The first step to building a rabbit nesting box is to gather materials. You will need enough wood planks to form the frame of your nest, as well as screws and bolts for assembly, two hinges, four handles with bolts or screws for attachment, one latch with bolt or screw for securing the door closed, paint (optional), and about an hour of time.
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What You Need:
- Pressed chipboard (untreated wood!)
- Two hinges (hinged)
- Oat straw or hay
- Screws
- Cordless screwdriver
- Measuring tape
- Compass
- Pencil
- Jigsaw
What Size Should Be Nesting Boxes?
The size of the box is up to you. Most rabbit breeders recommend that the nesting box be at least five inches deep, and a perfect length for your pet would be about nine inches in width by twelve inches long. The larger the box, the more comfortable your pet will feel.
Cut and Assemble A Nest Box
For this project, you will need a board that is at least ten inches wide and six feet long. We recommend using plywood since it doesn’t rot over time like other types of wood such as pine or spruce. You also want to be sure that the piece of wood is four-by-four so your rabbit can fit in comfortably with enough room for their nesting materials without getting too crowded inside. A final note: we do not recommend cutting the hole in the front until after you have assembled and put together everything because if it isn’t done properly, there could be problems later on when trying to place objects through an opening that won’t stay open by itself due to lack of support from screws underneath.
- The slot should now be sawed in the front panel, in the center. It should be about 11 inches in diameter. It is best to mark this with a compass and then see it out with the jigsaw.
- The loophole should then be sanded clean with sandpaper so that a pregnant rabbit does not injure itself when jumping through.
- Then lay the base plate in front of you and mount the sides, back wall and front to it.
- Also, screw the wooden panels together on the sides, creating a wooden crate that is open at the top.
- Then screw the two hinges to the lid of the litter box and screw it above it to the top back of the box. This way you can open the lid at any time later to check on the young rabbits and put nesting material inside.
Lining the Nest Box
A rabbit nesting box should be lined with hay or straw to create a soft and comfortable place for your rabbits. You can either use store-bought materials or collect dried grass from the outside in which you will need around two bales of it depending on how big the inside space is going to be as well as what type of shape you want it to have once put together. Another option would be using recycled shredded paper because if nothing else, they do make great insulation material that keeps heat in during wintertime!
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How to Prepare Everything for Your Rabbit
- Once the nest box for your pregnant rabbit is ready, you can place it in the rabbit hutch. To do this, it is best to shovel a quiet corner of the hutch so that you can place the box in this spot without wobbling.
- Afterward, you should line the litter box with soft oat straw or hay. Your lady rabbit will then set up the nest herself as she needs it. She will also pad it with plucked-out fur and thus make sure that everything is soft and warm for the babies.
You yourself should not touch the litter box much after that. Of course, you can open the lid to take a look inside, but you should not change anything in the prepared nest. In this way, you offer your rabbit a pleasant environment to have your babies and she will surely like to accept and use it for that. Also, the babies can develop in such a way somewhat more stress-free.
