Litter and Veggie Question

[mgs926]

Hi! I'm new to RO, but have been a bunny mom for almost 7 years. We have always used Yesterday's News or Carefresh for litter, but it's starting to get really expensive! We would get the Carefresh from Petsmart for $8.99 for the 40# bags, but then they finally got hip to the fact that every place else charges $19.99 and raised their price. So now we're looking for an alternate litter. Our local farm store sells Equine Pine, but i thought that pine and cedar weren't good for the bunnies. Can someone clarify that for me?

The other thing is that I see a lot of people are fans of Oxbow. Our buns LOVE their timothy hay and have eaten it their whole lives. They also get the Bunny Basics/T pellets when we go out of town for the weekend. I also wanted to let people know about an online store called The Busy Bunny (www.busybunny.com). They have all sorts of treats, toys and habitat-enhancers. We love them!

Lastly, can bunnies eat green beans?

Thanks!
Jill

 

[bunnybunbunb]

There is a lot of controvery over pine. Some say all is bad and some say kiln dried is fine. I think as long as it is aired out good, the wet is cleaned out everyday and the cage is big with good ventilation it is o.k. Just go with what you feel. As for equin pine I'm not sure. I hear many breeders use it because it is cheaper but many breeders perfer cheaper over healthier.

As for the green beans from what I read they give them gas which can kill them so I have never gave any to by bunnies.

 

[Flick]

There's a video here in which a vet discusses litter issues.

http://www.youtube.com/user/FastUpOnRabbitCare

 

[Happi Bun]

Regarding using pine litter, the rabbit rescue I volunteer at uses wood pelleted litter made for horses. I believe it is pine. They have had no ill affects and have used it for years. Currently I'm using Feline pine and It's working nicely. Many people use Wood Stove Pellets which you can pick up at hardware stores. It costs around $7 for 40 lbs.

I love busy bunny! I have their website bookmarked.

 

[tonyshuman]

wood stove pellets are made from kiln dried pine sawdust. they're 4.50 for a 40lb bag here. kiln dried pine=fine. i don't know about equine pine.

 

[tonyshuman]

also my guys can eat green beans w/o gas (they can also eat just about anything w/o gas, with the exception of ben) but they don't really like them.

 

[Luvmyzoocrew]

I use Equine Pine, and it is fine to use it, you dont want to use Cedar. With the Equine pine i air it out for a few days so the smell isnt so str ong. I get a hamper, the ones that pop up and are made of breathable material, and i pour two bags of it into the hamper and leave it sit for a few days before using it and it is fine.

 

[RexyRex]

I switched to Equine Pine from Carefresh because of the cost too. Since it's kiln dried the oils won't bother the buns. I can get #40 for $5.99 at me TSC. I've been using it for about 6 months and haven't had any problems. If anything it's worked better than Carefresh becausemy guys would try to eat the Carefresh, they don't bother the pellets.

 

[mgs926]

Thank you so much, everyone! I think I will try out the Equine Pine, airing it out for a few days first. The buns have a large, open-aired indoor area, so I think they'll be fine.