For those of us who can't bring our rabbits inside in the winter I thought I'd write a top tips list that we can all refer back to each year!
Feel free to comment your own tips below and I'll add them on!
1. Fill a hide, this could be a cardboard box or the bedding area of the hutch, with straw or hay, straw is warmer but they can eat hay. Make sure there is enough room for all the bunnies to snuggle away somewhere!
2. Put a snugglesafe heater in the hay/straw filled hide, the say warm for hours! These are especially good for single bunnies!
3. Give single bunnies a friend! We all know rabbits like company, and this company is particularly useful in winter as they snuggle up together and keep each other warm!
4. If you have a shed put a frost heater (with a guard) in! It stops the temperature dropping too cold but keeps it cool enough that they can still go outside in the day, it also stops water freezing!
5. Put a snugglesafe under the water bowl, this should stop the water freezing as quickly.
6. Cover hutches with a few layers of old carpet, an old duvet or blankets, then put a tarpaulin over the top, it keeps it warm and dry inside their hutch!
7. Don't bring them inside temporarily! If you bring them inside, then they need to stay in for the rest of the winter until we get warmer Spring days! The days are too cold for them to be in a warm house at night and outside in the cold in the day, they won't have built up the right coat or adjusted to the cold temperature.
8. Provide sheltered areas in runs
9. Cover the top of runs, I find this stops the grass in the run getting so frosty overnight
10. As always, provide adlib hay! Because rabbits are hind gut fermenters, the fibre from hay ferments in the caecum, the fermentation gives off warmth, basically rabbits have an internal radiator!
11. Insulate sheds / hutches using house insulation, polystyrene or silver backed bubble wrap and then plywood or pine cladding over the top. Thanks catherine09!
Feel free to comment your own tips below and I'll add them on!
1. Fill a hide, this could be a cardboard box or the bedding area of the hutch, with straw or hay, straw is warmer but they can eat hay. Make sure there is enough room for all the bunnies to snuggle away somewhere!
2. Put a snugglesafe heater in the hay/straw filled hide, the say warm for hours! These are especially good for single bunnies!
3. Give single bunnies a friend! We all know rabbits like company, and this company is particularly useful in winter as they snuggle up together and keep each other warm!
4. If you have a shed put a frost heater (with a guard) in! It stops the temperature dropping too cold but keeps it cool enough that they can still go outside in the day, it also stops water freezing!
5. Put a snugglesafe under the water bowl, this should stop the water freezing as quickly.
6. Cover hutches with a few layers of old carpet, an old duvet or blankets, then put a tarpaulin over the top, it keeps it warm and dry inside their hutch!
7. Don't bring them inside temporarily! If you bring them inside, then they need to stay in for the rest of the winter until we get warmer Spring days! The days are too cold for them to be in a warm house at night and outside in the cold in the day, they won't have built up the right coat or adjusted to the cold temperature.
8. Provide sheltered areas in runs
9. Cover the top of runs, I find this stops the grass in the run getting so frosty overnight
10. As always, provide adlib hay! Because rabbits are hind gut fermenters, the fibre from hay ferments in the caecum, the fermentation gives off warmth, basically rabbits have an internal radiator!
11. Insulate sheds / hutches using house insulation, polystyrene or silver backed bubble wrap and then plywood or pine cladding over the top. Thanks catherine09!
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I’ve also put silver backed bubble wrap staples to the roof which I think really helps keep the heat in.