Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Nest boxes are necessary for the doe to kindle in so she has privacy and so the young are not
born onto metal wire, which is too cold and can kill the newborns. These boxes can be built of
any type of lumber, but a common box is built of plywood. The edges of the wood should be
lined with galvanized metal, as the does will chew on the wood. A good box for a medium-
sized rabbit is 18 by 10 by 8 inches. The top can be covered to provide extra privacy for the
doe. You should place clean, dry bedding in the nest box, even though the doe will pluck her
own fur to make a nest. This is especially important if the doe is kindling during cold weather.
Soft grass, hay, wood shavings, or straw can all be used. The doe may eat some of the bed-
ding, so replenish often. Place nest boxes into the pregnant doe's cage 27 days after mating so
she can get used to it.
Kindling (Birth)
A doe will kindle about 31 days after she is bred. It is important not to disturb a doe giving
birth because she might kill the young and eat them. You do want to observe her quietly from
a distance to make sure she is giving birth. The day after kindling, you can check the nest box
for any dead kits and take them away. Newborn rabbits are born with closed eyes and ears and
are furless. The kits eyes will open at about 10 days old, and at 3 weeks they will begin to
venture out of the nest box. They will begin to nibble on pellets and start to sip water, so keep
feeders and waterers full of fresh material at all times. Young rabbits will be ready to wean at
8 weeks old, which is also the time they can be marketed as live young or fryers.
Live young
means the young rabbits can be sold as potential breeding rabbits, as pets, or to be raised to a
larger size for meat. Young rabbits sold as
fryers
produce a tender meat.
If find the kits are born outside of the nest box, place them inside the box, and cover them
with the fur the doe has lined the nest with. Wait a couple of hours, and if the doe has not
joined them inside the box, place her inside with them. Hold her inside until the kits start to
nurse. Kits nurse once or twice a day for only two to four minutes. If a doe has more than
eight kits, you can transfer some of the kits to another mother with fewer kits as long as the
young are around the same age. This will make sure there is enough milk to go around. Most
does will accept the young of another mother without any problem.
Pregnancy-related problems
Mastitis:
Does can acquire mastitis, or an infection of the mammary glands, while producing
milk. The glands become swollen, hot, reddened, or bluish, and milk production may cease.
