Indoor Buns + Dog crate + hay

Folks,

As I have always come second to the bunnies (Michelle had them long before I was around) and reading various posts about hay as a form of nourishment it got me pondering about our small brood and set up.

Bunnies live in the kitchen and have a large crate which thier litter tray is in. This is made up with newspaper at bottom then filled with hay (as bedding I guess). I guess this is ok but it is posts & piccies where people say have hay available in baskerts etc that have got me pondering

Also would using wood shavings as a base under they be an idea as at the moment one or all of the buns seems to have forgotton how to use the litter tray and the paper is sodden

Just a rambling thought if you could give some opinions

They will eat the hay out the litter tray anyway but i always have fresh hay available from a hay rack on side of dog crates:

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I don't have many bunnies that eat hay from a hay rack... they prefer it off the floor, from their bedding and litter trays etc.... sometimes I will have a hay rack sit full for months and months, but they munch away at the bedding hay. Apparently clean un-sat/pooed-on hay is yucky :roll:

The hay bedding could be what temps them to poo and wee in the crate instead of the litter tray.. I have found that with all my foster bunnies that I have managed to litter train I just took them right off hay bedding and onto carpet/blankets, and filled a litter tray with hay... they seem to want to wee on the hay, and the carpet generally stays wee free! (when starting a bunny off I do normally put a blanket over the carpet *just in case*)

It's just how things have worked for me.... some of the buns that come in (My own 2 included) you just know litter training is not going to work for them! So half my hutches are carpet, and half are full of hay/straw etc!

Mine have a thick layer of newspaper at the bottom, to soak up the wee. Then a thick layer of straw which lets the poo fall through to the bottom and stays nice and dry on top. And in one corner of the tray I put the hay. They don't always leave it in that corner, of course, but most of it stays clean for eating. I also put some hay near where they like to snooze, and inside kitchen paper rolls. Hay racks are useless with my lot, they just rip all the hay out of them and eat it off the floor. I guess wild rabbits eat mostly grass from the ground, too, so it's no surprise that my bunnies prefer that.

Just read the post above mine, and want to add, that I don't have any bedding outside the litter trays. I tried with hay and straw in winter, but my bunnies just push it all in one corner and prefer to sit on the wood. They always use their litter trays as toilets, only Luna sometimes drops some poos in random places.

Bailey's litter tray has a 1" layer of sawdust then a layer of hay and then more hay in a hay rack hung on the side of the crate
He eats from both the litter tray and the hay rack

Another thing: I used wood shavings/sawdust with my indoor bunnies in Germany, and the stuff irritated my eyes, and also the bunnies' noses and eyes. I can't recommend it.

OK, now I'm confused. "Hay out of the litter tray" Does this mean that you use hay in the litter tray:?:

Would it be better to use straw in the dog crate and have hay some where else??

I use hay only in my litter trays and a good bundle of it to, Then I also hav plastic plant pots stuffed wiv hay to so nice and clean for them to eat .
Buns like to eat, poop and piddle all at the same time lol

Mine have news paper on the floor and hay in a hay rack.
They have a litter tray with newspaper on the bottom topped with hay as they like to nibble while on the loo.

I find if hay has got on to the floor in their sheds they will often wee on it as they associate hay that is not in a rack with hay in their litter tray to sit wee and poo on.

Rabswood

iandb said:

OK, now I'm confused. "Hay out of the litter tray" Does this mean that you use hay in the litter tray:?:

Would it be better to use straw in the dog crate and have hay some where else??

Click to expand...

Both if you like. hay in the litter tray is and also hay out of it like in a hay rack, or hay ball or tub or something

Im lucky, all 3 of mine eat out hay racks Mind you, dreama still likes to drag it about also :lol: