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How do I know if they're warm enough at night?

Angie B

Wise Old Thumper
Hi, I'm just curious if there's a way to tell if my bunnies are warm enough at night.

When I stroke them first thing in the morning when they come to greet me, their fur on their back is cool to the touch. I know we all drop our body heat a little bit at night but I don't like the thought of them actually being cold. Their bed chamber has newspaper on the bottom, with a 2cm (roughly) layer of wood shavings, followed by about 4-6cm fluffed up straw. (it looks lovely when freshly made - could crawl in there myself :lol:) When I "make" their bed in the morning, they've moved all the straw in the night and end up lying on the newspaper with the straw around them. I know this is normal, but are they cold? Their hutch is in a shed (ensuring it's fox proof and to help keep them warm in the winter). I've seen them in bed when they've been too lazy to move :lol: and they snuggle together :love: but is this enough?

Thanks.
 
What sort of overnight temperatures do you have? If their ears feel warm they are generally ok.

As a rule buns deal with cool weather better than hot
 
Don't worry as it's Summer time they must surley be warm enough. If not how will they cope in Winter? I hardly bother with bedding at this time of year, just a small amount of straw or shredded newspaper to lie on if they choose.
 
go feel them at midnight, my buns survived -15 overnight with just cutrains, bin bags and tarpoling over the top, and then loads of hay!
 
Thanks! At midnight I'm usually in bed myself, but in the winter I may pop out to check them. I also wouldn't want to startle them either if they're fast akip and then I wake them up. It's quite warm at night here at the moment but I didn't think about checking their ears so thanks for that tip. It's good to know they cope better with being cool than hot as well. I intend to increase bedding in winter and maybe get those foil lined sheets too. If we get another severe winter then I may have to take further action - don't want to wake up to stiff bunnies :shock: although being in the shed should make it a degree or so warmer, with luck. Thanks!
 
Thanks! At midnight I'm usually in bed myself, but in the winter I may pop out to check them. I also wouldn't want to startle them either if they're fast akip and then I wake them up. It's quite warm at night here at the moment but I didn't think about checking their ears so thanks for that tip. It's good to know they cope better with being cool than hot as well. I intend to increase bedding in winter and maybe get those foil lined sheets too. If we get another severe winter then I may have to take further action - don't want to wake up to stiff bunnies :shock: although being in the shed should make it a degree or so warmer, with luck. Thanks!

I am sure they will be okay. My bunnies were outside in a hutch in -15 last winter in the snow and they were covered with tarpaulin and had masses of hay and they were fine. Although I wasn't, as I worried about them. So I bought them a shed this year and moved them into that, we have insulated it so that in the winter they should be a lot warmer than they were in the hutch. As yours are in a shed I would have thought they would be fine. So don't worry too much, as others have said they struggle with the heat more than the cold.
 
:wave:I'd do as suggested...check them at night...though temps can drop more about 2am....currently mine have fleece blankets and hay to snuggle into....in winter I add more newspaper, hay & put a snugglesafe in for them. I'd say tta providing them with an area that has the options of a warmer bed will give them the choice if they do get cold....but its prob. quite warm for them now.

Just thought it may be worth mentioning that sawdust is not that great to use...it can cause respiratory problems.....perhaps change to mega-zorb or aubiose...much ,....Ive used carefresh before (similar to mega-zorb) and my girls ate it - so now I use aubiose....very similar to sawdust BUT it has no phenols like pine sawdust.;)
 
:wave:I'd do as suggested...check them at night...though temps can drop more about 2am....currently mine have fleece blankets and hay to snuggle into....in winter I add more newspaper, hay & put a snugglesafe in for them. I'd say tta providing them with an area that has the options of a warmer bed will give them the choice if they do get cold....but its prob. quite warm for them now.

Just thought it may be worth mentioning that sawdust is not that great to use...it can cause respiratory problems.....perhaps change to mega-zorb or aubiose...much ,....Ive used carefresh before (similar to mega-zorb) and my girls ate it - so now I use aubiose....very similar to sawdust BUT it has no phenols like pine sawdust.;)


Agree with all of this post. I have a wee hidebox in my shed which I stuff with blanket and put a couple of snuggle-safes in for my pair. :) In summer I worry more about keeping them cool than warm.:lol:
 
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