Nesting box screens

[Br. Fidelis Ebeyer]

I stapled a thin mesh screen to the bottom of our nesting boxes so the straw and kits wouldn’t get squished against the 12 gauge wire flooring of the hutches (learned that the hard way). The issue is that now the does don’t seem to want to make the nests in the boxes. Both pregnant does are scratching at the mesh screen trying to remove it then once they figure out they can’t they proceed to make a nest outside the box…
Maybe the screen is uncomfortable to them??? Would it help if I covered it with wood shavings? They both good does and both are due next week.

Any thoughts?

 

[Alaska Satin]

I stapled a thin mesh screen to the bottom of our nesting boxes so the straw and kits wouldn’t get squished against the 12 gauge wire flooring of the hutches (learned that the hard way). The issue is that now the does don’t seem to want to make the nests in the boxes. Both pregnant does are scratching at the mesh screen trying to remove it then once they figure out they can’t they proceed to make a nest outside the box…
Maybe the screen is uncomfortable to them??? Would it help if I covered it with wood shavings? They both good does and both are due next week.

Any thoughts?

I love wire-bottomed nest boxes - the nest stays so much drier than in wood-bottomed boxes. My does don't seem to mind them, but I always cover the nest box floor (either type) with about 2" of wood shavings before I add hay. Sometimes they dig it all out in their enthusiasm, but I usually add more a day or so before they're expected to kindle.

If they persist in refusing the box, I fill their cages with additional boxes till they don't have any other option than to choose one.

 

[tambayo]

I have a thick plastic "sheet" on top of the mesh about 1/2 inch shorter width and length then the bottom inside of the box. That keeps bedding in and lets wet drain out.
Found the plastic spool of it in a ditch along the road a number of years ago, i suspect it is intended to serve as warning for kables underneath so other services don't dig through them. But there must be other material that can do that.

 

[Skai]

I staple 1/2" hardware cloth to the bottom of the nest boxes. I have one doe that didn't like the wire on the bottom. I left the nest box in the cage with the doe when she wasn't pregnant and let her scratch at the wire until she gave up. She doesn't do it any more.