Another buried litter - lost? *panic*

[Stormy]

So if you remember, the last time this happened, it did NOT turn out so well. The rains came, the doe seemed to forget about her litter underground.
A new mother doe who I've been so eagerly waiting for the past year to breed, who was so huge she must have had a huge litter, decided to burrow underground in her day pen instead of using the provided nest box. So I left the girls unlocked at night so she'd have free access to her burrow. Its been a rainy week. I discovered a shallow test burrow was dug about a foot over from the real burrow, and abandoned. Is it possibly she was looking for her burrow and gave up? While the 'true' burrow looked freshly packed the first few days, it no longer looks disturbed, just packed mud. Harkening back to the other abandoned buried litter, I dug open the burrow. It had a huge amount of mud blocking the entrance. I don't hear anything - wouldn't I hear babies if they are alive? Its so upsetting.

How do people let their rabbits nest underground and not have this problem? Is anyone else's rabbits getting overwhelmed by rain and abandoning burrows? I also wonder that since I move the fence around every week to encompass grassier areas, although I've left everything in place around the burrow, I wonder if moving the other walls could be disorienting? Even though the burrow is dug directly under a tree - seems like a pretty good landmark. I am really at a loss here and just so so so disappointed to lose another litter. We've really been striking out lately. I really want this colony thing to work but I can't be losing litters!

 

[ohiogoatgirl]

perhaps you could move in large stones and things then cover it with hay then soil. like a hill with some started holes. the rabbits then burrow in the hill from the started holes.

thats the way the old warrens were done. if i ever get the chance to do a full on colony i'd do a large area with cement, cover with soil enough to grow grass and all, build a couple hills like i said for burrows, and a small covered area for feed supplementing and water.

if you make a hill for them then the burrows wont be flooded or mud-swamped.

or perhaps if you keep havin this problem you could keep the does who are due inside until they kindle. that way they cant burrow and kindle out there.

good luck! hope this litter makes it for ya.

 

[Dood]

Why dont you tack chain link fence or some other large gap wire to the bottom of the pen so grass can get through but rabbits cannot burrow and force them to use a nest box?