Run flooring for sore hock bunnies

Hi all :wave:

Both my outdoor bunnies have sore hocks, so we have always turfed their aviary run. However it badly needs re-turfing and none of my local garden centres/B&Q are stocking it again until next year.

It currently looks a real mess, we've put a tarpaulin sheet over the dirt/grass that is left but I need to find a better solution.

Does anyone have any ideas on what I can do?

Thanks

I think a thick layer of hay is what is needed but it will get wet unless their run is covered. Other than this I am not sure, someone else will be along!

I'd go with stable matting (the heavy rubber stuff). That's what I've got in both shared runs here Debbie

Have a look for companies that specialise in turf i.e. google turf and your location.

Got a picture? Dirt might not look as pretty as turf but it should be fine for bunnies. You could try giving the bare patches a light dig over if they've become compacted as that will be softer on their feet.

Thanks Helen, I had thought of the mats and might well go with that. The only thing is they seem to 6'x4' and the run is 7' x 9' so it would be quite expensive!

Tamsin said:

Have a look for companies that specialise in turf i.e. google turf and your location.

Got a picture? Dirt might not look as pretty as turf but it should be fine for bunnies. You could try giving the bare patches a light dig over if they've become compacted as that will be softer on their feet.

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The problem with online turf suppliers is that they need a minimum order, usually of about 30 rolls and I only need about 6! It's not a bad idea about the dirt, its just what is left over from the old turf. I'm sure they would enjoy a little area where they can dig.

I don't mean online companies... I mean there are local suppliers that specialise in turf rather than the big DIY chains that will only stock it in summer when shoppers are most likely to buy. Just google for turf and your local area - or look in the yellow pages. If you give them a call and can pick it up, you might find they don't have a minimum order.

Our girls had sore hocks and are also outdoor bunnies. As they were avid diggers we couldn't risk them on turf so put a layer of groundsheet down, topped with plywood, topped with a layer of newspaper and then basically a bale of hay. They love it! They have a bale of hay in their shed as well and it took a few months but their hocks healed nicely. We keep a check on their feet and can tell when the hay needs restocking - little telltale patches of pink appear if we're not on top of restocking the hay, but once restocked, they disappear really quickly. And of course they have lots and lots of hay to play with, eat, nest in (they're both spayed but still like to make hidey-holes!) etc.

the all over hay seems to work well as does rubber matting. People on ebay sometimes sell offcuts which might be useful if the run is an odd shape