Where do you get your nest boxes?

Petlover500 · Oct 27, 2015

I have a netherland dwarf that I plan to breed in the spring(ish), and I just can't find a next box small enough for her to have her babies in. I don't want it to be too big, because I don't want that kits to freeze.
Where do you get yours? Do you make them?

Rainey · Oct 27, 2015

we make ours--not very difficult--and then you can have whatever size you want. Wooden sides and top, wire bottom for drainage. Our most recent litter we made the front into 2 pieces, so when the kits started venturing out we could take off the top half and have easier access in and out. Worked well and we'll modify the other nest boxes before we use them again.

Preitler · Oct 27, 2015

I make them myself too, it seems I'm the only one using that style, but it works great.
They are closed wood houses, with only one hole just big enough for the doe. Roof is removable. Solid wood floor, it doesn't really get wet in there in the first 3 weeks, then I remove hay and fur. The doe seals the entrance in the first 10 days or so, natural behavior. It's warm in there, in summer I lift the roof half an inch or so.

There are drawbacks- kits get much easier and better used to humans and being handled in open boxes (or without a box, what is more traditional with old time farmers here), so I would not recommend it for pet rabbits.
For meat rabbits it works great for me. These "old time farmers" I know have considerable losses, I don't.

grumpy · Oct 27, 2015

I make all of my own from scrap OSB pieces picked up off of construction
jobs around the area. All are built exactly the same size.

With 42 working does, "time" is important for a smooth and efficient
operation. All of my brood cages have the exact same sized door.
I can pull the box out of the cage and it'll wedge into the door
opening. That way the doe cannot interfere with whatever I'm doing.

I keep about 30 boxes on hand at all times. I've never used them all
at the same time............but I've came close a time or two.

I use two 6-penny box nails driven into the front edge of the box
with the heads cut off. I leave about a half-inch of the nail exposed.
When I slide the box back in, I elevate the front portion till I get it
where I want it to go, then lower the box. The nail-stubs will go
through the floor wire....Locking....the box into position. The doe
cannot move it.

Petlover500 · Oct 27, 2015

That is very handy grumpy!!
I may have to try that

Do the kits stay warm enough with such a big opening? One of my main concerns is that the babies will freeze if it gets too cold out and their nest box is not warm.

Dwc77 · Oct 27, 2015

I make my own to out of 3/4 plywood mostly and whatever I have on hand. Mine are permanently mounted to the out side of my does wire cage. I think they are 14" x 18" and 12" high with a 5"x 5" door on the back of the box for peeking at bunnies or to clean out. Then I j clip a small piece of 1" by 1/2" wire above the entry hole so I can keep the doe out when she doesn't have bunnies (except winter). I also have a solid floor in the box I put wood shavings in before they have there litter. Tho it does get a little wet after a few weeks not bad tho. My rabbits are outside so I never did like the idea of wire floor in the nestboxes. They work really good for me

I Whould post a picture but have no idea how to. It took me a week to figure out how to get my avatar pic to work :x :lol: :lol: :lol:

grumpy · Oct 27, 2015

Petlover500":2zqlgfuj said:
That is very handy grumpy!!
I may have to try that
Do the kits stay warm enough with such a big opening? One of my main concerns is that the babies will freeze if it gets too cold out and their nest box is not warm.

Mine are all inside the barn...Insulated and draft controlled. Last winter
the lowest it got was 34 degrees in the rabbitry. Their body heat helps
a great deal. I've never had issues with youngsters freezing, but all of
mine are larger meat rabbits. Don't know about them little fellas.

Try the nails....they're as handy as a pocket on a shirt.

Petlover500 · Oct 27, 2015

Thank you, both of you!!

:wr_love:

wamplercathy · Oct 27, 2015

I built mine. Here's a link to the DIY section.
first-attempt-at-nest-boxes-t25954.html

Size can be changed to fit your needs. Plus you might be able to get twice the number of boxes I got.

Hope this helps,
Cathy

Dwc77 · Oct 27, 2015

My first pic lol. Maybe :lol: I'll try to get a better one

Petlover500 · Oct 27, 2015

Awesome guys, thanks again!

Zass · Oct 28, 2015

I scrap mine together out of whatever wood is lying around. No wire, but sometimes we drill a few holes for drainage. I rarely have trouble with moisture in the boxes though, since we add a few handfuls of pelleted horse bedding to the bottom to absorb moisture.
I do not routinely change bedding, and I've only ever had one case of nestbox eye, which I'm pretty sure had a genetic component.

The boxes need to be just big enough for a doe to turn around in, or else a doe might sleep on the kits.
It also has to be high enough in the front that kits will not get dragged out while still attached to a teat.

My all wood ones have been good to -20, so long as the does pull enough hair and the rabbitry is kept draft free.

:-| I do remember seeing TONS of frozen kits posted last year on facebook.
Not sure how much of that was simply from new breeders working with first time stock, or people using insufficient nestboxes. :shrug:.

Truckinguy · Oct 28, 2015

I make my own out of 3/4" plywood. The oldest ones I have are about seven years old but still in decent condition. I have New Zealands and the nest boxes are 12" wide x 12" high by 24" long and have worked great. They have 1"x1/2" floor wire in the bottom. Since moving the buns outside to the colony the nest boxes have continued to do the job quite well. The doe will build the appropriate nest for the weather. I am building a couple of new ones right now that will have four stainless steel screws in the bottom to keep them off the concrete patio slab floor which will keep them cleaner. I have lost a couple kits here and there to the cold but that's to be expected outside.

EnglishSpot · Oct 28, 2015

I build my own. Looking around the internet to determine the size I need for the rabbits I have.

I've gotten the wood from Home Depot and have them cut 99% of it in store. I add 1/2x1 wire to the bottom. I do not attach the wire to the front piece of the nest box since I will remove it when the kits start wandering out of the box. Nothing worse than having kits unable to get back in the nest. Some folks add a 'step' via a brick or board to the front of the nest box so they can get back, but it's not a feasible option in my set up. This way the kits can have a 'den' while they're still little and mom can jump on top and get out of their way.

Petlover500 · Oct 31, 2015

Seems like pretty much everyone builds their own

I will have to try! I breed NDs so it will have to be smaller than most of your guys'... I will post a picture when it is built!

macksmom98 · Oct 31, 2015

I have mine built into our cages, but occasionally I have a doe who wants to use it as her litter pan. In that case I use a rubber made shoebox size plastic container, full it with bedding, and slip it into their cage. We have Hollands so they are smaller, and it should work just fine without building your own or until you get time for it

jimmywalt · Oct 31, 2015

Ours are home made. I staple 1/2" x 1/2" wire to the bottom and have a removable floor.

When the kits are born the floor is in the box. This keeps the nest materials from falling though the floor when the doe is building the nest, and then when the kits are born it helps keep the materials in the box as they wiggle around, keeps there feet from getting stuck in the wire, keeps them warmer in the winter (inside our 2 car garage), etc. At about 12 days, just before their eyes open we remove the floor and change the bedding. This allows them to go to the bathroom through the bottom of the nest box and not set in urine.

These work great! I'd never use any other type of box. Here are some pictures. This one has been used a few times so it doesn't look new.

Where do you get your nest boxes?

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