ARGH!

[PulpFaction]

Found my third frozen litter of the year last night. I'm tired of kit-siccles. I thought if I was careful and gave the does good boxes and warm hay and shavings that they would be able to manage, but that is clearly not the case! Plenty of fur, cleaned off, five perfectly formed little ones, even had fat bellies from a first feeding. What a bummer. My first Alaska winter with rabbits has not been encouraging.

 

[MaggieJ]

Are you using traditional nest boxes with open tops, except for the resting board at one end? You might want to experiment with an entirely closed box, except for a hole for the doe to get in, of course. I have had two singleton kits survive temperatures dipping to -20 F. this winter. I know it gets colder than that in Alaska, but still it might be worth a try.

 

[PulpFaction]

I have noticed the hay and fur are all scrambled up together instead of the nice warm little fur pocket I'm used to seeing. I'm not sure why this is, maybe inexperienced doe stuff, or perhaps I need to use longer hay or straw?

 

[Jack]

Um, haven't had that problem, even when they were in cold camp, the only frozen ones I had were from scattering, or my stupidity of not getting the box out early enough (I was going off the LAST breeding, not the first....)<br /><br />__________ Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:43 pm __________<br /><br />Oh and have you considered changing the nest build, I stuff the bottom with a cardboard insert over my fine mesh, then build a solid hay mat about 3" thick then I put in shredded paper, the paper bedding or wood chips, and the split a big load of hay between loosely stuffed in the box and just loose in the cage. That way, even if she sucks at building a nest, there is still a decent thermal break.

 

[PulpFaction]

Um, haven't had that problem, even when they were in cold camp, the only frozen ones I had were from scattering, or my stupidity of not getting the box out early enough (I was going off the LAST breeding, not the first....)

__________ Fri Feb 25, 2011 1:43 pm __________

Oh and have you considered changing the nest build, I stuff the bottom with a cardboard insert over my fine mesh, then build a solid hay mat about 3" thick then I put in shredded paper, the paper bedding or wood chips, and the split a big load of hay between loosely stuffed in the box and just loose in the cage. That way, even if she sucks at building a nest, there is still a decent thermal break.

I'm thinking of building a slightly larger nestbox that I can stuff with shavings for added insulation, and then put in a cardboard liner with the shavings and hay.

I hate building stuff. :/

 

[Jack]

HA, I build mine with stuff left over from my neighbor, who has a wood mill and does his own lumber, got lots of GREAT resting board that way, and most of my litterbox wood.