Snow Babies
Where I live, temperatures can drop to -40 and -60 with the windchill. Keeping babies alive in the winter is both a challenge and a chore but it can be done even without heat in most instances. I don't use nestbox heaters, I don't use warming lights but I do rely heavily on my doe's instincts for caring for her babies.
Up until 1999 I had no barn, which forced me to develop a method of keeping babies alive during the coldest of weather and through the extreme temperature changes that sometimes plague our "neck of the woods". Over the next few minutes you will read about my methods and think about what would be best for you and your herd.
I personally like to put the nestbos in for the does about 2-3 days before the doe is due to kindle.
First of all...those metal nestboxes are useless in the cold in my opinion. I use wood nestboxes that are 6- 10 inches deep (my cages are 14 inches from top to floor so she has room to jump in). I generally make my own as a result of not being able to find boxes that are shaped this way. I only make the front of the box about 2 inches shorter than the front because contrary to popular belief...bunnies CAN jump that high and willingly do so when they are scared or cold.
The second thing that I do is to put a sheet of that blue, pink, or yellow foam insulation on the bottom of the nestbox...cut to fit...and if desired, with poke holes through it for drainage...but this isn't necessary with the method I use. The foam board insulation, even when eaten by the does, doesn't seem to harm the does if they happen to dig deep enough to eat it so I find it is quite safe.
Next, I layer about 3 inches of finely powdered shavings (free from the planer of my local sawmill) on top of the foam board insulation. This provides an extremely absorbent layer with insulating properties...plus the doe can dig down into it when she builds her nest and it shapes very nicely like a bowl in the bottom of the box to keep the kits closer together.
TIP 1: NEVER use cedar shavings...when mixed with urine they become acidic and can burn the babies.
I then provide the doe with several fairly large handfuls of grass hay to let the doe build her own nest. If she doesn't build a nest, I will shape one in the nestbox for her.
I also generally breed several does at once so that I have foster moms if the litters are small or the moms are new and don't immediately care for their young. (Not to mention the fact that it is COLD out there in the winter...snowmobile suits are a Godsend :))
I rely on the instinct of the doe to pull A LOT of fur. I often save fur from does that pull a ton of fur in the summer to use for the babies in the winter. The does that don't pull a lot of fur will often lose their litters. I also spend a lot of time in the winter watching the temperature and the forecast. The best place I have found is a free site that was recommended by one of my friends. The site is called "Weatherbug" and it is located at http://www.weatherbug.com it comes on whenever you are online and can be minimized to display a temperature on the lower right hand side of your computer. It also chirps like a cricket when there are weather advisories and allows you to access forecasts up to 5 days in advance plus radar to track approaching storm systems.
I watch the temperature very closely. If it drops down below 10-20 or is expected to drop below 10-20 I will check the bunnies several times during the day (especially during the coldest times of the morning and in the evening as the temperature drops) and on occasion even in the middle of the night. I will stick the tips of my fingers into the nestboxes and if the bunnies feel cold I will double up litters (IF I am certain I can tell the babies apart) or I will pull the boxes into the house.
I have found that the most crucial period for litters is from 1-3 days when they are developing their fur. If they can make it past a week old they can GENERALLY make it through the winter as long as there is alot of fur and enough bunnies in the box for generating warmth. (I like to see 5-7 bunnies per litter and will combine smaller litters to reach these numbers...being sure to keep track of who is put where). I also watch closely to be sure that nobody is out of the box when I go to bed at night.
The advantage to having babies in the weather that I do is incredible density created through the environmental effects of the weather. My very best fur is often produced during the cold winter months.
My suggestions for those of you who breed even in the southern areas where temps fluctuate...watch for does that pull a ton of fur even in the warmer times of the year. These does are your best bet for getting babies in the winter months and for keeping your babies alive through the fluctuations of temps. Better to pull too much fur than not enough in my opinion. It is easier to remove fur from the nestbox than to pluck that doe again when it gets cold!!! In addition...the babies will come to the top of the fur, and spread out if necessary, during the day when it is warmer and burrow down into it at night to better protect themselves from the elements.
Write me if you have questions...and I hope you found this article helpful. :) Cindy
