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Rabbits and cold weather

Fifibutton

Wise Old Thumper
6 of my buns live in the garage (3 couples), 4 of them will experience their first winter in it this year. The garage main door has gaps all around it and there is a lot of airflow. Also as it is the garage the walls are not insulated like the interior of a house. So its always a bit cooler in the garage than the house. I used to have oil filled radiators in there but they play havoc with Donny's snuffles so I can't use them now. I do have microwave heatpads, 1 per pair, the buns get plenty of hay to nest in and they each have a hutch to hide in and various boxes and puppy beds all filled with hay. Then of course they have their fur coats.

Is there anything else I can do to help keep them warm this autumn/winter?
I'd like to stop up the gaps around the door but am not sure how to do it yet :?


Any tips will be much appreciated.
 
I think you are already doing a lot to keep them warm. Bear in mind they will never be as cold as they would be if their hutch was outside.
If possible I would have the opening of the hutch facing away from the door as the airflow will hit them straight on.
The microwave disks are brilliant and will stay warm for a long time. If you do feel it gets too cold, you can always put a blanket to cover the front, it will keep a lot of the cold out.

Then again, we might not have a winter. Didnt have much of one last year.
 
I think bunnies are hardier than they have us believe! I was worried sick last year, gave them loads of straw and extra hay, but they just chucked it away!
I use the heat pads (give them one each tho) and give extra hay / straw / and that was about it
 
Could you block off the gaps somehow so it's a bit less drafty?

Might be a silly idea if you use the garage regularly but perhaps some thick duct tape. Might not make it warmer but it would stop the breeze coming in as much?
 
As long as they're out there all the time so develop the right coat/layer of fat they should be fine.

Dorset George is 4 and free ranges 24/7. He always has, and gets incredibly stressed in a hutch. In the past I used to keep him in when it was snowy but he got so upset that last year I just let him stay out. He was fine. Found plenty of shelter and was hopping round in the snow every morning happy as anything. Rabbits in the wild can deal with it and I suspect that domestic rabbits are tougher than we tend to assume... :wave:
 
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