A doe (female rabbit) is general pregnant for 31 days. Mine usually kindle the night of day 30. On day 28 of gestation I will put the nest box in the does cage along with straw for the nest box. I usually put some straw in the box and some outside the box. I found the doe will add as much straw as needed for the temps.
Doe is in the nest preparing it. She will add more straw as she gets the straw that is in there were she wants it. Moving it around.
The doe has a mouth full of straw. She will also get in and out of the box to add straw.
Once she has enough straw she will start to pull fur. She could end up with a bare stomach from this. Depending on how cold she may then put more straw on top of that and make a mock hole for the kits.
Here you can see the fur in the "hole" in the straw the doe made. This was taken about 6 hours before she kindled.
This was taken two hours after she kindled. I found she would pull more fur after she kindled.
Here are the kits hours after they were born.
Another of the babies.
Here they are two weeks old. Their eyes are going to open soon. At this point I will usually change the straw for the babies. Makes for a clean bed.
They will grow fast at this point. You can see the fur coming in and they will are starting to open their eyes.
You will notice that the doe also replenished the fur in her nest.
I have yet to have any kits out of the nest box prior to three weeks old. However, it is a known issue. Does do not put the kits back in the nest and they can freeze. If you happen to go out and find a kit laying in the bottom of your cage cold to the touch, you best warm it up before you call it dead. It is really simple. Put the kit into a zip lock bag with it's head out so it can breath (if it is alive) and then emerge just the body of the kit in the bag into warm water. About 101 F will do the trick. Once the body of the kit is warm watch for several minutes for signs of life. You will be surprised how many will still be breathing and once warm, the breathing will pick up and those kits will still grow quickly. I have used this trick with goat kids and even a calf once. That is one way to save a kit that was on the floor of a cage. But with it still in the cage at least there is a chance to save it. That is why one thing I think is very good is "baby saver" wire. It is basically the same small wire you use on the bottom of the cage 2" up the sides, front, and back. It prevents the kits from falling out of the cage if they get out of the nest box.
I usually try to keep alfalfa hay in the cage from the time mom kindles until she weans the kits. Usually mom is on timothy, but while nursing and raising kits, she gets all the alfalfa she can eat and a cup of pellets until the kits are about three weeks old. At that time, I try to make sure the pellets are always available too. The baby's will start to come out and eat at this time,so for maximum growth, I give the best food I can. Water is a must and needs to always be available.
Doe's will only feed their kits two times daily usually. Until the kits can follow her around. You will notice she will jump in, be there just two to three minutes, then jump out. When the temperatures are extremely cold, it is not uncommon to bring in the nest box over night, take it out in the morning for them to be nursed, then take the nest box back in during the day, and again returning for them to nurse in the evening, just to be brought back inside at night. I have not personally done this, but it is not a rare event either. I have not lost kits, but I breed for warmer months of the year. However, in the early spring, we can still get the occasional temp of -40 C or so. I would bring them in if it was that cold. Mine are in an insulated building to protect them from wind. So usually they can stay very warm in the winter with the straw in their cages and the wood bottom nest boxes.
As for the nest boxes themselves. I found that the summer, the kits could get very hot. I can see the use of a wire bottom nest box for the purpose of keeping the kits cooler and allowing the flow of feces and urine out of the nest box. You will have to choose which bottom to go with according to your temps and when you plan to breed.
You can also get the kits used to being held if you take them and handle them. If your doe is used to your smell then this should not be an issue. I have handled all my liters from the day their were born to check for dead or disfigured babies. I usually do this in the afternoon. I give mom a treat (kale works wonders) and remove the nest box while she is eating. Then I will give her a bit of whole oats with the shell still on. About a teaspoon worth. It will help her keep her body condition and increase milk supply. While she is eating the oats is when I put the nest box back. The doe's will usually go to the box, smell the kits, and hop away. Remember, they usually will not go back into the box unless they are going to feed them, so do not worry if she does not go see them. You should handle them very little the first few weeks as they need the warmth of the liter to stay warm and healthy. I will caution you though, if your doe is new to you, or it is not used to your scent or you, then I would not try to handle the baby's. Especially if it is her first litter. She may become over stressed. The most critical time is the first 24 hours.
Sometimes a doe is very protective over her liter. They will bite and scratch and pound you with their feet if they want to protect their young. I have only had one doe do that. I could not feed her or care for her while she was pregnant or once she had kits without leather gloves on during those times. When not pregnant and without kits, she was very sweet. The sweetest of bunny's can be the most protective and hormonal of mothers too. The treats will help occupy her so that you can check the young. You can check them without picking them up.
If you are trying to figure out if the baby's are eating, go check them. If their belly's are nice and round and they are warm, then they are eating. If they are a bit cold, or the belly's are not full and you can see the skin folded, then come back in the evening or morning and check again. If at that time they are still not fully belly's and are not warm, then you may want to look at fostering with another rabbit that has a litter. I have never had a rabbit not care for her young. So, I can not speak from experience on fostering.
I hope this has helped someone. I hope the photo's help too.
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