Who has outside buns and has freezing winters...?

[hurricanhoney]

Insulated playhouse and my foster has a hutch run with an insulated water proof cover.

 

[emmiiee]

3 of my buns stayed outside all winter!! with old curtains, and tarp covering them! also loads of straw and hay!!

xx

 

[jo-pop]

I found a layer of carpet covered with plastic sheeting kept the actual hutch toasty warm overnight. You could feel the warmth as soon as you lifted it. It was a tough winter last year and they didn't get nearly as much exercise as they should so some changes need to be made this year

 

[Mackers]

Do you have any idea how much one of them would cost to leave on overnight each night? This is something I would definately look into for the winter as I really am worried about leaving them out in the cold:?

I think the 2ft one is equivalent to an 80 watt light bulb . I left them on all day and night for weeks (one 2ft tube in the kennel and a 3ft tube in the shed) and didn't notice any increase in electricity bills.

My OH ran armoured cable to both sheds for me and the heaters are behind a grille so that no-one can burn themselves (they get REALLY hot). The flex and plug is behind small gauge weld mesh so that it can't be chewed.

 

[Sky-O]

I spoke to my dad and he reckons he can add a tubular heater to three of our four outdoors accommodations, for sure, which is brilliant

 

[Mackers]

I spoke to my dad and he reckons he can add a tubular heater to three of our four outdoors accommodations, for sure, which is brilliant

Great news! I put the tubes down low so that the water bowls could sit just underneath them. I've also rigged up the water bottles so that they sit above the heater grille. I don't think I NEED to do this because you can feel the warmth in the sheds when you open the door so even if the water bowl was further away from the heater, I don't think it would freeze over. Don't expect it to feel like the tropics - these heaters are designed to stop frost etc and will just keep a shed at about 2-3 degrees when it's minus 10 outside :shock:.

 

[Sky-O]

That's ok. Just keeping it warmer than outside is good enough and removing the chill. I'm not going to be able to get it anywhere near the water bowls though, but I can use snugglesafes for those. In one it will go on the the ceiling of the bed area (which it tall and out of reach of the bunnies, but it will be protected, just in case) and in the aviary it's going to have to be a really long one, but quite up in the air, about maybe 5ft off the floor so it can reach both sides (that probably makes no sense because you don't know my setup :lol.

My dad was surprisingly open to it which surprised me. :lol:

Thank you so much much for your help

 

[Mackers]

This is how I've placed mine:-

The oldies kennel/run (indoor bit 5ft x 4ft) with a 2ft heater

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Pea and Pod's 8ft x 6ft shed with a 3ft heater

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[funnybunnyabc]

I didn't do anything special tbh, Sox had a cozy hutch with blankets and snugglesafes and loads of hay..but he chose to sit out in the run in the ice and snow :roll: He was absolutely fine.

It was easy enough to look after him..I just went through about 4x the hay and had to leave time for defrosting water bottles.

He always seemed nice and toasty warm , and he did seem much more active and happy when its cold as oppose to when it's roasting like just now, in the summer he lies about sleeping all the time :lol: and in the winter he's more hyperactive and friendly

 

[TermiteFrank]

That's ok. Just keeping it warmer than outside is good enough and removing the chill. I'm not going to be able to get it anywhere near the water bowls though, but I can use snugglesafes for those. In one it will go on the the ceiling of the bed area (which it tall and out of reach of the bunnies, but it will be protected, just in case) and in the aviary it's going to have to be a really long one, but quite up in the air, about maybe 5ft off the floor so it can reach both sides (that probably makes no sense because you don't know my setup :lol.

My dad was surprisingly open to it which surprised me. :lol:

Thank you so much much for your help

Remember heat rises so it may still be freezing down on the floor where the bunnies are.

 

[LionheadLuver]

Mine were outside all last winter. It got to about -19C here. I gave them two snugglesafes (one each), loads of hay to hide in, a willow tent with a snugglesafe in it to try to generate some heat in the tent, covered the front of the hutch in 3 duvet covers and a tarpulin cover. The water bottle only froze I think once or twice through the whole winter, so the inside of the hutch must have been above freezing most of the time.

 

[ripminnie]

This is how I've placed mine:-

The oldies kennel/run (indoor bit 5ft x 4ft) with a 2ft heater

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Pea and Pod's 8ft x 6ft shed with a 3ft heater

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These look fab!!! I'm definitely going to look into this... :wave:

 

[nursecroft]

What housing do your buns have and how do you make sure they're warm enough?? It's freezing here in winter (last year it got to -15) but I'm considering rescuing two buns that will live in a dog kennel/run in the garden. I only have 2 indoor buns at the moment. And how do you find looking after them when it's so cold? :wave:

Insulating the kennel will help. I use snugglesafes and loads of bedding in big dog beds, personally use alot of straw ontop of a more absorbant base because thats quite warm, they all snuggle into it. :wave: