Should I stop using shavings?

My bunnies are littertrained, but they have some accidents and one of them has soft poops around the place sometimes which can be very messy, they also get pee outside their litter tray accidentally, and one of them is bad at his litter training (boys!) so I need to put bedding over the whole shed floor.

So at the moment I'm using shavings, I get a big bag of ones for horses. They are apparently low dust and everything, but there is still some dust, so I'm worried that it's unpleasant and unhealthy for the buns.

I tried fleece blankets but they decided to dig them up into a pile, chew them, play with them etc. I tried sheets of newspaper but they ripped it up and moved it around!

Is hay or straw a good idea? With hay, will they be likely to go to the toilet in it, or not? They have shavings in their litter trays. With straw, if they eat it, will it be bad for them? Are hay and straw easy beddings to use, or do they not work well?

I can't afford things like more expensive shavings, paper based bedding etc. because I have to cover a whole 8X6 and have guinea pigs too and I don't have much money. I can afford hay and straw, but wonder if you guys have any more ideas?

I don't really want to use something like lino or plastic, because my rabbits can't walk on lino, they hate it!

The shavings don't seem to bother them, though one of them sneezes a little (she's not sick though, I think it's the shavings or hay) and shavings are very handy and cheap. I worry about them though.

I know everything about the pine phenols and all, just haven't been able to think of anything else to use yet. I do want the best for my bunnies.

Thank you so much

:wave: Shavinsgs are apparently bad for both rabbits and piggies alike so I'd stop using them as soon as possible.

Have you considered megazorb, you can get a sack of that for roughly £11 off the internet? That's an 85litre sack and I know a lot of people use that!

I personally use non slip lino for mine, then have a few litter trays with the P@H basic cat litter (I think that's about £8 for a 30litre sack) and then put hay on top of it. It works out cheap and also is nice and easy to clean providing you gve it a quick sweep over each day! Then I just fill their sleepign area with lots of straw.

Rabbits should be eating lots and lots of hay each day anyway and in my experience they tend to poop where they eat, so litter trays full of hay are always a good idea :thumb:

Hay/Straw is a suitable bedding materail, maybe just lining the bottom of the cage with newspaper as well will make it easier to clean

I used shaving initially but with advice from here I stopped and started using something called easibed. An equine bedding for horses. About £7 a bale and from farm shops. I swear by it. No dust and absorbent

http://www.easibed.co.uk/

Thanks

I'll check those out and see what I can afford. My 5 piggies have very big cages too so I go through a lot of bedding! Though we're building shelves in the shed with two piggy cages (6'X3' and 5'X2' yay!) so I'll be using fleece for them then hopefully.

It'd be very nice to have something that doesn't stick to the lily and lila's manes though! Shavings are so bad for that . . .

I never thought of non-slip lino, is it very good, like can they get a alot of traction on it to be able to run around?

It'd be handy to just use that with no bedding on it, and just sweep it everyday, and clean any bits where there's been sticky poo . . . I'll check it out and see. It'd be worth the extra money I think, and I'd never have to buy shavings again!

Morgana said:

Thanks

I'll check those out and see what I can afford. My 5 piggies have very big cages too so I go through a lot of bedding! Though we're building shelves in the shed with two piggy cages (6'X3' and 5'X2' yay!) so I'll be using fleece for them then hopefully.

It'd be very nice to have something that doesn't stick to the lily and lila's manes though! Shavings are so bad for that . . .

I never thought of non-slip lino, is it very good, like can they get a alot of traction on it to be able to run around?

It'd be handy to just use that with no bedding on it, and just sweep it everyday, and clean any bits where there's been sticky poo . . . I'll check it out and see. It'd be worth the extra money I think, and I'd never have to buy shavings again!

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I've got lino in the buns shed and I just went to a local carpet shop and asked for any off-cuts of lino. Got a huge roll for bout £15.

Wow what a great bargain Emm Jane!

I'm checking out lino now. What about laminate flooring, would that get wrecked by their wee and would it be slippery? Anyway, gotta look at the lino and stop being distracted by the laminate :lol:

Morgana said:

Thanks

I'll check those out and see what I can afford. My 5 piggies have very big cages too so I go through a lot of bedding! Though we're building shelves in the shed with two piggy cages (6'X3' and 5'X2' yay!) so I'll be using fleece for them then hopefully.

It'd be very nice to have something that doesn't stick to the lily and lila's manes though! Shavings are so bad for that . . .

I never thought of non-slip lino, is it very good, like can they get a alot of traction on it to be able to run around?

It'd be handy to just use that with no bedding on it, and just sweep it everyday, and clean any bits where there's been sticky poo . . . I'll check it out and see. It'd be worth the extra money I think, and I'd never have to buy shavings again!

Click to expand...

I swear by it now and I'm so glad that this forum recommended it to me. All three of mine are constantly charging round on it, especially at feeding time :lol: and never had any problems. Generally the offcuts which are in a horrible horrible colour tend to be a lot cheaper, I got a 10ft x 9ft cut off for £15 which I thought it was brilliant. The colour was awful but the buns don't mind.

It's worth getting some wooden beading if possible and going round the edges with it to stop any stray bits of straw/hay/food/water getting under. I really need to do that but not quite got round to it as of yet!

You could also use Hemcore, which is a bedding for horses as well. Its about £8 a bale, and is citronella scented, so it smells lovely as well.

youthnovels said:

I swear by it now and I'm so glad that this forum recommended it to me. All three of mine are constantly charging round on it, especially at feeding time :lol: and never had any problems. Generally the offcuts which are in a horrible horrible colour tend to be a lot cheaper, I got a 10ft x 9ft cut off for £15 which I thought it was brilliant. The colour was awful but the buns don't mind.

It's worth getting some wooden beading if possible and going round the edges with it to stop any stray bits of straw/hay/food/water getting under. I really need to do that but not quite got round to it as of yet!

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Agree with the beading. It'll also stop it coming up at the edges and little teethies nibbling at it :roll: My lino was a horrible brown colour but my buns don't mind either!

I would say laminate would be slippery (even the textured ones) and lino is cheaper and easier to lay

youthnovels said:

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I personally use non slip lino for mine

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Such a great idea!! I'm going to get some for the kennel- had some squishy poos that refuse to come off the paving so that will help a lot.

Thanks so much

I checked out b&q website and it seems pretty cheap. Well that is "modern cushioned vinyl", not sure how slippery that'd be. I might be better off going to a carpet place like you said. I'll see anyway.

When I get paid I think I'll pick some up anyway.


Oh and the self adhesive vinyl tiles, the pink ones are the cheapest, good the bunnies would love that :lol: