Nest building out of the nest box

[woodsie]

I have a doe that is bred and due to kit on the 22nd. We noticed she was walking around the cage with a bunch of hay in her mouth hopping around and pleading with us so we put her lined nest box in a bit early and gave her a bunch of hay.

She promptly started building her nest, but it was in the back corner of the cage, not in the nest box! So we moved the box into her favourite corner and put the hay and hair she pulled into the box.

She then pushed the box off the corner and started building her nest again in the corner on the bottom of the cage against the nest box. I am not sure I am going to convince her to nest in the box...do you think I should try to build a nest for her in the box and hope she gets the drift? Should I just let her build the nest outside the box and hope for the best...it is getting warmer but I worry that there is going to be a draft from the bottom.

Any suggestions?

 

[CocoNUT]

I'm NO expert...but one of my does (who built a nest in the box the first time) did the same thing. I just move the 'nest' and the kits into the box after they're born. But watch closely around her due date....so if the kits do wander onto the wire, you can get them all safely into the box quickly. Sometimes the moms need a little bit of help I think. It's your call though.

 

[woodsie]

Good suggestion! I may just do that and move them when she has them. Apparently she has a litter before and was a good mom, but this is the first time I have bred her.

Funny thing is I had tried to breed her last month and I put the nest box in and she was hunkered in the box nearly permanently for days...turns out she didn't take that time and was just enjoying the cozy box. Now that she is bred and nest building she is doing it out of the box!!! I have heard breeding bunnies can make you go crazy but my first experience with a first time mom went by the book and she did beautifully, now this one is proving to be much more challenging. Hopefully I can get the bunnies into the nest before they get chilled.

 

[Four Winds Ranch]

Lol, I have a few does that do the same thing!!!
I guess once they actually have the babies you could put them into the nest with all the material, but it may still not work! One of mine, will take everything out again and make her own nest outside the nest box!
I usually put plywood( if the bottom is open wire) and let them do their thing!! :/
Up to you!

 

[secuono]

Let her do what she wants this time, but watch her like a hawk for any kits. Then move them and the nest into the box. Or you can wire the nest into place and hope it helps.

 

[hitnspit]

dealing with a lot of new does we have had the very same thing go on. Now what i have been told to do and works well is put 2 boxes in the cage. Now this has worked. some times i would get babies in both boxes but you can just put them all together after. Its better then just letting them birth all over the wire and you not get to them in time and they die off do to being cold or wiggled there way out of the cage in the first place.