Question about wire flooring versus solid...

I am looking to make some custom hutches for my two rabbits...they will be indoor-cages so no need to worry about weather or anything. I was planning on doing the floors in wire, which I've since read isn't ideal for Rexes. My original plan was for wire flooring and solid "nest-y boxes" for them to hide in/lie on and a "rest board" where their hay rack, pellet bowl and water bottle are located. Is this still an acceptable plan, given that my two buns are Rexes? Why are Rexes specifically unsuited to wire? And if wire is still okay so long as they have lots of access to non-wire surfaces, where can I find good floor-wire and what kind of spacing should it be? I adore my garden and planned on setting up huge bins to collect the poop and spilled stuff (i.e., spilled food, spilled bedding from their rest-boxes, et cetera) to use as fertilizer, plus I dislike some of the rabbits I've seen around here with horribly pee-stained, poop-encrusted feet...it seems disgusting. Right now I'm coping with them living in big wire dog crates and I must admit, I don't love sweeping out the bottom of the crate pan. Any advice would be most appreciated!

I had my past bunnies in wire bottom cages years ago, and I kept their litterbox in a corner with some open wire-area around the bottom of it (helped with my ones that liked to flip their boxes) and then put linoleum on the rest of the wire cage. This still let me sweep stray poops into the catch tray in the bottom but they were able to lay and hop around and be on solid ground for most of the time and in about 90% of their cage. Maybe something similar would work for you and the bunnies?

That's kind of what I was thinking...lots of space that isn't wire so they don't have to stand on wire 24/7.

Yep, worked well for me and for my messier bunnies. And in the summer I had ceramic tiles I bought as Lowe's on sale since they weren't part of a pack and used those in the summer to help by giving them a cooler spot to lay.

I'm hoping my new bunny isn't such a mess-maker and can live in a NIC condo... Good luck!

I keep my rexes on wire floors with slatted resting boards. You just have to keep an eye on their feet for sore hocks because their fur is shorter and many also have thinner fur (a couple of my rex actually have the hardiest feet in my herd, though). As long as you keep an eye on the feet, the worst they should get is callouses, which don't hurt the rabbits at all (it's the same thing as developing callouses on your feet for running around barefoot during the summer).

The wire should be 1"x1/2" mesh. There are some places that sell it with a vinyl coating, which is more expensive, but poses less of a threat to the well-being of their feet.

Sounds like your idea of a hidey box and resting board should be plenty sufficient for allowing them to save their feet.

:yeahthat:

Awesome, thanks hillrise and Nancy McClelland.

Construction on my buns new cages begins...tonight!