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To be satisfactory, a nest box should provide seclusion for the doe during kindling and protection and comfort for the litter afterwards. There are many types, and no one nest box is suitable for use in all rabbitries and in all seasons. Different kinds are discussed in Chapter 4, “The Rabbitry and Its Equipment.”

The bedding material should be pliable, absorbent, and of the type the doe can mix with the fur she pulls from her body, with the choice depending upon availability and upon type of nest desired. Straw, hay, wood shavings, leaves, cottonseed hulls, etc., can be used. If the does are being fed a ration consisting only of pellets, they may eat any palatable material used for bedding. Soft wood shavings or unpalatable bagasse may be used. During the warm season, less bedding is needed. When low temperatures prevail, the nest box should be filled more completely with bedding material.

Shredded paper is a poor absorbent, excelsior is harsh and does not mix readily with the fur, and both of these materials may cause suffering or death of the kits by becoming wrapped around their legs or necks. Shredded redwood bark and peat moss stain the coats, and the dust from them irritates the respiratory tracts of the young rabbits.

It has often been said that “the litter is made in the nest box,” and during the time the young rabbits spend there, their weight should increase seven to eight fold. A very important aspect of this is the milking ability of the doe, which can be assessed by the 21-day weight of the litter.

Kits will begin to develop hair within about 4 days after birth, and the eyes will open at about 10 days. The nest box may be removed when the litter is 15 to 21 days old, but the time for taking it out should be determined by the weather conditions. If it is necessary to keep it in the cage longer, it should be thoroughly inspected periodically and any soiled bedding replaced with clean. The longer the nest box is left in, the more likely that eye infections and other disease problems will develop, so the nest box should be removed as early as possible.

Does usually nurse their litters once per day. One management practice used quite extensively in Europe is to remove the nest box and put the litter in with the doe for only about five minutes per day. She usually jumps in and feeds the kits. Removal of the nest box reduces mortality caused by the doe jumping in several times a day and trampling some of the litter. With the use of a front-loading nest box (Fig. 4.16), the opening can be closed to keep the doe out except for a once-per-day nursing.

After the nest boxes are removed, they should be thoroughly washed and disinfected. They should be stored where wild rodents cannot get to them, as the smell of rodent urine may cause does to refuse to use the nest boxes.