Dig Box Question

[BrownieAndBunbun]

One of my bunnies is a digger and I recently set up a big dig box that she loves - it’s a large plastic bin that I filled with “pea gravel” from Home Depot… I notice that when she digs, there is quite a bit of dust that gets in the air and I worry about them breathing in the dust… I thought maybe I’d add a bag of potting soil to the rocks and maybe that would solve the dust problem… Anyone use rocks+soil in their dig box? Any reason this wouldn’t be a god idea? Thanks!

 

[JBun]

I would just take the gravel outside and put it on the ground or on a screen of some sort, and rinse the dust off. Or maybe use a strainer and rinse it off in the sink or bathtub, provided it's just dust and not heavier sediment coming out of it and going down your drain. Having soil indoors could get messy and get tracked through your home.

 

[White Rabbit]

Whatever they use to round the edges to make them not sharp likely caused all the dust. Most pea gravel isn't all natural and they actually have different ways to round them out. You an try to wash it off outside like the above poster said. You can also try normal soil by itself. I have no idea what your soil type is in your area, but in my soil isn't to dusty and generally stays compact enough and is softer then gravel. I also add some hay inside incase my bun wants to eat. This is a 50/50 thing as it may want to cause them to use it as a litter box, so add hay at your own risk haha. My dig box is made out of cardboard right now as I was testing to see if my bun would use it. It even has a "flap door" i was testing incase she tried throwing the dirt out, luckily she kicks it in towards the box so it doesn't come out. Gonna have to make mine out of wood so it lasts. This might be something you should think about if you do add soil so it doesn't get everywhere.

 

[BrownieAndBunbun]

Whatever they use to round the edges to make them not sharp likely caused all the dust. Most pea gravel isn't all natural and they actually have different ways to round them out. You an try to wash it off outside like the above poster said. You can also try normal soil by itself. I have no idea what your soil type is in your area, but in my soil isn't to dusty and generally stays compact enough and is softer then gravel. I also add some hay inside incase my bun wants to eat. This is a 50/50 thing as it may want to cause them to use it as a litter box, so add hay at your own risk haha. My dig box is made out of cardboard right now as I was testing to see if my bun would use it. It even has a "flap door" i was testing incase she tried throwing the dirt out, luckily she kicks it in towards the box so it doesn't come out. Gonna have to make mine out of wood so it lasts. This might be something you should think about if you do add soil so it doesn't get everywhere.
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Thanks! I didn’t know that about pea gravel (now it makes sense why it’s SO dusty). Good ideas - thanks!

 

[White Rabbit]

Thanks! I didn’t know that about pea gravel (now it makes sense why it’s SO dusty). Good ideas - thanks!

Anytime, glad to help a fellow SoCal resident. Hope it all works out