newspaper in trays presenting a problem...

[SterlingSatin]

not exactly sure what forum this should go in but i guessed. if you feel like it should be moved feel free.

anyway, i have all stack cages with trays b/c the floor of my bunny barn is concrete and there's really no way to set up trayless hanging cages. i've been lining my trays with newspaper and dumping them in the bed behind my bunny barn. but as the newspapers dry out, they've been blowing all over my yard and my neighbor's yard with this wind. no complaints yet but i really would prefer that my neighbors don't start asking questions. i try to keep a low profile with my bunnies since all livestock is completely prohibited in my area and i'm pretty urban. acording to zoning, rabbits don't count as livestock, but if my neighbors knew that i was selling them for meat and treating them as livestock then i think they'd probably petition to change the zoning to exclude rabbits. anyway, point is, do any of you have any creative solutions? what do you use in your trays? i was thinkign about using shavings but newspaper is nice cuz its free and i get daily news so i've never had a short supply. how much do shavings users spend on shavings each month? do some of you just leave your trays unlined? i had smell and moisture issues doing that. i might be able to rig up a unsophisticated compost pile so i could stuff the newspapers down in it. that might help. i hate to have to seperate all the newspaper from the poop when i dump. its gross and takes forever, and the newspaper is soaked at that point so all it does is rip in my hands.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

You could cover your pile with something to keep the paper from blowing away. A tarp weighted down with boards or cinder blocks would work, or you could cut a piece of wire fencing and lay that over it.

As an alternative to paper you could try the pelleted pine bedding sold for horses. It is very absorbent and you could use it in their urine corners only to cut down cost.

 

[Random Rabbit]

As an alternative to paper you could try the pelleted pine bedding sold for horses. It is very absorbent and you could use it in their urine corners only to cut down cost.

Also the pellets for wood stoves works Wonderfully well. It is cheaper than the ones for horses ( same stuff... but as soon as one says "for Horses" the price jumps....lol) ( as another aside... the stove pellets are 'usually' tax free... at least here they are....)

We have found that the soft wood type pellets do a slightly better job soaking the urine...but that is just our thinking. :bunnyhop:

 

[Secuono]

The newspaper will decompose, add it to your pile and just keep the poop on top of the paper.
Also, make a bin for the mix to go into, don't just toss it behind the barn...
Add a lid/top and you won't have issues.

 

[MaggieJ]

Get four pallets and make a proper compost box. Add a lid if necessary.

 

[Bill]

we started out using shavings in our pans under our cages, we have a factory nearby and can buy "rejects" cheaply for our other animals, but weren't happy with how they worked. We switched to oil dry then to kitty litter. We've found what works for us is a small amount of kitty litter in the tray. We started using too much and had problems getting it out. We actually use a sheet of plastic with the small amount of the KL on top of it. It may take a bit of experimenting to get just the right amount in there to get everything absorbed without wasting it. We're able to buy it at our local Tractor Supply in a large bag.

 

[skysthelimit]

I was using shavings, now I'm just letting the hay fall and it seems to do a better job than the shavings.

 

[currituckbun]

I use newspaper sections that are unshreded and sprinkle the minimum amount of pine shavings in the potty corner. The paper sucks up the pee and the shavings keep the smell down. When I dump, the paper comes out in a wet mat and I bag that in the garbage. The poop and shavings end up in the compost pile. I guess I could burry the paper too but I thought it would take too long to break down.

 

[AnnClaire]

Or, just pre-shred the paper ... any that the bunnies get ahold of and pull through the wire won't hurt them, and when they go into the compost pile, they will break down quickly. You might also try keeping the pile watered down until the papers get covered up.

 

[Jessykah]

I wouldn't use kitty litter. Not good for composting. Or so I've heard.

 

[AnnClaire]

Jessy, I suppose that would also depend on if you need clay in your soil :lol: Out here, I don't need any more clay in my red clay soil, but I will run a small amount through the compost from time to time as that little bit won't hurt :lol:

 

[Jessykah]

Well, it may be safe if there's no chemicals, like in litter designed to keep odor down with perfumes, etc.

We pay $3-5 for a large plastic wrapped square bale of shavings at local saw mills, $8 at feed store. How long it lasts depends on how many rabbits u have, how much u use in the trays (cover the whole tray vs. just the pee corner), and if u use it for other things around the farm (chickens, nestboxes, etc.). I use the shavings sparingly, and in the bottom of nestboxes. But I am intrigued by the idea if shredded newspapers. That's free, other than buying a shredder. They would be easier to clean out than the full sheets of paper, I would think.

 

[AnnClaire]

Jessy, you could also take a yard stick (or any other stiff, straight edge) and simply tear 1"+/- strips ... 4-5 sheets at a time can be done this way

And if you really want to give your rabbits a treat, hang some shredded newspaper strips from the top of the cage and let them have fun tearing and chewing at it ... it won't hurt as long as you are using the non-slick, very little color ink pages. All newspapers are printed with a soy-based ink ... even the color ink on the newsprint paper.

The problem with shavings is that there are soooooo many other uses for them :lol: Heck, even dried grass clippings could be used instead of shavings that you have to buy I saw where one lady uses cotton t-shirts that she can wash and reuse ... that's a little too much extra washing for me LOL

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I don't have trays, but I use pine shavings underneath the cages to help keep odor down, and it is good to balance the nitrogen from the urine, since wood uses nitrogen as it decomposes. I also raked up bags and bags of oak leaves and used that under the cages as well, so using some kind of yard waste in the trays is a good idea. I made sure to powder the leaves with diatomaceous earth in case there were any mites (highly doubtful), but the DE is supposed to be good for odor control too and I spray it under the cages anyway.

 

[Jessykah]

A yard stick--brilliant!

 

[skysthelimit]

I have an abundance of shredded paper (i'm a teacher). I used to use it, but I found it is heavier than the wood shavings, and tends to turn into a big soggy clump. I do use it in the nestboxes, after the first cleaning.

 

[AnnClaire]

Hey, if the kids are old enough, this would make a great sit-still-in-the-evening activity :lol:

I couldn't find my yard stick one time, so I used a piece of 1/2"x6" board and that worked good too ... any sharp corner will work, even a counter top ... but that would get black with ink, although the ink would be easy enough to wipe up afterwards.

 

[palmettogirl]

I think you definitely need to compost it. Newspaper and bunny poop is perfect for the compost pile or worm bins. You can use old pallets to make a compost bin or do what i did by buying those metal fence posts and placing those in a square then take cage wire or something similar and wrap around on three sides. Leave the front open and cut another piece and wire it on the front. That way you can remove the front and shovel out or turn the pile more easily. Another easy way is to take a rubber trash can with lid. Drill holes in the can,top, and bottom and just dump things into there. The poop is nitrogen, the paper counts as brown and you can add leaves or vege scraps ect. You can also roll the trash can around to keep everything mixed up. It will make compost more quickly than the open bin. When you dump into the open bin then just take a pitchfork and turn the top layer over so the heavier compost stuff will be on top and you should have no problems with wind. Also add water occassionally. I do the open bin method and it works great. I also do worm bins out of plastic containers but that takes more explaining as I have a stacked system.