# Early nesting behavior question!



## drstratton (Aug 26, 2020)

Good morning all!

I bred my rabbits for the first time on 8/7 & 8/12.  The first doe will be due on 9/4-9/7.  She is already grabbing hay and taking it into her enclosed area.  She puts it on the wire and starts scratching.  This rabbit went through a false pregnancy shortly after we separated her from the other 2 rabbits a few months ago, built a nest & pulled hair, she was only 3 months old! My question...should I go ahead and place her nesting box in the cage, even though it won't be 28 days until 9/4?  Thank you!

Meet Daphne!





We really didn't believe she was pregnant, (we separated them before 3 months...it took time to finish the cages) but provided a nesting box for her just in case! I think she was stressed!  We had removed our buck a couple of weeks before...he was about 2.5 months, but she was still sharing the cage with our other doe and they had begun fighting, so we moved Chloe to her new cage.  I believe this girl is anxious to be a mama!


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## B&B Happy goats (Aug 26, 2020)

My Flemish Giant doe"s pull fur early, lol.....I keep my nesting box in the hutch for shelter from the heat as they are basically a plywood upside down box with a entrance, and they love to get on top and lay......good luck on your kindle


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## drstratton (Aug 26, 2020)

B&B Happy goats said:


> My Flemish Giant doe"s pull fur early, lol.....I keep my nesting box in the hutch for shelter from the heat as they are basically a plywood upside down box with a entrance, and they love to get on top and lay......good luck on your kindle


Thank you Barb!  💞 I just don't want to put it in to early and have her use it as a litter box, but maybe she won't and at least it will keep her from wasting the hay, as she scratches it falls through to the ground! We need to build a second box for our other doe...I'm not even sure she mated with the Buck...she just kept giving him the run around...lol, I tried to assist, but that still didn't work. I finally just left them alone for a couple of hours, so we will see!


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## drstratton (Aug 26, 2020)

I guess I will just go ahead and place the nesting box into her cage and let her build her nest!  Getting excited!


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## B&B Happy goats (Aug 26, 2020)

drstratton said:


> I guess I will just go ahead and place the nesting box into her cage and let her build her nest!  Getting excited!


Lol, I STILL get my happy on when kits  are born.....heck I get excited when any animal is born.


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## drstratton (Aug 26, 2020)

B&B Happy goats said:


> Lol, I STILL get my happy on when kits  are born.....heck I get excited when any animal is born.


Yeah, same here! 💞


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## LocoYokel (Sep 2, 2020)

Have 3 does due the 7th myself, 2 of which are juniors. One is already starting to pull fur, the other- nada. If she is showing signs of wanting to make a nest let her have her box. If it is new box she may 'mark' it as hers but that doesn't necessarily mean she is going to use it for a litter box. Just change out the filling. Some does just like their box earlier than others.
First timers are always so exciting! Let us know how it goes!!


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## drstratton (Sep 2, 2020)

LocoYokel said:


> Have 3 does due the 7th myself, 2 of which are juniors. One is already starting to pull fur, the other- nada. If she is showing signs of wanting to make a nest let her have her box. If it is new box she may 'mark' it as hers but that doesn't necessarily mean she is going to use it for a litter box. Just change out the filling. Some does just like their box earlier than others.
> First timers are always so exciting! Let us know how it goes!!


I'm anxiously waiting...I'm also not completely sure that she's even pregnant, but we will know in the next few days! I've had her box in there & have cleaned it out a couple of times, no fur pulling yet!


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## Ridgetop (Sep 3, 2020)

I always put the box in a couple days early,  Some does are not exactly on the 30th day and I like to be safe.  She won't use it as a toilet if she is pulling hair and actively building nests.  Be sure to stick the pulled fur in the box.  Identify where her toilet area is by the mound of rabbit raisins under the cage and place the box on the other side of the cage.  Often when rabbits use the nesting box as a potty it is because the box has been accidentally been placed in the spot used by the rabbit as a toilet spot.  Rabbits choose a toilet spot and will use it consistently,


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## drstratton (Sep 7, 2020)

Ridgetop said:


> I always put the box in a couple days early,  Some does are not exactly on the 30th day and I like to be safe.  She won't use it as a toilet if she is pulling hair and actively building nests.  Be sure to stick the pulled fur in the box.  Identify where her toilet area is by the mound of rabbit raisins under the cage and place the box on the other side of the cage.  Often when rabbits use the nesting box as a potty it is because the box has been accidentally been placed in the spot used by the rabbit as a toilet spot.  Rabbits choose a toilet spot and will use it consistently,


Thank you!  I thought I responded to this!  I did as you suggested and moved stuff around a little!  My next post shows my new kits!


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## drstratton (Sep 7, 2020)

Today is day day 32 and Daphne finally had her first litter and on Labor Day...so fitting!  13 babies all alive and well and wiggling!  Thank you for the advice you all shared with me!

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## LocoYokel (Sep 10, 2020)

How absolutely awsum! Congratz!!


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## drstratton (Sep 10, 2020)

LocoYokel said:


> How absolutely awsum! Congratz!!


Thank you...now we're just trying to keep them alive...way too many! 🙁


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## Nao57 (Oct 7, 2020)

So how many days into the pregnancy do you need to have the nesting box ready?

And at how many days into the pregnancy do nipples appear? 

I'm new to rabbits, but with cats and dogs, they start to show before the birth, and also the hair around them recedes. But nobody talks about this with rabbits? Not sure why. They are mammals too. And wouldn't this also be a proof they are pregnant indicator?


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