I have no experience raising rabbits at all. I was not in the market when this little guy found me in our back yard. I learned from neighbors that he and another bunny had been chased by a dog and while his friend was killed, he escaped to my house. I vowed to keep him safe and give him the best bunny life ever. I built him a 3 story rabbit cage with a run so he can dig in the dirt. Of course there is chicken wire in the bottom of it so he can't get out and nothing can get in. Now with winter approaching I would really like some input as to what I need to do to the cage to keep him dry and warm. He only goes to the bathroom at the very end of the run so I'm wondering do I need to enclose the run for winter. There is a ramp going from the run to the barn which also has a snug nesting box for him. I was thinking a heat lamp to help keep him warm and help his water stay thawed longer but I don't want to roast him out. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated as this is all new to me. Thanks in advance!
Getting my new friend ready for winter
- Thread starter MsAngela
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Demamma
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What a lucky rabbit to have found you. I do not live where it snows so I personally do not have experience. There are some here that raise rabbits in tractors who say their rabbits run around in the snow without problems. You have made your rabbit a palace. I w think a heat lamp would be unnecessary. I would fill his house with straw and let him chose to stay dry or play in cold. He has a warm fur coat to keep him comfortable.
All I ever did for my "pet" rabbit was stuff his little hide box with hay and keep his water unfrozen. No heat lamp needed...on the really really cold bitter windy days when I opened his hide box and checked on him it was always toasty warm in there...and most days with a few feet of snow on the ground he was out in his run running around. So no worries I think.
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What a nice bunny home! 
Rabbits can chew through chicken wire... I can't tell if you have chicken wire over hardware cloth, or if the hardware cloth is on the other side.
Rabbits can chew through chicken wire... I can't tell if you have chicken wire over hardware cloth, or if the hardware cloth is on the other side.
Really? Oh my gosh! I used wire fencing with 1/2 inch squares on the house. I only used chicken wire on the front of his run so I would have enough room to push pansies and grass through from the other side. Do you think I should redo it with the squares? I don't want other animals to chew through either. He has made no attempt to get out probably because he's so spoiled. If I let him outside on the grass he runs back to the house. lol thanks for the nice comments about my palace! Everyone laughs at me and says I went a little overboard but my intention was to get him another friend to snuggle with until I found out I'd either have babies or fighting bunnies. I wanted him to have a realistic outdoor experience with everything a bun could ever want. He's been through a lot in his short little life. <br /><br />__________ Sat Sep 14, 2013 11:16 am __________<br /><br />Okay maybe the window box and shutters was for me. Lol
I wanted him to have a realistic outdoor experience with everything a bun could ever want. He's been through a lot in his short little life. <br /><br />__________ Sat Sep 14, 2013 11:16 am __________<br /><br />Okay maybe the window box and shutters was for me. Lol
MamaSheepdog
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Hi MsAngela!
:welcomewagon:
Welcome to RT!
What a fabulous hutch! You can come build quarters for my animals anytime! That is one lucky rabbit to have found you.
I second the suggestion to use cage wire on the run to make it more secure.
I would definitely not use a heater in the hutch. He will be perfectly warm in there without that.
There are heated water bottles available for rabbits, but I have read mixed reviews on them.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=H ... er-Bottle-
As long as you give him fresh water a couple of times a day he should be fine in the winter.
:welcomewagon:
Welcome to RT!
What a fabulous hutch! You can come build quarters for my animals anytime!
That is one lucky rabbit to have found you. I second the suggestion to use cage wire on the run to make it more secure.
I would definitely not use a heater in the hutch. He will be perfectly warm in there without that.
There are heated water bottles available for rabbits, but I have read mixed reviews on them.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/sis.html?_nkw=H ... er-Bottle-
As long as you give him fresh water a couple of times a day he should be fine in the winter.
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You can just run 1"x2" cage wire on it, right over the chicken wire if you want. Especially if he doesn't have access to the run at night or when you are gone (predators like dogs being the reason), that should be plenty sufficient.
I would go ahead and fortify the wire bottom of his little hutch with it, as well.
Don't feel bad at all... you're a new bunny owner, and there's a bit of a learning curve. That's a gorgeous hutch and run! He's a very lucky bunny!
I would go ahead and fortify the wire bottom of his little hutch with it, as well.
Don't feel bad at all... you're a new bunny owner, and there's a bit of a learning curve.
That's a gorgeous hutch and run! He's a very lucky bunny!
