Ok temp for Jersey Woolies

[CalicoPrairie]

Hi all. I've had my precious Wooly since last Saturday and she has been living inside since I got her. I got her from a rabbitry, so my guess is that she was likely housed outside. This might be a dumb question, but will she be ok outside at night since she's been inside for the past week? What temp is too cold for these bunnies?

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

I don't know for certain what a Jersey Wooly can handle, temperature-wise, but from what I can tell and what others have told me, rabbits do great in cooler temperatures. My basement is where all mine live, it stays just above freezing in the worst of winter, and never gets much past 70 in the summer...and they all thrive and have nice soft, thick coats and nice meaty bodies, and they eat like very small hoofless horses. You might want to insulate the hutch/cage/whatever, or add some extra bedding to a box to sleep in, but I'd think any rabbit should be ok outside unless it gets truly mind-bogglingly cold.

But again, unfamiliar with the breed's specific needs, so...YMMV. Best of luck!

 

[MaggieJ]

Sudden changes can be hard for rabbits to cope with. If she is going to be an indoor bunny by day, I would not put her outdoors at night if it is a lot colder. What kind of a temperature difference are you talking about? I see you are in California, so perhaps what you call cold is not what I call cold, if you know what I mean.

 

[CalicoPrairie]

Thanks everyone.

Cold here is between 30-70 degrees daily. I wouldn't have her inside all day long, and outside at night. She would be living outside all day, with occasional "visits" with me outside or inside.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I would wait until a few nice days are forecast so she can adjust to being outside. If you could provide a small box or something for her to rest in where she will stay warm from accumulated body heat she should be fine, I would think.

 

[CalicoPrairie]

I would wait until a few nice days are forecast so she can adjust to being outside. If you could provide a small box or something for her to rest in where she will stay warm from accumulated body heat she should be fine, I would think.

What temp would be a nice few days? Thanks.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Umm- maybe high 50's to mid 60's during the day, with a low of 35 or 40 at night? Dry cold is better than damp- you know how cold it feels when there is moisture in the air even when the temperature is higher. Something kind of close to the temp of your house- or maybe you could move her to the garage or other unheated part of the house for a couple of days and then put her outside? We are in Kern County in the mountains, and it is very windy here today- I don't know if Riverside is getting the same weather, but I wouldn't put her out in the wind!

I think LilFish has woollies- maybe she has some good tips. I have standard Rex and they may be more hardy- I think the smaller breeds are more sensitive in general.

 

[CalicoPrairie]

Umm- maybe high 50's to mid 60's during the day, with a low of 35 or 40 at night? Dry cold is better than damp- you know how cold it feels when there is moisture in the air even when the temperature is higher. Something kind of close to the temp of your house- or maybe you could move her to the garage or other unheated part of the house for a couple of days and then put her outside? We are in Kern County in the mountains, and it is very windy here today- I don't know if Riverside is getting the same weather, but I wouldn't put her out in the wind!

We've got a high of 67 and a low of 39 today, and windy (about 10mph). The new hutch (closed on three sides, open front) will be inside of a shed with the doors open, with another shed blocking any wind from blowing into the shed. I plan on covering the hutch every night and uncovering each morning, just in case of wind or moisture. I don't mind keeping her inside a few more days to help her adjust if need be, but I was thinking our set up might work out just fine. What do you think?

I think LilFish has woollies- maybe she has some good tips. I have standard Rex and they may be more hardy- I think the smaller breeds are more sensitive in general.

Yep, LilFish is a wooly owner too. Hopefully she will weigh in over here, but if not, it's ok--I think she's having a rough week.

I am conversing with some other wooly owners on Facebook, so that's helping me get a pretty good picture of what I ought to do.

Thanks for all your help, I really do appreciate it, as I can use all the help I can get!