Cheapest, easiest, instant nest box in a pinch

Hey guys. Though I would report on how my free instant nest box is holding up:

I grabbed a medium sized priority mail box when I realized my plans for making a wooden nest box for my very pregnant doe were not going to come together in time. I cut off one of the flaps off the narrow end, and taped it across the top back of the other three flaps to form a shape very much like a conventional nest box. To make it a little more durable, I lined the bottom of the box with a plastic bag, and placed a towel on top of it, followed by a good layer of the usual bedding.

I thought this would be a very temporary box, but the babies are now two weeks old and doing great in this make-shift box! This particular doe is being fantastic about keeping the box spotlessly clean, and we've had no problems with chewing, so I think it might just make it through this litter!

Definitely not ideal, but it worked in a pinch and a free, disposable nest box, if you have a cooperative doe, probably isn't the worse idea ever. I'm even thinking about building a bottomless wooden nest box so that I can slip these mailing boxes into them as liners.

The best part is how cute bunnies look all snuggled into a "special delivery" box!

These are very good way to make cheapest and easiest box for a rabbit. I like it and I make a beautiful cage for rabbit and it like to leave only in cage. It is also instant making cage for rabbit.

Great idea my rabbits would probably chew them up. But if they did not just think how sanitary it would be after each litter just toss in the trash. I use cardboard in the bottom of my metal nestboxs as the wood got to dirty and looked nasty this way i can dump every thing in the trash then just do a quick bleach spay down and wash off with the sides.

wood wine crates from a wine shop---free!

I have always wondered, would a plastic storage container work? you would cut out one end for the door, drill holes in the floor for drainage, and wire it into the corner with caribbeaner-type clips, attach the lid with wire (or if you are a pack rat like me, little bolts). Then put it in the dish washer to sterilize...they might chew it but would that hurt them?

Some people do use plastic storage bins and seem happy with them. Even with the drainage holes, however, I'd be concerned about moisture build-up causing chilling in cold weather and excessive bacteria counts in hot weather. I could be dead wrong about that... and they would be easy to sanitize. But I have a strong preference for wood. It breathes.

Pearl used a nice, high-sided, medium-sized box when she had her litter. They stayed in it for their first couple of weeks, and it worked really well. I just changed out the hay after a week, and after the second week I was able to move them outside (the porch was being rebuilt, so the rabbits were inside for a few weeks).

Maggie, maybe that was what has stopped me from trying it here in the dripping land of the giant banana slug! Alllrrighty then, back to knocking them together from wood scrap. Soggy bunnies are sad bunnies!

eco2pia":pb0bn3wb said:

Maggie, maybe that was what has stopped me from trying it here in the dripping land of the giant banana slug!

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Eeeeeewww! Okay, I'll stop thinking about that now. :lol:

Well, it is such a cheapest and easiest box for a rabbit. I really like it very much, yesterday I was make wood box for it, it is such a very best and too much interesting to prepare in different colors.

MaggieJ":3861zrim said:

Some people do use plastic storage bins and seem happy with them. Even with the drainage holes, however, I'd be concerned about moisture build-up causing chilling in cold weather and excessive bacteria counts in hot weather. I could be dead wrong about that... and they would be easy to sanitize. But I have a strong preference for wood. It breathes.

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I've always been nervous of plastic around rabbits. It's too easily chewed up and isn't natural in their digestive systems. I can't say I've ever had trouble along those lines but it still makes me nervous.