Sad morning, happy afternoon!

[OneAcreFarm]

This morning when I went into check on Roxie and her kits, there was a kit on the ground, out of the cage, 5 feet away from the cage! It was ok, so I put it back but while counting the rest, I noticed that I was missing one. I looked everywhere! No sign of the little guy. I was so sad to lose one like that. I called my DD to check on them and at lunch she called and told me she found the kit! It was outside the door on the opposite side of the shed, like 25 feet away! It had some ants on it, but she brushed it off and it was still alive...I have babysaver wire on my cages so I am still trying to figure it out.

Now, she calls and tells me that they won't stay in the nest box, they keep getting out. What can I do to keep the babies in?

Thanks,

 

[BoxerMom]

Build a bigger nestbox? I really don't know, but that is scary! glad everyone is OK though. Perhaps if you posted a picture or two of the cage, others might be able to offer some ideas as to what went wrong?

 

[eco2pia]

My nest box has a roof and sides, yours may not. On the front of mine there is a "scraper board" that is supposed to keep the kits in. That said, my week and a half kits are still being dragged out by refusing to let go of mom when feeding time is over. I put one back each day at this stage. It is ok in the summer, nobody freezes, but I don't think there is a really good way to keep them in for sure. just figure out the babysaver wire issues, and then check on them for the next week or so until their eyes open and they can get back in the box by themselves.

 

[MaggieJ]

I had to go back and find your earlier thread, Shannon, to figure out how old these kits are. With so many members it is hard to retain everyone's information in my head... especially in this heat! :stars: It would be helpful to me if people would add the age of the kits to threads like this.

So... two days old and wandering already. I would think it is one of two things. They may be too hot in the nest box or they may not be getting enough to eat. If their tummies are nice and round, it would likely be the heat. Not sure how they are getting out of the box though... how high are the sides? Can you give us a bit more information so we can help you figure out a solution?

 

[OneAcreFarm]

The kits are almost a week old, there is baby saver wire on all four sides of the cage. The nestbox is 16" x 10" x 10" with a partial roof but no "lip". They are well fed, with round tummies.

ON a side note, the one that went missing succumbed yesterday to the many ant bites it had...( My 14yo DD was home alone and had to bury it by herself. She dug a hole, wrapped the bunny in a paper towel, wrote a scripture on a piece of paper and put it with the bunny, put some calf manna, covered it up with dirt and said a prayer...*sniff*

 

[MaggieJ]

It's really hard to figure how they are getting out of the nest box, let alone the cage. I can understand the odd one hanging onto momma's teat and getting dragged out, but this is usually a rare occurrence not a routine one. And even if that is happening, it seems odd they can get out of the cage with baby-saver wire on it. I'm stumped.

I'm glad your DD found a way to handle the situation that felt right to her. :goodjob:

 

[PulpFaction]

It might be that they are too hot?

I had mysteriously disappearing babies on cages with urine guards, I realized that it was because the feeder holes were cut for wide feeders but I still had the small feeders in them. (Duh!)

 

[OneAcreFarm]

Well, as far as them getting out of the box, I think Pulp was right on the money. I took out some hay and just layered it on the bottom and they have stayed in since. They spread out all over the box away from each other now, like it feels good! I really think the kittens (5wks old) were reaching over the babysaver, thru the wire, and grabbing them out. The one I saved has a couple of healing scratches on it. Now that they are staying in the box, there have been no more outside the cage. The cage, incidentally, is near the floor on some two by fours because I had her separated from the sick rabbits in the hanging cages. I butchered two of the remaining four tonight and will do the other two tomorrow and then that side of the shed is gonna get super disinfected.