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(Cheap) ideas for norty stubborn cold giants

Sam and Truffs

Mama Doe
I obviously haven't tested this theory out all night, but as far as I can tell Willow and Nettle stay in the run for a large part of the night. It doesn't matter that they've got a lovely insulated shed with a bale of hay and a nice cosy bed, they prefer to sleep outside under the bench. On flagstones. Why doesn't she put something there for them to sleep on, I hear you ask? Well I did, but they push it out of the way. Why don't I lock them in the shed? Well the only night they were locked in they broke part of the cat flap.
The run is fairly well protected from rain but obviously it's going to get very cold out there. I do have snugglesafes with the boxes Blackberry & Co made, which I'm saving for when it gets very cold. I have a small hutch I've taken the door off which I was going to put in the shed, but now I wonder if I should put it in the run instead. The only thing is I don't want anything they'll wee in, as at the moment they are very good about using their litter trays in the shed and it would be much more difficult to empty litter from the run as they usually want to get out at the same time. Did I mention they're norty?
Any other ideas, so they're not sleeping on cold flagstones? Or should I just let them if they're silly enough not to go into their nice warm shed.
 
I would say lock them in and think about the fact that if they can break their way out a fox could break its way in . . . .

There again I dont lock mine in the hutch part of their rabbit chalets at night!! But they are in deep straw/hay at all times.
 
All of my rabbits have 24/7 access to their enclosures, but they are very wind and weather proof.

The only ones that I have to lock in their sheds is the group with my conti Ra as he is an old boy with a dodgy back leg and he insists on finding the coldest spot to lie in, hence I have to take the choice away from him.

In the enclosure they have a shelf, a dog bed, two large litter trays, and the area that he likes to lie in the most I have a large board that is up on batons to keep it off the floor. They quite like lying there, but the Conti will often squeeze into the gap that is bare flag stones.:roll:

If you're are fit and healthy then don't worry took much, but try adding different surfaces for them to lie on like a shelf or a small hutch that they can sit on
 
I can't offer any advice.....just wanted to say.....my goodness they know what they want!!:shock: strong willed bunnies :lol:
 
I would say lock them in and think about the fact that if they can break their way out a fox could break its way in . . . .

There again I dont lock mine in the hutch part of their rabbit chalets at night!! But they are in deep straw/hay at all times.


A fox would have to break into the aviary first though, and it's very sturdy, built into the flagstones,attached to the shed and double meshed.
 
All of my rabbits have 24/7 access to their enclosures, but they are very wind and weather proof.

The only ones that I have to lock in their sheds is the group with my conti Ra as he is an old boy with a dodgy back leg and he insists on finding the coldest spot to lie in, hence I have to take the choice away from him.

In the enclosure they have a shelf, a dog bed, two large litter trays, and the area that he likes to lie in the most I have a large board that is up on batons to keep it off the floor. They quite like lying there, but the Conti will often squeeze into the gap that is bare flag stones.:roll:

If you're are fit and healthy then don't worry took much, but try adding different surfaces for them to lie on like a shelf or a small hutch that they can sit on

Well they already have a dog bed, an underbed storage box and the bench, plus a cardboard box. But I think I will put the small hutch I butchered in there. Not much point in putting it in the shed if they're not going to go in it anyway.
 
Hmmmm. Hector will lie on top of whatever I put there so I was going to suggest a door mat or something but it sounds like that won't do. :(

Having said that, he spent the summer getting very hot which sent his tummy array. Now, even in the house, he's spending the winter getting very cold on the tiles in the kitchen (rather than his bed) which seems to be sending his tummy a bit array. :(

I'm off to buy more rugs it seems....

They are so stubborn.....




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I'd leave them to it :) Rabbit's like to be out and about, they've the option to go in the shed and I presume they go happily in/out at other times?

The mesh on a run does tend to be just enough to keep inside a run slightly warmer than air temperature. If you've got a rain cover, even better. Rabbits are excellently insulated, if you stick your fingers in their fur in the middle of the night their skin will feel warm, it's not like people that a few hours outside even in a coat your feeling the chill.

If you wanted to offer anything. I'd try a flat wooden board where they sit. That will lift them off the cold floor but still be floor like enough they shouldn't feel it needs clearing out. If you can set it on very low feet eg bottle tops that would stop the damp raising too.
 
The boxes with the snugglesafes in will be in there soon so that will be a nice board for them to (ignore) sit on. I never thought of a door mat, might try that if I can find one they won't eat.
 
The boxes with the snugglesafes in will be in there soon so that will be a nice board for them to (ignore) sit on. I never thought of a door mat, might try that if I can find one they won't eat.

Cardboard? It's what is recommended for market traders on feet all day on cold pavements. And easily replacable
 
Stu has 24/7 access to the run :D he is in the run most of the time, nice warm hutch with cover fleece bed and plenty of nice straw no he sits or lies in the run:roll:

when it snowed last year he was sitting in the snow in the run he was a lone bunny then too.

This year he has 2 playmates and they are completely nutts so im predicting snow fights and all sorts.:lol:

if they have the choice then if it gets too cold they wil go in :D
 
You could put some rubber matting & hay down to make it less cold on their feet.

I added hutches to my runs - main door removed, but I put sacking over so there is only a small opening & then completely stuff it with hay. A couple of them seem to prefer to go in there - even though they have similar inside the playhouse:roll:

Unless they have health issues, I shouldn't worry too much though:D
 
I'd leave them to it too. Tully and Kyla often stay in the shed in the day, but if I get up in the night they're usually out.
I know they're not the cleverest, but I do credit them with enough intelligence to go back in if they get cold.
And they are sooooooo furry at the moment - like big fluffy teddy bears :love: I imagine that keeps them pretty warm.
 
OK I will stick the little hutch in there (something else to jump on too) and when it gets colder the snugglesafe boxes will be in there. I have evidence they go in the shed from the vast amount of poos in there, but I never catch them in the act!
 
Tbh as long as they can go somewhere warm, if they want to, and have plenty of hay (digesting hay/grass is the best way for grazing animals to keep warm) id leave them to it. Afterall if rabbits were too stupid to know when it was too cold for them they wouldnt have survived in the wild. I think as humans we often forget how hardy other animals are - we may freeze if we sat out there but animals like rabbits, ponies, etc have very, very effective fur to keep them toasty when outside in the freezing cold (the first year i had ponies, my shetland was unrugged and in the coldest weather there was some ice on the outside of his fur :shock: yet when we felt under his fur he was all toasty and he was perfectly happy -(he did have a field shelter and mountains of hay))
 
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