When to remove the nest box?

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fuzzy9

fuzzy9

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My first litter of kits are 19 days old, and just starting to leave the security of the nest box for short amounts of time. At what age is it safe to remove the nest box from the cage? It's still cold here, and we're getting blasted with snow tonight and tomorrow, so I know it's not time yet, I'm just wondering what is the average age?

Also, mom seems rather annoyed with the kits when they are out and about. Is this normal?
 
Remove the nest box at 1 month of age, would be the average time to take the next box out. But if you feel that they all have enough room no worries leave it in there longer.
 
I used to keep it in longer, but I have begun under most circumstance to remove it at two weeks... the reason for this, is that at least here in El Paso, we are subject to very wide swings in temps from daytime to nighttime (part of being in the desert).

If only one or two got out of the nest box and couldn't get back in they chilled and died, if all of them are out, they still snuggle up together and stay warm by that point.

YMMV,

XLT
 
I remove it at 2 weeks. It keeps the boxes more sanitary since I use wood and they really don't need it once their eyes are open and they are wandering about. They'll sleep in a pile in the cage if they need to but by 2 weeks even the ones born in the dead of winter were usually fine wandering around and sleeping on the wire so long as they were left out in those temps to adjust to them and not still brought inside overnight. I also found the same problem of if one or 2 kits got out and couldn't get back in they might die but if all the kits were out they kept each other warm. I did turn one nestbox sideways for a couple days to prevent that problem instead of removing it but it was -20F out for 2 days. The colony rabbits have nest boxes out constantly so those kits wean themselves off it and I just try to sterilize and change the boxes frequently. Half of those are plastic instead of wood for that reason.
 
I leave the nestbox for at least three weeks
and longer in the colder Winter months.
If kits are getting out and having trouble
getting back into the nestbox, I suggest
turning the nestbox on it's side or placing
a stepping stone in front of the box enable
easier entrance. In super cold I will bring a nestbox inside
and back out in the early AM for feeding.
Once the kits are furred out, they stay with the Dam.
Your mileage may differ, but that's what I choose to do
and what works for me.
Ottersatin. :eek:ldtimer:
 
I'd leave it awhile yet, with the weather so chilly still. I always placed a brick at the foot of the nest box to help kits get back in. It really helps.

A lot of does would prefer the kits stay in the nest box. That way momma controls dinner hour. Once they are out, the doe is constantly pestered by kits trying to slip under her for an extra guzzle.
 
opinions as you see can vary on this topic.

I tip mine at two weeks and remove at three. In the winter I'll give them a board or piece of cardboard to sit on. Tipping early means the kits are out earlier starting to eat food, which means if momma dies or needs to be removed due to hormone issues the kits are better able to fend for themselves with less interference from their caregiver.
 
Thank you, appreciate all the information! I like the brick idea Maggie. I have a piece of wood in the cage for chewing on that got pushed into the corner by the front of the box, and I've seen them use it to crawl in and out, so I think the brick is an awesome idea. It will stay in place better.

I think I will leave it in there a couple more days, we're having snow, and colder than normal temps this week. This weekend we'll pull it out of there, and put in a board for them to sit on.

Can I ask what your set up is like for feeding with kits in the cage? Do you just put moms food in a bowl on the cage floor, or will they eat out of the J feeder ? Anyone use a creep feeder?
 
I used a creep feeder once... until I woke up one morning to find two kits pushed past their ears and couldn't get out of the thing... Had to destroy it to get them out...

I just use the J feeder, the kits can reach it when they are old enough to do so.
 
ladysown":1l8v8pkt said:
opinions as you see can vary on this topic.

I tip mine at two weeks and remove at three. In the winter I'll give them a board or piece of cardboard to sit on. Tipping early means the kits are out earlier starting to eat food, which means if momma dies or needs to be removed due to hormone issues the kits are better able to fend for themselves with less interference from their caregiver.
Click to expand...

so you just tip it on it's side?
 
"so you just tip it on it's side?"

YUP

Or if it's messy I remove it, and I have a couple small, well balanced boxes that I put in instead. :)
 
I tried tipping the boxes. Made a real big mess, and didn't do them any good. They didn't care to snuggle up next to it, they snuggled with the doe. It was really annoying cleaning it up.
 
Thanks again for the information. I did pull the nest box today, and all of a sudden it's an explosion of kits all over the place! :lol: I cleaned out the bedding on the bottom, and put it back in with some fresh bedding, I did tip it this time. One more really cold night tonight, and it's coming out completely tomorrow. I put hay down in a pile on the cage floor, and watched them all eat. I even got a chance to see them eating pellets out of the J feeder. There's one in the litter that is a bit more hyper active than the others, and I actually think it's been coming out, and eating pellets more than I realized. Which would explain why momma has been more hungry than normal, I thought she was just being a pellet piggy!

I think what I'm going to go as a standard procedure, is leave it in for two weeks, then tip it for a week, and then pull it completely at week 3. Pending weather of course. It will be coming out tomorrow completely, and then I'll put a board in there for them.

They are nice and solid, I was surprised when I held them. They are eating well! I can imagine now that they are on solid foods, they'll take off, and grow quickly.

It's hard not to look at them, and see how completely adorable they are at this stage, knowing the reason why we are raising them in the first place. Why do they have to be so cute!!!!!

On another note, when we got home tonight, and went out to the barn, we walked in just as the doe was finishing a feeding for our other litter. They already have hair, and there was some fresh milk on one of the kits. It's really sticky! It was neat to see that!
 
Thanks Maggie! I'm keeping the J feeder filled, and I put a little round dish in the pen with some pellets. I also put a thicker board under the water and J feeder, so the kits can stand there easier to reach. I saw one of the little ones nibbling at the water spout today too! It is the most adorable thing to see a litter of kits gathered around the dish, all eating pellets! One of them was trying to steal a pellet out of its siblings mouth.........way to cute!! They aren't pestering mom as much anymore either, they seem to really be hitting the feed.

Tailwagging, how did the tipping go? I took mine out completely today, and replaced it with a board for them to cuddle on in the corner.
 
well, it is messy but I'll do it again. I think I'll remove half if not all of the bedding first though.
 
I take the front panel off the box so they can come and go as they please at abt 12 days or whenever the first one comes out of the box. I'll remove the box by 3 wks. <br /><br /> __________ Mon Feb 08, 2016 11:01 pm __________ <br /><br /> I take the front panel off the box so they can come and go as they please at abt 12 days or whenever the first one comes out of the box. I'll remove the box by 3 wks.
 

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