A few nest box questions.

[LittleFluffyBunnies]

So I will be building some nest boxes for the first time. I have wanted to make wooden ones, because I have used a plastic one and it was too easy for the doe to throw around.
I have a few questions about them though. First, I'm assuming untreated wood is needed. I will have to try and find some.
Second, what is best for the floor? Is it better to have a solid wood bottom, a wire bottom, or no bottom(placed on a wire cage)? The weather here is mostly mild. In winter it doesn't get under 40 degrees Fahrenheit at the coldest.
Does it need to have a roof?

Thanks.

 

[shazza]

untreated wood is necessary, yes. you don't want your rabbits eating arsenic from treated boards. there is a little glue in plywood but it's pretty negligible and won't hurt them if they chew on it a bit.

as for the bottom, it's up to you. solid bottomed cages will get dirty faster. a 1/4" wire bottom will let pee/poop fall through and will stay clean longer. it's still easy to overstuff the nest with hay and fur if it gets cold one night. it's really hot year-round here too. mine have a little roof but it's not necessary. mom likes to sit on top of it to get away from them sometimes.

another popular option here in texas is all wire nests. it allows for more airflow and theoretically less overheating kits, but they aren't great to use when it's cold out. i only use wood nests though, so i can't vouch for how well they work. if it gets a little warm and i notice kits looking hot i just bring the nest inside.

 

[LittleFluffyBunnies]

Thanks shazza! I'll do an open bottom. My wire floors are 1/2" by 1", if I didn't put a floor on and set it on the wire, or used extra of that as flooring, would that work, or is smaller wire necessary?

 

[2CrazyFools]

I'd recommend an open bottom and put a hock-saver of some sort under it to help with loss of hay going through the wire, while still allowing both airflow and drainability. Even cardboard would work as a base for the straw/hay to lay on.

We don't have "nest boxes" per say, I think of them as more hidey-holes. Somewhere for the buns to hide if they fear a predator may be about, and somewhere for them to lounge on if they are tired of sleeping on the wire they can hop up to the top of the box. Also helps for the mother to get away from her swarming kits, lol. I did two nest-boxes/hidey-holes with wooden bottom, which the adult rabbits preferred, and two with just wire bottoms. I found that the kits got into a routine with mine where they would go off and soil in the corner of the box, which was no big deal when the bottom was open, but man did that turn out nasty when it was a wooden floor! Gross... I ended up removing the wooden floors from all my boxes because of this.

Picture examples of what I'm talking about.

You can see the hock saver / EZ mat I use here, (it's just a $1 kitchen sink mat from dollar tree) and I just slip it under the boxes, generally two per box when I'm ready to fill with hay or straw. You can also see how the rabbits enjoy hopping up top.



Open construction where you can see the setup inside. A few (such as this one) I made with two baby-scrapers, but it's been unnecessary so far.

 

[LittleFluffyBunnies]

That's a good idea! I'm sure I could whip up something. Probably cardboard, which I can just switch out when it's dirty. I have a bunch of boxes I can just cut up for use.
I do think I'll put wire on the bottom so I can pick up the box to take the kits out. I just realized it would be kind of tricky to get them all out for their daily handling. But I'll still put cardboard underneath, or inside or something. I could cut a piece small enough to slip inside.

 

[2CrazyFools]

Yeah, we always have a ton of boxes from amazon so cardboard is often used here too! Our nest boxes never get removed (12-14lbs of wood...) so I didn't initially think of the wire bottoms, for the small, normal sized nest boxes wire would be a must for quick removal. I think I've seen some like this at Tractor Supply or on the forum. I always prefer to make my own from scrap wood around the house but it's nice to look at for ideas!

 

[LittleFluffyBunnies]

Yeah! Thanks a lot for the help. And I forgot to mention, I really like your nest/hiding boxes! I'm sure the rabbit's enjoy them.

 

[alforddm]

I like my next boxes to be removable for a couple of reasons and that requires them to have a bottom. 1) I am short and have short arms making the boxes movable makes it easier to check the babies or if it's cold or windy I can bring the box in the house before uncovering them to check (my rabbits are in outside hutches). 2) If for any reason I have to shelf the babies that is easily accomplished. I use a wire bottom and put cardboard in the bottom.

 

[DaytonHillRabbits]

I personally had my boyfriend make me some wooden sided nest boxes with a half roof (the mothers LOVE being able to get up on top of them to get a break from the babies once they start milling around the milk bar LOL) and wire bottom. I had lost a few litters using plastic cat litter boxes inside my house at that time because of mothers peeing in the nest and chilling the kits and one was just that they didn't provide enough protection from cold and collected waste. Since switching to the new nest boxes I haven't lost any kits due to the actual nests, just to bad mothering and once two babies must have come out of the nest attached to the mother while nursing and froze (lovely temperature drop that night eh?)

 

[Rabbitdog]

So I will be building some nest boxes for the first time. I have wanted to make wooden ones, because I have used a plastic one and it was too easy for the doe to throw around.
I have a few questions about them though. First, I'm assuming untreated wood is needed. I will have to try and find some.
Second, what is best for the floor? Is it better to have a solid wood bottom, a wire bottom, or no bottom(placed on a wire cage)? The weather here is mostly mild. In winter it doesn't get under 40 degrees Fahrenheit at the coldest.
Does it need to have a roof?

Thanks.

The best nest boxes are drop nest boxes. All wire, but easily wrapped with cardboard (from the outside). Warm and dry. Babies never get out of the nest until they're old enough. Search for drop nest boxes and you'll see some pics on here.

 

[LittleFluffyBunnies]

Thanks everybody for the suggestions! I'll be working on the nest boxes this week. I'm doing wood nest boxes with a wire bottom, which I'll use cardboard on. I'll see about doing a little roof on top, as my does do get tired of being chased around :lol:

I do really like the look of the drop nest boxes, but I don't think I'll do them as I just made my cages and I don't think my dad(who helped) would be very happy if I asked him to make another one or change this one :lol: