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natural light?

VikkiVet

VikkiVet

Mama Doe
Just a question - do rabbits need a certain amount of natural daylight?

In the new house, they would be in the garage when i am not home, that doesnt have any windows. I intend to leave the light on in there when i am at uni, and then they can come in the house when i get home, so will get natural light through the windows for several hours a day. in summer they will be outside so get natural daylight then too.

So i can simulate the normal number of hours of daylight/dark per day, but does it matter if its not natural daylight?
 
I would imagine that natural light is important to bunnies as it is to humans but I dont know any theory behind it so may be wrong.
 
Yes I think they do, I don't know exactly how much but, it helps them to produce/process Vit D as in humans. Artificial light unless it's the equivalent of a SAD (seasonal affective disorder) lamp won't be enough to do that. Can you not fit an aviary style door for daytimes?
 
there is only an inner door to the downstairs corridor, which only has light from a mottled window at one end, so fitting an aviary door wouldnt add much light. its also a rental so probably cant change the doors.

they'd get light from 5pm most days through the windows, but i guess in winter thats actually darkness!
 
Yes it wouldn't be a lot, could you not put an aviary frame for a run over the door frame so the door is encased, ie the frame outlines the door, you can fill any drill holes with render when you take it off. It could only be a meter or two long with an aviary door on it but, it would allow you to open the main door in the morning and leave it open knowing they are secure within the run if they want to sit in the daylight.
 
VikkiVet said:
the main door as in the up-and-over one on the front? that wouldnt be secure surely?
Click to expand...

Oh doesn't it have a normal door on the side? No it wouldn't work over the up and over door it would need to be huge. I thought there was a normal size side door sorry :oops:
 
i didn't think you did, but didnt understand what else you meant!

No, there is only the big up-and-over door or a solid internal door from the garage to the hallway. About 3/4 of the way along the hall, with the front door and a mottled glass window at the end. So the light has to "turn a corner" from the far end to get into the garage!! So....adding an aviary door wouldn't add that much light i think?
 
Most pellets contain vitamin D and double glazing cuts out most of the uvb from the sun so house rabbits in a naturally lit room wouldn't do much better anyway :)
 
Tamsin said:
Most pellets contain vitamin D and double glazing cuts out most of the uvb from the sun so house rabbits in a naturally lit room wouldn't do much better anyway :)
Click to expand...

So just having the lights on during the day would be enough? And going outside on nice days anyway
 
Providing your feeding pellets at a level the provides all the vitamin D they need then yep, they only need lights to create day and night not for generating vit D :)
 
They're on Burgess Excell, with occasionally some of the light and some of the senior mixed in (just because a friend gave it to me and they like it!)
 
Yep, that has it in so unless your feeding a very restricted amount of pellets that should give them what they need :)
 
Humans and rabbits need a certain amount of full spectrum light, but it is not connected to vitamin D, which can only be absorbed via the sun (and via food). Personally I'd not keep an animal anywhere with no windows, although they don't need it 24 hrs a day.
 
SarahP said:
Humans and rabbits need a certain amount of full spectrum light, but it is not connected to vitamin D, which can only be absorbed via the sun (and via food). Personally I'd not keep an animal anywhere with no windows, although they don't need it 24 hrs a day.
Click to expand...

what part of sunlight do they need? the hospital at uni has no windows in any of its wards so patients dont get any light except artificial light while they are admitted? :?
 
VikkiVet said:
what part of sunlight do they need? the hospital at uni has no windows in any of its wards so patients dont get any light except artificial light while they are admitted? :?
Click to expand...

Seems to be a common problem. Interestingly, I was reading about this recently. Years ago apparently wards were built to incorporate the sun's rays, as it was seen as an important part of patients getting well etc. Now hospital wards are pretty sunless, as you say.

My indoor piggies have one of those full spectrum bulbs. I don't know how much it helps really, but seemed worth getting.
 
:oops: Sorry I read it on here ages ago, I knew I hadn't imagined it :lol: and I thought they would be the same as us, I know we can supplement the vitamin but, the sun aids us asorbing itI think. I am not totally sure and I do think in your case as it's not 24/7 without it that it wouldn't necessarily hurt them, personally though I would prefer natural light if at all possible.

I think I would be inclined if at all poss to even get a large second hand hutch for them for the daytime as they are most likely to snuggle and sleep anyway. x

http://www.bva-awf.org.uk/pet/buying/rabbit.asp
 
It's the same for animals and humans - vitamin D comes from the sunlight hitting the skin, not from sun coming in through windows. It's a common misconception,
 
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