Include Bedding Costs

Budget for bedding materials based on your housing system. Wire-bottom cages eliminate bedding needs except in nest boxes, where straw is placed 3-5 days before kindling and replaced after each litter. Solid-floor or colony setups require 2-4 inches of bedding changed weekly. Straw costs $5-12 per bale and one bale fills 4-6 nest boxes. Pine shavings run $6-10 per compressed bag. For a 3-doe operation on wire cages, annual nest box bedding costs roughly $30-60. Solid-floor systems can cost $150-300+ annually.

Why It Works

Bedding choice directly impacts both costs and rabbit health. Wire-bottom cages with nest box bedding minimize material expenses while maintaining sanitation, since droppings fall through the wire rather than accumulating.

Tips

• Use straw over hay for nest boxes since rabbits eat hay but nest in straw
• Avoid cedar shavings as the aromatic oils cause respiratory irritation in rabbits
• Compost used bedding with rabbit manure for garden fertilizer, offsetting costs