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Cleaning Out The Rabbitry RANT
Topic Started: Feb 21 2012, 11:30 PM (209 Views)
Shaded Night Rabbitry
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POWITH!!
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First off, the back story.
About a year ago I started having a serious rat problem. I've taken all the cages out of the rabbitry three times in hopes that dad would fix the issue (exposed insulation right where the top of the cages meet). This resulted in a busted up tarp shed thanks to a wind storm. :( The other two times, I finally got sick of being yelled at for the rabbits being in the breeze way (which is in plain view from the living room) because, we all know, rabbits are a little messy between the hay, oats, spilled pellets, shavings. All those fun things that no matter how often you sweep, they'll ALWAYS be some because rabbits enjoy knocking stuff out of their cages.

So all is fine and dandy for a while. I don't mind the rats too much (other then being grossed out and them bringing one round of sickness in). Sure, they increased the feed bill a bit and looked nasty...

Until they start pulling out the insulation. And all this nasty rat poop/pee insulation is falling on top, and behind my cages.
I spend a few months being able to pull it off every day.

Until I'm gone for a couple of weeks on vacation. I come back, and no only is the insulation COATING the top of the cages, it's down the back of EVERY SINGLE CAGE, and the rabbits were pulling it into their own space.

So everything is pulled out again, and my dad is finally convinced to fix the wiring AND give me a solution to the rat problem.

I spend an entire day two days ago pressure washing cages. Which made them all sparkly and clean. :) Today, dad fixed my wiring (which was good, we found why it wasn't working... There was a fire hazard level breakdown in the attic of the garage. EEK!).

Tonight I finally go out there to pull out ALL of the insulation and clean. Here are the photos.

On top of the loft, partially cleaned out.
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The floor, after pulling out the insulation.
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The loft, after the first round of vacuuming. The white powder is a deodorizer/cleaner that is going to be left to soak in.
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The floor, after the first round of vacuuming. This will be pressure washed tomorrow.
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The walls and floor. Some of the yellow on the walls is from the rabbits spraying. The rest is from rat pee, wet rat poop. The floor is caked on rat mess.
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UGH! :(
Megan Smith - Olympia, WA
[shaded night rabbitry website]

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Youth Breeder of ND in Sable Point and Otter, with compatible varieties.
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Hanna
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♥ Tink & Habsy ♥
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:X And I thought mice were bad. :blink: Well look on the bright side every inch of your shed is bright and shiny clean! :-/
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sidd-says-gimme
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sidd says stay gold
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What a pain.. I'm glad that it's fixed now though. Hopefully you won't have to worry about that anymore.
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NeuBunny
Genetics Geek!
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ugh rats. hate them. mice are bad enough. don't think I could go back out there if I knew there were rats.
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jodi
Hopelessly Addicted to the Fuzz
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wild rats scare me :)
Jodi
http://southforkrabbitry.blogspot.com/
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Shaded Night Rabbitry
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POWITH!!
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I think I'm spoiled by the fat that I had rats before rabbits. (In fact, I gave them up in exchange for my first pair of bunnies. My parents tried to contain me to four but look at where we are now, 2 years later! LMAO)

I know it's not the same, but I think it desensitized me to the "EW THEY'RE GROSS!" factor, so the only thing I was scared of was being bitten. :)
Megan Smith - Olympia, WA
[shaded night rabbitry website]

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Youth Breeder of ND in Sable Point and Otter, with compatible varieties.
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Little Rascal's Rabbitry
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Way to Be!!!!
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Time to invest in a barn kitty!! <3
Little Rascal's Rabbitry
Specializing in Black Banded Dwarf Hotots, and Holland Lops in Sable Point and Black Tort
http://rascalsrabbitry.weebly.com
http://www.littlerascalsrabbitry.blogspot.com
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Shaded Night Rabbitry
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POWITH!!
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Little Rascal's Rabbitry
Feb 22 2012, 06:40 PM
Time to invest in a barn kitty!! <3
I have three of those. XD None of them do their jobs very well...
Megan Smith - Olympia, WA
[shaded night rabbitry website]

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Youth Breeder of ND in Sable Point and Otter, with compatible varieties.
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Little Rascal's Rabbitry
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Way to Be!!!!
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Try to invest in a proven barn kitty? LOL!! :lol:
Little Rascal's Rabbitry
Specializing in Black Banded Dwarf Hotots, and Holland Lops in Sable Point and Black Tort
http://rascalsrabbitry.weebly.com
http://www.littlerascalsrabbitry.blogspot.com
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erins rabbits
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New to the Addiction
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Shaded Night Rabbitry
Feb 22 2012, 07:07 PM
Little Rascal's Rabbitry
Feb 22 2012, 06:40 PM
Time to invest in a barn kitty!! <3
I have three of those. XD None of them do their jobs very well...
:lol:

I have one and she does her job amazingly. No mice anywhere.

Though it might sound a little mean... how much are you feeding them? I've always been told that feeding them less will give them more of a drive to hunt.
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Little Rascal's Rabbitry
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Way to Be!!!!
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I wouldn't feed them less. But if they are over weight, I'd work on a diet with help from a vet to get them in shape and playful. :) Use some string and remind them what they are meant for!! LOL :lol:
Little Rascal's Rabbitry
Specializing in Black Banded Dwarf Hotots, and Holland Lops in Sable Point and Black Tort
http://rascalsrabbitry.weebly.com
http://www.littlerascalsrabbitry.blogspot.com
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