Rabbit Allergies

[PSFAngoras]

I've been noticing a few of my buns with runny noses lately. It's not snuffles. The discharge is clear, very thin, and no one is sneezing. Tried anit-bios on some, to no avail. The only thing I can link it to is allergies from dust in the pellets, or maybe that their drop tray litter is not controlling the smell from the urine and the fumes are irritating them. I don't smell anything, and I clean trays at a minimum of once a week, usually twice, but let's face it, pine isn't doesn't absorb a whole lot, and they live directly over them. They do get some discharge in summer from the heat, but seeing as how I breed angoras, it's no surprise that they get some heat discharge issues around 90 degrees. I though it might be condensation from the cold, but it is there on the warmer days too. And the only connection I can for sure make is it became more prevalent since I've been noticing the feed was dustier than usual, though a bun or two had this before the feed went dusty (where the litter idea comes into play).

Long story short, it has to be allergies. Nothing else makes sense.

I'm going to be switching feed. Manna Pro has just been dusty lately, and I'm noticing my rabbits are eating more than usual even taking the cold weather into account, and though no one is underweight, they are running a bit thinner than usual. Combined with the issues another breeder told me about (other areas are getting bad shipments with mold in them, or rabbits suddenly refusing a certain bag...), I'm starting to think that paying the $7 dollars more a bag and switching back to ADM Penpals will be worth it, even if I do have to special order it. The bright side to that will be that the pellet size is smaller, and the kits can hold on to it better where they drop the larger Manna Pro pellets when they start to eat solid food.

So I guess since my feed problem will be under control soon, my question is this. What bedding has both good absorption, controls odor well, AND is not going to break the bank? (Remember, an expensive feed change is imminent!) I know several other breeders in the area like to use puppy pads. I'm okay with this on a here and there basis, for the stack in the office that is only used for quarantine or in the summer for show buns, and for the carry cages for shows, but I prefer something compostable in the long run. I like the idea of the paper bedding, but it's nearly 20 dollars a bale here. Too expensive when I go through about a bale a week, and am only paying six dollars for pine. Does peat do well? It's kind of pricey too, but I'd nearly be able to skip the composting step all together and just throw it out in the garden, though peat isn't a renewable resource.

Any ideas? What does everyone else use? I have stacks, so not having trays is not an option. Oh, and a flush clean system is not an option either at this time, though I will switch to that when I get a proper rabbit barn! Thanks in advance.

 

[3mina]

I'm using wood pellets in my trays, not a lot, and I'm using DE as well. It locks up ammonia and doesn't release it if rewetted. I started out with a bag of Stall Dry but the powdered stuff works as well but is a touch dusty when you first put it in the tray. Regular non clumping cat litter is DE too. I'm finding though that the DE makes for heavier trash bags.

 

[DogCatMom]

PSF, since you live in Colorado, would it be possible to use aspen (shredded, pellet-formed, whatever is small) for bedding? This would be a carbon and nitrogen source for your compost pile after the rabbits finish with it.

I shred newspaper myself for Parsley (we subscribe to a daily paper and two Sunday papers), but he's only one rabbit. Your situation is much different.

 

[skysthelimit]

I've pretty much dispensed with using anything in my pans. I could not find one thing that worked without a combination of other things. Peat moss is expensive, and I was told it's from a non renewable resource. Pine flakes are cheap, but not very absorbent, though they smell good. They look awful in the plants, as my house faces the street. Same with pine pellets (looks) and they make the trays heavy. I got shredded paper when I worked in the school. I still have bags of it. It is very absorbent, but looked even worse than the other two (lol) and the buns spent time chewing at the pieces sticking up into the cage.

Now I just use barn lime in the tray, and empty them at least once a week, or more in the summer. Dump and rinse with water/vinegar, without the added weight or unsightly matter in the litter.

 

[PSFAngoras]

3mina: thank you, but cat litter would be something else I have to throw away vs. using the compost in the garden, and though it would work great to keep the smell down, I really think its important to be able to use the bunny poo in the garden.

DCM: aspen... Pine... They both have about the same absorption quality... they do absorb better when closer to sawdust form, but my feed store no longer carries the finely shredded stuff. I can't afford to order a whole pallet at a time. I think TSC in town carries it, but as far as I'm concerned they're evil and I don't go there unless I'm in dire straights.

Sky: is the lime to keep the ammonia smell down? If so, where do you typically find it? I have been debating a more manual system of rinsing out each tray every day, not quite a flush clean system but close, but that would be a lot of work. Doable, but a LOT of work! Have to do a bit of research on what like will do to the soil/ compost pile. It's basic right? Our soil is alkaline enough, so that may not be an option.