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Should I bring my outdoor rabbits inside for the winter?

Bumble

Young Bun
Hi everyone,

I'm looking for a bit of advice about whether or not to bring my two rabbits inside for the worst of the winter (I know we're not there yet, but I thought I'd ask in advance).

They currently live in a large "shed" in the garden with french doors and two big windows. They have permanent access to a 15ft x 9ft outside run which is attached to the shed. (They come and go through a cat flap to reduce any drafts, and they have a hutch inside the run which they can use if they like).

In the shed they have 8ft x 4ft space with another hutch and platforms, steps etc to play with.

In the summer I use a fan to keep them cool, and last winter I used a heater to make sure it was never too cold. (Mostly so that it was still comfortable for me to make lots of long visits) :D

This year I wondered about building them a pen for the lounge (about 8ft x 4ft) so that they could be indoors. I would let them out to play in the rest of the lounge when I was about, but keep them in their pen (with no roof, just high sides - one of which would be see-through) during the day.

My husband thinks that they would prefer to be outside - because they would always have access to the outside run (with lots of grass and room to binky) and they're used to their home out there (we've had our bunnies since the beginning of the year). He doesn't think they'd like being "shut indoors in a smaller space".

I only want to do what's best for them, so any ideas would be appreciated.

Thanks,
M.

PS Sorry for the long explanation - I wanted to explain as much as possible so that you know what each option would be for them.
 
Hi Bumble, whereabouts roughly do you live, how cold does it get? Bunnies tend not to mind the cold - it's damp and draughts they aren't keen on. Mine live in a very similar setup to yours and are outside all year. If they have plenty of warm dry places to snuggle up in they should be fine. If you're worried you can buy something called a snugglesafe I think, it is a bit like a bunny safe hot water bottle which you can pop under their main sleeping place and they can use that overnight if they want to.

As long as they stay outside (bringing them indoors for short periods then putting them back out into the cold isn't good for them), they acclimatise very well and the cold doesn't seem to bother them - mine can frequently be found sitting outside in a blowing gale, snowstorm etc, and it really doesn't seem to bother them.
 
Hi Alison,

I'm not too far away from you really - I'm in Rayleigh. :) It doesn't get too cold I guess.

I tried a snugglesafe thing last year - they both avoided it while the pad was warm, and Molly ate the material when it got cold. I tried a couple of times, but they didn't seem keen on it at all.

They've got a heater and I don't let it get cold enough to see my breath, so they're not cold. The windows and door of the shed don't let drafts or rain in.

Like you said - I find mine outside in the run when it's raining (not too heavily) and windy and they seem perfectly happy.

Thanks for the advice - I guess I was just panicing that I was going to be doing the wrong thing.

M.
 
I would say they should not have a problem with the wintering outside. Our old bunny did just fine and as long as they are like kept totally inside and then let out their coats will naturally adjust to keep them warmer in the winter, hope that made sense. Mine since they are babies have a heating lamp so they can get warmer if they want to but aren't subject to being warm all the time. They live in the greenhouse which still gets a little chilly in the winter but protects them from the wind which we get a lot of. They also have access to outsides runs during the day. Once I cover the top of the runs then they can have permanent access. Hope this helps. The heating lamp I have I think is designed for chickens but it just clips onto something and plugs in.
 
They will be much better outside ,they will be getting there winter coats soon. Rbbits dont get that cold as long as theve somewere to get out of the worst of it. In a shed is perfect. Central heating is not good for animals. val
 
Mine live in the same sort of set up as your bunnies .. I had a heater in the shed last year but it did eat the electric and cost a fortune. Some people use green house heaters like the ones on this link ... I am going to be investing in these this year, apparently thay only use as much electricity as two 60 watt light bulbs ... I have been told they give of a nice back ground heat ... so it cant get to hot for the buns ... don't forget they will have grown thicker coats to combat the cold.

On the coldest days my buns have chosen to sit out, it seems to be the strong winds my buns dislike not the actual cold! So as long as they can go in if they want to I think they will be fine. Now the weather has gotten colder I have put cardboard boxes in the sheds , cut holes in just big enough for them to get in and filled them with hay ... they seem to love them and thats where they sleep at night

http://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Heating_Index/Tubular_Heaters/index.html
 
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