What to Put in a Nesting Box for Rabbits

Rabbit kids or babies may die before they are old enough to leave their nest if the nesting box and nesting materials are not acceptable to the female rabbit. Correct nesting box management involves offering the female, or doe, the most suitable bedding materials. Liners below the soft and warm nesting material are equally important. Nesting material must be dust-free, and select types such as straw will double up as a form of enrichment, as the female can nibble on it as well.

  1. General Considerations

    • Your rabbit doe will pluck fur from her body to line the nest, but supply her with an absorbent liner, such as paper, to soak up urine and body fluids associated with giving birth to her litter. Cover this liner with clean and dry alfalfa, Timothy hay or pesticide-free dried grasses. The rabbit doe will build the nest as she prefers, so it is not necessary to spend time smoothing or arranging the bedding for her.

    The Doe̵7;s Preferences

    • Many does will accept the nesting material the owner supplied them with, but certain individual females will remove all the bedding. She will then return it to the nest, one piece at a time. Several rabbit breeders do not place nesting materials directly in the nesting box, but leave it in the rabbit̵7;s cage. The female rabbit will then collect as much or as little of the material as she sees fit. The doe will take the nesting material into her nesting box and build her nest to her own liking. Whichever method you choose to employ, always supply nesting material 28 days after mating, as the doe normally gives birth from day 29.

    Creating a Rabbit Burrow

    • You can use wood shavings as an alternative to a thick layer of paper. Experienced rabbit breeders will line the floor of the nesting box with at least 1 inch of shavings. The nesting box can then be packed full with straw, dried grass or hay shavings. Create a downward, angled tunnel or burrow through the nesting material with your hands. This tunnel should extend to the back of the nesting box, and a small amount of bedding material should then be removed to form a little room at the rear of the box.

    Alternative Materials

    • The developing kits must be kept dry and warm. It is also important to confine them to a small area within the nesting box. A thick, soft towel is suitable for a litter of orphan kits, which are being reared by the rabbit breeder. Natural nesting materials, such as straw, can be a source of microbial disease and it is best to buy only sterilized bedding from your pet dealer.