Lionhead Doe pooping in next box w/babies inside

[jimmywalt]

Help......... We have a 1st time mom who is just over 1 year old and she's pooping in the next box and there are six 11 day old babies inside. She's doing it in the front of the box and fortunately the babies have been staying in the back of the box.

We keep trying to clean it out, but she's doing it faster than we can keep up with. Is there anything we can do to make her not want to do it there? Do we need to worry if the babies find it or get in it?

The cage is 30" x 24" so it big enough for her to have room in with the next box (which is only 10" wide by about 15" long).

Thank you.

 

[Sagebrush]

If you happen to have another cage open you could take the nest box out and put it in the open cage and just bring them to her to nurse a couple times a day. Or you could try moving the nest box to a different corner of her cage and see if that works for her to stop pooping in the box.

 

[ladysown]

when I have first time moms do that, I take the box away for six hours. That usually kicks that habit. If it last longer than that (or she's just persistent) I remove the box except when I'm doing chores.

You only need to do it until the kits are 14 days old, then tip the box on the side and she won't do it anymore.

 

[Dood]

:yeahthat:
You could also try placing a litter box there and moving the nest box to another corner or out of the cage.