The nest box can be made of metal or wood. Both of these materials have benefits as well as drawbacks. Metal nest boxes are more sanitary as they can be scrubbed and bleached clean. They don't have splinters or rough spots. But they can become cold in the cooler weather.

Wooden nest boxes are more economical because you can make them yourself, and when they become soiled, they can be thrown out and easily replaced. We use wooden boxes we make ourselves. In between breedings we scrub them, soak them in bleach and allow them to dry in the sun.

The size of the nest box depends on the size of the doe. It should be just big enough for her to fit her entire body comfortably but not so big that she can lounge in it and most likely soil it.

The nest box should be added to the doe's cage about 28 days into the pregnancy. Any sooner then this, she may use it as a bathroom. Not only is this a disaster to the kits, but when it comes time for the doe to begin to build a nest, she will reject the nest box because it is dirty.

Some does will not build a nest until they are about to give birth. Others will build a week or more ahead then ignore the nest until they give birth. We have a doe that spends two days preparing a nest a week before her due date. When she is done, she spends the next five days eating the hay out of the box. When it is time for her to give birth she has eaten every bit of hay and has to build all over again. Because we give our rabbits a handful of hay each day, we know when a doe is ready to start to build a nest. She will begin to gather.

To gather means she will gather up all the hay from all around her cage and put it in the nest box. (hopefully). We put a layer of pine shavings in the bottom of the nest box for extra absorption. Then we put the box in the doe's cage. We add a lot of hay to the floor of the doe's cage, but not to the nest box, that is the doe's job. Let her put it in the box and build how she wants it. Any kind of hay will do. Grass hay is nice and soft. See pictures of a doe gathering.

When the doe has lined the next box with hay to her satisfaction she will begin to pull her own fur to add to the hay. A hormone is released in the does body just before giving birth which makes her fur very loose and easy to pull out. Most does pull the fur from their bellies but others have gone on to pull fur from everywhere on their bodies. They are quite a site just after giving birth.

By the time the kits are two weeks old the nest box will be pretty well soiled. The kits will be using it as a bathroom. At this point, remove the babies, put them in a safe place. Empty all the content of the nest box. Clean it out if necessary, refill it with pine shavings and put the babies back in the nest box.

The kits should be left in the nest box for three weeks. After this the nest box should be removed. At this point the kits will be eating, drinking and getting around on their own. The nest box is no longer needed and becomes very soiled. This soiled condition is very bad for the kits. A dirty nest box can harbor deadly bacteria. Some breeders turn the nest box on its side at this point if the weather is chilly and the kits need an area to huddle and keep warm. When we take the nest box out, we add a resting board or an old piece of cloth for the kits to huddle on and get off the wire.

The doe is building her nest outside the box on the wire. She is rejecting the nest box. It could be dirty. If she has soiled the nest box, remove it, clean it and put it back in with her.

It might not be in the spot that she wants it. Brush her hay aside and put the nest box right where she was building.

It may have a smell she doesn't like. It is best for doe to have their own nest box. The smell of another litter, even if the box has been scrubbed and bleached, can be enough for a doe to reject it. We had bleached a nest box and set it on our deck to dry in the sun. We went out later to find our cat curled up and sound asleep in the box. We shooed him out and put the nest box away. When it was time for our doe to build she rejected the box. It took me a little while to remember the cat incident. We quickly cleaned and dried the box. Once the smell of cat was gone the doe used the box.

Some does are just stubborn or stupid. Pick up her nest from the floor of the cage and put it in the nest box. This may give her the idea, or it may not. We had a doe that refused to build in the box. We kept picking the hay up and putting it in her nest box, she kept taking it out and putting it on the wire. This battle between us went on for a whole day. We finally gave up and figured when she was done giving birth we'd pick the whole thing up, hay, kits and all, and put them in the box. But after all that battling, right before she gave birth she picked up the entire nest put it in the nest box and had her kits in it.

Some does just refuse to build a nest in the box. The best thing you can do is spread hay all over the floor of the cage and let her have the kits on the hay wherever she has them. After she is done, gather the kits, some hay and some fur and put them in the nest box. It is very important you do this as soon as possible. Newborn babies are very susceptible to the cold. You need to get them together and covered immediately.

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