Today was day 28 for our first bred doe. After buying nesting boxes from Bass Equipment, I took one and filled it with about an inch of flaked pine shavings, and stuffed it full of grass hay.
Since this was our first rabbit to be bred, and I am not really sure about palpitation, we weren't exactly sure she was bred. The minute I took the nest box out though, she started rearranging it, and when I added a little more loose hay, she immediately picked it up and carried it to the nest. So far so good!
What we are using for boxes are the wire nest boxes that can be mounted underneath the cage for our big rabbits. Right now they are being placed in the cages as our cage setup doesn't currently allow for the under mounting. For the smaller rabbits we've chosen standard metal boxes is a more appropriate size. The bottom of the metal boxes are plywood and can be changed as needed.
The reason for choosing the subterranean boxes was that I've read so many good things about them. When not used for nesting, they are just another area of cage and doesn't hurt the overall cage dimensions. Because they are permanently mounted (or will be) there is nothing but a small box of cardboard liners to store. They are also easy to clean between litters, which is always a good thing!
The metal boxes were chosen over wood boxes simply because they last nearly forever and can be easily disinfected between litters. Because we only have a couple of small does we don't have to worry much about storage.
Hopefully in a few days I'll be updating with kit news!
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