Winter is coming: what to do?

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ottersatin

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upstate New York
What are you doing to protect your herd
from the ravages of the coming colder weather?
I have blocked off all unnecessary openings
in the entry ways to the rabbitry.
Outside cages are covered on three sides with clear plastic sheeting and a Tarp or clear plastic sheet dropped down in front which may be raised or lowered as weather demands. I have prepared a special additive mix of: Sweet Feed, Black oil sunflower seeds and rolled oats
to help the rabbits hold and produce added heat and maintain condition. This is fed buy the occasional
handful placed on top of the feed hopper.
This is time consuming but I feel it is a necessary evil. I feed my rabbits a measured amount of feed daily.
Each rabbit is fed as an individual so that they may get what they need to maintain themselves.
Some members of the herd require more and some less than another individual. With constant surveillance
one gets to know each individuals ins and outs.
I take pride in knowing the needs of each member of the herd. What are some things that you do for your charges?
Dennis, C.V.R. :flex:
 
It's pretty simple here. The summer rabbitry is a tarped, chain link clad shelter under the huge weeping willow tree. The rabbits will stay out there until November or so, depending on the weather.

The winter rabbitry is a sturdy, semi-insulated shed that the buns share with our three geese. Usually we move the frames and cages, but this year I would like to fence off one end and make a colony for the rabbits. Nicer lifestyle for them, easier care for me and maybe they would breed all winter if I set it up right. Either way, the rabbits will be well protected from the weather.
 
I only have 4 to winter... I plan to house a breeding trio in the insulated shed, just not sure if I'll have them caged or prep the shed for a colony. Either way, they stay outside until I get tired of dealing with frozen water crocks and the difficulties of cage cleaning in below zero temps. The bunnies will be fine outside, I'm the wimp...
I have 8 large bunches of willow drying in the shed, and a few bales of hay, that'll add to the insulation. I'll add BOSS to the feed, and I see Pepper and Thumper snuggling together (they are in side by side cages right now), I'm sure they'll snuggle even more when the temps drop.
I read on another site about a colony in the states that's kept outside all year, and they love the snow... even in -20.
 
It doesn't get too terribly cold here if you only look at the temperatures but the wind is a killer that ruffles the thickest fur and lets the body heat escape. My hutches are all inside a 6' high chain link dog pen with privacy slats in place to block the wind. I leave the remains of the thick wall of morning glory vines that covered the fence in warm weather to further block the wind. Each hutch is partly made of solid wood on all sides with only a small opening into the main part (for nesting does) or is mostly made of solid wood with wire bottoms. As an extra protection from the wind in winter I give plenty of hay and/or straw for bedding instead of leaving just the wire bottom bare. It makes a bit more work for me because the soiled bedding has to be cleaned out but I don't find babies "dead on the wire" unless one manages to get all the way out of the nest and the enclosed wooden part of the hutch and that is very rare - the bedding is sloped higher than the well of the nest so the babies roll back in. I also make sure I have extra water crocks for each hutch so I can simply switch them instead of taking a lot of time trying to thaw them before the rabbits can have water if they freeze.
 
my rabbits are out in tarp building. I throw an extra tarp overtop. My water freezes some, but doesn't freeze too badly most nights. I have LOTS of bowls so it's just a matter of switching them out and dumping the ice.

Should add, I make a mix of grain, boss, pumpkin seed, etc...sometimes add some molasses to the mix for a cold weather treat. Gives them some added energy.
 
I keep mine in a covered building year 'round, but summers are really more dangerous here in Georgia than winter. The buns are usually very happy with the cold weather (as am I). On the very coldest days I will make sure they have warm water in their water bottles and extra hay to burrow into if needed. Newborn kits come inside when it is below freezing, too.

Lauren
 
Lauren, the summers in Georgia are more dangerous for ANY mammal! golly you guys get some hot nasty muggy weather. uff-dah! ;)

This will be the first year that the rabbits are outside of the house. It's always been more of a "keep a window open so they don't die from overheating when the furnace kicks in". :roll: HOWEVER...

They will be in an insulated 12x24 pole shed. I'm hoping to use the sun to help heat a bit..the upper 3feet of south facing wall is window. It's sheltered from the winds by a heavy woods on west and north sides. The plan is to have a small woodstove in the center surrounded by brick walls for heat storage. They will mostly be in colonies, with lots of hay and straw to nestle in, if they need.

They'll continue to have the alfalfa hay, and I'll add more sunflower to the mix. The angoras really don't need anything other than shelter from wind and wet tho. They're already on a higher protein diet for the fiber, and that fiber is extreme insulation for them.
 
What winter? ;)

We just have to keep everybody dry here, so the hutches have a nice overhang and are sheltered by the corner between the house, shed, and fence, with a giant cedar tree providing shade and shelter. In the depths of winter (about a week or two where it drops to the 20's) I boost feed, change out bottles with warm water, and add lots of bedding. I plan to leave nestboxes in extra long, too. I always consider tarping the fronts of the hutches, but I haven't yet. We get wind storms, but I always worried the flapping tarp would freak them out more than the wind. Maybe this year...

We used to have built in nestboxes, cleaning nightmare, but they never needed anything warmth-wise. Now that they are removable, we will see. I may make temporary cardboard houses for the bucks, mostly to ease my mind.
 
Ha! yeah winter, I remember those! I had been planning on buying a couple tarps to go over the plywood, was all. But here the biggest fear is rain.
 
LOL, Ann- you are right. I didn't think I was going to make it this summer, though the bunnies were all spoiled rotten with my trudging in and out to keep them full of cold air+ fans + frozen water bottles + icy tiles. I kept looking at this picture of part of my front yard from last year to inspire myself:

AtlantaSnow3.jpg


Lauren
 
I have been wobbling on this a lot. I can set them up in my garage but I really, really don't want to. They are now under a roof against a fence. I think I'm going to drop tarps down all around and put carboard on half the floor. We are making nest boxes for everyone to sleep in if they choose and I'll just keep packing in the hay. This will be our first winter here South Central Nebraska and I know it tends to be very windy so that is what I'm trying to prepare for. I will have at least 2 sets of water bottles for each cage. I might hit the dollar store and see what they have that might work as well, but I worry about little wet frozen feet.

I will have kits to deal with as well but at this point I'm playing it by ear and it's going to be a real learning curve. If I bring into the house newborn kits, how often and for how long do I return them so the doe will feed them? (now I'm trying to think ahead)
 
I've been debating this as well. I currently have two litters due in 2 weeks and am not sure how I'm going to do it. Temperatures at the moment still aren't too bad, but we are sometimes getting down past freezing at night already and it can get VERY cold very fast here.

The cages are in a covered area with tarp and plywood going up to block the elements. I'm considering wrapping the cages themselves in blue insulation board scraps I had left over from doing the underpinning of the house. Probably have enough to cover top, back and sides of the bank of wire cages. Extra hay and straw to snuggle in. Already getting them going on a little top-dressing of BOSS, COB (yeah, corn is not great, but it's in every commercial pellet I've seen and there is not much corn compared to the oats/barley) and a little CalfManna every other day or so to get them a little fat for winter. I am also housing as many rabbits together as possible, since they snuggle and generally seem to enjoy the company if I match them up right.

For the babies, considering making some nest boxes that attach to the door because my Thrianta cages right now are a little smaller than I like. Depending on the weather, I may keep the babies inside except for feeding time. I'm nervous to do this, though. Has anyone ever had problems with it, like the does rejecting the babies or not feeding? If it gets down to doing that, I may try to convince the BF to let me bring to two does inside, cage and all, until the babies are furred out a little, but I don't want them to climatize to the indoor temps?

Still thinking all this out, obviously.

As for water, I'm getting duplicate crocks for every cage. They are super cheap little plastic ones, but surprisingly thick plastic and hold up well. I'm spending about $3.50 per hole for two. For the colony with three larger does, I have a heated dog water bowl. These are awesome, chew proof cord and everything. (Expensive, though!)
 
I guess I'm mostly fixing holes where I find them and a bit of caulking up.
\
If ambition and timing collide on the correct day I may insulate the interior Northern wall of the rabbit abode.

I've got this dandy little wood stove I picked up for a song. Came with an old fashion wall stone to run the chimney. If I make a bit more room in there I'll install it for the little buggers. Couldn't use much in the way of wood I reckon.
 
Sounds like John francis rabbits are going to need to keep their windows open so they can be cool enogh this winter.LOL I better not tell my bunnies or they might move north.
 
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