Winterizing Outdoor Hutch

[EnglishSpot]

I live in Cleveland, Ohio. This is my first winter with a rabbit. Lexi came to us as a rehome for my DD, and Lexi transitioned from a house rabbit to an outside rabbit. DH is allergic to rabbit, so coming in for the winter isn't an option. The garage gets a car parked in it, so the garage isn't an option. The rabbit will be on an east facing, covered porch (she currently faces south). The weather 98% of the time comes from the west, so she wont' be in direct weather ground zero.

I have done as much research (I'm a genealogist on the side, so I can research like nobody's business) as I can regarding hutch winterization, but I'm at the point where I need to communicate with folks that have outdoor rabbits.

My burning-est question is this: after I layer a blanket over the hutch and a tarp over that to keep the wet out, do I need to cover the open mesh panels with plyboard or plexiglass? I am modifying a slim kitchen cabinet so that Lexi will be able to go into the cabinet from the hutch (modifying the cabinet door so my DD can open it, clean out the straw and hay for bedding, etc) and get out of the weather completely. With that in mind, do I need to cover the hutch front since she'll be able to get out of the cold completely??

 

[Easy Ears]

I would leave the front, or a side open during the day, and at night, or on windy/snow days cover it completely.
That is just what I would do, but don't rely just on be, cause this is my first winter with rabbits.

 

[Zass]

That sounds about right Easy Ears. I only totally cover my hutches if it's going to be REALLY cold or windy.

Keeping rabbits out of the wind is really the most important concern.
But, they still need good ventilation.

 

[Marinea]

Last winter, we had temperatures of -15 degrees. My rabbits were outside, in wire cages, and were fine. They also raised a litter during that time.

All we did was cover the cages (wind side) with a layer of towels. I also added a small box and some hay for them to get into- they didn't. The biggest change for me was making sure they had water- changing their crocks several times a day. Otherwise, there was really no change. Summer heat is much harder on my buns than winter.

 

[Miss M]

Our rabbitry is made of fence pickets that are spaced 1/4 - 1/2". The north side is fence wire. We cover that side with clear plastic (visqueen) for the winter. It keeps out the wind, while the spacing of the pickets ensures there is still ventilation.

Of course, it rarely gets to 20*F here, but it's a humid cold. I suspect that a similar setup would work in colder climates.

 

[mwettig]

I have raised rabbits outside in wire cages for years. My experience with putting boxes in the cages hasnt been good. They will eat the boxes and then crap in them. So I only use the boxes when it is time for litters and then I put straw in them. I have never had problem with the cold. I do change their crocks out twice a day in the winter.

 

[JessiL]

Check out MSD's tutorial on installing artificial burrows (AKA repurposed plant pots). Those will give them a nice space off of the wire. But keep an eye on your rabbits, some of mine decide to try to eat their pots or use them as a bathroom, so not everyone has ended up with one.
how-to-pot-up-a-rabbit-t6566.html

Somebody else (michaels4gardens?) puts shelves along the walls of their cages, again giving them a good place to get up off the wire. I've integrated that idea into my latest version of a rabbit tractor, and the bunnies love it.

And as everyone else is saying, block the wind and any precip coming from above, and the rabbits will be just fine. Keep up with the watering chores and maybe feed a bit more during cold snaps. Our outdoor rabbits are either in a partially covered cattle panel "building" or in rabbit tractors, and everybunny does great. We breed year-round with kits doing better, if anything, during the winter than the summer.

 

[skysthelimit]

It's about that time a year again. Last year I did not have any one directly outside, but they are in an unheated century old barn, doubled walled though. Nothing extra besides keeping water.

The winter before, I kept the new Angoras and the grow out cages outside the barn door. Now you don't want Angoras cages stuffed with hay... so nothing much there. They were shielded by a fence, wrapped with a wind sun screen and covered with tarp at night. In the day I folded back the tarp, and the sunscreen protected them from blowing snow while allowing some light and ventilation. I can see downtown from my window, the winds off the lake are nasty, the hardest part was keeping the tarps on.

 

[Easy Ears]

What's the lowest temp a rabbit can be comfy in? (You can put in Fahrenheit and/or Celsius. But please state which you did.)

 

[skysthelimit]

Well last winter was -17F with wind chill, and I had a litter in Jan and Feb.

 

[dmirza]

I'm new to rabbitry and have a large outdoor hutch in san jose, ca. How much cold can rabbits handle?

 

[Sagebrush]

Rabbits can handle fairly low temps, ie: -15*F, if kept out of direct wind and moisture. If you use a tarp to keep the wind and rain/snow out of the hutches they can handle being out all winter. No need to move your rabbits into the house. I believe where you are it mainly just rains, very small chance of snow.

 

[alforddm]

Those of you who have raised litters during the winter. How did you do it?

This is my first winter to raise rabbits. Mine our outside in wire cages. They have a roof and I've put out boxes of hay for the big rabbits but what should I do for a new litter? We occasionally get down in the teens at night but not that often, although, this may turn out to be a colder than average winter. It's supposed to get down to 18 tonight. It's been a very long time since it got that cold here in November.

 

[Zass]

Those of you who have raised litters during the winter. How did you do it?

This is my first winter to raise rabbits. Mine our outside in wire cages. They have a roof and I've put out boxes of hay for the big rabbits but what should I do for a new litter? We occasionally get down in the teens at night but not that often, although, this may turn out to be a colder than average winter. It's supposed to get down to 18 tonight. It's been a very long time since it got that cold here in November.

I prefer straw to hay for my nestboxes, especially when temps get well below freezing.
And I pack the nestboxes FULL.
I like it because straw has more insulation value, and the rabbits tend to eat less of it, leaving more in the nestbox for the kits. It's not absorbent, so adding something to the bottom layer to absorb moisture is nice.
It's not necessary though, and lots of people do just fine with hay all winter.

A brick or step in front of the nestbox can help make sure kits who wander out early can get back in more easily.

If it's REALLY cold, you can bring the whole nestbox inside and just take it out once or twice a day for the does to nurse, until the kits are well furred out. This is even simpler than it sounds, if that's possible. It's kinda nice to have little snugly buns inside to get socialized and keep the kids busy too. I think I'm starting to favor having them in VS leaving them out, just for those reasons.

I do move them to a lidded wooden picnic basket instead of the nestbox when I have them in. It helps keep them contained and safe when I can't be around to keep an eye on them.
(I have cats.)
The holes all over the basket allow for ventilation, so they won't suffocate even if I latch the it closed.

[album]2501[/album]

 

[alforddm]

If it's REALLY cold, you can bring the whole nestbox inside and just take it out once or twice a day for the does to nurse, until the kits are well furred out. This is even simpler than it sounds, if that's possible. It's kinda nice to have little snugly buns inside to get socialized and keep the kids busy too. I think I'm starting to favor having them in VS leaving them out, just for those reasons.

That is what I have done with the litter i have now, which is my first ever. They were born Sunday when the weather was still mild then on Tuesday it started dropping. Seems really cold to me...it's 36 outside right now and has been down in the 20's at night. I wasn't completely sure if it was necessary to bring them in but being my first litter, I didn't want to risk loosing them to cold. I have them in the back bathroom which is the coolest room in the house.

What do you consider "REALLY cold"? I imagine that some local climate acclimatization occurs with rabbits?

Thanks so much for the reply.

 

[Rainey]

This thread is reassuring for our first winter with rabbits. Just wondered about light. Ours are in wire cages inside a small shed with a window on each end and a door that we'll leave open during the day if wind and temps allow. But there is so little light here in winter anyway that it is bound to be dim. Know more light is helpful for the hens and think I've heard it may be needed for successful breeding of rabbits but we don't plan to breed again until late winter/early spring. I know how I crave light in the winter, but maybe rabbits, having evolved using burrows, don't feel that way about it?

 

[Zass]

If it's REALLY cold, you can bring the whole nestbox inside and just take it out once or twice a day for the does to nurse, until the kits are well furred out. This is even simpler than it sounds, if that's possible. It's kinda nice to have little snugly buns inside to get socialized and keep the kids busy too. I think I'm starting to favor having them in VS leaving them out, just for those reasons.

That is what I have done with the litter i have now, which is my first ever. They were born Sunday when the weather was still mild then on Tuesday it started dropping. Seems really cold to me...it's 36 outside right now and has been down in the 20's at night. I wasn't completely sure if it was necessary to bring them in but being my first litter, I didn't want to risk loosing them to cold. I have them in the back bathroom which is the coolest room in the house.

What do you consider "REALLY cold"? I imagine that some local climate acclimatization occurs with rabbits?

Thanks so much for the reply.

Seems to me that the speed of the temperature drop has more to me perceiving it as "really cold" than the actual number. In general, above 20 degrees F doesn't worry me, but when it gets down below the 20s I start getting a bit more nervous, especially if it dropped fast. If it goes down into the 10 or below I'll get them inside. My husband says they don't need it, but it helps me sleep better.

The most vulnerable age seems to be when they are a bit older. Around 8 or 9 days old, when they have fur but their eyes are not yet open. That's when they have the hardest time getting back into the nest if they wander out.

Rainey,
My buns will breed in winter without supplemented light. I do wait for a break in the weather if the conditions are harsh. Warmer, sunnier winter days seem to get those does in the mood.

What light I get must still be enough for them. Or else, like you mentioned, being adapted for burrows makes them not at all concerned about it.

 

[Sagebrush]

What I have used is cardboard to line the subterranean nets boxes that I built myself. Then I use grass hay only because I have not managed to get any good straw to be found so far in the city.

This is an old picture of what my nest boxes look like.

 

[Truckinguy]

I've found that the rabbits will build whatever nest is appropriate for the weather. I built nest boxes out of 3/4 plywood with cage wire bottoms to let liquids drain. I just keep a box in the colony all the time with fresh bedding of straw on the floor of the colony and the does will put as much straw/fur mixture in the nest box as they feel necessary. My rabbits have bred year round with no problems and I've had a litter of two survive nights of -25c with no problem. When it is really cold the does will stuff the nest box with so much straw that I have to reach in as deep as my elbow to find the kits.

Keep the rabbits dry and out of the wind and they will do just fine. High heat is more dangerous to them then extreme cold

 

[Gerard Dawn]

Another piece of advice is that the sides of hutches also need to be water proofed. Coating will wear and needs to be reapplied every few years, more if necessary. This will stop the damp entering the hutch and also protect the wood from rotting.

If you are treating the inside of the accommodation it needs to be with a stain or varnish that is safe for pets. The DIY store or product manufacturer should be able to advise you on which products are suitable.