mothergoosemagic
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I need to build some nest boxes for my MR does, and I'm finding conflicting info about the best dimensions. There doesn't seem to be a dispute about the 6" depth, just the width & length.
Does will be in outdoor maternity cages, inside a roofed hutch, & in a permanently shaded area. Mamas will have privacy via individual tarps. This method worked very well for my NZ mama.
Does should kindle in about 2 weeks, so I want to have the boxes ready.
Best dimensions? Both mamas are pretty small & so is the buck. <br /><br /> -- Sun Jul 27, 2014 12:03 pm -- <br /><br /> I'm going to reply to my own question.
The most sensible answer I've found so far was on a homesteading forum. The poster said she looks at the doe laying down on all fours, then adds 2-3" in each direction. Since Bambi is the larger of the two, I went with her measurements.
The box I came up with has outer dimensions of 16"L x 10.5"W with inner dimensions of 14.5"L x 9"W. Front is 4"H and rear is 6"H. I used one 8' 1x6 untreated pine board plus some 4" scrap to make both boxes.
I didn't bother with a resting lid since my maternity cages are already pretty roomy. Tacked hardware cloth on the underside of the bottom. I'll line this with a couple sheets of newspaper before giving her some material to make a nest. Both sides of the front board have been rasped down to round the edges (didn't feel like hauling out my router bits).
Does will be in outdoor maternity cages, inside a roofed hutch, & in a permanently shaded area. Mamas will have privacy via individual tarps. This method worked very well for my NZ mama.
Does should kindle in about 2 weeks, so I want to have the boxes ready.
Best dimensions? Both mamas are pretty small & so is the buck. <br /><br /> -- Sun Jul 27, 2014 12:03 pm -- <br /><br /> I'm going to reply to my own question.
The most sensible answer I've found so far was on a homesteading forum. The poster said she looks at the doe laying down on all fours, then adds 2-3" in each direction. Since Bambi is the larger of the two, I went with her measurements.
The box I came up with has outer dimensions of 16"L x 10.5"W with inner dimensions of 14.5"L x 9"W. Front is 4"H and rear is 6"H. I used one 8' 1x6 untreated pine board plus some 4" scrap to make both boxes.
I didn't bother with a resting lid since my maternity cages are already pretty roomy. Tacked hardware cloth on the underside of the bottom. I'll line this with a couple sheets of newspaper before giving her some material to make a nest. Both sides of the front board have been rasped down to round the edges (didn't feel like hauling out my router bits).
If I didn't have hutches, I think I would make the all-wire nest boxes that can hook into the cage and line with cardboard for easy cleaning and maintenance 
