For those who have rabbits in hutches outdoors ..

If we get this arctic snow that I keep seeing mentioned everywhere .. what are you doing with the rabbits ?? It will obviously be waaay to cold for them outside if the temperature is in the minus right ?? Hubby said about borrowing my mums dog crate and clearing a spot for them in the shed. But even covered i'm sure the -13 temps they are on about will still be too cold for them in the shed?? If it does get to those temperatures I would be happier with them inside coz then they still have space to run about (i'd let them out) ... in the shed its impossiable for that to happen since its full of bikes and other ****, and the floor is dirty .. pretty sure there is car oil in there too and other car stuff.

I doubt it will get as cold as -13, what part of the UK are you from? Every year the media seems to suggest we are going to have an 'arctic blast' of some sort.

I've always had outdoor buns and have never bought them inside because of cold weather. I just ensure there is plenty of straw available for them & also add in a Snugglesafe if it goes below freezing but ultimately do whatever makes you feel comfortable.

Same here, mine will all have snuggle safes and extra bedding. The ones in the hutch have a cover and hutch hugger and both my runs and the aviary will be covered

I don't think it will be getting that cold, the coldest I'm seeing from the news and weather sites, that aren't trying to scare the whole country into thinking there's a blizzard on its way, is -2. Just make sure there are no draughts, they're nice and protected from the elements and they have a snugly area/add loads of hay into litter trays etc and if you use straw of course, just double it up

I'll probably get the snugglesafes out but knowing mine they will be out in their runs most of the time! I've had outdoor rabbits for 9 years and even in minus temperatures they're either outside or if I check on them, they feel so warm underneath their fur I have indoors now too which is obviously nicer for my hands but I definitely don't deal with the cold as well as the rabbits! :lol:

With my shed I put hay on the floor to keep that warmer too, I have more to clean up but at least the floor isn't cold lino! Extra hay in the litter tray and hay in the hidey house

Mine have deep hay bed, waterproof backed blanket and tarp over them (with space left for airflow) and have always been fine. That said we are 3/4 through building a new hutch that is mega insulated (12mm exterior ply in the inside, then a waterproof membrane, then lambswools insulation then 15mm tongue and groove exterior). There will be a 12" high x 24" wide x 12" deep sleeping box in there made of thick ply (lower height to keep the warmth in more easily). The whole hutch will then also be covered in blanket and clear tarp. I think if you have deep enough bedding and they have a partner to snuggle up to they should be fine. We do have a workshop we could put them in if necessary, but it would be in a much smaller hutch and Darcy would hate it!

Ok so lots and lots of straw .. at the moment they have a folded old duvet cover each end of the hutch and then I have 2 tarpaulins covering the entire hutch. Downstairs they have about 3 litter trays .. if I don't buster will start to pee in corners. Upstairs they have lino, lots of towels and old fleece blankets and straw .. most of it they kick out but guess if its cold they will keep it in!!! I may even put my old dressing gown in there ???

My 2 have their hutch inside the shed which is attached to a run, so have plenty of space. In the winter however at night, the run is closed off so they only have their hutch and shed (it's a terrific draught which comes through the tunnel which connects the run to the shed).

Ours have a thick layer of hay on the shed floor (and the run, incidentally), which they both eat and snuggle down in. They have a bed chamber in their hutch which has a layer of newspaper, an old piece of carpet and then is stuffed with straw, but they don't seem to use this very often.

They have snugglesafes (2) put where their favourite sleep spots are, and they're fine.

I've never brought them indoors in winter unless they've been poorly and even then it's only usually for 1 night. To be honest it would probably do them more harm than good because they have grown thick fur coats specifically for being outdoors and to bring them in they could overheat, which causes an imbalance in their bodies and can cause health problems.

Rabbits cope better with cold than they do heat.

It is also highly unlikely it will get that cold unless you're in the middle of nowhere that regularly gets lots and lots of snow and very low temperatures, which is usually somewhere towards the top end of Scotland.

Also, fleece blankets etc are okay, but the rabbits can't move them about to make nests like they do with straw/hay. When mine do use their bed chamber it's really sweet as they've almost buried themselves in it, the straw has almost been wrapped around them, leaving a definite hole where they've been. They can't do that with blankets etc.

So, just so I am clear as this is my first winter with bunnies. Are we saying that if we are putting a blanket of similar over the hutch, it as actually on the top and sides, but not actually covering the front ? Then a tarpaulin on top.

My hutch has wooden shutters (with corner vents) so the front can be protected from the elements anyway.

If you have wooden shutters at the front then a blanket just on the roof and sides followed by a tarp should be fine

Please be careful using blankets/duvets etc - if they get the slightest bit damp, which they probably will even from condensation even if they are under a tarp, they will actually have the opposite effect and will suck heat out of the hutches rather than keep the warmth in. I would recommend using something that doesn't absorb moisture, like the 'bubble wrap' type insulation (I use thermawrap).

I'm very lucky that my hubby built my hutches years ago and double skinned them with plywood. In the cavity he put rock wool and thick polystyrene sheets. He screwed and wired into the back walls reptile heatpads. He wired them to central heating thermostats. You could always use greenhouse froststats. They are plugged into weatherproof covered garden electric sockets. The outside wire is armoured cable. I only have two large hutches now. I put bubblewrap across the wire fronts to keep cold wind and rain out. Lots of hay inside their snuggle boxes and litter trays. My buns are nice and cosy. If the temperature drops below 10 degrees the heating kicks in.

Santa said:

Please be careful using blankets/duvets etc - if they get the slightest bit damp, which they probably will even from condensation even if they are under a tarp, they will actually have the opposite effect and will suck heat out of the hutches rather than keep the warmth in. I would recommend using something that doesn't absorb moisture, like the 'bubble wrap' type insulation (I use thermawrap).

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Thanks for that advice!! I think my mum has bubble wrap on the roll (she has a removal buisness) .. would this do?? Its the big bubbles bubble wrap??? I could use a double layer on the roofs and then the 2 tarps ??

I would bring them indoors if it goes below -10, or -5 if they are old.
If it goes below zero I would just lock them in a small hutch which is draft proof and insulated with tonnes of hay etc.

Mine are very silly and would stay in the run all night if they could no matter the temperature.
Bringing them inside has it's problems, you would have to make indoors as cold as possible, otherwise it's cruel when you put them outside again.

Stator said:

I would bring them indoors if it goes below -10, or -5 if they are old.
If it goes below zero I would just lock them in a small hutch which is draft proof and insulated with tonnes of hay etc.

Mine are very silly and would stay in the run all night if they could no matter the temperature.
Bringing them inside has it's problems, you would have to make indoors as cold as possible, otherwise it's cruel when you put them outside again.

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Thank you .. our buns are 7 months old. These two also would be down in the run in all weathers and temperatures!! I was just unsure as they are still babies really. I think after reading posts it seems to much hassle to bring them in. Although I did say to my husband they would have to stay in til march/april time if they did come in.

Well if you are prepared you can bring them in overnight. The key thing is to make the room you keep them in as cold as it is during daytime outdoors. So if during the day it's 10c outside, just leave the windows open in a small room all day and maybe the temperature might go down to 15c or less, then it wouldn't be cruel to put them back outside during the day, put them into the hutch for an hour before you let them out.

I have a wireless thermometer so I can monitor temperatures outdoors. I also keep an eye on the MET office website, so if it looks like it's going to be really cold you can prepare to have them indoors. If you have a conservatory or a brick shed or anything these might be a bit warmer without being too warm.

On my hutches I've got polystyere on the inside with hardboard over the top and on the outside I have bubble wrap type insulation with the felt on top. Having lots of hay or straw is the main thing though, as insulating the hutch won't make too much difference, they need to keep snuggly warm by building a nest/hole .

Fluffybunny54 said:

I'm very lucky that my hubby built my hutches years ago and double skinned them with plywood. In the cavity he put rock wool and thick polystyrene sheets. He screwed and wired into the back walls reptile heatpads. He wired them to central heating thermostats. You could always use greenhouse froststats. They are plugged into weatherproof covered garden electric sockets. The outside wire is armoured cable. I only have two large hutches now. I put bubblewrap across the wire fronts to keep cold wind and rain out. Lots of hay inside their snuggle boxes and litter trays. My buns are nice and cosy. If the temperature drops below 10 degrees the heating kicks in.

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Wow your husband sounds so good! Mine's useless at any kind of diy stuff

I guess placing a thin plastic tarp then the blanket then a tarp would work on the damp front

Bubble wrap sounds like the best option to me. My lot are in a non insulated shed with aviary run attached. They have a hutch with straw inside the shed but usually sleep on it!

normally I use one snuggle safe, when the temp drops I pop in a second one...

Her box is lined with thermal wrap and I pop the snuggle safes under a rug inside...



Winter bed by Jon Morgan, on Flickr


winder bed by Jon Morgan, on Flickr

Thanks everyone for all the advice!!! I'm re-doing the hutch tomorrow ready for the cold. It is cold here the last couple days but they have been covered and had lots of straw. But tomorrow I will be insulating it more!!!!