Outside for the winter

[skysthelimit]

There is no more room in the barn, not in the bunny side. I don't want to put rabbits in the dog side. Should I even worry about bunnies in the dog barn?
I do have some now outside in quarantine/grower cages. If some bunny has to be outside permanently in the Ohio winter, should it be the Rexes, Silver Fox or mini Rexes? They should be ok, right? They are on a wooden hanging shelf with a roof. I Can wrap it with tarp or completely enclose it with boards. I'm thinking though, on nights when I bring the dogs into the barn, I would feel bad that the buns were still out there.

 

[Random Rabbit]

Long ago we had a large group of out rabbits in outside runs. They had wooden coops that they could go into whenever they wanted. Guess who would be Outside in the runs bouncing happily at -20 degrees ????? Not us !!! we would be trying to get thru chores as fast as possible... and the rabbits were having a blast ! The coats those rabbits had were Awesome !!!
I would suggest that the Rexes especially the Minis would be better with more protection... but the heavy coat of the Foxes should give ample protection.

 

[3mina]

As long as they're out of drafts and stay dry you'll have no problems. The SFs would probably be the best bet but my Rex's were outside last winter and I had no issues at all and it gets down below -40 here regularly. I had more problems with the rain this summer.
Whoever is going to be outside needs to be out now though for smooth acclimation.

 

[skysthelimit]

It's still 80 degrees here, there is no AC in the barn, so will acclimation really be a problem?

__________ Sat Sep 01, 2012 7:42 pm __________

They can go out, but since outside is generally quarantine, I have three out there already.

 

[3mina]

I would so they can get used to not having walls but I also forget you guys tend to have longer seasons. Even in an unheated building it's warmer than it is outside so the rabbits need to get used to working a bit harder on regulating themselves.

 

[skysthelimit]

I would so they can get used to not having walls but I also forget you guys tend to have longer seasons. Even in an unheated building it's warmer than it is outside so the rabbits need to get used to working a bit harder on regulating themselves.

Oh, ok. There will be some type of wall, either I will put wood around it or tarp. Will be a bit thinner than the barn walls. If not, they would get buried under quite a bit of snow, probably not a problem for them, but I'd like to be able to find the white food crocks

 

[3mina]

Mine were in a three sided leanto, open on the south side to catch the sun. It kept the snow off and most of the wind away. Tarp walls will work well but I'd use something solid for the roof if you usually get a lot of snow

 

[skysthelimit]

The roof is wood, painted and covered, with a foot overhang all around. Usually we get a lot of rain, too much for a tarp to handle. I believe it is open to the south. I had to think about that, it's back faces the lake. I am trying to avoid turning it into another full shed, just tore down the chicken coop to put it up.

 

[3mina]

That sounds about perfect

 

[skysthelimit]

It just seems like so little and that it makes me nervous

 

[Southbound_SF]

I think the Silver Foxes would do great outside all winter. Why, you ask? Because I keep SFs outside, not in a building, all year round and I'm up by Chicago. They're under their own little roof and backed up to a fence, and in the dead of winter last year we put clear plastic sides on the structure. The wind still had big gaps to get through, but it helped - or maybe it just helped my peace of mind.

Windbreaks are important, but you don't need to surround them. New kits are vulnerable, but adults are quite robust in the cold. What you don't want to do, I think, is move them back and forth. Get them outside soon and leave them there, so they can grow a good thick winter coat and get used to weather in the autumn.

Go for it! Their water will freeze constantly (I think I changed water bottles 4 times a day for a couple of weeks last winter), but the buns themselves won't mind a bit. I tried giving mine boxes stuffed with straw to hide in during blizzards & -15 degree nights, but they were having none of it.


SB

 

[3mina]

It just seems like so little and that it makes me nervous

They're tougher than you think. Surprisingly my NZW trio didn't do as well as my Rex's over the winter, I lost one and I had one freeze an ear tip but they had come from a building whereas the Rex's had been raised outside.

 

[Cindi Davis]

I keep my rabbits outside year round. They are all large breeds like the NZ and Flemish. WHen I had Mini's they were in the garage which afforded them more protection. I did have a shed built behind the garage for them but they still are out in the cold. I forsee no problem at all, of course there will be protection from the winds and snow usually a tarp is in front of the cages but then they all have a box to crawl into with straw too

 

[ollitos]

Mine are outdoors all year - Silver Fox, New Zealand, Am Chin, seniors, juniors and kits. They LOVE the cold weather. Mine are in rabbit tractors and have an enclosed hutch they can go in when they want to get a break from the wind.

 

[skysthelimit]

I am going to put the doors (shutters really), from the chicken coop on the sides, so I can open them in the day. I will totally board up the back, put leave the front with a tarp that falls down during the night.

I was really worried about fly strike, there are so many flies on this property. There are plenty in the barn too, but it's much easier to keep them down to a minimum in the barn than it is in the yard.

The dogs are outside in kennels and they have the run of the yard. For the most part, the buns are much safer in the barn, and out of the prying eyes of my neighbors.<br /><br />__________ Sun Sep 02, 2012 7:18 pm __________<br /><br />a bit primitive, but I was not sure how this was going to work out, it was only supposed to be for the quarantine area. Everything turns out to be a bigger project than I anticipate.

 

[3mina]

That'll work great, a better set up than I started with

 

[skysthelimit]

I will put the silver foxes out them, they will need the biggest cages and those are outside.

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKBGjUtq ... ure=g-hist


This guy shows how to build some amazing outdoor 10 hole hutches. I plan to make some here next year. At first I didn't think I could use them in the winter. Then I noticed he has a long sheet of plywood on the north side of the cages. In winter and bad weather he just flips them up on their hinges and latch them up to block the weather for the rabbits. Brilliant!

 

[skysthelimit]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKBGjUtqJ2w&feature=g-hist


This guy shows how to build some amazing outdoor 10 hole hutches. I plan to make some here next year. At first I didn't think I could use them in the winter. Then I noticed he has a long sheet of plywood on the north side of the cages. In winter and bad weather he just flips them up on their hinges and latch them up to block the weather for the rabbits. Brilliant!

Those look really good!

 

[tm_bunnyloft]

I get a discount on building supplies from Menards because my husband is a manager there so I think I will be building quite a few of those.