Nest boxes for rabbits

Sophierabbit

Just born
Joined
Apr 4, 2021
Messages
6
Reaction score
1
Points
6
Hi there everyone

Does anyone have any ideas on what I could use as a nest box for my rabbit? Maybe a household item? I can’t seem to buy a nest box where I live so I think I’ll have to improvise. Also does the nest box have to have a covered top?
 

promiseacres

Herd Master
Joined
Oct 5, 2012
Messages
4,796
Reaction score
9,711
Points
563
Location
NW Indiana
My husband makes mine out of wood, with removable bottoms. I have a few that i bought that are heavy plastic. Anything lightweight plastic the does move around. Around 2 -3 weeks I have moved them into a cheap low sided litter pan, if it's cold out yet.
 

LilTxFarmer

Overrun with beasties
Joined
Feb 27, 2021
Messages
81
Reaction score
112
Points
97
I built my own with some left over plywood. I believe I got the instructions off Pinterest. I also put wire on the bottom of mine, that way most theyre waste goes thru the wire and theyre not laying in it. Of course, you still have to clean it out from time to time. Let me see if I can put some pics on here, for you.
 

Attachments

  • 20210104_145006.jpg
    20210104_145006.jpg
    200.9 KB · Views: 121
  • 20210104_162841.jpg
    20210104_162841.jpg
    183.7 KB · Views: 120
  • 20201210_160816.jpg
    20201210_160816.jpg
    251.1 KB · Views: 113
  • 20210106_173423.jpg
    20210106_173423.jpg
    202 KB · Views: 115
  • 20210106_172428.jpg
    20210106_172428.jpg
    239.7 KB · Views: 120
  • 20210204_182441.jpg
    20210204_182441.jpg
    250.8 KB · Views: 120

LilTxFarmer

Overrun with beasties
Joined
Feb 27, 2021
Messages
81
Reaction score
112
Points
97

Niele da Kine

Loving the herd life
Joined
Sep 5, 2020
Messages
259
Reaction score
432
Points
113
Location
Moku Nui Hawaii
We've used cardboard boxes before. Find a nice sturdy one about the right size and you're good to go.



If you want to get more intricate, such as if you're building a permanent nesting hutch, then dropped nesting areas are good. If the babies get out of the nest area, then they can just squirm around and roll back in by themselves. The mum bun can't pick them up and put them back into the nesting box if they get out of a standard nesting box. Frequently, the litter will be pushed up against the lip of the box and then the babies can get out and not be able to get back in.

bigfloor1.jpg

We build modular floor plates since those always seem to rot out before the rest of the hutch so we can just replace them as necessary. This also lets us switch a regular hutch into a nesting hutch just by changing the floor plate.

bigfloor3.jpg

Wooden boxes fit over the dropped area and there's gaps on the sides for baby bunnies to roll back in.

bighutchbaby2.jpg
 
Top