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Winter Question (24 hr access to run)

B

Bitzy

Mama Doe
:wave:

Those of you who's bunnies have 24 hr access to their run ..... do you continue to let them have access even in winter?

This will be my first winter with bunnies and I wasn't sure whether locking them in the hutch at night would be best!?

I'm pretty sure that currently they spend most of the night outside, which is fine as its not very cold ..... but am just wondering if in winter they'll have the sense to go into the hutch??

Upstairs in the hutch will have 1 solid door for bedroom compartment (it will also be carpet lined and filled with snuggle blankets and hay) and the other meshed door will have perspex attached ... the downstairs currently doesn't have any doors on so they have access to the run 24 hrs! But if everyone thinks they'll be best locked in then I'll put doors on the bottom too!

The run, when finished (its being turned into an aviary so I can get inside stood up) will be secure and have a 'proper' roof on to keep the bunnies dry.

Cheers, Jo x
 
Yes. My lot made a point of sitting out in the snopw even though they had hay and snugglesafes in their shed. As long as your buns are fit and healthy and have the choice to go in they should be fine
 
Yes, as long as the run is totally secure from predators I would leave them to make the choice. If it drops to -5 degrees C then I would lock them in the hutch with lots of hay
 
As long as they have places to snuggle up in if need be and are in good health, they will be fine. I usually bung a snugglesafe in somewhere, and also a carboard box or two with hay/straw in.

Mine tend to sit in the run, whatever the weather, but I *think* they're not dumb enough to sit out if it's too cold. :lol:
 
Great, thanks for your replies.

Think I'll put 1 meshed and 1 solid door on the downstairs but will leave them (tied) open and then if the temps do get really low I'll lock them in....oh they'll love me for that - not! lol

The aviary will be made of fox-proof mesh, padlocked, on paving and attached to the wall and hutch so not moveable.
 
KarenM said:
As long as they have places to snuggle up in if need be and are in good health, they will be fine. I usually bung a snugglesafe in somewhere, and also a carboard box or two with hay/straw in.

Mine tend to sit in the run, whatever the weather, but I *think* they're not dumb enough to sit out if it's too cold. :lol:
Click to expand...

What's a snugglesafe? One of those heated pads??

Yeah they have carboard boxes stuffed with hay in there now ..... OH is going to build them some ramps, tunnels, ledges and wooden boxes to hide in too!! Hopefully they'll end up with their very own adventure playground, and plenty of space to run around, binky and hide!
 
I don't know I think it depends on if your bunny lives outside or not. When I took mine to the vet this week for the minx vac. I asked the vet about time outside in the winter as they are indoor buns but play outside on nice days. I didn't want to risk them getting ill if it wasn't the right thing to do in winter. She keeps buns herself and said that they can't tolerate extremes of temp. so to keep them in. That is obviously only her opinion, no doubt there are other people with lots of experience of owning buns that can advise you as well. Don't know if that helped or confused you more sorry.
 
:oops::oops: I lock all mine in overnight, primarily because I don't see how the shed will feel warm if I leave the cat flap open,and secondly because I wouldn't sleep for fear of foxes etc.
They are only locked in between 11pm and 7am though.
 
Mine both have 24 hour access to there runs and one the them eats EVERYTHING in her bed so i had to keep topping it up but they were fine, when I allowed my dwarf lop in to the extended bit of run when it snowed she loved it! well for a while then went back upstair to snuggle in hay ad straw, also if you have 2 (or more) rabbits together they will keep each other warm :)
 
Bitzy said:
What's a snugglesafe? One of those heated pads??
Click to expand...

Yep. :D I think the cheapest place is VetUk online. ;)

Bubbles used it from time to time last winter - I don't think it got used at all the year before, so it's not an absolute necessity, but it put my mind at rest to at least know it was there if need be. :)
 
Paddy and Peaches are due to move outside in a couple of weeks and I think I'll be locking them in at night :oops:
 
KarenM said:
Yep. :D I think the cheapest place is VetUk online. ;)

Bubbles used it from time to time last winter - I don't think it got used at all the year before, so it's not an absolute necessity, but it put my mind at rest to at least know it was there if need be. :)
Click to expand...

Thanks, I'll check them out .... like you say, always good to know its there if you need it!
 
sacol4940 said:
Paddy and Peaches are due to move outside in a couple of weeks and I think I'll be locking them in at night :oops:
Click to expand...

I'm really in two minds about this because, I've had them since they were 8 weeks old and they've had 24 hr access since then ..... I feel mean locking them up at night when they've been used just coming and going as they please .... but I don't want them just sitting out in the cold! :? :shock:

Mind .... in the wild I spose they have the sense to seek warmth and cover when they need it!?! :?
 
Tiabrac said:
I don't know I think it depends on if your bunny lives outside or not. When I took mine to the vet this week for the minx vac. I asked the vet about time outside in the winter as they are indoor buns but play outside on nice days. I didn't want to risk them getting ill if it wasn't the right thing to do in winter. She keeps buns herself and said that they can't tolerate extremes of temp. so to keep them in. That is obviously only her opinion, no doubt there are other people with lots of experience of owning buns that can advise you as well. Don't know if that helped or confused you more sorry.
Click to expand...

I think your vet meant that as yours are indoor bunnies you cant keep taking them in and out as that would be extremes of temperature.

If they are outdoor bunnies, then they are used to the cold so can tolerate being outside all night... I wont shut my bunnies in the playhouse - they will have a choice of inside or out.
 
Bitzy said:
Thanks, I'll check them out .... like you say, always good to know its there if you need it!
Click to expand...

take a look on ebay too i just picked up a second hand one for a tenner including postage so i got mine to hand will try get another with being two buns i do fuss though:lol: i always lock mine in shed at night and will do more so in the winter its only from say 11pm till 6.30am though i open cat flap soon as i get up its first thing i do
 
Bitzy said:
Thanks, I'll check them out .... like you say, always good to know its there if you need it!
Click to expand...

take a look on ebay too i just picked up a second hand one for a tenner including postage so i got mine to hand will try get another with being two buns i do fuss though:lol: i always lock mine in shed at night and will do more so in the winter its only from say 11pm till 6.30am though i open cat flap soon as i get up its first thing i do
 
ours always have access. If I only had a hutch to lock then in I definitely wouldn't as then they don't have the choice in the early hours of the morning to run around.

I don't think we need to look after our buns as much as we do sometimes. They know when they're cold just like we do, if it's too cold for them they will move somewhere warmer. Remember they're wearing a fur coat all the time so don't feel the cold as much as we do.
 
Tiabrac said:
I don't know I think it depends on if your bunny lives outside or not. When I took mine to the vet this week for the minx vac. I asked the vet about time outside in the winter as they are indoor buns but play outside on nice days. I didn't want to risk them getting ill if it wasn't the right thing to do in winter. She keeps buns herself and said that they can't tolerate extremes of temp. so to keep them in. That is obviously only her opinion, no doubt there are other people with lots of experience of owning buns that can advise you as well. Don't know if that helped or confused you more sorry.
Click to expand...

My vet said something similar..which is one of the many reasons why I choose to have both the guinea pigs and buns indoors (even though we don't get snow here).
 
fluffiebunnie said:
I think your vet meant that as yours are indoor bunnies you cant keep taking them in and out as that would be extremes of temperature.

If they are outdoor bunnies, then they are used to the cold so can tolerate being outside all night... I wont shut my bunnies in the playhouse - they will have a choice of inside or out.
Click to expand...

Yes I agree - if they are outdoors all the time they will grow a nice thick winter coat to adapt to the winter temperatures. They can't take coats on and off though so you can't bring them in and out during winter as it would be a bit like you swapping from indoors to out in your pyjamas without an extra coat!

Mine are out 24/7 and yes they do choose to sit outside in their (covered) runs most of the time, no matter how windy, snowy, rainy, or cold it is. The evidence (bum divots in the bedding) suggests that they do go indoors and snuggle sometimes but more often than not they still choose to sit in the run. As long as they have the choice, and somewhere cosy and dry to retreat to, I think they're fine to leave out all the time even in winter :)
 
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