are heavy eaters, and eat a LOT, so do Pals but they produce more meat, the Mini Rex are fairly thrifty but my lines tend to be small, and the Florida Whites seem to be able to exist on air and survive and produce, they are very hardy and thrifty. I have to figure something out.

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

interesting. i hadnt heard that about florida whites, honorine.

 

[Honorine]

My Floridas are very thrifty, once they put weight on it stays on. Their big hay eaters, they like to sit and chew all day, also means their fur chewers, so you don't want to leave your young ones together for too long, they will denude each other if they run out of hay. Their not big eaters, there's always feed left, unlike the Silvers who are absolute hogs. My Sr does just seem to get bigger and heavier with time, and just keep producing kits, they never get thin even when bred tightly, or in the winter. Good producers, tough bunnies. I've had them for 6 years now, I really like them, their little meat bricks.

 

[Miss M]

What's the typical dress-out for a Florida White?

 

[GBov]

Any time I give my buns hay in the cage they turn it into a manure pile. That isnt the problem, maggots are :evil: By day four or five, even with fresh hay on top so its all dry and nice for them it heaving with white nasties..............

UGH!

So one by one each cage is getting a hay rack.

Its nice for them to be able to sit on hay but not if it helps the fly problem along, its bad enough already. :roll:

 

[Frecs]

Any time I give my buns hay in the cage they turn it into a manure pile. That isnt the problem, maggots are :evil: By day four or five, even with fresh hay on top so its all dry and nice for them it heaving with white nasties..............

UGH!

So one by one each cage is getting a hay rack.

Its nice for them to be able to sit on hay but not if it helps the fly problem along, its bad enough already. :roll:

That would be awful! ugh!

So far, I've not had a fly problem in the rabbitry. I wonder if that is because of my Muscovies which have a huge appetite for all things creepy/crawlie/nasty???

 

[Attal.Rabbits]

I know this sounds weired, but one time during the summer i didnt clean my rabbit cage for 4 days, and my rabbits ae inside my house! i had maggots too! i was just so suprised scince my rabbit lives in my living room! it was so gross ewwwww. I am not sure if you can use it for rabbits or not, i know i used to use it for the dog, have your tried straw for the bedding instead of hay? like i said i dont konw if straw is safe for rabbits. but it worked great for the dogs