Welcome rabbet!
We also live in a colder climate. I have found rabbits tend to acclimate to their environment. The only time I have had issues with the cold, is on newborn kits that didn't get adequate covering (new doe not pulling enough fur). Heat is the worst for them. You must learn ways...
Most all of mine are processed at 8 - 10 weeks. For those, rinse/wash and place in a plastic bag in the refrigerator. Over night is all you need. We are just cooling the meat down. Next morning wrap and put in freezer (or can the older tougher ones).
Sometimes that is a trick! I use a digital scale like found in a deli or sometimes a produce area. A platform to set the rabbit on or bowl/basket to set them in. If you do this type, make sure you zero out the scale with the bowl or basket on it so you get a good weight of just the rabbit.
You will not get a concise answer. Just like you won't get a concise answer on how to cook your steak! Different for different use or different person.
With that said, on most meat breeds a fryer (young tender frying meat) 4 to 6 pounds is ideal. The old standard used to be 4 pounds at 8...
Depending on what you are doing with your rabbits. The "typical" cage for "commercial" meat production rabbitries are 30x30 or 30x36 or sometimes 24x36. I have a mix of these sizes and mine all do well.
Add 1 to 2 tablespoons to a gallon of water. Start with one and work up to two, sometimes I do not even measure it just a splash in a gallon jug and good to go. It should be the ACV "with Mother" - The unfiltered and unrefined vinegar with cloudy and murky appearance is called apple cider...
Breaking up their "routine" can help. I have heard these work:
- car rides
- moving both doe and buck to a different environment (cage)
- attempting breeding at different times of the day (if you normally try in the morning - try in the evening, towards dark)
- feed black oil sunflower seeds
-...