Keeping Outdoor Rabbits Warm During Winter

Hello all:wave:

After our scare with Mr. Hamo having to go to the vet yesterday, I want to up the level of protection against the elements with their setup. For those of you who may not have seen, we have an 8x10ft converted greenhouse walk in run and a Honeysuckle PAH hutch attached to it:

20171025_155319 by Rachel Brown, on Flickr

(this photo was taken before they were bonded, the grass looks a lot worse now that it's winter and Mr. Hamo is pooping all over it :roll::lol: )

I have been researching different ways to make the hutch cosier for winter. Last night I was reading about VetBed, and a lot of people say that they're good to have in the sleeping area for extra warmth. Is there risk of serious harm if they get a little bit nibbled/chewed?

I'm also wondering if I should put straw in the sleeping area as well as hay. I've heard it is a good insulator. Any opinions on straw vs hay for sleeping on?

I was further considering putting a square cat igloo in the sleeping compartment so that even the walls are cosy and insulated, but I've read that a lot of bunnies chew/eat these to death so it might be a bad idea?

Any other suggestions/opinions would be hugely appreciated.

I'm also wondering if I should shut them in the hutch at night, because even in a frost they don't seem to have the common sense to go inside. The night before Mr. Ham got ill he was running around like it was a warm summer's day! But surely they have the initiative to get cosy if they're feeling too cold? I think if I shut them in, Ham would just bother Bea way too much :roll:

You could buy a cover for the hutch as it will deteriorate if it keeps getting wet. This will mean the hutch will be slightly warmer and they will need to shelter if it pours with rain, or snows! I don't think domestic rabbits are as hardy as their wild counterparts and even they go under ground away from the elements.

The roof construction of the hutch is poor: it's not exactly a winter problem but it is a longevity issue. The bits of wood at the apex and partway along will deteriorate over time and let water in (it happened on mine, a different hutch with similar construction :roll. I simply tacked a piece of felt over it and it was fine It's not pretty but it works :thumb:

As for insulation, a hutch cover that does for the back and sides would work to keep out the water and some drafts, then finding something to cover the windows individually (I find that works really well as you can moderate how warm/cool/airy the place is ). What's the hutch made of? Is it single-ply stuff on the back, and vertical shiplap on the sides (the web pictures are terrible :roll? If so, that's pretty thin :S I can't see a hutch cover on the website that fits the Honeysuckle either. There are places that will do them to order or maybe even proprietary ones designed for the Honeysuckle. I'd suggest getting a thermal one. Don't suppose you know where the prevailing wind blows from in your garden?

keletkezes said:

The roof construction of the hutch is poor: it's not exactly a winter problem but it is a longevity issue. The bits of wood at the apex and partway along will deteriorate over time and let water in (it happened on mine, a different hutch with similar construction :roll. I simply tacked a piece of felt over it and it was fine It's not pretty but it works :thumb:

As for insulation, a hutch cover that does for the back and sides would work to keep out the water and some drafts, then finding something to cover the windows individually (I find that works really well as you can moderate how warm/cool/airy the place is ). What's the hutch made of? Is it single-ply stuff on the back, and vertical shiplap on the sides (the web pictures are terrible :roll? If so, that's pretty thin :S I can't see a hutch cover on the website that fits the Honeysuckle either. There are places that will do them to order or maybe even proprietary ones designed for the Honeysuckle. I'd suggest getting a thermal one. Don't suppose you know where the prevailing wind blows from in your garden?

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Thank you for the advice Tonibun & Keletkezes. I believe that there aren't any hutch covers on the market for my hutch, but I could make one. Part of what I do for a living is sewing so I'm pretty handy on the machine. I think that yes, it is single ply on the back and then thicker on the sides. The area is quite sheltered - it's in the corner of the garden with a privet taller than 10ft behind the hutch, a 6ft fence to the side and the perspex on the roof of the greenhouse, plus the door and a few pieces on the side does provide shelter and wind resistance. When there's a frost, it is never actually on the grass in the run or on the roof of the hutch due to how sheltered it is.

Next summer we're planning on building an extension to replace the hutch, so that there's a large and more insulated inside area which follows the shape/construction of the greenhouse.

Both rabbits have gone back outside today and neither of them seem bothered by the cold. I put them in the hutch but they ran straight out into the run and have been out there since. I've stuffed the bed area with loads of hay and have also put a towel down in there for extra comfort and warmth.

Obviously I want to do whatever I can to keep them warm this winter. I'm not convinced that the cold it what made Ham ill yesterday though. He was an outdoor rabbit for his whole life before we took him on, and didn't even have hay to snuggle up in at his old home :S Beatrice was fine yesterday and she was an indoor rabbit until we adopted her, she's a lot smaller and more fragile than Ham too.

I just want to do whatever I can to make them as comfortable as possible.

If you can knock a cover up from something waterproof but breathable, that'd work really well Especially if it's just 'short term' until they get a new house-y bit And I do think you're right, the cold didn't help but I really doubt it was the cause. Once they got cold though, it's difficult for them to warm up without help, but actually getting cold is an indicator of something else AFAIK.

If my two morons are anything to go by, the recent cold spell hasn't affected them in the slightest. They get a snugglesafe for my own piece of mind and I put the 'anti-cat' plywood insert back on the hutch front, but they're often sat on the concrete, admittedly usually out of the wind, and their ears are no colder than usual, so cool from about halfway down but not freezing They seem to spend time in the hutch as it's a tiny space, especially now I've put the insert back over the mesh. I'm not sure they've used the box with the snugglesafe in, which is in the playhouse :roll:

Pets atHome usually sell covers for their hutches. I didn't realise the roof of the enclosure was Perspex. It's best to "learn as you go" really as everybody's situation is different.

You could insulate the inside of the bed area...

Put some insulation or similar inside then attach wooden boards over so they can't access the insulation. Maybe some polystyrene sheeting/blocks?

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Not sure if this link will work but it’s an insulated bed box http://kylathegreat.tumblr.com/post/15424250362/undercoverterrorist-deactivated-for-those-who