# Should I bring pregnant doe inside



## lindseykaye05 (Jan 24, 2011)

My rabbit should be having babies today/tomorrow and I am considering bringing her inside due to the weather.  Its cool outside (low 50's) and raining.  She is in a wire cage with a cover but not in a completely inclosed building.  I just went to check on her and the materials in her nesting box are all damp.  

She has somewhat made a nest but has "dug" all the way through the nesting materials to the bottom wire, which would leave the kits exposed to a draft under the cage and nesting box.

Last time she had kits they all died from the cold.  I am now considering bringing her inside to have her kits and I was hoping for some validation that this the right move.  

If I bring her in, do you have a suggestion on what I could keep her in?  I was thinking a big tubberware container that would provide plenty of room for the nesting box, her food/ water, and for her to move around in.  My hesitation with the tubberware container is her urine and pee will be stuck in the box with her.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.


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## DianeS (Jan 24, 2011)

Can you not bring the cage indoors too? 

I have no problem with bringing her indoors. The rain would be what worried me the most. 50 degree temperatures are fine by themselves. But wet nesting material can cause a problem and chill the kits. Even a shed or garage would be fine, she doesn't need to be in the house, just dryer if possible.

I would put something in the bottom of the nest area so she cannot expose the cage wire - something like carpet, or cardboard, or heavy material. That would let the babies stay off the wire, and it could be removed in time when it got soiled.


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## lindseykaye05 (Jan 24, 2011)

I can not move this cage due to its size and the nesting box does nto fit into my smaller cages.

I will add some cardboard to the bottom of the nesting box for sure, thanks for the suggestions.  Am thinking that I could spread a thick layer of woodchips at the bottom of the container with her food, water, and nesting box on top fo the woodchips in order to kind of filter her urine/poop for at least the night.


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## dbunni (Jan 24, 2011)

I have had buns born in 0 temp and survived.  Protect from the wind is the big thing.  Make sure mom has a lot of nesting materials.  I have put straw all over the wire just in case, depending on the doe.

good luck ...


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## lindseykaye05 (Jan 24, 2011)

Thank you very much for the replies, I will let you know what happens!


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## therealsilkiechick (Jan 24, 2011)

it has been 0 and -4 F here and i have does pregnant, 3 week old babies and 6 week old babies. mine r outside and babies have been fine although mine r in a shed with heaters its still cold out there. they were all born below freezeing temps. 

some of my cages r built the same lift the nest carefully and place a board on the wire and set the nest back down. make sure u put extra hay in. mine refuse to use the nest boxes always lay them beside them on wire so i pile it in both but the bottom of nest box i also put pine shaveings to help with the soiling.


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## tortoise (Jan 24, 2011)

It can be chilly, but it must be DRY.  Build up a good weather enclosure for her so she can stay out.


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## cattlecait (Jan 28, 2011)

It sounds like it'd be warm enough, but since the bedding is getting damp I'd definately suggest bringing her inside.

This is what we do when its super cold outside - I have about three solid-bottom extra large guinea pig cages from the pet store. They were expensive but are one of the best investments we made with the rabbits. We put them in the basement and fill them with about 1" of pine shavings and a few handfuls of straw. Mama picks her nest wherever she wants, we don't have to worry about being out of the box because her whole cage is the box. I just scoop out her chosen bathroom corner every day or so and it works great. Mama and babies move to the barn when they start running around, usually between 3-4 weeks old.

Before we did this, we kept them in Rubbermaid tubs and it worked out pretty decent but you have to clean the bucket every day religiously because it gets stinky quick! I also made a little top for it out of chicken wire because some of the mamas like to escape. If you only have a few does, this would probably be better than buying the big solid bottom cages.


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## lindseykaye05 (Jan 31, 2011)

Well sad news to report.  I brought the mama in, had a nice cozy home for her in a jumbo tubberware storage container inside my quiet, dark garage.  2 days past her due date nothing happened and the weather turned nice.  

I decided to bring her back to her normal outside home along with the nesting box (thinking perhaps the stress of a new environment was preventing her from having the babies.  The next morning I found 4 full sized kits cold on the wire (and one peanut- I think - on top of her nesting box), all dead...  I am guessing she had them a couple hours after I put her outside and were there overnight.  

She did not clean them up all the way so some of them still were a little bloody from the birth (they were all entact so she didn't try and eat any of them).

This is my second unsuccessful birthing experience.  I am really feeling down about the whole process.  I think I will wait until spring time to try again for hopefully better results.  

Everything thank you very much for your help and suggestions.


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## therealsilkiechick (Feb 1, 2011)

awe, sorry for ur loss. it is hard looseing babies.  i have a holland doe she had her first litter and never built a nest, never pulled fur and abandonded the babies. next time i bred her it didn't take so now i have to breed her again. my rule is 3 strikes. if they can't get it right still after the 3rd time of haveing babies i keep them as pets and don't breed or i sell them as pets only. but if mom isn't allowed the chance to try she will never learn. most usually learn but once in awhile a doe won't. 

i swear them mommas can hold out haveing them till they want to. don't know if that is true or not but i've had stuborn does like that before and basicaly had same problem. 

sometimes if u find them cold on the wire and take kits inside and warm them even if they look dead once warmed r still alive. so always warm them and check to be sure. i've done it and ended up most were alive and just fostered them under another mom or i brought mom in with them and made a nest and she raised them in here.

don't give up on ur bun yet rebreed her and try again but this time i'd not move her and see if that helps.


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