when to remove nest box

[champange]

So my does finally had a few babies 4 and 3 they are 10 days and 2 days can i ever put these 2 littlers together and when can i remove nest box from cage

 

[DBA]

I would wait to remove the box for a while. I let the rabbits tell me when I can remove it. It's usually around 3 to 3 1/2 weeks. When the kits no longer spend any time in the nest box and start sleeping out on the wire and there is no risk of them freezing (winter litters) , then I take the nest box out.

 

[champange]

That sounds simple enough let the bunnies tell me.im sure every litter is diff. This is are first litter after 7 months,i got a male with no balls so of course he wasnt going to breed then it got to be the dead off winter and they locked up tighter than fort knox.can i combine these litters at anytime during the next few weeks.basically i was wanting to rebreed one doe and give the kits to one doe <br /><br /> -- Wed Jun 17, 2015 9:59 am -- <br /><br /> That sounds simple enough let the bunnies tell me.im sure every litter is diff. This is are first litter after 7 months,i got a male with no balls so of course he wasnt going to breed then it got to be the dead off winter and they locked up tighter than fort knox.can i combine these litters at anytime during the next few weeks.basically i was wanting to rebreed one doe and give the kits to one doe

 

[lereg15]

I would wait to remove the box for a while. I let the rabbits tell me when I can remove it. It's usually around 3 to 3 1/2 weeks. When the kits no longer spend any time in the nest box and start sleeping out on the wire and there is no risk of them freezing (winter litters) , then I take the nest box out.

I have kits that are just 3 weeks now. Yesterday I turned over the nest box and the kits are sleeping outside of the box. So far, only a couple are going into the box, just exploring, I guess. I also put a feeder pan in the cage and some of the kits have been eating from it. In your opinion, is it too early to take out the box? I would say I could, but this is my first litter and don't want to do something stupid.

 

[skysthelimit]

I take it out when they start using it as a litter box. Sometimes 3 weeks, sometimes a bit more.

 

[lereg15]

Thanks skys!! I believe they are starting to do that now. I noticed tonight that the one side of the box is urine soaked, so tomorrow I may just take it out and see how they do.

 

[akane]

My boxes are usually out at 2 weeks. Definitely by 3 weeks this time of year. Although mine are in the basement now so it is a steady 65-75F year round and I can remove boxes by 3weeks at any time of the year. When I had them outside I did leave them longer in the box in the winter. Sometimes I wouldn't even see one doe's litters until they were 4 weeks old. She piled her box so deep I'm not even sure how she got to the kits but they would appear at about 4 weeks old and usually with 8-10kits. I just quit worrying about it and waited.

 

[lereg15]

Well, that confirms it then. Tomorrow I'll take the box out and see how it goes. I could always put another one back in, if I need to. Thanks again akane!!

 

[SableSteel]

I would not try to combine the litters... usually even you foster its best to do it when they are very young, and then they should be within 5 days of age of eachother. I flip my nestbox on its side whenever their eyes open (so about 10 days) so they are free to move about the cage or go into the box as they please, and usually remove the box by 2 weeks... have never lost a kit once I started doing this, but where I live, there is no chance of them getting too cold, because it's ridiculously hot here, so I'm not sure removing the box this young would work in other places.

 

[ZRab]

I would not combine the 2 litters, just cause their age difference. However, depending on your cage size and the rabbits size, at weaning you could combine them all at once in new pen.

This time of year my kits are out of the box by 2 weeks. I do let it in till 3 weeks though so if they want to hop back in on a cooler night they can. Plus I weigh them at 3 weeks, so its easy to put them in their box and weigh and then leave it out. In winter they don't really want to come out before 3 weeks. I will then take the box out at 3 weeks cause I want them to get eating, which they won't do if they stay snuggled in the box.