When the mom makes her nest, she pulls the fur from her dewlap(extension on the neck below the lower jaw that protrudes out), if she has one and then the fur from around her nipples to make the nipples easy to find and to insulate the nest for the kits. They are born without fur and their eyes are closed, so they are really helpless.
Every doe builds a different nest. Some like more hay/straw/newspaper and some just want it to be fur.
In the warmer months, they generally will not pull too much fur because the kits can over heat. In the winter if it's very cold, they will build a very big nest of fur.
My little Netherland dwarf doe pulled almost every bit of hair out of her body for her first nest right in the middle of summer, she was almost naked. Most does won't pull that much, but this little thing was on a mission. She's just 2 pounds, so she about looked like a naked rat.
Patsy didn't pull but a small amount of fur for her kits, so I went ahead and pulled around the nipples. Some does will pull more fur a few hours to a few days after birth, so I was hoping she would do that, but she didn't and still hasn't. She did take a piece of paper and laid it on top of where the kits sleep yesterday.
She's trying, but not perfect yet. I think once she raises this litter, she will be a great mom next time, she just has to learn as she goes along.
