Hi All - I have a new litter of bunnies and am wondering about cleaning out the nesting box.... is this necessary? I hate to disturb this adorable little family, but aren't there bunny poops in there that need to be cleaned out to keep everyone healthy? /g.
If the bedding is dry I let it go and then at 2 weeks from kindle I remove old bedding and put in fresh hay. If the bedding is wet then I will change it earlier. Save some dry fur to reline the nest box and put in fresh hay or what ever you use.
I also use pegboard for the bottoms of my nest boxes to help keep moisture level low in the nest. So far this winter have had no problems and the coldest it has gotten here is 2.7 degrees so it has been chilly.
After the litter is born, I give mama doe a treat (apple, oats etc.) I take the nest box out check for any dead babies, any bloody nest material and remove it. Then usually about 7-10 days I clean it again. I save the clean fur and some clean straw. I add the new straw to the bottom of the nest and place the saved straw, fur and babies to the top. I do check daily for dead kits and remove them asap. I also will use floor bottoms with holes to help keep things dry unless it is extremly cold then I use solid bottoms. I use a gage of how often I am changing things of how much milk the babies are getting....if they are nursing well they will be urinating a lot (plus they are growing) Rarely do I have a doe that soils a nest. It is imperative for the health of the babies to keep it dry. Denise
