Breeding rabbits is an actively developing area of animal husbandry. Therefore, for rabbit breeders, especially beginners, it is important to know how to properly keep pets and what are the reasons for choosing one of several options. One of these questions is whether rabbit litter is needed.
What is bedding for rabbits for?
For the correct answer, it is necessary to deal with the fact for which, in fact, this element of daily life serves and how it is used by wild rabbits. These animals belong to the order of hares. Unlike hares, they live in burrows.
In winter, it is quite comfortable to breed without additional heating. In cold climates, bedding in the hole acts as a heat insulator and is also a nest. The rabbit in addition warms his own down. This is important, since baby rabbits are born blind and without a woolen cover.
Did you know? In nature, rabbits live in groups of 10 to 100 individuals. They use body language to communicate. - ear flaps, counters, etc.
As for the home content, the temperature of the air in the rabbit, even without insulation, is acceptable. In the farm, additional coverage is used to insulate the floor in a cage in non-heated rooms. 
Pros and cons of its use
Supporters believe that the bedding created from hay, straw, and other materials allows rabbits to imitate a hole and feel buried inside it. But in nature, burrows reach 20 m, have several exits and may have several living chambers. Therefore, it cannot imitate a burrow.
Benefits of use:
- retains heat and allows animals not to waste extra energy on maintaining body temperature;
- prevents rabbit paws from freezing when in contact with the metal grid;
- the cage is easier to clean;
- for rabbits, which are kept on the street is a heater.
Important! If the fermentation bedding is no longer generating heat, this means that the bacteria began to die. - they are not enough nutrient medium. Add manure or other elements to help bacteria.Cons of use:
- gets dirty quickly and needs replacing;
- wet - is an excellent environment for the development of pathogenic microorganisms and various fungi;
- the bacteria living in it, in the process of life emit ammonia, harmful to the respiration of pets.
What is better to use as a litter
Various materials can be used as bedding. The main difference between them is the level of thermal conductivity. So, if we take the heat conductivity of sawdust as 100%, then for hay, this figure will be 80%, and for straw - only 7%.
Read more about how to properly breed and maintain rabbits in sheds, pit, cages and cages in the winter, as well as learn how to disinfect cages for rabbits.Characteristics of possible components:
- Sawdust retain heat well, absorb moisture and are one of the best solutions if you decide that your rabbits will be kept with litter.
- Straw - These are the stems left after harvesting. It simply does not have the necessary heat-conducting properties, therefore its use does not bear any benefit for pets.
- Hay you will need a rabbit to build a nest and at the same time will be a food product. Hay can also get wet quickly and get dirty.
- Corn filler - These are parts of corn cobs. It can be small fraction, medium and large. Used in rodent cages. But rabbits are not rodents and such a filler is useless for them. In addition, it is much more expensive than conventional sawdust.
- Paper It can not be considered a quality material for bedding: it does not retain heat, it gets wet quickly, it cannot be used to build a nest or for food.
New and modern type of litter - fermentation. In appearance, it looks like sand, it contains useful microorganisms. Poured on a layer of sawdust and stirred.Bacteria recycle manure and produce heat by solving 2 actual problems:
- cleaning the rabbit from manure and ammonia;
- providing it with a heat source.
Important! Rabbit breathing is much more common than in humans. Therefore, regular airing they need much more than other pets.
How often should it be changed?
Any litter should be changed as it gets dirty. This can be either once a week or more. For fermentation, the optimum replacement frequency is no more than 1 time per month. 
Learning new information, you get the opportunity to expand your knowledge in a particular area. And this, of course, has a beneficial effect on the quality of life of your pets.
Did you know? Rabbits are twilight animals, at this time they see best. Therefore, they are most active in the morning and evening.
