Many breeders find that about 18 days is a good time to take the box away. But you can take your cues from the kits. If they are in and out all the time, it is time! It can be as early as 2 weeks, as late as 3 weeks, sometimes a bit more if it's really cold or the kits are behind or compromised in some way.
Thank you for all your insight!Many breeders find that about 18 days is a good time to take the box away. But you can take your cues from the kits. If they are in and out all the time, it is time! It can be as early as 2 weeks, as late as 3 weeks, sometimes a bit more if it's really cold or the kits are behind or compromised in some way.
Taking the box out is as soon as possible is a good idea because those babies are using it as a potty box, and even if you clean it frequently, it will be pretty unhygienic. And who wants to clean nest boxes every day or two?
Usually the kits will clump together in a huddle to sleep like they did in the nest box, just without the box. I do find that giving them a resting board (the slotted ones stay cleanest but a wooden board will do too, it just needs to be changed pretty often when it gets soiled) is nice because their little paws still poke through the 1/2" x 1" cage wire for a while.
Taking the box out is as soon as possible gives the mom and kits more room to move around; it also allows you time to clean, disinfect and air out the box before its next use.
That's a good idea. I was leaving the box in thinking mom had a place to "get away" but they have little space with it in.
1.5 to 2 weeks. My boxes are such that once babies' eyes open, the most curious little ones inevitably end up over the edge and then cannot get back into the nest. So, at 1.5 to two weeks (as soon as I start seeing open eyes) I turn my boxes on their sides so nothing tragic can happen (think frozen baby out of the nest) and then at two weeks I pull the actual box and then build a new nest with clean straw on mom's cage floor. Everyone seems quite happy and healthy with this routine.
Thank you! I will try this next go a round1.5 to 2 weeks. My boxes are such that once babies' eyes open, the most curious little ones inevitably end up over the edge and then cannot get back into the nest. So, at 1.5 to two weeks (as soon as I start seeing open eyes) I turn my boxes on their sides so nothing tragic can happen (think frozen baby out of the nest) and then at two weeks I pull the actual box and then build a new nest with clean straw on mom's cage floor. Everyone seems quite happy and healthy with this routine.
Some moms do and some moms don't. Then an occasional mom will use the box for everything, and it becomes a major problem. I've had a mom once urinate right into the face of a kit, who inhaled it and drowned. It was the saddest thing. I've had another mom who never made such messes all of a sudden make a huge urine mess in the nest. I had the clean the kits and build a new nest, twice, because they were drenched and it was wintertime, so hypothermia was a concern. I ended up pulling her nest between feedings just to put an end to it and to reduce the risk of losing kits.
I think it depends upon the type or style of the nest box. For kindling, I use a nest box that has four raised sides. If a kit accidentally ends up on the outside of that style box far before it should, it can freeze to death in the winter. Therefore, once the kits are old enough to see and hop out due to irresistible curiosity, I flip the nest box on it's side, giving such kits a chance to go in and out of the nest freely and safely.
Do you have photos or a link for your mestbox plans? I need to build a few this week.
