Winter is a time of year that brings many changes. Where we live, this means shorter days, colder weather, and lovely crocksicles to thaw each morning. Over the years of shuffling through snow to reach the rabbits, I’ve discovered some handy tricks that make the winter a little easier to deal with.
What can you use to keep your rabbits warm? Which works better, crocks or bottles? Should you ever bring your rabbits inside to warm them up? To help answer these questions, I’d like to present our top 10 tips for winter weather in the rabbitry!
What can you use to keep your rabbits warm? Which works better, crocks or bottles? Should you ever bring your rabbits inside to warm them up? To help answer these questions, I’d like to present our top 10 tips for winter weather in the rabbitry!
1. Choose your rabbits wisely. Which rabbits do you (or do you intend to) keep outside? My outside hutch holds bucks, open does, and older juniors. I bring pregnant does inside the week they're due, regardless of the season, and let them raise their litters indoors. If I want to keep a junior outside, I usually wait until its a little older before making the move. Whenever I move any rabbit outdoors, I always try to wait for mild weather to make the transition easier.
2. Check on your rabbits frequently. In the winter, things happen fast. Water freezes, hay disappears, and rabbits become sick more quickly than we would like. At a minimum, I check on mine in the mornings and in the evenings when I regularly feed. During very cold temps, I go out at least one additional time in the afternoon. This allows me to observe my rabbits for any signs of stress or sickness, and to refill water and hay as needed.
3. Provide adequate shelter from the elements. Wind, rain, and snow are harsh in the winter. A proper hutch will have a space for rabbits that is completely protected from outside elements. In many hutches, this is an enclosed wooden portion that is attached to the main area. With my hutch, I have wooden boards that I put up each year to create solid walls around three sides of the hutch. The fourth side is made of screen, which I cover with a heavy blanket during windy days. One of our followers also wrote that she used a plastic material meant for winterizing windows to cover up her hutches.
4. Use crocks! No matter what you put water in, it is going to freeze. I definitely recommend crocks over bottles, though, because the tip of a water bottle will freeze very quickly. You might have a whole bottle full of water, but with an icy tip, the rabbit won't be able to access its water. With a crock, the water is available for the rabbit to drink for a longer period of time. As a bonus, even when crocks freeze, the rabbits can still lick the ice.
4. Use crocks! No matter what you put water in, it is going to freeze. I definitely recommend crocks over bottles, though, because the tip of a water bottle will freeze very quickly. You might have a whole bottle full of water, but with an icy tip, the rabbit won't be able to access its water. With a crock, the water is available for the rabbit to drink for a longer period of time. As a bonus, even when crocks freeze, the rabbits can still lick the ice.
5. Provide plenty of feed. I feed my rabbits extra during the winter, as I like to make sure that they have have plenty of nutrients to maintain body fat and weight. Whether you feed extra is a personal decision, but I'd much rather do that than risk not feeding enough. My outdoor rabbits eat anywhere from 1 to 1.5 times their normal amount of feed in the winter.
6. Provide plenty of hay. Hay is basically never a bad thing, especially in the winter. I like to make sure that each rabbit always has hay in its cage. This serves two purposes: 1. a healthy snack that also helps keep rabbits well-fed, and 2. an insulator. During very cold days, I stuff cages full of hay so that they can sit on it and snuggle under it.
7. Give your rabbits other ways to keep warm. There are many other materials that work well to keep rabbits warm. Get creative! Unused wooden nestboxes and cardboard boxes are perfect for all rabbits. I like to stuff boxes full of hay or straw. You can also use non-raveling materials like fleece to line boxes or lay on the floor. All of these things are good because they allow the rabbit to get up off of the wire and avoid drafts that may come in from below.
8. What NOT to do. There are two big no-nos that I have seen discussed recently. To some they may seem like obvious mistakes, but on the surface they both sound like rational ideas. First, do not fill your crocks with hot water. Due to the Mpemba Effect, hot water can freeze faster than cold water in many circumstances. Obviously, very cold water will also freeze quickly as well. When I refill crocks, I use lukewarm to cool water, which seems to remain in liquid form for the longest. Second, do not move rabbits from outside to inside (or vice versa) without a good reason. If you think you'll just bring your rabbit into the house for a day until a cold spell passes, think again; the rabbit is better left outside. Sudden changes between such extreme temperatures are not healthy for a rabbit's system. If you plan to leave your rabbit in the house for a couple of weeks, that's different and usually just fine. Generally, though, it is best to avoid sudden temperature changes.
9. Help yourself out. Winter rabbit care is tough on humans too! Bundle up when you go outside. I love to use fingerless gloves for taking care of the rabbits, because trying to do things with regular gloves or mittens on can be very challenging. You will also want to think about lighting. I usually feed and water my rabbits in the evening, so in the winter this means doing it in the dark. Flashlights are not ideal because they require you to hold them, but headlights are wonderful. You can also purchase battery operated push-lights to attach to your hutch. I have these and love them!
10. Don't worry too much! Rabbits can handle cold temperatures better than we would like to think. They do have fur coats on, after all! Use good judgement and wisdom when caring for your rabbits, but keep in mind that God made them to endure winter weather. Even though our domestic rabbits have lost some of the defenses and abilities that wild rabbits have, they are still amazingly tolerant of the cold. More often than not, they do just fine outside during the winter. Most rabbits even enjoy it!
Did you find this article helpful?
Do you have any of your own tips to add?
Still have questions?
Comment below to let us know what you think!
Do you have any of your own tips to add?
Still have questions?
Comment below to let us know what you think!