Kit care?

[trinityoaks]

Our three litters are almost two weeks old. Their eyes are open, and they're VERY mobile! In two of the nest boxes, all of the fur and most of the hay has disappeared. Did they or the does eat it?

We've already done the Day 9 nest-box cleanout. How much longer do they need the nest box? I saw some of them nibbling at the hay in their nest box. How soon should I add some kitchen oatmeal for them to try?

 

[ladysown]

you see them nibble on stuff....add the oatmeal.

 

[MaggieJ]

How long they need the nest box depends on the temperature... especially the nighttime temperatures. I'd add extra grass hay, the best you have, so they have something to nibble and also a bit of kitchen oatmeal. I usually throw in a few bits of greens are well... plantain, raspberry, blackberry are particularly good as first greens since they will not cause poopy butt. But the greens are not essential at this stage... they will start on them as soon as they pop out of the box on a regular basis.

 

[trinityoaks]

How long they need the nest box depends on the temperature... especially the nighttime temperatures.

This week lows are expected to be in the mid-40s, although our garage usually stays warmer.

I'd add extra grass hay, the best you have, so they have something to nibble and also a bit of kitchen oatmeal.

Ok, I can do that.

What about the nest box itself? It's starting to get a bit dirty, now that the kits are starting to poop and pee. I was thinking of replacing the wood on the bottom of the nest box with some hardware cloth or floor wire, with cardboard on top of that.

 

[MaggieJ]

You could just put a cardboard liner on top of the wood and make changes once these kits no longer need the nest box. The youngest I've ever pulled the box was around two weeks... but the weather was hot and the kits were precocious and all over the cage anyway. I did give them a pile of grass hay in one corner for bedding.

One idea that someone suggested was to make a low, bottomless box as an intermediary measure. The kits can get in an out easily and poop falls through the cage floor, but the sides keep the bedding intact so they don't get chilled. Seems like a great idea to me... some pieces of 1 x 4 lumber would be all that is needed.

 

[trinityoaks]

You could just put a cardboard liner on top of the wood and make changes once these kits no longer need the nest box.

That sounds like a great idea. Well, I guess that's my project for tomorrow.

You should have seen the kits when I put the extra hay and the oatmeal in the nest box. They attacked it with gusto! Hilarious!

 

[MaggieJ]

Kits are ready for nibbling solid foods earlier than many people realize. And grass hay and oatmeal are very safe first solids. I feel that getting them accustomed to grass hay early ensures they will continue to eat it throughout their lives... a big plus for GI health.

 

[trinityoaks]

One idea that someone suggested was to make a low, bottomless box as an intermediary measure. The kits can get in an out easily and poop falls through the cage floor, but the sides keep the bedding intact so they don't get chilled.

This gave me an idea. My nest boxes are metal with removable wooden bottoms. I decided to just take the wood out and put the metal part in the cage, with lots of hay on the bottom. Then I put the kits back in. The 4-lb salt/mineral blocks are the perfect size to use as a step for adventurous kits to get back into the nest box. Everyone seems quite content with the setup, and the does don't seem to move them around much, if at all.

That brings up a new question: What can I use to put the oatmeal in for the kits, now that the nest boxes have no bottoms? They can't quite reach the J-feeders yet, and besides, I'm not sure they're ready for mama's food.

 

[MaggieJ]

You could use any fairly heavy, flat-bottomed dish for the oatmeal. The little straight-sided ramekins that you can find in dollar stores work great.