im new at rabbits and i just wondered what is the best bedding for them i wanted something nice and warm!!

-- alison cuthbert (allyc12@hotmail.com), July 11, 2000

Answers

Are your rabbit cages wood bottomed? You don't really need bedding for rabbits unless it gets to 30 below zero in the winter, or you have a new litter in the nest box. (They get mama fur, usually, but I add wood shavings, or straw) I don't suggust you use a wood bottom floor if you have access to 16 gauge 1/2" by 1/2" or 1/2" by 1" wire, that way droppings and spills drop to the ground, where you can easily go directly give them to your veggies. Also, bedding can hold mositure and add to all kinds of bad heath problems in bunnies. If you must use bedding, go with good LOW DUST straw, or the bunnies may get sniffles, which can lead to pnemonia, which kills quick. Also, remember you'll have to change the bedding daily, and this cannot be neglected for the health of your rabbitry. (Don't forget to sanitize cages weekly)

-- Marty (Mrs.Puck@excite.com), July 11, 2000.

I found that my rabbits do best on wire floors with a litter box filled with pine shavings. They each have houses they can (and do) climb on and can get off the wire with (and chew) The houses had a combination of hay and straw for nesting or winter sleeping to stay warm. It would have to be continually refilled since they usually ate their "blankets". The does that I had together had pine shavings on the floor. They would dig all the shavings into the nests to seal in the babies so I would have to add more. My rabbits are healthy and happy.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), July 11, 2000.

Wire cage fan here with them hung in the hen house, wall on north and west walls. I have 8x8" wooden squares cut out and stacked. I keep these in the pens for the rabbits to sit or lay on if they want, I turn it over when it gets dirty and then switch it out with a clean one. I do keep hay for them on the outside of their cage, they will drag it in to line their own nest boxes, and munch on it too! Vicki McGaugh

-- Vicki McGaugh (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), July 12, 2000.

I have straw inside their hutch and have a wire floor outside their hutch with a drawer of smaller wire to catch their droppings. I take the drawers out and dump them in garden. It works pretty well except I wish I could teach the rabbits not to drop their droppings in the little hutch were they are supposed to use for a bed. The last time I cleaned them out, they had more droppings on their straw then in the drawers. How do you change that? How do you teach them to only go on the wire floor?

Thanks Todd O.<>< IA

-- Todd Osborn (Tosborn@cccglobal.com), July 13, 2000.

That is why I gave mine litter boxes. I think they like something solid under them when they go. The ones that don't use the litter boxes will go on the wood that supports the wire. Remember too, sometimes they have to eat certain poop that is vitamin rich. Hard to do if it falls through the wire all the time.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), July 14, 2000.

we've raised rabbits for years (as pets, not to eat) and we've now begun raising Angoras for their hair...

we use wire cases. we don't use any nesting materials in the hot summer. In the winter we use straw or hay because they have large hutches and love to make tunnels and burrow down in it.

some of my rabbit hutches are hanging on the wall by chains and others sit on the ground. I shovel beneath them EVERY day to keep it clean and keep flies down. they are near the garden so their handy fertilizer goes directly there. Good luck! rabbits are work but a lot of fun and are usually very loving!

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), July 15, 2000.

I meant to add that I read somewhere not to ever use cedar shavings as beeding for your rabbits...I forgot why you're not supposed to use them but it was supposed to be very bad for them.

-- Suzy in 'Bama (slgt@yahoo.com), July 15, 2000.

The cedar oil is irritating to their skin.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), July 16, 2000.