Idiot-Proof Rabbit Nest Box Plans?

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sugarbunnies

sugarbunnies

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Edgewood, MD
Hello, all you lovely rabbit enjoyers!

Todays question:

Does anyone have a fool proof plan/DIY/blueprint for a nest box?

I kinda don’t want to spend 30$ on a single box at tractor supply?

pic unrelated
 

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In a pinch a cardboard box from amazon works, but usually doesn't last as long as kits need it. Just saying, in an emergency...

If you make your own I strongly recommend a perforated floor of some kind, as shown in the link provided by Tambayo above--don't skip that. There is a lot of pee, and wet babies are cold babies. I just prestuff them with a bit of hay to make mom comfy with the flooring.
 
I make wire nest boxes using 1/2x1 floor wire and j-clips. I size them to fit the cardboard tray that canned food comes in and use those (easily found and free) to line the bottoms under the nesting materials during warm weather. In cold weather I line the sides with cardboard also.

If the cardboard gets damp, it’s easy and costs nothing to pull it out and replace. It can also be removed once the kits are furred enough to make overheating a concern.
 
eco2pia said:
Do they drain? I can't tell, but it looks like the corners of the floor might be clipped, letting liquids out?
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Description says : removable steel floor. so there must be some give. For drainage i'd rather have mesh floor though.
 
elad352 said:
has any one tried making nest out of plastic milk crates?
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No, but I've made a couple out of plastic totes. I have made 4 out of wood (all different in my exploring), but needed a couple more.

What I like about the tote set-up is this: When you have a protective(or over protective) mum, you can slide the whole tote to you, blocking the mum for the kit check. The doe can sit on the top of the tote as a perch, one can punch holes for drainage in the bottom if desired; and the plastic blocks the wind/rain if for some reason that is an issue. I fill the bottom of the totes with pine shavings and then straw or hay - same as the others. Easy to clean out as needed as the kits grow. I've noticed that the kits have a tendency to stay in the totes until they are older...perhaps 3+ weeks old - a bit like a natural den. The kits do eat the fresh hay in the tote.
 
Here is the nest boxes I have built with wire bottoms. I have used for two years and many kits have done well in it. My artistic ability equals my technical ability so hope you can get these pics and understand my Drawing. I put a small amount of hay in the bottom for new mothers but veteran moms usually put the hay in and all the hair needed to keep kits warm and insulated. They drain very well never had a build up of urine or berries. I do change the the hay once after they developed hair because you can never get all the hair back in the box. HOPE this helps.IMG_20240514_123315893_HDR.jpgIMG_20240514_123338120_HDR.jpgIMG_20240514_124214306.jpg after use I just hose them off with water let dry and sanitize with vinegar and store in barn for next kindling. GOOD LUCK .
 
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Florida Jeff said:
Here is the nest boxes I have built with wire bottoms. I have used for two years and many kits have done well in it. My artistic ability equals my technical ability so hope you can get these pics and understand my Drawing. I put a small amount of hay in the bottom for new mothers but veteran moms usually put the hay in and all the hair needed to keep kits warm and insulated. They drain very well never had a build up of urine or berries. I do change the the hay once after they developed hair because you can never get all the hair back in the box. HOPE this helps.View attachment 41539View attachment 41540View attachment 41538 after use I just hose them off with water let dry and sanitize with vinegar and store in barn for next kindling. GOOD LUCK .
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Pretty nice system! I love how easy it is to maintain cleanliness!

I'm not sure it would work in cold climates, though... I love wire-bottomed boxes, but usually switch to solid-bottomed-boxes in colder times of year since some of my does have strong opinions about nesting material and the nest bowl and kits end up on the box floor. They're covered with fur, but there's not much insulation left underneath. I had to move one litter into a different box at 2 days of age when I found them on the wire floor, covered with fur and surrounded by hay but still too cool for my comfort. :unsure:

The other comment I have is that I've had very young kits get their legs stuck in 1/2" x 1" wire mesh, so I changed to 1/4" x 1/4" mesh for nest box bottoms. It doesn't let the dam's poops through, but that's not really been a problem since most of the does don't leave many of them in the box, and it's fine for the kits to eat some of those anyway.
 
Alaska Satin: That is a good point, here in Florida the coldest it got was 17 Degrees. I just put extra hay under the nest box. Wait and see where the Doe wants to leave the nest box. She will usually move it around a little till she gets where she wants it. Then double the hay under the box. So far I have been lucky with the legs sticking out the bottom. I try to be really careful and lift straight up when moving the box for inspections. So far none have been caught when mom pushes it around a bit. Maybe the hay under neath helps with that some also.
THANKS for the info.
 
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kusanar314 said:
I have seen where some people put screws in the bottoms of the nest boxes that when you set them in, they lock the box in place to the wire below so they don't scoot. That might help with keeping baby legs from getting caught too.
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That's a neat idea to keep the box in place in the cage. I've used cup hooks screwed into the back of the box, to latch it to the back of the cage, too.

As far as legs getting stuck - what happened was that the kits' legs got caught in the 1x1/2" spaces in the wire. Those openings are big enough for the entire leg to go through, and when they're really young, they must either not have the strength or the coordination to pull them out. It's only happened once in a nest box, but that was enough for me. 😞
 
Alaska Satin said:
That's a neat idea to keep the box in place in the cage. I've used cup hooks screwed into the back of the box, to latch it to the back of the cage, too.

As far as legs getting stuck - what happened was that the kits' legs got caught in the 1x1/2" spaces in the wire. Those openings are big enough for the entire leg to go through, and when they're really young, they must either not have the strength or the coordination to pull them out. It's only happened once in a nest box, but that was enough for me. 😞
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Our nest boxes have a screen stapled to the bottom
 
I have to say I like the idea of using the metal window screen for the bottom as well as the cup hooks on the back to keep it from shifting around. But admittedly I would still put in a couple shorter screws on the front corners to keep it from being shifted left and right by the momma's. I am going to try and build the one shown by Teal Stone using the 2"x12" Board and seeing how they work with my bigger girls.
 

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