doe kindled on the ground- all kits froze and died. help!!!

[Latestarter]

That's a pretty solid observation chicks... How would you arrange it or set it up? I thought most folks had their cages elevated... Would you make like a ramp/enclosed tunnel leading down to the sub floor nesting box or move the entire cage down to the ground to sit on top of it?

 

[samssimonsays]

That's a pretty solid observation chicks... How would you arrange it or set it up? I thought most folks had their cages elevated... Would you make like a ramp/enclosed tunnel leading down to the sub floor nesting box or move the entire cage down to the ground to sit on top of it?

Usually they are in wire bottom hanging cages and just connected to the floors. They look pretty convenient! The ones I have seen are a permanent fixture to the cage.

 

[EmilyClick28]

thank you guys this helped a lot! hah i dont know where i read it but somewhere i read to put the nesting box in on day 22!!! so should i do day 28 instead??? i have another pregnant doe so it would be great to know what day is best to put it in!!! and okay yeah i guess my problem is getting to the kits before they freeze so i can put them in the box... thats why this time im bringing the doe inside on like day 26 oh and hey btw, is there like a specific temperature that kits can handle? like, if i have the doe outside and once the kits are born and in the nest box... should i bring the box in the house if it gets like below 40 degreesF? or like below freezing? i tried googling it but couldnt find anything....

 

[EmilyClick28]

also, i was wondering if maybe my nest box's size could be the problem and maybe thats why the doe didnt use it? shes a mini lop and the nest box is roughly 14 inches long, 8 inches wide, and 8 inches tall.. is this an okay size for mini lops? what would be a good sized nest box to use?

 

[Bunnylady]

Usually they are in wire bottom hanging cages and just connected to the floors. They look pretty convenient! The ones I have seen are a permanent fixture to the cage.

Like this:

Temperature tolerance for the kits seems to be rather subjective. I have seen a lot of people who say they have litters born at sub-freezing temperatures, and as long as there is plenty of hay and fur in the nest, the kits do fine. All I know is that I have lost litters when the temp's are in the 40's. If I am concerned about losing a litter due to cool temperatures, I put the babies out with the mom only during the warmer parts of the day, or maybe just take them out to the mom a couple of times for feeding - yes, yes, I know; but I have found that my rabbits are much more tolerant than I ever thought possible. Some does might abandon their litters or savage the kits with all the interfering that I do, but in all the years I have had rabbits, I have only had 1 that I know intentionally savaged her kits, and 1 that simply refused to have anything to do with them (there have been a few that didn't have any milk, and I would have assumed that they simply weren't feeding if I hadn't been so involved). I have had quite a few that had to "adjust" to this way of doing things, but by and large, they did just that, and we have raised a lot of babies that experience makes me believe would not have survived without all my messing about.

 

[chiques chicks]

I'm rather hands off. I've had kits born in early March that survived. Temps in the 30's.

My best boxes are 12x18, I think, but are for meat rabbits. I don't know if I said it, but I prefer wood with hardware cloth bottom. I cover the cloth with cardboard in the winter. They don't last forever as the rabbits chew the wood, but they aren't expensive to make and i make several at a time while I have the saw set up.

That picture is exactly what I wish I had for nest boxes.

As I've looked at various people's methods with different animals, I've learned different things work for different people. It all comes down to the time available, what are acceptable losses for the individual, and time available. Unfortunately, some losses are unavoidable. There are times I wonder why I keep animals, then I have a bad day at work and go out with them and remember.

 

[EmilyClick28]

okay well thanks a lot guys this was super helpful! i think ill play it safe and go ahead and if the temps are going below 40 ill bring the nest box in at night. and i was thinking maybe if its super cold, i might just move the doe into a big cardboard box in the house (shes litter box trained, luckily) and that way the kits wont freeze for sure. and yes i TOTALLY agree they can really help cheer you up! and i have plenty pets to cheer me up a horse, dog, cat, 4 rabbits (at the moment), 3 fish tanks, 4 chickens, 7 chicks, and 2 ducks. love all my pets!