So much wee!

[UK-backyardbunnies]

I think I really underestimated how much two does would wee and they're going in the nestbox too. Would you suggest removing the nestbox until it's needed?
Any other tips or tricks?
I shredded newspaper into the pen for extra warmth but I think it's this that's (not) absorbing the urine and it smells within the day. Would a deep litter system with e.g. megazorb be better? I'm inclined to scrub the whole thing and re-bed it.

 

[TheLittleBunny10]

yes, if your doe's are going to have kits you should put the nest box in on day 28
My doe is litter-box trained so I don't have to worry about her going in the nestbox,
I use pine shavings and cover that with hay, most bunnies dont like pine but it reduces the smell a lot,
and personally I do not like deep litter, (it stinks more) but those are my opinions,

 

[trinityoaks]

I don't know whether you have easy access to peat moss, but we use a layer of peat moss in the dropping pans below our upper row of cages. I suppose you could use pine shavings or something similar instead, although I don't think they would absorb as well as the peat moss.

 

[UK-backyardbunnies]

Peat moss etc very expensive and decidely eco-unfriendly here.
I'm looking at the wood-based horse beddings.

It did cross my mind though that I used to keep gerbils in a tank of soil/compost, the soil bacteria helped break down the urine... When the snow goes I would have plenty of soil...(this is an indoor set-up, essentially the colony is in an old "stable" - brick and stone built with a brick floor).

The little swines did have a litter tray but carefully shoved it out of the way and pee-ed around it!

 

[MaggieJ]

Wood based horse bedding would likely work very well. The wood pellets break down into sawdust when they get wet, so you could shovel them or sweep them out as needed. I have my colony in an eight by eight section of a shed with a wood floor. I use deep litter - a full bale of pine shavings - and then let the wasted hay accumulate on top. It works fine for me. But then my rabbits are on a natural diet and it seems to me that there is less odour than when they were being fed pellets. They don't seem to drink as much water either.