Choosing Your Rabbit Nest Boxes | Ultimate Meat Rabbit Guide
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ต.ค. 2024
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One of the choices you'll need to make when breeding rabbits are with the nest boxes you plan to use. Metal, wire, and wood are all choices that have pros and cons. We use them all for different reasons, and this video shows you each and why we use certain ones for certain reasons.
We are a small homestead in south central Oregon living the best sustainable life as possible. We raise goats, rabbits, and heritage birds. Follow along as we divulge our secrets to surviving off-grid on solar power and growing our own food.
Keep up with us between uploads on Instagram: @spragueriverhomestead
I’m setting up a rabbitry in my barn. I’m studying your videos intensely. I think you’ve already saved me $1,000 and some cursing. God bless you.
I ended up using a plastic shopping basket and that worked well. Lots of ventilation but more surface area than wire, light, easy to clean. My cage is fairly tall so I added a floor panel mid way to create a split level, shoved the basket halfway under that so mom had a perch away from the babies.
I might try making one out of two milk crates next time. My buck has a milk crate with some straw for a hideout, he sleeps in it on colder nights. He chews and tosses every thing, but hasn't done any noticeable damage to the milk crate.
Both sound like good ideas.
I like the idea of repurposing for the nests. I was wondering about plastic options myself, but wondered if they wouldn't just chew it up.
@@tuvelat7302 so far so good! I’ve added hanging baskets as hideouts for others since and they all love them and so far none have been chewed.
can you send pictures
Thank you, for making this video. Wasnt sure about size w New Zealands, plan on starting to breed after 1st of the year. An idea for your wire nesting boxes, zip tie them to your cage, and they won't flip over. I use my nail clippers to cut zip ties when done, a trick from my dog showing days.
Just gave my does their nest boxes 😊
I am making some nesting boxes right now out of old bee hive boxes. I know they may be a bit big. I hope it works out.
Informative video as usual. Thank you. :)
Bigger isn't better when it comes to nesting boxes. Kits can get too spread out in a big box and chill more easily. Does are also more likely to make a bathroom out of one corner. Hope they work for you. Good luck!
My metal nest boxes have a removable metal bottom. One of my does likes to sit on the top to get away from her kits occasionally.
Most of our girls are the same way at one time or another. I built a fee next boxes without tops and boy did I get the unhappy momma looks when they started coming out of the nests. For the next litters I had to add tops! LOL
Hi, thanks for the upload.
Thanks for the vid
Thank you.
Have been enjoying and learning from your videos. I will be starting with 2 does and a buck in about 2 1/2 weeks here in Maine. I had my mind made up on the metal nesting box, but you pointed out some things that has discouraged me from that choice. As you suggested on the wire ones, during cold temperatures that could be an issue and where I live in Maine and it does get cold here. Summer time, we do go through 80- 90 degrees days, so they may be great during that time.
I have a question as far as the plywood boxes. Wouldn't you be alarmed about the glues used and where rabbits chew? I am thinking I will start with the 1 inch board boxes and later pick up a wire one.
Thanks for all the videos you have shared to help others.
Blessings,
Jim
I think you'll really enjoy having rabbits. They are great animals and so versatile.
When I first started I avoided plywood boxes for just that reason - concerns about the glue. I got into a pinch two years ago where I miscounted my boxes available and had bred too many does. We were socked in with snow so building some was out and the local stores only had plywood ones. What I found is that of the rabbits who do chew them, they chew very little. I don't know if it's the taste of the glue or what. I've never had a rabbit get sick from them, though I do take them out earlier than my other boxes to keep kits from chewing them. I do prefer to build my nest boxes from 1x material because it's less cutting and they go together faster, but I will build plywood ones from time to time if I have extra scraps laying around.
Thanks for watching!
@@SpragueRiverHomestead I am thinking I will build one with 1' boards for winter and probably go with the bigger metal during the spring.
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and experiences with us.
Blessings,
Jim
My husband make ours out of plywood with quarter inch mesh on the bottom. I like them so far. As the babies poop can go through the mesh.
Connie Crites - I had some made that way and pulled the mesh off and replaced it. They work fine in the summer and warmer weather, but you are more likely to freeze kits in mesh bottomed boxes in cold weather. Lets in too much cold air. It's all about where you live though, so if you have the climate and they are working for you, go for it!
Sprague River Homestead I live in north florida but I will keep a close eye on that in the winter.
Sprague River Homestead
We just line ours with cardboard on the bottom in the winter
Can you tell me where you get the elbow length gauntlets for rabbit handling???
They are called arm guards, and several online rabbit supply venders sell them. My Kevlar sleeves that I use on the farm are from BunnyRabbit.com.
@@SpragueRiverHomestead Thank you ever so much, maybe there will be less blood spilled and less angst. Thanks again. Great Videos.
you may know already but that metal welded wire nest box is a subterranean type and is meant to be suspended under the rabbit cage
It can be used as either. We initially looked at using them underneath, but didn't like the idea of cutting huge holes in our cage floors. Quite a few breeders use them during summer since they breath better than wood or metal.
@@SpragueRiverHomestead cool:)
@@SpragueRiverHomestead I like the wire ones during the hot weather also. I put a piece of cardboard to line the bottom and some shavings on top of that, then hay.
Iike rabbits have very good multipliers rat and very easy to keep, am
Best size box for Angora rabbit ??
Plz till me
That will depend on the breed of Angora. There are several, and they vary in size.
I want to import Cali & NZW in the Philippines from your country but I don't know how
I'm of no help. I don't raise either breed and we don't ship. You might want to reach out to the ARBA and see if they can recommend a breeder to you. Keep in mind that the border is closed right now, so no US breeders can ship to you at the moment.
do rabbits breast feed in those nest boxes
Yes.
Which one should I use for a Russian angora
I don't know, as I've never heard of a Russian Angora. What size are they (weight)?
@@SpragueRiverHomestead ya I think they r English angora because they have hair's on their face n ears
@@rohans3447 English Angora top out at 7 1/2 pounds. Is she that small? If so, I'd use a box 15-16" long and 8-9" wide. That's about medium sized. A 14" box might be okay as well, but I like my does and litters to have plenty of space.
@@rohans3447 We've raised Angoras, and had a few designs we had to go through. With Angoras having the long hair, I'd rule out the wire design. Also depending on the climate you live. What we did was made wooden boxes and wrapped the edges with sheet metal to prevent them from being chewed up. It makes boxes last longer. For the bottom we used a piece of PVC sheet that we could remove to hose out really good. It just depends on how long you want it to last, and if your willing to do the work. We had French Angoras for the most part. We lost almost everything last year to one of the hurricanes that hit the east coast, so we are going to start rebuilding and restocking animals in the spring.
HI , Do you know of any Rabbit Farms or Breeders who EXPORT from the USA to the Caribbean, like Barbados , will really love your help . if you can.
APOSTOLIC TABERNACLE UPCI - I really don't know. You may want to get in touch with the American Rabbit Breeders Association. They may have contacts that can guide you through the process and help you find a breeder that is willing. Good luck!