Nesting Boxes

[mistyjr]

I put Straw in my nesting boxes just before they have babies. A week after they have their babies the Straw gets really wet and stinky. I want to find something else better then just Straw.

What do you use to put in your nesting boxes??

 

[whaleyk98]

I put a layer of shavings down first to absorb moisture and then some hay on top....seems to work well.

 

[mistyjr]

okay, I will have to check that out too.. I need to do something different.

 

[leo9lionheads]

I put a layer of my pelleted bedding then plenty of hay which my does always make huge nests in with plenty of hair. plus my nest boxes all have drain holes in the bottomso I dont get a bulid up of pee with.

 

[mistyjr]

leo9lionheads wrote:

I put a layer of my pelleted bedding then plenty of hay which my does always make huge nests in with plenty of hair. plus my nest boxes all have drain holes in the bottomso I dont get a bulid up of pee with.

I have a huge bag of Yesterday News that I dont use anymore never been opened. And I have no use for it because we dont have the bunnies in the house no more.. I was wondering if I could use some of that in the nesting box??

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

I will use a layer of shavings, and then I put in a handful of hay. The momma's will usually add more hay, but I always put some in for them in case they don't make a nest themselves, that way there's technically a back-up nest. lol.

Emily

 

[mistyjr]

Thanks Emily!

 

[whaleyk98]

Yeah, you could use the yesterdays news on the bottom to absorb the moisture..in the same way the shavings would.

 

[Shaded Night Rabbitry]

just wondering... do you use metal or wood nest boxes?

 

[leo9lionheads]

yep right now I have some of it in a nest box.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

shredded newspaper with a layer of hay on top

 

[CoolWaterRabbitry]

Shaded Night Rabbitry wrote:

just wondering... do you use metal or wood nest boxes?

I was going to ask the same question, like which is better? I have a wooden one, we made ourselves, and then I have a standard metal one with removable floor. Ithought I would like the metal one better, but I'm really not liking it at all for some reason.

We use shavings with hay in our boxes, babies love to dig in it.

 

[Shaded Night Rabbitry]

RabbitOwner1986 wrote:

Shaded Night Rabbitry wrote:

just wondering... do you use metal or wood nest boxes?

I was going to ask the same question, like which is better? I have a wooden one, we made ourselves, and then I have a standard metal one with removable floor. Ithought I would like the metal one better, but I'm really not liking it at all for some reason.

We use shavings with hay in our boxes, babies love to dig in it.

I swear by my wood ones. I'd use metal, however, next time I have rabbits due in the middle of the heat. But I like that the wood ones stay warmer..,. Plus my babies love to sit on the bottom of the box, rather than on nesting materials. I try to put them above the hay (and cover, of course!), but they always dig right back down. LOL!

I personally don't use shavings in the bottom. I don't even make a nest. If mama doesn't make her own nest, and drops them on the wire, then they get taken away that time. I'll rebreed her in the next round, and she'll have another chance to raise her own. I've yet to have a doe that hasn't made a nest that had a box, however! (I HAVE had one that I counted wrong on, and thought she wasn't due for 3 more days... She dropped them on the wire. =/)

 

[CoolWaterRabbitry]

Shaded Night Rabbitry wrote:

RabbitOwner1986 wrote:

Shaded Night Rabbitry wrote:

just wondering... do you use metal or wood nest boxes?

I was going to ask the same question, like which is better? I have a wooden one, we made ourselves, and then I have a standard metal one with removable floor. Ithought I would like the metal one better, but I'm really not liking it at all for some reason.

We use shavings with hay in our boxes, babies love to dig in it.

I swear by my wood ones. I'd use metal, however, next time I have rabbits due in the middle of the heat. But I like that the wood ones stay warmer..,. Plus my babies love to sit on the bottom of the box, rather than on nesting materials. I try to put them above the hay (and cover, of course!), but they always dig right back down. LOL!

I personally don't use shavings in the bottom. I don't even make a nest. If mama doesn't make her own nest, and drops them on the wire, then they get taken away that time. I'll rebreed her in the next round, and she'll have another chance to raise her own. I've yet to have a doe that hasn't made a nest that had a box, however! (I HAVE had one that I counted wrong on, and thought she wasn't due for 3 more days... She dropped them on the wire. =/)

I bought the metal one since we only had enough plywood to make another dwarf sized box, and the havana doe needed more room. Her babies LOVE to dig around whereas the hotots like to dig a little but mostly sit on top.

I did a thin layer of shavings in each, really though I didn't need to for the hotot, she drug in enough hay and pulled enough hair out for 10 litters lol But the havana needed shavings as she only pulled out enough hair and enough hay for half the litter.

Currently the hotots are liking their mother's metal hay pan better than there own box! :rollseyes

 

[mistyjr]

Shaded Night Rabbitry wrote:

just wondering... do you use metal or wood nest boxes?

We use wood nest boxes. We got the blue print out the book that you get when you sign up too ARBA.

 

[BlueCamasRabbitry]

I use wood nestboxes as well - built specfically for my cages/rabbits, etc. They are well insulated, but won't get too cold in the winter, or too hot in the summer.

The only con is that that don't last as long. :/

Emily

 

[mistyjr]

Yeah! I love them too. Just need something better for the nesting stuff

 

[woahlookitsme]

We have wire bottoms on some of ourboxes so we put hay/straw on the bottoms then pine bedding(fine)

 

[kwilds]

I used a few handfulls of pelleted horse bedding on the bottom of my wooden nest boxes with a thick layer of hay on top. I LOVE the pelleted bedding. I use it the "toilet" corners of my wooden hutch and under the wire cages to soak up urine. It really helps keep the smell down and makes wonderful compost!

 

[mistyjr]

Thanks