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Baby-saver?

5K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  trinityoaks 
#1 ·
Do I understand correctly that I can make baby-savers of a strip of 1" x 1/2" wire mesh? How wide (high) should it be? It goes all the way around the cage, right? Does it go inside the cage or outside? How do you keep the wire along the edges from poking you or the rabbits? Which way does the mesh go (openings vertical or horizontal)?
 
#2 ·
I always put mine to the inside and fold the wire down over or around the existing wire. That way I don't get poked when I stick my arms in and the rabbits don't get stuck if they nose around it. This way works well for me so far no babies have gotten thru. My opening I think are usually vertical. But the best thing to do if you are unsure about it is to experiment till you find a way that satisify you. Good luck.
 
#3 ·
I'd put it two or three inches high. It's really just to keep the smallest kits in, the ones who get out of the nest by accident, or the ones that are born on the wire. By the time they are big enough to get out of the nest by themselves when they are older, they are too big to get through the normal wire.

Jennifer
 
#5 ·
I find after about two weeks one of the more adventurous kits might pop out but it's been 2 1/2 to three weeks when it has happened here on a regular basis. I have a 5" high kit scraper on my nestboxes so the chance of anything younger getting out is pretty slim.

I have a litter that is 3 weeks and 3 days old and yesterday was the first time I saw all six out at the same time although it has been getting colder and they may have decided to stay in the nest a little longer than a litter born in the summer.
 
#8 ·
Skip, a newborn kit born on the wire can slip out of 1" x 1" mesh, so a lot of people have chosen to add babysaver wire to prevent this. I have 1" x 1" and I've never lost a kit that way... that I know of, anyway. But, in general, I can rely on my does to use the box.
 
#10 ·
LOL... I think we need a glossary.

A kit scraper is a lip added onto a nest box at the low end where the doe jumps in and out. If any kits insist on clinging to a teat at the end of suppertime, the scraper is supposed to dislodge them and cause them to drop back into the nest box instead of being pulled out into the cage. Sounds a bit brutal, but better than losing them to chilling. I'll see if I can find a picture.

Edited to add: Ha! Guess where I found a picture, Willowynd? In your own post about nest boxes in Bluemoonluck's thread! You'll have to click on the nest box picture to enlarge it so that you can see the slanted strip of wood across the foot of the box.

http://www.martinscages.com/products/accessories/hiding.htm
 
#11 ·
Thanks, y'all! So, if I extend the floor by 2" on each side and fold it upward, would that be high enough? What if it meant my cages are 26" x 36" instead of 30" x 36" (door in the 36" side)? (I'm trying to get 3 cage floors plus babysaver from a 30" x 120" roll of 1" x 1/2" wire mesh.)
 
#12 ·
Thanks, y'all! So, if I extend the floor by 2" on each side and fold it upward, would that be high enough? What if it meant my cages are 26" x 36" instead of 30" x 36" (door in the 36" side)? (I'm trying to get 3 cage floors plus babysaver from a 30" x 120" roll of 1" x 1/2" wire mesh.)
Personally, I would not sacrifice floor space for baby savers. I'd rather buy a small amount of hardware cloth (1/2" x 1/2") and wire three-inch strips of that into place to protect the newborns.
 
#13 ·
Personally, I would not sacrifice floor space for baby savers. I'd rather buy a small amount of hardware cloth (1/2" x 1/2")
Like this?

and wire three-inch strips of that into place to protect the newborns.
So I should go with 3" high instead of 2"?
 
#15 ·
Yeah, that's the stuff. Some places you can buy it by the foot or yard.
Ok, I'll look for it that way.

Two inches is probably enough, but as you probably know, I belong to the Belt and Suspenders Club. ( :eek:That is, if they haven't kicked me out for not having baby saver wire on the cages at all.)
:rotfl:
 
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