Nestbox Questions

[ek.blair]

OK, so I bred the girls this past weekend and the hubs and I are working on the plans for him to build the nestboxes. If we use 1/4" x 1/4" wire on the bottom how worried do I need to be that in the colder weather they will dig down to the wire and get too cold? I was thinking about using a peice of cardboard to insulate the bottom, just for the colder months but how soiled will it get if it is a solid bottom? Also where in the cage is best to put the box? Due to the colder weather that we have I gave them both a little straw to sit on in one corner and they use the other for the bathroom. Do I need to worry if I put it in the same corner that the straw has been that they will continue to use the box to rest in? Is it a bad idea to put it in the center along the back wall? Our cages are 30" x 36"

ugh! there is just SO much to learn and think about! And I want to make sure I do right by the buns :bunnyhop:

 

[ladysown]

I don't put mine in a corner. I put it in the middle at the back. I find this helps the doe to keep warm as well since she's got a smaller area lined with hay to huddle in.

As to the wire bottom... I'd plunk in wood sized to fit. You can put drainage holes in the bottom as well if needed.

 

[ottersatin]

I place my nestbox in one corner or the other,
just be sure that you DO NOT place the nestbox
in the Rabbits potty corner. Rabbits usually pick
a certain spot as their bathroom facility.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

 

[SuburbanHomesteader]

I place the nestbox in a corner not being used as their potty corner. In winter, I place a thin sheet of wood (either underlayment or peg board) in the bottom. (Cardboard usually is shredded by the time the doe kindles.) After two weeks or so, I usually pull the wood out, clean the nestbox out, and put in fresh hay and then put it back in the pen. Now the nestbox has just the wire bottom with hay on top. Lets the moisture out - just be sure that if it's really cold, there's plenty of hay in there. The wood bottom is usually pretty soiled but I just put it in the sink and scrub it clean and then set it outside to dry (weather permitting). Over time, these wooden bottoms wear out but the cardboard doesn't last at all. In the warmer months, I just go with the wire bottoms - I want it to be cooler then. Hope that helps! Best of luck to you.

 

[Lastfling]

I do a little different in that I use cardboard to line the bottom. Usually two layers cut to size to fit the box interior. If follow this with about an inch or two of wood chips/shavings from TSC and then stuff full of hay. I've never had an issue with digging thru to the wire. The nest can be rebuilt fairly easy if soiled, which I don't usually have an issue with before the young are out of the box.

 

[grumpy]

The colder the weather, the more straw I pack in the box.
All of my nestboxes have pegboard bottoms. When it gets really cold,
I pack the straw in as tight as I can. So far, knock on wood, it's worked.

I tried the wood shavings but didn't like the dampness in the bottom
of the box after a week or so. I'd clean it out good and crunch up handfuls
of straw with a handful or two of shavings blended in. The wood shavings
are "okay" but I still use the old-fashioned methods that have worked
for decades. Good clean straw is the best for my purposes and methods.

I go through about 12-15 bales of straw a year.

grumpy.