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Concrete/grass runs & disease

Leigh

Mama Doe
hiya :wave:

does anyone know if.....

you had a run outside on paving slabs whether it would be safer to let different bunny sets use it in terms of disease spread than it would be with grass?
 
hiya :wave:

does anyone know if.....

you had a run outside on paving slabs whether it would be safer to let different bunny sets use it in terms of disease spread than it would be with grass?

Spread of disease on grass is only really a problem if you have different groups of rabbits who have to share the same space and you know that one of the groups has something contagious. If you don't and you think it is worth the risk and if you don't have space to move the run then go for it otherwise I would suggest grazing your pairs in different places by moving the run.
 
thanks rhian :D

we only have one pair but that might possibly change. it all depends on how we can negotiate our awkward garden! i just wondered whether paving slabs would be any safer as you could at least sweep up any poo's before putting a different set of bunnies out... and the parasitse or whatever other disease wouldnt have nice soft wet ground to live in
 
In an ideal world each pair would have their own grazing area with access 24/7 to a run which can be moved onto grass when required but obviously in the real worl people can have time, money and psace restraints.

Parsnipbun for example has (at the moment) all her outdoor buns housed in 12ft x8ft aviaries on concrete for safety but each pair (soon to be group) has access to the same bit of lawn daily for free range time. I don't think as far as I'm aware she has ever had issues with rabbits passing on anything nasty by sharing the same space :wave:

PS hope you don't mind me using you as an example Parsnipbun but you were the first person to spring to mind that has this to contend with.
 
ok - well that gives us some hope....

still a real pickle in our garden though

think i might take some piccies and upload them so people can see what i mean :D its just always dark at the moment and un-picture friendly :lol:
 
Yes it would be safer on slabs, as you can disinfect concrete/slabs using boiling water and/or a decent bunny-safe disinfectant, you can't do that with grass, meaning that all sorts of bacteria, viruses and other nasties like e.c or coccidia are more likely to survive and hang around on grass. With slabs though you'd need to keep weeds down which creep up the gaps as that could become a source of infection.

Bunnies pick up stuff like e.c/coccidia by ingesting their spores...so if there are spores on grass, they will eat the grass and the spores with it. Whereas on concrete that is far less likely to happen.

For foster bunnies, ideally I would have a completely different hutch/run area away from own buns for quarantine purposes, but if not possible I would have it on concrete and wash the area down with boiling water and disinfectant between buns :)
 
For foster bunnies, ideally I would have a completely different hutch/run area away from own buns for quarantine purposes

absolutely agree with this ^

will keeping thinking it over

what sort of size run would you have if you were fostering? i know that it shouldnt matter as bunnies need as much space as possible all of the time, but if space were an issue and you still wanted to do your bit....

(this is all just thinking at the moment - not even met with out local rescue yet)
 
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