It's important to ensure your rabbit hutch is free from draughts, but at the same time well ventilated. Placing the hutch in an area sheltered from the elements is the best way to keep your rabbits warm and safe. You should also insulate the hutch with newspaper and hay and remember to change this regularly.
Rabbits need protection from extreme temperature and bad weather in all environments (including living areas and outdoor runs). The recommended temperature range is 10 to 25°C. Outdoor hutches should be covered with a blanket or carpet on cold nights (taking care not to block ventilation).
In the winter, this must have bedding to keep them warm. There should be at least as many hiding places as there are rabbits. You should also cover part of the run with plastic sheeting or tarpaulin, to give some protection from rain and wind.
Very young or old rabbits, or those with medical conditions, should be kept indoors because they may not be able to tolerate cold temperatures even with modifications to their hutches and diets. Temperatures below 20 degrees Fahrenheit may be too cold even for healthy adult rabbits.
Straw is warmer than hay because it's hollow and provides more insulation. Buy good-quality soft straw that's not spiky or dusty, such as barley straw. Placing a cardboard box filled with straw in the hutch makes a super-warm and insulated sleeping area and is easy to replace.
It's important to ensure your rabbit hutch is free from draughts, but at the same time well ventilated. Placing the hutch in an area sheltered from the elements is the best way to keep your rabbits warm and safe. You should also insulate the hutch with newspaper and hay and remember to change this regularly.
Can pet rabbits live outside in winter? Yes, they can. Rabbits have adaptations that help them survive the cold, such as thick fur coats and fur pads on their feet.
Symptoms include shivering (although this will suddenly stop when their temperature reaches dangerously low levels), pale lips and gums, low energy and a loss of coordination. Hypothermia is an emergency, so if you spot any of these symptoms, bring them into the warm and contact your vet immediately.
All domesticated rabbits like blankets and pillows in the home. You'll likely be tempted to place similar items in your pet's hutch for added comfort. Blankets and towels are great additions to a rabbit's home. Just avoid old, threadbare blankets with holes as paws can be trapped.
Depending on the outside temperature, rabbits may need a heat lamp. It must however be properly installed and used. Self-heating pads can also provide a good heat source but be aware they must be continually reheated.
We recommend a good quality soft straw as the ideal bedding for warmth and comfort, particularly for outdoor rabbits. It's warm because the hollow strands trap warm air and it's also absorbent. It's important to understand the difference between hay and straw.
If you bury your hand into their fur and hold it there you should feel the bun's heat. It should feel warm. If its lips are not pink and it doesn't feel warm when you try the 'under the fur test', bring it into a warm place (a back porch) with a wrapped hot water bottle.
Domesticated rabbits have a wide range of food available to them, from high quality commercial feeding hay to fresh vegetables to rabbit pellets. You can easily give your rabbits the nutritional boost they need for winter by supplementing unlimited hay and greens with a small increase in pellet food.
Insulate the hutch.
You want to insulate your rabbit's hutch during winter. To do this, place sheets of newspaper and a warm blanket on the roof. Then, cover in an outdoor tarp. Not only will this trap heat and keep the hutch adequately warm, it will prevent snow or rain from falling on your rabbits.
Blankets/Polar fleece – Blankets are a soft material that allows your bunny to dig, dig, dig. Polar fleece is the only safe fabric for buns, because the fibers are short enough that they will not cause digestive problems. Pile these in front of your bunny and let him dig to his heart's content.
A rabbit's bedding must keep them safe, comfortable, and warm. Rabbits often eat their bedding, so it cannot be toxic. Shredded paper, Aspen shreds, specialist litter or pellets, and hay are all safe options.
Rabbits should be protected from bad weather as well as strong sunlight or changes in temperature. This includes your rabbit's living area and run. Outdoors, a cover, blanket or piece of old carpet or other insulation material could offer added protection on cold nights provided there is enough ventilation.
Body heat & Heat Stroke: Rabbits regulate body temperature by their ears. Very cold or hot ears could indicate a fever or a drop in body temperature. This, coupled with other warning signs, could warrant a trip to the vet.
They should be brought inside overnight. They can only stay outside at night too from mid-May when there is no longer any ground frost. If your rabbits have first been gradually accustomed to being kept outdoors, they can stay outdoors all year round from then. Even the ground frost won't bother them after that.
Grooming can be a self-comforting behavior for rabbits. If they are stressed, anxious, bored, or even a little sick, a rabbit might try to feel better by self-grooming more often.
Put windbreaks up around the hutch and run. Line your shed to create a double wall and an extra layer of insulation. Add clear sheeting; plastic, plexiglass, or perspex sheets to the front of hutches and runs to keep them weather proof. Keeping the sheeting clear helps the rabbits to see out.
Most rabbits live in a 5-acre area their entire lives. The eastern cottontail rabbit doesn't dig its own burrows like some other rabbit species do, so they will either find an empty burrow from another animal to crawl into or they will look for woody vegetation to huddle under during cold weather.
Nope! Another question that people often ask is whether rabbits sleep mostly during the day or at night. And the answer is neither. They are crepuscular, meaning that they are most active at dusk and dawn.