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It's so cold. Worried about my buns :(

Rach210

Alpha Buck
I've defrosted Misty and Muffin's water bottles 3 times today. It's well below freezing here.
Both bunnies live in hutches (not bonded yet so they are separate) in the garden. I really need some advice for keeping them warm.

So far they are getting fed extra pellets and hay because keeping warm will be using up more energy. And they have a towel covering a thick layer of hay in their sleeping sections of their hutches. Then they can sit on it or snuggle under it.

I'm going to get something to cover the hutches first thing in the morning. What works best to keep them warm and insulated? And I'm guessing I should get them a snugglesafe each?

Is there anything I can do to stop their water freezing? Do those bottle insulators work?

Will they be ok in hutches outside when it's this cold? We can't bring them indoors and the garage has no windows so they'd be in the dark. I'm really worried about them!
 
They will be okay I think in the hutch.

I worried though just like you, and ended up moving mine into the shed... is that a possibility at all?

The obvious things like covering the hutch, people have recommended to me things like a duvet cover is a good thing, although be careful not to make it so there's no airflow...

the bottle insulators work, but again it can get cold and the water will freeze unfortunately, just have to keep an eye on it i guess? but the insulators will help the bottle to not freeze.
 
It sounds like they have a warm bed to snuggle in if they are cold. The main things that help them cope in the cold is keeping them dry and out of the wind. As long as you manage this they actually cope well in the cold and despite having a warm bed to go to, mine are often sat on the cold concrete in their shed! A duvet with a tarp over the top wil give them some insulation as wel as keep them dry. As Gwaterhouse says though, they need some airflow so don't cover them competely.
 
I'd recommend covering the entire outside of the hutch with a few layers of bubble wrap (stapled in place) with a full piece of it covering the front of the hutch that can be lifted through the day.
If you don't have a hutch cover you can use tarpaulins (my local shop sells 8x 6 tarps for a £1, so you'd prob only need one or two.
Again staple it all over the hutch so its wind and water tight, just leave the front cover loose so it can be put up in the day, and tucked down at night.

I'd avoid anything like duvets as they will get damp and then be inefficient at retaining warmth.
I'd also loose the towel over the hay - the rabbit needs to be able to snuggle into the hay, and the small gaps between the strands of hay helps retain heat (like a string vest), but the towel will squash the gaps.
 
I moved my bunnies hutch into a shed but prior to that i bought insulated bubble wrap from b&q, put a hutch cover over it then 2 layers or tarp and polythene. Leaving space for air.

Inside, loads of straw and hay and i stopped using a bottle. Get a bowl, put a snugglesafe under the bowl and it didnt freeze(-7) . And get another snugglesafe if you can and thats for the bunnies. Mime have been just fine so far anyway!!!!
 
We used silver loft insulation on our hutches when they were outside.

You can wrap bottles in bubble wrap and an old sock if you don't want to buy an expensive cover.

Also if you add a tiny drop of medicinal glycerine into the water it stops it feeezing.

Obviously buns need hay but straw is a better insulator so I layer straw under their hay in winter.
 
I honestly think you needn't worry. Most of my rabbits are in hutches or the shed but a few free range 24/7. I don't want to turn this thread into a fox/safety debate but they have a huge fenced garden, over 100 foot, and though I realise they are potentially at risk they have ALREADY lived like this for nearly five years, and in terms of quality of life they live in a rabbit paradise with loads of space and total freedom.

For the last two nights there was a really hard frost, probably about minus 4. Despite having loads of shelter/open hutches etc available, all of them chose to sit out in the middle of the lawn all night long without any protection at all. Except for one pair they didn't even huddle together. Last year I panicked at the snow and caught most and put them in hutches, which they hated. One refused to be caught and I didn't want to stress him. He stayed out in it and again was fine.

I really think they're tougher than we realise. A rabbit that was old/ill/compromised would obviously need protection, but rabbits in the wild are built to cope with low temps and I really think domestic rabbits can as well. :wave:
 
I honestly think you needn't worry. Most of my rabbits are in hutches or the shed but a few free range 24/7. I don't want to turn this thread into a fox/safety debate but they have a huge fenced garden, over 100 foot, and though I realise they are potentially at risk they have ALREADY lived like this for nearly five years, and in terms of quality of life they live in a rabbit paradise with loads of space and total freedom.

For the last two nights there was a really hard frost, probably about minus 4. Despite having loads of shelter/open hutches etc available, all of them chose to sit out in the middle of the lawn all night long without any protection at all. Except for one pair they didn't even huddle together. Last year I panicked at the snow and caught most and put them in hutches, which they hated. One refused to be caught and I didn't want to stress him. He stayed out in it and again was fine.

I really think they're tougher than we realise. A rabbit that was old/ill/compromised would obviously need protection, but rabbits in the wild are built to cope with low temps and I really think domestic rabbits can as well. :wave:

Definitely agree with this. I worry sick about mine. We've insulated the shed, given them nest boxes and lots of hay and where do they sit till late? In the run. :roll:
 
I have 15 rabbits all outside and they're all happy and sprightly in the morning after a severely cold frosty night. My hutches do all have Scratch and Newton covers on to keep out wind and rain and there's always plenty of hay and a bowl and a bottle of water. I put various items on the hutch roof under the cover - foam camping mat, old hot water tank lagging, exercise mat, Twister game mat - anything that's waterproof and provides extra warmth at little or no cost. I have worried many times (and still do) but they really do seem okay x
 
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