Hay, straw or fine fibre: what material does your doe actually pick for her nest?
A few days before giving birth, a pregnant doe turns surprisingly picky about her nest box lining, a behaviour inherited from wild ancestors who dug a birthing burrow lined with dry grass. A study by Farkas, Szendrő, Matics, Radnai, Nagy and Gerencsér, published in 2018 in the journal World Rabbit Science, offered thirty-seven multiparous does a choice between meadow hay, wheat straw, wood shavings and a specific fine fibre material, to observe which one they actually kept when lining their nest (study on Google Scholar). Find all our habitat guidance in the rabbit bedding and habitat section.
Which material did does pick most often?
The result is striking: on the day of kindling, 87.5% of finished nests were made entirely of the fine fibre material, against just 6.3% mixed with hay and 6.3% mixed with straw. Hay alone, straw alone and shavings alone were almost never kept as the main material, despite being the most common commercial nest linings.
Why does a finer texture make such a difference?
The authors suggest that a finer, softer fibre lends itself better to weaving the nest together with the fur the doe plucks from her own belly late in pregnancy. A stiffer material, such as straw or thick shavings, makes this fine construction work harder, which may explain why it goes largely unused even when freely available. Worth keeping in mind when preparing a nest box for a pregnant doe.
Should hay and straw be dropped from the nest box entirely?
No: these materials still serve a purpose as floor insulation and a food source, but the study suggests always offering a finer, softer lining as well just before kindling, rather than relying on whatever is already sitting in the cage. The general choice of litter for the rest of the habitat can stay unchanged — the preference observed here is specific to the birthing nest.
- Protocol: 37 multiparous does, choice between hay, straw, shavings and fine fibre for nest box lining.
- Key result: 87.5% of finished nests were made entirely of fine fibre on the day of kindling.
- Proposed explanation: a fine, soft texture makes it easier to weave the nest with the doe's own plucked fur.
- Practical takeaway: add a fine, soft lining to the nest box in the final days of pregnancy, alongside the usual hay.
Whatever's already lying around in the cage doesn't always cut it, then: in the days before kindling, a finer nest box lining can make the doe's building job noticeably easier.
Frequently asked questions
When should this finer lining be added to the nest box?
Ideally within the week before the expected kindling date, once the doe starts showing nesting signs such as repeatedly digging at the nest box.
Does the doe really pluck her own fur for the nest?
Yes, this natural behaviour, seen right at the end of pregnancy, provides the nest's final insulation; its absence can actually signal a hormonal issue worth watching.
Does a poorly lined nest box raise risk for the kits?
An insufficiently insulated nest leaves kits, born naked and blind, more exposed to chilling during the critical first days.
This guide is part of Planète Pets’s Rabbits universe. Our advice is general in nature: for any health concern, your veterinarian remains the only reference.