What bedding should I use?

[animal8]

What sort of bedding would be recommended for use in a rabbit hutch? I was thinking wood shaving, because it's fairly easy to go in there and do part clean and I could put a thin strip of board along the bottom to prevent too much getting kicked out, but I'm worried that the bedding might get wet when it rains (which is quite frequent here

). I was thinking I could rest a large board on top of the hutch that overhangs the front to keep some of the rain off, but I also don't want to block out too much light either. Anyone got any ideas?

 

[Ga.chickenman]

Most of the people that I know just let them walk on the wire, less mess.

 

[thekid]

pine shaving, never use cedar

 

[Stellar]

I put in shoe boxes filled with oyster shell so the birds can get off the wire...kitty litter boxes work too.

 

[juniorf150]

yep wire is the way to go

 

[Missi]

BUT! What is most comfy for them (for those of us who keep our qualies as dear pets)?

 

[7L Farm]

I keep coturnix on wire but provide big dog bowls of sand for them to bathe in. My Bob's are on the ground which is sand here at 7L.

 

[chrishel]

My pets are on 1/2"x 1/2" PVC coated wire. I figure the PVC coating is easier on their feet. I don't really know.

I have my crazy roo on hamster bedding. Everyone gets a piece of carpet remnant when I throw out when it gets really dirty.

I haven't given mine sand or dust yet because I haven't figured out a way to do it so they don't make a mess in the house.

 

[Missi]

Time out...if you have them only on wire, where do they lay their eggs?!

 

[chrishel]

They lay their eggs wherever they happen to be standing at the time.

Coturnix are kind of oblivious of their eggs. They walk all over them and kick them and eventually, the eggs get pushed to the sides of the cage.

I did have one hen that laid an egg in the same spot every day. And when I did a thorough cage cleaning, that was enough to upset her so she wouldn't lay for a couple of days. But after that, it would be in the same spot again. But she was a special bird and I would take her out of her cage and she would follow me around and would hand feed her bugs and stuff I would find in the garden.