Oreocookie55
New Member
I'm very new to raising rabbits, its mainly a project for my daughter. She has several min-rexes, and our first doe Finney gave birth to two kits on 11/25/15. She is a first time mom so I'm happy with only 2 kits.
The kits themselves are doing wonderfully, eyes open, already hopping around out of the nest box and growing good.
My question is about Finney. Morning of the 25th, she pulled all the hay out of her box, and put it back in, apparently I don't make a good nest. Then she pulled ALOT of hair. I think the nest was more fur then hay, which I was happy with. She was doing good.
About 3 days after she had the kits, she began pulling all the fur and hay out of the nest. I'd put it back in around the babies, and she pulled it all back out again, ate the hay and threw her fur around to the point I couldn't put any back. The kits have had no nest material for most of their lives. They are kept inside, so I'm not too worried about them getting cold. If I put hay in her box in the morning she has eaten it all by the evening. I know she can't be hungry, she has free access to grain, and I give her a separate stack of hay every other day.
I've given up now refilling their box. I plan on removing it this weekend anyway as they should be old enough without it (16 days)
Anyone else had a doe "un-nest" like this?
Should I be concerned with this behavior and consider culling her? Other then pulling the material, she is doing great with them. She feeds them every day, and when they get out of the nest she watches them like a hawk. Even gets mad at me if I take them out and keep them away for too long. She will lay beside them when they are out of the nest, and seems like a good mother.
The kits themselves are doing wonderfully, eyes open, already hopping around out of the nest box and growing good.
My question is about Finney. Morning of the 25th, she pulled all the hay out of her box, and put it back in, apparently I don't make a good nest. Then she pulled ALOT of hair. I think the nest was more fur then hay, which I was happy with. She was doing good.
About 3 days after she had the kits, she began pulling all the fur and hay out of the nest. I'd put it back in around the babies, and she pulled it all back out again, ate the hay and threw her fur around to the point I couldn't put any back. The kits have had no nest material for most of their lives. They are kept inside, so I'm not too worried about them getting cold. If I put hay in her box in the morning she has eaten it all by the evening. I know she can't be hungry, she has free access to grain, and I give her a separate stack of hay every other day.
I've given up now refilling their box. I plan on removing it this weekend anyway as they should be old enough without it (16 days)
Anyone else had a doe "un-nest" like this?
Should I be concerned with this behavior and consider culling her? Other then pulling the material, she is doing great with them. She feeds them every day, and when they get out of the nest she watches them like a hawk. Even gets mad at me if I take them out and keep them away for too long. She will lay beside them when they are out of the nest, and seems like a good mother.
