How cold is to cold for my outside buns?

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AmberRae

AmberRae

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Cocoa, Florida
I live in Florida and rarely have to deal with the cold. My rabbit set up is geared towards staying cool. It is going to get in the 30s for the next few nights and I was wondering if that is too cold for my buns? They are in wire cages with a wire bottom. They are in an enclosed building but the walls of the building are wire to allow the air to flow right through. It was in the 40s last night and the seemed to do fine. I gave them hay to bed in but they just played with it and ate it. I am assuming if they were cold they would have bedded in it but I am not sure if they would know to. What are your opinions? Should I bring them indoors?
 
Hi AmberRae!

I'm kind of in a similar situation (California high desert), and I would usually have to worry more about the bunnies staying cool rather than warm, but last week we had some nights that got in the high 30's... so I gave everyone a cardboard box with hay. The box mostly just helps reduce the mess, but it lets them build a better burrow, as well, I think. Keeps the hay in place when they move around, I suppose.

I deliberately got Bermuda instead of Timothy in the hopes they wouldn't eat it all right away... my rabbits go bananas for Timothy! :p

All that said though... I don't think my rabbits quite got the idea (or it just wasn't as cold as I thought it would be for them) because they still chowed down on the hay rather than tuck in for some warmth. 'Hey lady, thanks for the treat!' :mrgreen:

Hopefully my experience helps put your mind at ease a little... as long as they have a space to get out of any wind and maybe some hay to snuggle into, I wouldn't worry. :)
 
I would wrap the windward sides with plastic or tarp to keep the wind off of them, but they sound like they are doing fine so far.

The only limiting factor would be how many rabbits you have, I have too many to try and drag them all in when I think it's going to be too cold.

We're geared up here for temps in the single digits for the first time in three winters. I've got newborns shelved and a heat lamp for the older kits that they are ignoring.
 
Dry and not wet it's gotten at least -30F here. I've had litters survive subzero in a building with no heat source. I usually didn't start doing anything until it was consistently below freezing and some not until subzero with a solid sided building. If they get wind you might want better shelter because air flow will cut through their coats and windchill is an issue but just ambient air temps don't really get too low for rabbits. I have talked with people that have them unheated in alaska.
 
Thanks for all the help everyone. I did try the the box with hay. They did enjoy their new boxes :) I don't think they were cold though.
 
AmberRae":1xhexemz said:
Thanks for all the help everyone. I did try the the box with hay. They did enjoy their new boxes :) I don't think they were cold though.
Click to expand...
Yeah, they might just like playing with it if they aren't feeling very cold... :lol: :roll:

Glad your bunnies are happy and cozy, though!
 

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