brentr
Ridin' The Range
Thought I'd just pass this along if it could be of any help to anyone. I have permanently attached nest boxes with wire bottoms. I had two does kindling in chilly weather - low 30's/high 20's at night, breezy, only warming to upper 40's during the day.
Last litter I had in similar conditions was lost. Like most, I placed a piece of cardboard over the wire in the bottom, then piled in straw for the doe to nest in. In this case she had burrowed clear down to the cardboard and I found the cold, dead kit on the cardboard with nothing to keep warm (being a solo kit made it that much harder). I realized that my straw is short stemmed and easy to push aside.
So here is what I have done this time, and it has worked well for me. I make no claims about this being the perfect way to do it.
Directly on the wire I put a dishtowel to cover the floor and mitigate updrafts. Over the towel I put a layer of pine shavings (not dust). On top of that, I placed the cardboard piece. My thinking is that even if a kit(s) get right down to the cardboard, they still have some insulation instead of just cold wire and cold air. On top of the cardboard, I put in layer of long-stemmed, stiff grass hay still pressed together into a cake. On top of that, I piled in the loose grass hay and straw, and I mean PILED it in. The does thought they had died and gone to heaven.
I'm happy to report that both litters were born in cold weather, but their nests are toasty warm. A little investigation (careful digging) showed that neither doe had dug below the pressed grass. Both nests were solidly on top of that, woven into the loose grass and straw - plenty of insulation under and all around the nest. I'm thinking that in the future I might try not using towel and shavings, but simply put in cardboard, a cake of grass hay, and then loose grass/straw. I think the pressed grass bedding is the key variable.
Last litter I had in similar conditions was lost. Like most, I placed a piece of cardboard over the wire in the bottom, then piled in straw for the doe to nest in. In this case she had burrowed clear down to the cardboard and I found the cold, dead kit on the cardboard with nothing to keep warm (being a solo kit made it that much harder). I realized that my straw is short stemmed and easy to push aside.
So here is what I have done this time, and it has worked well for me. I make no claims about this being the perfect way to do it.
Directly on the wire I put a dishtowel to cover the floor and mitigate updrafts. Over the towel I put a layer of pine shavings (not dust). On top of that, I placed the cardboard piece. My thinking is that even if a kit(s) get right down to the cardboard, they still have some insulation instead of just cold wire and cold air. On top of the cardboard, I put in layer of long-stemmed, stiff grass hay still pressed together into a cake. On top of that, I piled in the loose grass hay and straw, and I mean PILED it in. The does thought they had died and gone to heaven.
I'm happy to report that both litters were born in cold weather, but their nests are toasty warm. A little investigation (careful digging) showed that neither doe had dug below the pressed grass. Both nests were solidly on top of that, woven into the loose grass and straw - plenty of insulation under and all around the nest. I'm thinking that in the future I might try not using towel and shavings, but simply put in cardboard, a cake of grass hay, and then loose grass/straw. I think the pressed grass bedding is the key variable.
