Nest Boxes In or Under the Cage?

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Aggie03

Aggie03

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Has anyone ever used nest boxes that go underneath the cage? I am about to start building some wire cages and was wondering which I should use. I have seen some cage designs with wire nesting boxes built into the cage to simulate an underground burrow (I'm assuming that's the reason). I have also seen the apparently more traditional nesting boxes.

If anyone has experience with either and/or can give some pros and cons to both, I would really appreciate it.
 
I use the BASS Saninests, but not mounted underneath the cages. My cage setup is two tiered, so I would need to be about seven feet tall to get into the top doe tier if I did so. Plus I have an almost fanatical aversion to cutting cage wire- installing J-feeders which requires cutting holes in the face of the cages took supreme willpower, lol.

We do have at least one member that uses them underneath the cage itself, although she hasn't been active on RT since last February. You can see her setup here:

post226461.html
 
The breeders I bought my stock from a couple of years ago used them. What they really liked was that there was no place for the kits to wander off to or fall out of the box, and by the time they were old enough to start hopping up above into mama's cage it was time to start to wean. Moms have their own room once the little ones start to move around vs. babies tumbling or being pulled out of the nest box, lurching after mom and trying to latch on to her at every moment.

Minus side: you're losing some floor space by cutting a hole in it (though you could make a cover to put over it between litters) and as MSD said, you have to have more space between cages when stacking because of the extra room taken up by the box underneath. I was struck by how the babies start to look like they're packed into an egg crate when they get older and aren't in the mood to hop out yet. I don't know if they minded, but I get a bit claustrophobic so when I looked in the various boxes it looked crowded, really warm, and full of bunny breath. (I saw their setup in spring on an unseasonably warm day. The thought of anyone breathing on me was too much, cute bunny or not.)
 
I use them and I love them. Kits do not die from falling out of a nestbox and if for some reason one stayed on moms nipple after she hopped out, they would just wriggle and fall right back into their nest instead of dying on the wire. No, you do not lose cage space either. You still have the same cage space but now with a second level for the rabbit to climb in and out of. My rabbits without kits love to use them when they're feeling anxious, which is okay because poo and pee pass right through the wire mesh (not that I've ever seen them pee in them), unlike traditional nest boxes. It offers the doe more enrichment (in the event your cage does not have multi levels already) and exercise and does not require any separate special cleaning, just clean it with the rest of your cage normally. I would not use the clips that bass supply sends with them though, they rust very quickly.
 
Deer Heart":9i8drjvr said:
I use them and I love them. Kits do not die from falling out of a nestbox and if for some reason one stayed on moms nipple after she hopped out, they would just wriggle and fall right back into their nest instead of dying on the wire. No, you do not lose cage space either. You still have the same cage space but now with a second level for the rabbit to climb in and out of. My rabbits without kits love to use them when they're feeling anxious, which is okay because poo and pee pass right through the wire mesh (not that I've ever seen them pee in them), unlike traditional nest boxes. It offers the doe more enrichment (in the event your cage does not have multi levels already) and exercise and does not require any separate special cleaning, just clean it with the rest of your cage normally. I would not use the clips that bass supply sends with them though, they rust very quickly.
Click to expand...

I also use Bass saninest under the cage,I also like them for most of the above stated reasons..

. I also built the cages 3 feet tall and put 2 one foot wide shelves in them- at 1 foot off the floor, and at 2 foot off the floor, The adult rabbits spend most of their time on the top shelf. I personally feel the shelf, and exercise they get playing , [ jumping up on the shelf , and running around the cage over and over] - adds years to the productive life of my rabbits. The shelf gives a doe a place to get away from the kits , to be able to rest with out being bothered .
 
Thank you, everyone, for all the helpful insight and comments. I'm designing a system right now, and I'll post some pictures when we get it finished.
 

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