Junior doe refusing nest box

Nadeerah · Feb 11, 2014

I have a junior nzw doe from a wonderful mom. Her name is Chicken Nugget. She was bred on January 10th and has been haystaching and digging for a week. I put in a nest box on day 28. She kept moving it and flipping it over. So I put it where she was putting her hay and straw.

This morning I checked on her and she moved the nest box again and made her nest and pulled lots of fur. So I drilled holes in the nest box and used wire to tie it to the place where she built her nest. Then place the stray, hay, and fur in the nest box.
A few hours later I went to check on her. And she pulled most of her nesting materials out of the box. And is try her best to scratch dig bite and pull the nest box out of her chosen nesting spot.

Any advice?

MamaSheepdog · Feb 11, 2014

If you have extra nestboxes available, I would put more in there so she has no choice but to use a box. If you can't do that, you can line the bottom and first few inches of the sides with cardboard (zip tie the side panels to the wire) and load the cage up with bedding. Once she kindles you can move the kits to a nestbox and remove the cardboard and bedding.

Since she is digging so much, I would be concerned that she may continue that once the kits are born. Some does will keep trying to "burrow" even after they kindle, and are so overcome with the instinct that they will dig their kits right out of the box.

It may be best to remove the kits to a safe place and only bring them out for feeding twice daily for the first couple of days until she settles down. I would leave her empty nest in the cage to satisfy her nesting urges.

Nadeerah · Feb 11, 2014

Thanks so much for the advice, mamasheepdog!

I put 2 additional nest boxes in her pen. Then went to pick up my children from the after school program. When I got back I found three kits on the floor. 2 with the umbilical cord and placenta still attached. I grabbed a towel and placed them by the space heater. I went back to the her pen and watched her give birth to 4 more on the tiny space where no nest box was. I immediately picked them up and placed them in her first nest box. I waited an hour and pulled out the extra nest boxes. Then put the kits I was warming by the space heater in. I rubbed them on her nose first. She immediately went in the nestbox and began cleaning them.

I am so glad I made it in time. I set up a nanny cam over her pen. So that I can keep an eye on her.

What a night!!!

Sagebrush · Feb 11, 2014

So glad you saved the babies! She is what I would say "Stubborn".

Nadeerah · Feb 17, 2014

Me too sagebrush!

I woke up this morning to a kit on the wire. She ate one of its legs and was eating its belly. I removed it.

Chicken nugget seems very nervous. She comes up to me. And I petted her and gave her a carrot. I let her out her out of her pen. And she began to whimper and jumped in my lap. I stroked her for a while and told her everything is ok. I put her back in her pen. And she is running back and forth. Not sure what is wrong.

This doe is making my blood pressure high!!

-- Mon Feb 17, 2014 11:23 pm --

Today my doe Chicken nugget has settled down. And is taking good care of the kits. I bred her with my Rhineland rabbit named lightning.
I think one of the is a fawn. I hope it's a doe.
Here's a picture
https://www.dropbox.com/s/lti4gmfhl9vgv ... 2.16-1.jpg