• 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.

Best bedding for Lionhead

Rackeluk

Rackeluk

Warren Scout
Hi, I’m setting up the outdoor hutch for my lionhead Lily as we are transitioning to outside, we currently have sawdust but it’s horrendous for her and is getting stuck to her and near her eyes.

Can anyone suggest anything better? Someone told me about megazorb but I’ve just been told it’s bad for Lionheads.
 
Sawdust is bad for all bunnies. My lionhead has newspaper, though she sometimes gets hay in her fur. Thankfully my girl likes being groomed.

Hay is another option as bedding-especially longer hay.
 
You could try something like paper based cat litter. I use a thick layer hay on top of an absorbent layer in litter trays. You don't need to cover the whole floor area - lino makes a good covering that can be swept or wiped down daily, or covered in newspaper which can be changed as needed. Anything else goes in litter trays or deep sided boxes.
 
I would imagine megazorb would get stuck in her fur. I have a lion head cross, luckily (for me anyway!) as she grew up she lost her thick coat but as a baby she was very fluffy. I kept her on newspaper and hay, although this was just for her indoor base. She did still get hay stuck in her 'skirt' so I groomed her daily as she did get mats quickly. Now she just hay puppy pads and hay in her litter tray, as mentioned once litter trained they shouldn't need thick bedding everywhere.
Yeah sawdust isn't good for the respiratory system for any rabbit.
 
For the litter tray I use Burlybed/Auboise as a base with hay on top and then fleece for bedding. The Burlybed/Auboise compacts down so it's pretty much just hay getting stuck in my Sylvester's fur. Luckily my lot don't do much in the way of chewing so fabric based bedding works.
 
Thanks for the advice tomorrow I’m going to nip to Pets at home first thing, I’ve been shielding so got what I could get online delivered To my home.
I hate the sawdust, I have a litter tray in each hutch Which are on the downstairs level, two yet to be bonded rabbits.

I’ve been putting on the upstairs level sawdust then feeding hay, they then have a wooden shelter house within the hutch which I’ve been putting bedding hay down in, both rabbits seem to move this out of the wooden shelter to expose the floor on the hutch upstairs I have no clue why, if I just put hay down I’m assuming it’s the bedding hay? Or would straw be best?
 
I'd go with just hay. At least when it gets eaten it provides more nutritional value than straw.

If you just put it in the litter trays as well, you'll get a head start on litter training as well as make it a bit easier to clean up. I used to use straw ages ago as bedding but stopped as it turned into a big litter area.
 
I have litter tray pellets in the litter trays then it has a plastic cover that goes on top that they sit on, I have these ones;
baffect corner rabbit litter tray corner toilet house, it’s large but has a dipped side, would you put hay over the top tray of it?

My Dwarf lop rabbit Max doesn’t go to the toilet in his hutch he goes to the toilet In the extended run, I have to move the litter tray every morning to the edge of the extended run where he’s goes to the toilet, I’ve moved it back in the hutch every night but wants to be let out in the extended run as soon as we wake up to go.

Oh do you mean bedding hay or feeding hay?
 
Is there a difference between eating and bedding hay? Sorry, I get mine from the farm so my lot get whatever the bale is so I'm guessing eating hay.

I tried a corner litter tray once and the hooligans went "nope!" so finally settled on an underbed storage box as it's not so easy for them to either pee over the side or dig the Auboise and hay out. I have seen an idea somewhere for leaving the lid on the storage box and cutting a hole in the side instead if you want to give that a try for outside.
 
Oh that’s a good idea, once my two are bonded we are going to go bigger with the run and hopefully double storey it with some jumping logs, I’m going to nip to Pets at home in the morning, I’ll see what they have in there, thank you so much for your help.
 
Oh also, Max was digging into the soil each night so we have now moved the hutch onto the pavement area of our garden, I’ve read about rabbits getting pressure sores, have you had experience of this? Am I best putting hay down on the pavement?
 
Some of my rabbits are on paving slabs during the day but we have never had sore hocks in 20 years so no need to worry. Some use Carefresh in the litter tray, it's expensive though but I use newspaper with hay on top. Bunnies like to eat while pooing and lino is a good idea for the rest of the hutch. They also sleep in their litter trays as well at times. The problem is if you put hay everywhere they will just use it as a toilet. If you decide on cat litter it must be non-clumping, a lot of folk use the Pets at Home cat litter. Rabbits love Timothy Hay as well as Meadow Hay but the very soft hay which you can get is not so good for their teeth. Timothy Hay.Co.UK is very popular if you have a look on their website.
 
Some rabbits need a litter tray in the run, I would put a tray wherever he decides on an area for the toilet, the low underbed storage Boxes are great for litter trays. I use woodpellet cat litter in mine with hay in racks or on top.
 
Mine are on concrete pretty much 24/7 (or bare lino, or bare wood, depending on where they are) and we've never had sore feet :)
 
Mine are on concrete pretty much 24/7 (or bare lino, or bare wood, depending on where they are) and we've never had sore feet
Click to expand...

Ditto. The only bunnies I would be wary of in such a setup would be rex as they are predisposed to hock issues. If I have any rex fosters I just make sure there is plenty of areas for deep hay.
 
Flat concrete and similar surfaces don't tend to cause issues with sore feet (unless they are permanently covered in urine and faeces). It is easier to keep such surfaces in a sanitary condition, which helps to avoid them picking up the EC parasite. They are also good for keeping nails worn down properly, which promotes better posture and weight distribution on the feet. Carpeted areas tend to cause more problems with rabbits who are prone to sore hocks.

Hay - all hay should be suitable for eating. Rabbits don't really distinguish between eating and bedding hay - they eat whatever they are nearest to. Baled hay from horse supply stores is usually good quality and the cheapest way to buy it. A standard bale fits in a 240 litre wheely bin. Store it somewhere cool and dry (eg in a duvet cover, off the floor in a shed).
 
Thank you for all your help, I’ve been to Pets at home, I’ve cleaned out both hutches and the indoor cage, covered now in bedding hay with a stack of feeding Timothy hay in the corner and some nibble hay, they both absolutely love it!!

I’m so happy, my lionhead Lily is yet black so it’s quite difficult to see her eyes but since the hay went in and not sawdust I can fully see her!!

Plus I spent a fortune on carrot buildings and hay tunnels so they are running round like mad, Max my dwarf lop did about 4 binkys in a row when he saw everything hahahaha
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Abcess or possible tumour - UPDATE
Replies
16
Views
265
tonibun
T
M
Is this enough space for my bunny?
Replies
4
Views
2K
Zoobec
Zoobec
J
One rabbit is less interested in bonding than the other?
Replies
11
Views
1K
tonibun
T
Back
Top