nesting boxes...what do you use?

[coffeenutdesigns]

I have GOT to get some nesting boxes made. I would rather use wooden ones than the metal prefab ones. What kind of wood do you guys use for yours?

 

[Dood]

Scrap plywood.

My boxes are outside of the cage so I dont have too much of a problem with gnawing.

The does have their own nest box with their name on it, and so far (since may 2012)I haven't had nest box eye or enteritis

 

[skysthelimit]

wood and plastic. No they don't destroy the plastic ones.

 

[TerriG]

I have wood ones with wire bottoms made from scraps. Once the kits hit about 2-3 weeks and start wandering, I switch it out to a plastic dishpan with an opening cut in the front. I put a piece of cardboard over the opening for the first couple of days after I switch to the dishpan. The dishpan stays in even after they transition to the grow-out cage. Then a week or two later when it is not staying clean, I take it out and they just cuddle together. By this time, they are 5-6 weeks old and are fine without a hidey-hole. Some litters I can leave it in no problem, other litters use it as a litter box and the mess is not worth it to me.

 

[Jack]

scrap wood my neighbor has left over, so spruce, cottonwood or birch
brad nailer, takes about an hour to put 6-8 together

 

[cudaman68]

I use 1 X 4 pine to build mine with 1/4 X 1/4 hardware screen on the bottom. build a rectangle box for the bottom and staple the bottom wire on it then make a second level that is cut at a 45 degree angle about half way back with a few boards on the top for the doe to sit on and get away from the kits. you can see in this pic what they look like

 

[fuzzy9]

We use just scrap particle board. We put an extra lip on ours though, so when momma jumps out after nursing, the lip scrapes any stuck kits off her belly so they don't get pulled out of the nestbox, and get chilled.

 

[SuburbanHomesteader]

Our nest boxes are made from 3/4 inch plywood with 1 x 1/2 wire bottoms. Used plans off of the internet from the University of Nebraska. Rabbits don't chew on them too much - maybe because I also give them other chunks of wood to chew on. Only negative to the boxes we've got is that they're heavy - too heavy for a couple of my helpers to take in or out of the pens.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

The one box I do have is very heavy. I thought I might have some scrap wood, but I think I need some lighter weight wood.

Skysthelimit, what kind of plastic do you use?<br /><br />__________ Wed Feb 13, 2013 7:00 am __________<br /><br />Thanks for the picture cudaman. That's helpful.

 

[PistolPackingMomma]

I use 1 X 4 pine to build mine with 1/4 X 1/4 hardware screen on the bottom. build a rectangle box for the bottom and staple the bottom wire on it then make a second level that is cut at a 45 degree angle about half way back with a few boards on the top for the doe to sit on and get away from the kits. you can see in this pic what they look like

That's very nice looking!

 

[OneAcreFarm]

We started with plywood, but they are so hard to keep clean. We have the metal ones and we have some jumbo cat litter boxes that also work well.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I use the wire sani-nests from BASS. They are easy to clean and very versatile.

They come with waxed cardboard liners which can be ordered separately since they are one-time use. I started out cutting scrap cardboard for them, but that was tedious, so I had Hubs cut plastic wall board panels (what is it called, OAF?) to fit. I have varying widths depending on the weather- short sides to maximize ventilation in the warm months, and tall sides for winter.

You can also just line the bottom when it is very hot, as in this photo:



This shows the box with the plastic panels zip-tied to the wire. Note the spring closures at the upper left and right of the front of the box:



The front of the box is attached only at the bottom, and can be opened when the kits start leaving the nest:



I also picked up a few used metal nests at a show, and recently bought tiny Jersey Wooly nests of the same design:

 

[prairie dog]

I have some of the metal ones from Bass... then I got cheap. Made some from scrap OSB and plywood, then cut up some Coke and beer cans and tacked them over the wood so that all the exposed edges are wrapped in aluminum and now chew proof. Helps with cleaning too.

 

[3mina]

I use 3 gallon Rubbermaid totes with a 5 or 6" U cut in the side, it leaves a lip about 4" tall. My does push them about a little but they haven't dumped them yet and aside from taste testing they don't chew them at all

 

[skysthelimit]

I use 3 gallon Rubbermaid totes with a 5 or 6" U cut in the side, it leaves a lip about 4" tall. My does push them about a little but they haven't dumped them yet and aside from taste testing they don't chew them at all

yes those ones. I put bricks in mine and remove them after they kindle. I also drill holes in the lid, so I can cover the box to fur from blowing out while I carry it to the house, and to keep the dogs out of the box as I transport it around the barn.

 

[a7736100]

I prefer using the cardboard box that comes with a 6 pack cup of soup. It's just right for lionhead size does.

 

[Beekeeper10]

I make mine out of scrap plywood and use 1/4" hardware cloth on the bottom with cardboard on the inside bottom. I used to use 1" X 1/2" wire on the bottom but I injured a kits leg once that was sticking through the wire when I accidentally drug the bottom of the nesting box on the bottom of the door when I was taking it out.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

Well I got 2 boxes made. I used some plastic totes for the interim just in case and made my new wooden ones yesterday. I ended up using some spare 1 x 11 planks that had been used as shelves in my pantry when we moved in. They were ugly and just raw wood so we had put them in the barn, but one shelf was long enough to put 1 box together with a little left over. Now I just hope they fill them up in the next day or 2.