Conditioning rabbits for the winter

Hi:wave:
More questions.

I have two 14 week old rabbits that live outside in a hutch. I was thinking about starting to condition them for when the winter arrives.
In the weather we have at the moment, what kind of bedding should they have? Also what kind of bedding should they have in the winter?

At the moment they have a load of hey in the bedroom, and at night I cover the hutch over with thick plastic sheeting. Is this too much for this time of year?

Thanks

Winter!!!! we haven't had summer yet.

You don't need to cover the hutch at night during the spring and summer. As they are already outdoor hutch buns their coats will gradually thicken up as the temperatures drop. I cover my hutches with extra insulation only if there's a threat of frost or is the temperatures drop below freezing. Straw has better insulation properties than hay so I put that in their sleeping area instead of hay in the winter months. The fact that you have two rabbits living together makes it even better as they act as hotwater bottles for each other:lol:

If they are outside all summer and autumn, they will automatically grow a good thick coat.

Once winter arrives, cover the hutch with plastic or tarpaulin. I put on a layer of bubble wrap, then an old piece of carpet with the rubber side uppermost, then cover that with vinyl. I then tuck all the edges over the hutch and make sure they have plenty of hay. Most of the time, my buns sit at the wire door waiting to get out as they are free-range during the day. They don't huddle in their bedroom very much.

It is only a real problem if you don't have an acclimatised rabbit and leave it outside.

My buns have been outside all winters and were even OK during the -5 cold snap we had last year. I just keep an eye on them and make sure they feel warm when I stroke them. If I was worried, they would be in the back porch. They only get moved if the weather is windy as their site is a bit exposed.