When to clean the nestbox?

[skysthelimit]

When do you first clean out the nestbox? The last two litters, I didn't clean out the box till they were 10 days, mainly because it was impossible to save any fur, it's mixed in pretty good with the hay and wood flakes. They both had seven kits.

Well this one has 11 kits, and it's day 6 and I can smell it when I lean over it, I don't remember smelling the others. I don't have any fur to put in it, but I'm not sure how long should I let if go on?

 

[MaggieJ]

You may be able to do a partial clean-out at this point, replacing everything in the bottom of the nestbox where the wastes collect. If you have wood shavings (not cedar) they are very absorbant. If they need more materials on top, dryer lint, teased cotton balls or batting or even feathers from a pillow can be used. I wouldn't leave them in a smelly, dirty nest, even if you have to change all the bedding.

 

[skysthelimit]

Yes, I was thinking if I can smell it, if it smells the lease bit strange to me, then I should do it. I felt to the bottom and it's not wet, it does smell wet.
There are wood shavings on the bottom.

I do still have some well washed sheep wool. I'll set about the task of cutting it into smaller pieces.

 

[akane]

I use pine pellets for their absorbency and normally don't have to change my nest boxes even with the litters of 10+. Make sure anything you use to replace the fur does not have long fibers. Long fibers, this includes some forms of cottons for stuffing, can get wrapped around legs or bodies and have actually cut the limbs off small animals. That nesting stuff they sell in pet stores for hamsters and gerbils is notorious for that. Fleece and felt makes good material because the fibers are extremely short and cannot catch anything. It's nearly the only material used around sugar gliders for that reason because their nails can get caught and then wrap a toe.

I did have a doe who I didn't get pine pellets in her box before she had kits early and that was the most disgusting thing I just cleaned out. Well second to the nest someone made behind the waterer and drained 5 gallons of water on to the kits who were in a column with the bottom ones dead and soaked... that I just tried to pull the live ones out and ditched the whole thing with a shovel. This one's kits are about 2 weeks and I knew it wasn't great in there but I didn't know she was trying to solve the problem by throwing more bedding in. Problem was she was using the bedding right in front as her potty corner so the kits were practically on compost (there was heat where there were no kits) when I opened the box. That was an unplanned 40mins of stripping that pen and box and replacing with proper pine pellets and straw in and in front of the box. Never ever letting a box go without pine pellets again.

 

[currituckbun]

Not long ago I had a very smelly nest box and the reason was a dead kit buried in the litter. I never saw it or counted it. Yuck! Hope this is not the reason it smellith.

 

[MaggieJ]

A dead kit is certainly a possible reason for the smell. All the more reason to deal with it promptly.

 

[AnnClaire]

I like to line my wooden bottomed nest box with newspaper when I pull the kits the morning after they are born for weighing. I pull the whole nest ball and put it in a container, line the box, transfer the nest ball back and then pull the top to line a container to hold the kits as I pull them out one at a time for weighing. Then place them in the top and they will snuggle themselves back down in. When done, you can pick up the whole ball and put the kits back in the nest box and they will already be covered.

After that, it is easy to tip the nest ball up to check and see if the paper needs cleaned. If I feel like there isn't enough hay in the bottom of the bowl to keep the kits above any moisture, I will also put a layer of hay across the bottom of the nest box.

 

[hoodat]

If it has an amonia smell it definitely needs cleaning. Amonia can be very harful to a kits' respiratory system.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

it was impossible to save any fur, it's mixed in pretty good with the hay and wood flakes.

That is how mine always look. I have some bags of wool from my Angora goats that I am thinking I should wash and cut into short pieces to use after a cleaning. Your shepherds should be blowing coats pretty soon- why not save that wooly undercoat for the bunnies?

I pull the whole nest ball and put it in a container

I have always worried that I would ruin the nest by doing that, but I did transfer one from a metal to a wire nest with no problems. Good to know that they are sturdier than they look!

 

[skysthelimit]

Not long ago I had a very smelly nest box and the reason was a dead kit buried in the litter. I never saw it or counted it. Yuck! Hope this is not the reason it smellith.

Definitely not It's a fairly small box, I removed all of the kits when they were first born, counted them all, removed the afterbirth and felt to the bottom. I actually take the kits in with me everyday, they do not stay with the doe, which is why I wondered if I was just being too sensitive. I count them and handle them all of the time.

I emptied the box, and it was soaking wet! I had two babies pee on me, a first. This is a group that knows how to make liquids.<br /><br />__________ Mon Mar 05, 2012 3:24 pm __________<br /><br />

Your shepherds should be blowing coats pretty soon- why not save that wooly undercoat for the bunnies?

I thought about that, but I thought it would have a predator smell, even with a good washing they smell like dogs. So she might reject it. Probably not, because she leans out of the cage to sniff the dogs, so she can't be that frightened by them.

I put some shredded paper and some wood flakes in it. Most of the fur is at the top and wasn't soiled.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I plan to wash the wool from the goats in Dawn dishsoap and some vinegar and let it dry in the sun. That should take care of any odor I think. I don't want "goaty" popples either! It might be wise to dab vanilla on the doe's nose just in case- by the time it wears off the fur or wool will smell like bunnies.

 

[skysthelimit]

If this nest box had been outside, I probably wouldn't have noticed the smell. I couldn't imagine it would already be saturated by now. I guess the difference between 7 kits and 11 kits is pretty large. I don't think I'm going to get two weeks out of this box.

 

[AnnClaire]

Yeah, I only got about 10 days out of the first nest with 11 kits LOL Only had one pee on me :lol: Been peed on several more times since then, but that was transferring them from the laundry basket to the nest box ... picked them up too fast