I was sent the piece below from First Alert from the RWAF - it's by Twigs Way who writes in Rabbiting On sometimes. Thought I'd post it here as it has some good advice. I know Twigs is a member here, so I hope it's ok to reproduce it. :? Also apologies if this has been posted already on the forum.
I'm sure you've all read garden historian, Twigs Way's articles in
Rabbiting On, always entertaining and informative. Twigs has compiled
a list of tips on protecting pet rabbits from the cold in this
atrocious weather. Please take note, if you aren't already taking
steps (which I'm sure you all are), and more importantly, please pass
this on to anyone you know who has a rabbit. We've heard a number of
reports about rabbits freezing to death and it's absolutely
devestating, so if you can just help one rabbit then it can make all
the difference.
Here's Twigs' piece:
Some tips for keeping outdoor buns warm that may be useful on First
Alert.
With temperatures still plummeting until at least the weekend, even
the plumpest furriest buns can begin to feel the cold. As the cold
spell drags on and the ground is solid there is no warmth anywhere.
Here are a couple of tips to help your outside bun through the cold
nights:
Inside the hutch, if you have not got a snugglesafe or just want to
add even more warmth try the following:
Heat any old house brick in the oven (NOT microwave!!!) at a very low
heat for a long time (say 100 degrees for an hour or 50 degrees for 2
hours). Take out of the oven carefully (it will be hot!). Wrap in a
teatowel or other rag to stop bun getting too hot!. Put in the hutch
in amongst the hay. You can use several per hutch. The bricks will
give out a gentle warmth for hours. Put next to a water bowl they
will stop the bowl freezing in all but Icelandic conditions.
This is basically what storage radiators were made of for ages – and
what wealthier people who could afford bricks used in the Tudor period
onwards!
Put a traditional hot water bottle full of hot water INSIDE a very
sturdy thick plastic container (large sandwich box or food storage
container is idea. Put in hutch. The storage container will stop the
bun nibbling the hot water bottle and letting the water out!
Use ceramic rather than metal water bowls at present as they are
slower conductors of heat and should freeze less quickly.
Lay a towel under the hay at base of the hutch as extra insulation.
Newspaper layers can also be made thicker. Newspaper is an excellent
insulator as it traps air between the pages.
Very cheap single or double duvets can be currently bought at a range
of supermarket stores (Tescos and Asda for example: singles for £6-7;
doubles £9-10 ).
They are cheap because the outsides are usually a sort of fibremix – a
bit like a loft insulation! However they are still 10.5 or 13 tog .
Put on top of hutch and flop over front if enough left; and if
necessary cover so they do not get wet (at present cold is much more
and issue than wet).
A board will do the trick nicely to cover the duvet and is better than
plastic. Do check in the daytime that the underside of the duvet and
hutch roof are not getting too damp. Take off during the day for a few
hours if this is happening
If you have the hutch inside a mesh roofed run, put some plastic
tarpaulin or a plastic sheet over the run roof just for now. Tarpaulin
can be purchased from various websites and DIY stores for about £8
upwards for a sheet of 9ft by 12ft.
Don’t forget: buns with health problems may need to come in if they
have a low weight at present. Once in they may need to stay in though
so do make the decision carefully. It may be worth bringing a bun in
if they are having low grade persistent health problems outdoors.
Finally: Two buns are better than one at keeping warm!!!!
It was minus 7 on my patio last night and none of the water bowls
froze in the outside hutches so one or more of these things must be
working!!!
Twigs
