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Beekeeper10

Beekeeper10

Well-known member
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Jun 3, 2012
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Location
SW Louisiana
This is my 7 month old Cali doe. She is due on the 15th. I gave her the nest box yesterday afternoon and she either ate all the hay or carried it out of the nest box last night. I gave her more hay this morning and this is what she looked like after about 5 minutes. I don't think she is sure what she is doing but she has a nice hay mustache. She is a first time mom so I will be watching her close.
 

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Is that a political placard behind her? I just LOVE seeing civic minded bunnies, myself! :p

Oh! Ahem... you were referring to the Hay Mustache?

You might put some shavings in the box- I haven't ever seen a doe remove that from the nest.
 
Great pic!

Due date only two days away, definitely keep the hay coming! Hopefully, it'll stop disappearing.

By the way, you get my vote for Best Use of a Political Sign! :hooray:<br /><br />__________ Tue Nov 13, 2012 11:41 am __________<br /><br />
MamaSheepdog":1ur8xvhu said:
You might put some shavings in the box- I haven't ever seen a doe remove that from the nest.
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Hmm... I shall file that tidbit away for possible future use. :)
 
MamaSheepdog":2s823pes said:
You might put some shavings in the box- I haven't ever seen a doe remove that from the nest.
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:lol: :lol: :lol: :rotfl:

Yesterday was the day to give out the nest boxes for the due does. Nice thick layer of shavings... a bunch of hay packed in to give them something to work with. It took one doe ( a first timer btw) all of five minutes to scrabble the entire contents ...shavings and hay...out of the box, in her quest to dig to China !! One other doe took her time...but by this morning She had the contents scattered as well. The third doe hasn't touched her nest box....

Silly Wabbits !!!
 
My does taught me last year that if the hay in there nesting boxes was not like they liked it and they emptied it out, then I would put it on the wire next to the nesting box and let them put it in like they liked and it has worked every time since then. I just keep adding hay and they keep putting it in the nest box. I will see if it continues to work. I learned from working with bees for about 25 years that it is a lot easier and a lot less frustrating to try to work with animals than it is to try and make them do something.
I use campaign signs for all kinds of things. I have several people that save them for me. Right now I am using them for wind brakes in my rabbit cages. I have not had any rabbits chew on them yet.I sure wish I could get some of those signs that are 4' X 8' sheets that you see on street corners. I could get a few laughs by using some from the opposing party to collect droppings under my cages. :lol:
 
Beekeeper10":1fwvqs50 said:
My does taught me last year that if the hay in there nesting boxes was not like they liked it and they emptied it out, then I would put it on the wire next to the nesting box and let them put it in like they liked and it has worked every time since then. I just keep adding hay and they keep putting it in the nest box. I will see if it continues to work. I learned from working with bees for about 25 years that it is a lot easier and a lot less frustrating to try to work with animals than it is to try and make them do something.
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Oh sure.. :) .I just mean that she needs more hay for that nest, or she may drop them on the wire IN the box! :lol: I usually give mine a box full and a pile and then I just add more to the pile as they need it, just like you do. :mrgreen:
 
What a lovely haystache she has there. Was tickled pink to see my first one.

Hoping to hear about healthy popples soon!

Karen
 
Random Rabbit":2aqsbg74 said:
It took one doe ( a first timer btw) all of five minutes to scrabble the entire contents ...shavings and hay...out of the box, in her quest to dig to China !!
Click to expand...


:lol: I was thinking more along the lines of does gathering the material in their mouths and moving it, not digging. :) Most of the time I use the wire sani-nests from BASS, and it would take a determined doe to kick the shavings over the 10" sides! The shavings may end up crammed to one end, but at least they are still in there.
 
My Cali doe had 6 kits between 8 & 10 o'clock last night. I checked on her about 10 pm and she had already had them and she had not pulled much fur. 2 were toward the front of the nest listless and were ice cold. The other 4 were lively but they were cold too. I brought the nest box in and put a towel in the dryer and warmed it up. I put all the kits in towel in the dryer to warm them up. I was able to get them all warmed up by about 11:00 but the 2 that were listless never improved. I left them with the others in the nest with a heating pad underneath it till this morning but the two didn't make it.:(
I brought them in the nest box back out to the doe this morning hoping she would hop in and feed them. Well she checked on them and then started pulling fur which is good but I was hoping she would feed them first. I am headed back out to check on them and see how warm they are, I don't want them to get chilled again. If she has stopped pulling fur I will probably bring them back in. It is about 40 degrees now. Kinda chilly for down here.
 
I would give her an hour or so with the nest and then bring them back in. If she doesn't have milk this morning, hopefully by this evening she will have some and will hop right in to nurse. It might be a good idea to bring the nest in at night for the next few days until they get a little fur and growth. I usually leave my nests with the does, but I lost a litter of three LH kits last week because it was so cold and the fur had gotten mashed down. I had two other Rex does with litters of 3 and six, and I brought their boxes in at night and back out during the day. The does would hop right into their nests to nurse as soon as I put them in the cages.
 
I just went out and checked on them and took some pictures. The kits seem to be doing fine and they are nice and warm. She hopped in the nest a while ago and I think she fed them. She was in the nest for 10 to 15 minutes. It is 65 degrees right now. Thanks MSD for the info, I will bring the nesting box in late this afternoon before it starts cooling off outside. She pulled quite a bit more fur this morning. The hay I am using is kind of stem-my, not as soft as I would like, it is Bermuda. I am attaching pic of Mom & nest box. I will take pics of kits tonight.
PS I am expecting another litter tonight or tomorrow, She is a seasoned doe but has not started pulling fur yet.
 

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It sounds like your temps are a little warmer than what we were having- it was getting down into the low thirties. Even the litter of three has been okay being out at night for the last couple nights which have been warmer.

The Cali's nest actually looks pretty good, and once the fur fluffs up it will be even better. If she had more kits in there they would probably be fine outside, but with four I would make the effort to bring them in at night for a bit.

I hope all goes well with your other doe and she pulls plenty of fur!
 
Look at those cute pink babies and their little fat bellies! Congratulations! Mom is doing a good job!

Karen
 

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