Changing nesting box

[A1983legend]

My kits will be two weeks old tomorrow! I noticed today that the nest box needs changed. I don’t think I’m going to be able to save any of the fur. Do the kits still need fur? I read somewhere that a feather pillow would work as a replacement? I plan on changing the nesting box tonight. It’s supposed to get really cold this weekend so I don’t want to mess with it while it’s so cold. I have straw and alfalfa hay but I’m reading now that Timothy hay is a better idea? We have two kits and one of them have already figured out how to get out of the box and follow momma around. The other one is a little slower at figuring it out. How long do I need the nest box? Also….the one kit that gets out follows momma and nurses whenever she wants to. Will momma bun still get Into the nesting box to feed the other one?

[DarthVadar]

At 2 weeks old, kits should have plenty of fur of their own, so don’t worry about saving the mom’s fur. Changing the bedding would be a wise decision from a sanitation standpoint; if the bedding gets too dirty with the kits in there, they risk getting an eye infection. Since its going to be disgustingly cold this weekend, leaving a nestbox in the hutch will help keep them warm. Putting old towels or small blankets in the hutch help a lot, too. If its going to be below 20 F where you are, bringing the momma and babies in for the weekend would be a good idea.
Alfalfa has a really high protein % and should only be fed to growing kits and their moms. Normally, grass hay is better (which includes timothy).
Watch the mom for a little bit and see if she has gone in the box to feed the other kit. You can also tell the difference between a kit that has been fed and one that has not by looking at their tummies.

[jerseygirl]

Just want to add, some straw could be used along with the eating hay. Straw is hollow and has good insulating properties. (Not the bagged, chopped kind). You could fill the nest area quite a bit with it, so they can burrow down into it. Or if they’re in a hutch, use across whole floor space.

[A1983legend]

Okay thank you!! I went out and got some Timothy hay and added that in with the straw. I did get a good look at the other kit because I had to take it out to change the box. The belly does look full and round but the kit itself is a lot smaller than the other one. It was smaller at birth as well though. And it had sort of a traumatic start in life because the kits were too cold and they were dying (surprise babies!) but I managed to save two of the four. The smaller one I believe was only moments away from death as it was not breathing. I quickly did research and learned how to save them. So this particular baby may just be smaller. They neither one liked being handled much. So we only did what needed done with them as I did not want to scare them too much. I wish I knew how to add a picture!

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