• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

Hutch cleaning

hunnybun

Mama Doe
What do you use to disinfect your hutches?

I use Virkon but have just read it does not kill everything! :roll:



Frequent cleaning out (2-3 x per week) reduces coccidiosis loads and is advisable for any rabbitry experiencing disease problems. Many fanciers diligently disinfect their hutches weekly, but the methods and products used are often ineffective. Many products are inactivated by organic matter, and will only work on surfaces that have already been thoroughly cleaned. Spraying disinfectant onto a roughly swept out hutch that is still damp in the dirty corner is absolutely useless. Talk to your vet about choice of disinfectant. For example, Dettol is rapidly inactivated by very tiny amounts of faeces. Virkon is more active in the presence of organic material, but won't touch coccidiosis, which in turn requires a phenol-based (and therefore more toxic) product such as Jeyes fluid.

Much more effective is rotating hutches to allow them to fully dry out between occupants, and taking hutches out into sunlight where UV light can kill organisms.

Drying out any wet patches is okay in the summer but almost never happens in the winter!
 
Last edited:
I never disinfect my hutches or shed - I think it's bad for their immune system and of course for all the spiders that live there happily keeping the bugs under control :)

I do use diluted zoflora, or diluted washing up liquid, or diluted bleach just to get rid of the smell in the litter trays or if they've weed on the floor occasionally.
 
I also use virkon regularily but am now considering getting some jeyes fluid to disenfect with every so often too, so i can try & cover all bases.

Su.x
 
I use Virkon but have just read it does not kill everything! :roll:

I think that's because coccidiosis isn't really a bacteria/virus, it's more like a parasite - most disinfectants won't kill parasites so I don't think you can hold it against Virkon for not doing it!
I personally wouldn't want to use Jeyes fluid regularly around animals, I'd only use it somewhere animals wouldn't be for at least a day or two to let it air out as it smells very strong - we used it at one of my old jobs in a storage room and I literally would have to avoid it for a day or two as it gave me such a headache and made me feel sick
 
i agree about jeyes- it makes me feel quite ill even though i quite like the smell. its very strong. i too have been using virkon and would never have thought bleach safe to use around animals.....can anybody give a definitive answer on what it is best to clean with???:?
whats the score with essential oils too? i always thought tea tree was good in the cages...?
 
I use 'Keep It Clean', in lemon. I just give the playhouse a quick spray and wipe when I do my big clean out once a week.

I doubt it kills everything but it's very safe and deoderises too.
 
i agree about jeyes- it makes me feel quite ill even though i quite like the smell. its very strong. i too have been using virkon and would never have thought bleach safe to use around animals.....can anybody give a definitive answer on what it is best to clean with???:?
whats the score with essential oils too? i always thought tea tree was good in the cages...?

My vet said bleach is safe in a 1:10 dilution, rinsed well. I prefer to use specific animal disinfectants like Virkon or Formula H though
Essential oils I'm a bit wary about because the rabbits share with the ratties and phenols from essential oils can irritate their respiratory system.
If you want a more 'natural' disinfectant that also deodourises you can use vinegar in a 1:1 dilution with water (white vinegar is the least smelly, plain white vinegar if you can find it, white wine vinegar is a bit more expensive). It also breaks down the ammonia in wee which some disinfectants don't, and helps with the chalky white wee stains buns leave behind :roll:
 
I don't usually use anything, except for maybe a bit of Keep it Clean. But recently as my buns have suspected EC i am bleaching once a week, and their litter trays a few more times a week. I will still bleach a few times a year after this (if ever) is sorted out, along with a vinegar wash say once a month.

I wouldn't use Jeyes as it stinks and is used to get rid of cats sometimes so I would worry that it would annoy the rabbits and myself! lol!
 
I would not use Jeyes either, far too toxic!! I use it for the dogs kennel once a month and that is bad enough. I also use vinegar. I have 30 rescue rabbits just now, 7 of my own and 1 boarder, I just want to make sure I am doing all I can to prevent infection. I also want to make sure if a rabbit comes in with an infection that the risks of passing it on are reduced as much as possible.

Ben's Mum-I think that's because coccidiosis isn't really a bacteria/virus, it's more like a parasite - most disinfectants won't kill parasites so I don't think you can hold it against Virkon for not doing it!



Ben's Mum--I wasn't holding anything against Virkon! I was just stating it does not cover everything. :? I think Virkon is an excellent product and have been using for a long time now.
 
I have switched to bleach. Bloomin' cheap and mostly effective! :)

I agree with Ben's Mum about essential oils. I'm very into aromatherapy, but don't like to use the oils around small animals much - they are very potent.
 
Ben's Mum--I wasn't holding anything against Virkon! I was just stating it does not cover everything. :? I think Virkon is an excellent product and have been using for a long time now.[/QUOTE]

Sorry, didn't phrase that right. It sounded like you were wanting to use something instead of Virkon as it wasn't up to killing coccidiosis but you're not going to find a general disinfectant that does - I think there's the odd one made specifically for it but none of the broad spectrum disinfectants on the market will as they're aimed at bacteria/fungi/viruses which coccidiosis isn't
 
We use an eucalyptus based disinfectant once a week mixed with vinegar.

Due to recent events we have upgraded to Jeyes fluid. Yes its is very toxic and stinks to high heaven but it is the only readily available disinfectant that will kill the coccidial parasite and basically anything else.

The key to using it is to make sure the rabbits are in a separate room and only put them back in when the area you have used Jeyes on is completely dry and fume free.

Louise
 
I line thier toilet area with two layers of newspaper, plenty wood chippings and straw. Where the floor of the area meets the walls I place newspaper for when they wee up the walls.

When all the dirty bedding is removed, if the area is dry I just place all new newspaper, chippings and straw.

If it is a but damp, I spray with 'Keep It Clean' coconut smelling spray and use a scrubbing brush to get into the corners and also spray the area with cage and hutch spray in the warmer months to repel flies.
 
I use very diluted dettol, and rinse it about a million times :lol:

In winter to dry the hutch I use the bunnies hutch drying hairdryer :oops: :lol:
 
Ben's Mum--I wasn't holding anything against Virkon! I was just stating it does not cover everything. :? I think Virkon is an excellent product and have been using for a long time now.

Sorry, didn't phrase that right. It sounded like you were wanting to use something instead of Virkon as it wasn't up to killing coccidiosis but you're not going to find a general disinfectant that does - I think there's the odd one made specifically for it but none of the broad spectrum disinfectants on the market will as they're aimed at bacteria/fungi/viruses which coccidiosis isn't[/QUOTE]

Thanks :D
 
im going to try some bleach, but have considered buying trigene too..how does it compare with virkon? virkon is easily avaliable to me as my local saddlers sell it you see. i gave up using dettol a few years ago when i read that it is inactivated by faecal matter:( i read that all disinfectants that turn white in water are useless for buns?? is that true? and doesnt that discount zoflora too? just picking your brains....:roll:
 
Back
Top