OUR SANITATION REGIMENT

We clean trays every 5-6 days in summer to keep the fly population from completing their lifecycle in our trays.  We scrape and spray them out and allow to dry in the sun. In winter we clear every 7 days (scrape and shavings).  We power wash cages spring, midsummer, fall.

Photo: Grace spraying out trays

We sprinkle diatomaceous earth in the bottom trays and agricultural lime in the remaining trays and then a thin covering of pine shavings. The lime fights ammonia and the diatomaceous earth fights fur/ear mites.

Farm stores carry both products

We've made wheeled platforms for our stacking cages, which allow us to move the stacks and sweep behind and around the cages at each cleaning.  Loose pellets, poop, and hay can attract insects and other unwanted visitors.  We sprinkled diatomaceous earth on the ground under the cages and roll the platforms back into place.

Wheels can be purchased on amazon for low cost. Home stores will cut plywood for you to fit your stacks.

Air movement is crucial.  We have two ceiling fans and a large barn fan that draws air out of the bunny barn to the outside.  We have an exhaust fan near the ground for cooler months when it's undesirable to allow too much outside in.  Flies can't land when the air is moving, so air movement helps with bugs, disease, and ammonia.

Pro Series 24 in fan from TSC, $139.  AC filter on back to protect from hair/dust (replace weekly, $1 each from Walmart)