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Wind!

Angie B

Wise Old Thumper
Not sure if this is in the right section or not actually but due to the very high winds last night and the fact that it made things fall of the shelves in the shed (luckily only light things so even if they did land on the girls I don't think they got hurt), the girls were quite scared this morning when I went out to them and refused their treats. Thumper in particular was shaking and also snuggled down as deeply as possible into the hay, all of which are warning signs she could be entering colic/stasis.

I made an instant, executive decision and they're both now in the utility room while these high winds pass.

Thumper has now stopped shaking and is eating and drinking normally, thank goodness, so have avoided a vet visit there.

It is awkward them being in there as it's not rabbit proof by any stretch of the imagination and has in fact just been decorated, but when possible they are allowed to roam on the dust sheet (the floor's like vinyl, so slippy) but they're now in a dog cage I'm afraid as I've come up to work and my husband and children have gone out Christmas shopping and there's no way on this planet I'm leaving them unsupervised!

When I break for lunch I'll have my sarnies in the utility with them, thus allowing them out to stretch their legs but then they're back in I'm afraid.

It'll be a bit cramped for them for a day or so but at least it's quiet in there for them. It was terribly noisy in the shed, they must have been terrified. It must have been a particularly bad wind/storm last night though as the other recent storms we've had haven't bothered them whatsoever and things have fallen off the shelves then as well, not to mention bins going over right outside their shed (which they didn't even move last night!).

I've moved those items off the shelves now though to the top of the hutch which is also in the shed so they can't fall again.

Poor bunnies :(

And no, before anyone asks, we can't have them as permanent house rabbits as we simply don't have any spare rooms/areas. It's not very often this happens, luckily, and I don't mind the odd day or so bringing them in but they've been outdoor buns for 4.5 years now and are used to it (other than this adverse weather we're experiencing of late).

Anyone else had to do similar with their bunnies in this wind?
 
I think you have done the right thing...I would have done exactly the same as you in the circumstances. Don't worry about them having less space. I personally, (if it were my bunnies) would prefer that for the short term to ensure their safe x
 
The wind is so tiring when you are trying to work outside but we are pretty secure apart from some of the covers which are getting blown to pieces. I did know someone when the wind got up would bring all the rabbits indoors and let them free range! At least they were safe from the wind or fences being blown down.
 
I'm glad I'm not the only one to bring them indoors then tonibun! It's supposed to start and die down tomorrow so all being well they can go back out tomorrow night, but we'll see - depends how windy it still is!
 
You have done the right thing, it was hard enough trying sleep in my house last night so she'd would sound louder
 
My buns in a hutch, glad i covered the doors though a couple of weeks ago!
These winds are very strong, but Nessie doesn't seem to mind, she running about in her run with the wind through her fur. The only thing she thumped at was when a german shepeard walked by and she thumped and ran back into her hutch. bless her x
 
Well the girls are loving it in the utility and lapping up the extra attention they're getting from us! They've not attempted to chew anything they shouldn't and have settled very well (they settled within about 10 minutes of being brought inside), so I'm really glad I got them in.

The winds are due to start to ease from the early hours of tomorrow so all being well the girls can have a good bounce around the garden after we've got up and had breakfast and then they can go back into their shed and settle back outdoors.

Until the early hours we can expect gusts of up to 80mph :shock:.
 
Mine have stayed in their shed - I did say this on FB too lol, I did go an sit with them last night and they were like 'What's all the fuss about, we have food, it's all good!'. It gets windy in the Fens pretty often so it's not so entirely unusual for us, although quite strong at the moment.


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You did absolutely the right thing in my opinion. I did the same thing when storm Abigail was forecast back in November. We live in the northern highlands, and the winds are frightening at the best of times ! O.H. Was really good about it, we emptied out the extension as much as possible, and put pens in there. And that's where they are staying til Spring now. I've set up puppy panels, and they seem very happy. I'm loving it too, I can go and sit with them, and don't have to change out of my p.j.'s to go outside at night :lol: to be honest it was as much for me as them. I don't think I could cope with another year of digging through deep snow to get to them, or standing on a ladder to clear snow of the shed roof. I've had a problem with my eye, and cannot afford to fall and hit and my head. I think that's what persuaded O.H., and it's worked out really well. Roll on better weather though, I'm hating this winter already !
 
Gosh Pets mum at least we don't get weather that bad we have to dig them out! Your situation is a different matter entirely and of course you have your health to consider.

They're back where they belong now although I physically had to pick them up and put them outside as they wouldn't budge when we opened the door :lol:. They've settled in their shed very quickly though and enjoyed bounding around the garden, having a good stretch of their legs and investigating the greenhouse which had fallen over.

So, a precedent has been set for when the next storm blows in I feel ;) and my husband has already suggested I bring them in on New Year's Eve so they don't get frightened by the fireworks (although it was the neighbour's ruddy dog which upset Thumper, not the fireworks, on Bonfire Night, but I'm not arguing :lol:)
 
You know now I'm wondering if this is what started Shadow off with his gut troubles? That and inducing lots of cardboard :roll:
 
My two haven't been out in their run since Friday. Saturday we had gales and horizontal rain that has SOAKED everything in their run and obviously they couldn't go out in that. And since then the garden is so wet that the ground is completed sodden and there are puddles in it. I'm not happy with them sitting out in those conditions in December so although having them in the hutch for 3 days isn't ideal, it's short term and the lesser of two evils!
 
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