Doe is rejecting the nesting box

I had no idea that my Netherland Dwarf was pregnant until I found babies in her cage this morning. I didn't have a nesting box in there so I quickly made one and put the kits in there with everything I found them in and in the same place.


It was okay for a minute until my doe was trying to empty the box out. I took the kits out and rearranged their nest so it was just how I found them. I put the box back in there on the opposite side from where the kits are and everything seems to be okay. I just wanted to make sure that she was not going to stop caring for them now that I moved them.

***** Karen Sez *****
Things may indeed be okay now, but time will tell what the doe thinks about everything. Where is the nest in relation to her usual potty spot? Hopefully not on top of it.

The doe's rearranging of the nest might not have been a problem. Some does are more fastidious than others, and require their nests to be 'just so.' This seems to me to be a positive sign that things will go well for your kits.

Don't stress if the doe seems to ignore the kits during the day, because this is typical in the best of circumstances. You'll know the doe is caring for the kits by nice full tummies in the morning.

If the tummies aren't round in the morning, you could try putting the doe into the nesting box to encourage her to feed her babies. Another tactic is to place kits on her tummy one at a time. (Careful - jerks from the doe can fling the kits, which is why we recommend one at a time.)

Hopefully all will be well, as long as the doe's maternal instincts are adequate to begin with.

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