DIRTING IN THE NEST BOX

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Mary Ann's Rabbitry

Mary Ann's Rabbitry

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The ones that i shipped in from california. The guy breed them for me to his winning buck.They are both due in 2 days. I put nesting box in for them. I notice the one that i do know she is pregnant. She is soooo huge. It is funny to look at her. SHe is the one that goes in the box and scratches most of the straw out of the box. THen she lied in it. I look this morning to see how much was left. She used it as a litter box. I moved it to the other corner. SHe did it again. Any experience that i had . WHen a does that scratch the straw out of a box and uses it to potty in. NEver uses the box for there babies. I am going to clean it out AGAIN. grrrrr. I really want this litter. It is a new bloodline for me. But it isnt looking good . So ,has any one else experence this before and turns out ok. OR am i just hopeful here. I am hoping she has them during he day. SO i can catch her if she dose have them on the wire. And i checked the weather. It is going to rain all in the next 3 days. I need luck on my side right now. THe other doe is doing nothing in her box. NOt sure if she is pregnant. SHe didn show as much and it was hard to feel. SHe is the one that i want the babies from the most. But it looks like it isnt going to happen there either. I guess i had to vent.
 
Frustrating, to say the least. I suggest giving her a second box... Maybe she will potty in one and kindle in the other. I'd also make sure there are nesting materials on the wire in case she has them there. Someone mentioned putting a small towel in the cage when suspecting that a doe might kindle on the wire. It can keep them alive a bit longer and increase the chances you will get to them in time.
 
It sounds like she's litter box trained as she's following the box where ever it goes, rather than peeing in her preferred spot.

Like Maggie said, give her a litter and a nest box.
 
Maryann,

I have does that tear their nestboxes up too, and at first I thought it was because I gave them their nests before they were "ready" for them, but yesterday Irritable Blue was gathering hay and I gave her a nest in the morning. In the afternoon she was digging away in it, and tearing the cardboard sides... so too early is not the reason in her case.

Anyway, I have several does who will tear up the nests, but they still kindle in them. None of them use it as a toilet though. When they tear up the cardboard the pine bedding falls through the wire, so to prevent that I will put a piece of cardboard underneath the nest. You can zip tie the cardboard to the bottom of the nest so if they tend to move the nest around, the cardboard goes with it, and also they can't tear that piece up.

Fingers crossed that you will have two litters of beautiful kits soon!
 
Thanks everyone. Starting to feel a litte better. I am going to do what Maggies suggested. I am going to put some towels in the cage. I know from experience this isnt a good sign. There isnt any room for another nest box. THis doe is huge in the belly . But so is the mom. SHe is over 11 pounds right now.

I had does that scratch in the box. NO problem if they dont dirty in it. IF there some babies on the wire or she isnt a good mom. I have two other does ready to kindle and the other doe that kindle yesturday morning. That just has one baby. I can give her some if i have to. THis so nerve wacking. :ugeek:
 
I mainly use the open-topped wire nests, but I also have some metal boxes that have 1/2 the top covered- maybe if you gave her one like that it would help. If you don't have any of that type, maybe you could attach a piece of plywood or something to the top so half of it is covered. I don't know if it will stop her pottying in it, but maybe it is worth trying.
 
I have one like that in the other doe cage. I am not to fawn on those. They are big rabbits and they have a bit of a hard time in there , when the babies are being born ,the babies tend to get squish . Because she is so big. I gave her an open one.It is ok for a smaller rabbit around 8 pounds even tho these are 11 by 18 inches nesting boxes. Thanks for the advice do .
I am going with maggie said. I am going to clean her box and then i am going to put down some old towels and put bedding materials on top. She is in a baby saver cage.
 
I just bought a rabbit that is a nest box destroyer. This is going to be fun, because I use plastic nest boxes. I have never had a doe so much as chew one, much less destroy it, I also don't leave them in there. I'm will have to build her a nestbox all for herself.
 
skysthelimit":1e38s3xl said:
I just bought a rabbit that is a nest box destroyer. This is going to be fun, because I use plastic nest boxes. I have never had a doe so much as chew one, much less destroy it, I also don't leave them in there. I'm will have to build her a nestbox all for herself.
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What do you mean you dont leave them in there. You dont leave the nesting box in the cage?
 
Mary Ann's Rabbitry":2c54bl27 said:
skysthelimit":2c54bl27 said:
I just bought a rabbit that is a nest box destroyer. This is going to be fun, because I use plastic nest boxes. I have never had a doe so much as chew one, much less destroy it, I also don't leave them in there. I'm will have to build her a nestbox all for herself.
Click to expand...
What do you mean you dont leave them in there. You dont leave the nesting box in the cage?
Click to expand...

I take the nest boxes right after they kindle. Mainly because it was cold outside, also because I had first time does and some I wasn't familiar with. I put the boxes in full time when the kits open their eyes, and take boxes away when several kits start hopping out two or three times.
 
Every single one of my does has used the nesting box as a litter box. Every one of them. Makes me so mad!!

But I found that once Big Bertha had her litter, she stopped doing that. I think she did pee on the kits once but it was after they had furred out. Aside from that, she hasn't never used it as a litter box once she kindled.
 
If it's a wood box make sure to clean the urine smell out of it every time or they'll just follow the scent. Including from the last batch of kits if you don't sterilize the box between every litter. I don't have many problems with does messing in boxes so I just float mine in bleach water twice a year and wipe any spots that urine actually reaches the box (doesn't usually happen with the pine pellets in there) with vinegar between litters. Once a box is marked it may help to use a different box.
 
Mary Ann's Rabbitry":lzvluc9a said:
I went and checked on her this morning. At 6 am. I was sooo happy that she didnt move her box or mess in it. THere was a nece hole made at one end and she is takeing straw in her mouth. Yaaa it might turn out better than i thought. My fingers are cross.
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Sounds very promising! Crossing my fingers and hoping for a great outcome for you and your doe...I am waiting on one to pop as well...It is a first litter for a homegrown doe that I have been trying to get bred for a few months now. This morning, day 34, she was in the box, nesting and pulling fur. When I left, she was laying in the box.... :? Hopefully, she will have them in the box and not on the wire as I don't get home till after six pm.
 
And right after I said I haven't had a problem, my seasoned doe of several litters emptied the box, and wrapped herself in a cocoon of hay. I wish I had a camera.
 
UPDate. THis same doe i was talking about. She had 9 fat babies this morning. I am jumping up and down right now. I changed her box and she stopped messing in it and had her babies in the box and all fur over them. And the other doe that was breed at the same time from california . I didnt think she took. She is now making a nest. Here comes some broken reds. A GOOD DAY SO FAR.Just had to share. :mbounce:
 

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