Bedding

[Beautifulmess]

I need some advice on rabbit bedding, is it alright to bed them completely on hay? Atm my guinea pigs are on Aubiose but I've found out hay bails are only £4.50 so i'm going to swap over (with a bit of fleese so they can get off it) apart from the one pig who gets hayfever.

Is it alright for rabbits to be on hay completely?

I've not owned one for around 5-6 years, they used to live on my farm, on hay, straw and sawdust (and hang out freely on our farm) lol

 

[pigsforlife]

I wouldn't recommend it for guinea pigs or rabbits. The hay will get soiled, and then become mucky - which is likely to deter them from eating it and can result in the hay going moldy. You really need an absorbent bedding for the guinea pigs. If the rabbits are litter trained, you really only need "bedding" in their litter trays.

 

[Hoppit!]

I'd use straw or megazorb for bedding, with hay provided in hayracks (and cheaper stuff in littertrays that are emptied daily).

 

[Elena]

Mine only have hay in their litter trays which get emptied every other day and fresh hay put in twice a day. I've found mine associate hay with a bathroom so they only pee in their trays but conversely if there is hay on the floor they will pee there too. As mine are indoors we just have lino and one or two towels or blankets as flooring. Some people do this in their hutches... line them with lino and put in a fleecy blanket.

 

[Beautifulmess]

Ok, so sticking to Aubious is the best idea all around then. No worries

 

[Hoppit!]

Ok, so sticking to Aubious is the best idea all around then. No worries

What is that? I've never heard of it!

 

[suzibunbun]

Do a lot of you bunny owners leave hutches bare ie no straw or sawdust on the floor?? I am surprised but if this is the norm it would save me soooo much work!!

 

[Elena]

Do a lot of you bunny owners leave hutches bare ie no straw or sawdust on the floor?? I am surprised but if this is the norm it would save me soooo much work!!

Some have lino and then use straw in the winter and fleece blankets. Shavings arn't good for bunnies. They release phenols which can irritate their respiratory tract.

 

[Honeybean]

What is aubious?

 

[SkegMag]

Mine's eaten/chewed everything I've tried as bedding - blankets, vetbed, carpet, newspaper!
I'm now trying some paper-based cat litter with hay on top, and a little hay in his sleeping area, but he pushes it aside, preferring to lay on the hard plastic floor, I'm afraid!

 

[JLG]

are mine really spoilt then :shock: - they have litter trays with megazorb and hay in, but the rest of the hutch (2 storeys) has a thick layer of megazorb and soft hay (approx 2 inches thick) aswell.
They are rexes so I'm paranoid about sore feet

 

[janice]

Do a lot of you bunny owners leave hutches bare ie no straw or sawdust on the floor?? I am surprised but if this is the norm it would save me soooo much work!!

I would never use wood shavings or sawdust as this is detrimental to the health of any small animal or rabbit.

I have lino'd floors and then huge big litter trays in the hutches for rabbits which have a few sheets of newspape, a scoop of megasorb and then topped with hay from a bale. Around the edge of the shed or hutch are various hangers holding 'nice hays' for them to eat.

If the rabbits dont like the lino floor and slip old towels, newspapers or vet bed can be used.

 

[janice]

My guineapigs have newspaper and lots of hay, it is reguarly changed and I do not have any problems using this.

 

[chelle]

What is aubious?

http://www.aubiose.co.uk/

Aubiose is hemp bedding often used for horses. I use it and it lasts ages - keeps them dry as the wee soaks through to the bototm so you just scoop it up & can compost it too. My girls ate carefresh bedding -which is similar to megazorbs so I dont use it for that reason. I also put load in their hutch sleep area and they dig about in it...works great!