What to do with the hay

[catjac1975]

Hoodat is a rabbit expert. Ask him about the bedding for bunnies!

 

[catjac1975]

Interesting article.

http://buckysbunnies.tripod.com/Pine.html

 

[Smiles Jr.]

GwR - that's a great picture. It sounds to me like you have everything under control and, like all of us, you may make small changes in your equipment and routine as time goes by. It also sounds like the bunnies at your house have a very loving caregiver and they will have a great life.

You mentioned that you plan to plant more blackberry bushes along the fence. I looked for a long time for a new place to plant some blackberries a few years ago. Eventually I discovered a fence row that was un-used and planted them there. A very good choice. It would have been silly for me to overlook a ready-made trellis.

 

[bobm]

I worked at a major University Vet. Med. Teaching Hospital as well as a private Lab.... At the isolation , research and the client owned ill / injured animals braught in for treatment facilities / barns all used pine shavings as bedding. We had rat raised colony ( delivered by C-section) under strict sterile conditions with pine shavings as bedding. We had dozens of breeding rabbits in all wire hanging cages with kits born in nest boxes with pine shavings as nesting material and pine shavings on the floors to contain dropings and urine. These kits( thausands), when fully grown we used to develop antibodies for development of DNA testing. We had NO ill effects from the use of the shavings. Shavings were the choice as hay/ straw have hollow stems that ( may) harbor all types of pathogens from the fields where they were harvested from.

 

[thistlebloom]

Interesting article.

http://buckysbunnies.tripod.com/Pine.html

Thanks for sharing that Cat. It was a very interesting read. I'm glad to hear some facts about cedar and pine shavings after ball the rumors I've heard for years.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Interesting article.

http://buckysbunnies.tripod.com/Pine.html

Thank you. That was very interesting.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

I worked at a major University Vet. Med. Teaching Hospital as well as a private Lab.... At the isolation , research and the client owned ill / injured animals braught in for treatment facilities / barns all used pine shavings as bedding. We had rat raised colony ( delivered by C-section) under strict sterile conditions with pine shavings as bedding. We had dozens of breeding rabbits in all wire hanging cages with kits born in nest boxes with pine shavings as nesting material and pine shavings on the floors to contain dropings and urine. These kits( thausands), when fully grown we used to develop antibodies for development of DNA testing. We had NO ill effects from the use of the shavings. Shavings were the choice as hay/ straw have hollow stems that ( may) harbor all types of pathogens from the fields where they were harvested from.

This is my answer then. Thank you very much!

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

GwR - that's a great picture. It sounds to me like you have everything under control and, like all of us, you may make small changes in your equipment and routine as time goes by. It also sounds like the bunnies at your house have a very loving caregiver and they will have a great life.

You mentioned that you plan to plant more blackberry bushes along the fence. I looked for a long time for a new place to plant some blackberries a few years ago. Eventually I discovered a fence row that was un-used and planted them there. A very good choice. It would have been silly for me to overlook a ready-made trellis.

They are a lot of work, but fun. We are going to have a pen for them to go out and get exercise one at a time. I planted blackberries going north and south and we put fence posts and ran strands of wire, but this year I bought 2 blackberry bushes from Gurney with thorns because I read they taste better, but they don't. I also bought 2 Triple Crown because I read good things about them. I planted all these east to west and that will be where the fence will be, so they will have support. The first 6 I planted were Apache and they took forever to produce and I was about to give up on them, but this year they really produced and had a great taste. The rabbits love the leaves.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Hoodat is a rabbit expert. Ask him about the bedding for bunnies!

I saw a picture of his buck in a metal cage and I did not see hay. I am not sure if his rabbits are outside thought, but Hoodat, if you see this, what do you think about the hay bedding? I think something has to change because I cannot deal with this amount of hay to compost and looks like I will be starting a weed farm.

 

[thistlebloom]

Hoodys' rabbits are outside. He lives in San Diego.