12 day old kit outside the nest box

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This morning at 7 am when I went to feed the rabbits a baby was outside the nest box shivering. It was still only 48° outside. I put it back in the box in the middle of the kit pile to warm up. It was the runt, so I think it was clinging to mom when she left the box after feeding this morning.
So now I need to get out there earlier to be sure they are where they belong.
But what is the proper procedure with litters in the winter?
 
There is really not much you can do. If you see one out you can just put it back in. Things like this happen, I don't think you need to go out there earlier.
Does your nest box have a lip on the end of it? When the mom is done feeding it will pull the babies that are still latched on whe she gets out.
 
There is really not much you can do. If you see one out you can just put it back in. Things like this happen, I don't think you need to go out there earlier.
Does your nest box have a lip on the end of it? When the mom is done feeding it will pull the babies that are still latched on whe she gets out.
Yes. The lip is why it can't get back in. I put straw next to the lip, but the doe started eating it.
 
We had the same problem. Luckily we’d installed a ring camera over the cage and during one of our video checks through our ring app, saw it. Got out there quickly enough to warm it up and get it back in. Then added a lip to prevent follow-ups. And in the event one still got out, we added some boards that made a wide short staircase back into the nest box.
 
This morning at 7 am when I went to feed the rabbits a baby was outside the nest box shivering. It was still only 48° outside. I put it back in the box in the middle of the kit pile to warm up. It was the runt, so I think it was clinging to mom when she left the box after feeding this morning.
So now I need to get out there earlier to be sure they are where they belong.
But what is the proper procedure with litters in the winter?
By 12 days old, the kit is pretty close to being able to make it outside the nest, though they're not always able to do it all by themselves. It is the age where they'll start to get a little adventurous, though. One thing you can do at this point is to turn the box on its side, so the kits can come and go as they please. Some will stay huddled in the back, while others will toddle out and then back in to get warm.

But when kits are new and pop-outs are a potential risk, sometimes I bring the box inside daily, taking it out to the doe for feeding once or twice a day. The doe doesn't seem to care at all whether the box is there all day as long as she's fed them. While it's slightly more work than just letting nature take its course, there are numerous advantages to this practice. You have constant access to the kits to monitor them; if there are some kits getting huge and fat at the expense of the runt(s), you can pull the big ones out for one meal to let the smaller ones catch up; and kits that are handled often tend to become very calm and tame rabbits.

There are several things you can do to minimize pop-outs. I've never cared for the lip approach; it's a bit of a pain to build, it still lets babies get out and as you found, it sometimes prevents them from getting back in. There are two ways I've found to be most successful: building a box with a bottom that slants towards the back, which will keep the kits' nest bowl in the back courtesy of gravity; and using a box that doesn't even have a "front" but is just a deep box with even sides all around (sort of like an orange crate - in fact I've used those many times).

As a note, longtime rabbit breeders always say that a kit isn't dead unless it's warm and dead...meaning that you can sometimes find a cold, stiff kit and miraculously raise it from the "dead" by warming it in your pocket. :) I even found one in an icy-water-filled bowl that revived (best ever!!!). They're rugged little customers!
 
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By 12 days old, the kit is pretty close to being able to make it outside the nest, though they're not always able to do it all by themselves. It is the age where they'll start to get a little adventurous, though. One thing you can do at this point is to turn the box on its side, so the kits can come and go as they please. Some will stay huddled in the back, while others will toddle out and then back in to get warm.

But when kits are new and pop-outs are a potential risk, sometimes I bring the box inside daily, taking it out to the doe for feeding once or twice a day. The doe doesn't seem to care at all whether the box is there all day as long as she's fed them. While it's slightly more work than just letting nature take its course, there are numerous advantages to this practice. You have constant access to the kits to monitor them; if there are some kits getting huge and fat at the expense of the runt(s), you can pull the big ones out for one meal to let the smaller ones catch up; and kits that are handled often tend to become very calm and tame rabbits.

There are several things you can do to minimize pop-outs. I've never cared for the lip approach; it's a bit of a pain to build, it still lets babies get out and as you found, it sometimes prevents them from getting back in. There are two ways I've found to be most successful: building a box with a bottom that slants towards the back, which will keep the kits' nest bowl in the back courtesy of gravity; and using a box that doesn't even have a "front" but is just a deep box with even sides all around (sort of like an orange crate - in fact I've used those many times).

As a note, longtime rabbit breeders always say that a kit isn't dead unless it's warm and dead...meaning that you can sometimes find a cold, stiff kit and miraculously raise it from the "dead" by warming it in your pocket. :) I even found one in an icy-water-filled bowl that revived (best ever!!!). They're rugged little customers!
Thank you. I'm thinking that exact thing this morning. I've been reading old posts and looking for solutions. That's seems to be the best option.
 
We had the same problem. Luckily we’d installed a ring camera over the cage and during one of our video checks through our ring app, saw it. Got out there quickly enough to warm it up and get it back in. Then added a lip to prevent follow-ups. And in the event one still got out, we added some boards that made a wide short staircase back into the nest box.
My internet provider won't let me do that. But T-Mobile is my only reliable option here. Otherwise I would. Even had the Dish Net guy out here and he said it's not possible.
 
My internet provider won't let me do that. But T-Mobile is my only reliable option here. Otherwise I would. Even had the Dish Net guy out here and he said it's not possible.
This was when our cages were in our garage and the camera could connect to our house Wi-Fi. Now that we’ve moved them to our outbuilding we had to lose the camera.
 
Once ours are around 2 weeks of age or so and starting to pop out of the nest box and get stuck outside, we have step inserts that my husband makes to place in front of the box entrances for easy re-entry. There are two screws which stick out of the bottom to lock them in place so the doe can't slide them around out of position.
 

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1st night bringing the box in the house. She was sitting on the top of the box. But jumped down when I turned on the lights. (7pm) Two were wrinkly, but one was huge. So when I took the box back this morning, I kept the big one inside. She didn't jump right in but when I left she did.
I do have a bigger nest box. Do you think she would notice if I switched boxes?
Apparently they hang out at the front of the box. They pile on top of each other, so that is how they are getting out.
Thanks for your guidance in this.
 

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Our babies are a little over 2 weeks old and I have turned the box on it's side but before I did we only had 1 escapee. I wanted to see how they were staying in the box so well so I sat and watched for quite awhile. Every time a little head poked over the top mama would knock it back into the box. I bout died laughing.
We got really lucky with this mama. It was her first litter and there were 4. She had them all in a beautiful furry nest in the box and from day 2 they all had fat little happy tummies. Mama also got really agressive wanting pets every time I opened the cage to check on things or feed. I'm now really hoping our next mama to deliver doesn't turn into a hormonal nightmare to make up for how super sweet this one had been.
We are raising TAMUK's and this was our first litter ever.
 
Our babies are a little over 2 weeks old and I have turned the box on it's side but before I did we only had 1 escapee. I wanted to see how they were staying in the box so well so I sat and watched for quite awhile. Every time a little head poked over the top mama would knock it back into the box. I bout died laughing.
We got really lucky with this mama. It was her first litter and there were 4. She had them all in a beautiful furry nest in the box and from day 2 they all had fat little happy tummies. Mama also got really agressive wanting pets every time I opened the cage to check on things or feed. I'm now really hoping our next mama to deliver doesn't turn into a hormonal nightmare to make up for how super sweet this one had been.
We are raising TAMUK's and this was our first litter ever.
I want Tamuk. But can't find transport from Texas to California. Going in April tho. So I can bring some back.
I did switch the box to the bigger one, and this morning I checked at 6:30. They were still in but she was in feeding them also.
So I learned the new box didn't bother her.
 
I want Tamuk. But can't find transport from Texas to California. Going in April tho. So I can bring some back.
I did switch the box to the bigger one, and this morning I checked at 6:30. They were still in but she was in feeding them also.
So I learned the new box didn't bother her.
With our heat it's the best choice for us. If you get some you will fall in love with them.
 
Sounds like you're off to a great start. Your first-time mama is a keeper.

Kits can often get out of the nest box before they are able to get hop back in. An easy precaution to take is to put a step outside the low end of the box to help adventurous kits return to the nest. A brick works very well and is heavy enough to stay in place.

This is especially helpful to those in colder climates where it is often best not to turn the nest box on its side too soon. In fact, I never liked turning the box and with a step in place I never lost a kit that way once their eyes were open.
 

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