Nest falling apart…

[Br. Fidelis Ebeyer]

We keep our nesting does on 12 gauge wire hutches. Pretty standard for meat meats although we’ve had a problem. When the doe nests the straw and fur fall right through the holes. Sadly we actually lost a litter because the fur fell and the kits froze.

Is the straw too small or should we put a thinner mesh wire beneath the nesting box? We tried it once but I noticed the doe scratches at it and pulls it around. What should we do?

 

[Alaska Satin]

We keep our nesting does on 12 gauge wire hutches. Pretty standard for meat meats although we’ve had a problem. When the doe nests the straw and fur fall right through the holes. Sadly we actually lost a litter because the fur fell and the kits froze.

Is the straw too small or should we put a thinner mesh wire beneath the nesting box? We tried it once but I noticed the doe scratches at it and pulls it around. What should we do?

Wire hutches are great, but the nest box needs a separate bottom. It can be solid wood, perforated wood, or very fine-gauge wire, like 1/4" or 1/8" hardware cloth. I like the latter, and it does not need to be heavy-weight hardware cloth since the bottom of the nest box is supported by the cage floor wire. It's simple to retrofit most nest boxes with the hardware cloth, since you can just staple it on (which also keeps the doe from moving it around).

Here is an image very similar to the boxes I use and like best, though I prefer hardware cloth with even smaller openings than this:

Some people use hardware cloth with bigger openings, but I think the smaller the better, since newborn kits can get their legs stuck in some of the larger openings. It's not usually a problem if there's plenty of bedding, but that stuff eventually happens. Also, with the smaller openings, wood shavings stay in better (I use both wood shavings and straw or hay in my boxes).

 

[Preitler]

You can also put cardboard in it as floor, easy to replace when soiled.

 

[Alaska Satin]

You can also put cardboard in it as floor, easy to replace when soiled.

My Satin does will always dig a cardboard bottom out; they dig/shred a hole in it and then pull it out and throw it around. I've always been amazed (and kind of envious) that people can use wire nest boxes lined with cardboard - my rabbits would never leave those cardboard pieces alone!

 

[eco2pia]

my nest boxes have this in the bottom. It is spendy and I just use one square in the back of each box, rest of the floor is wood. I only need 3 boxes, so it was worth it to have them last.
https://www.amazon.com/Perforated-M...663067&sprefix=perforated,aps,122&sr=8-5&th=1