Mary Allen
The spacious rabbit hutch in the garden with free access to a large run is considered the best form of keeping rabbits: the animals have grass to mumble on, space to play, and fresh air. On warm days, being outdoors is ideal for them. But, the concerned owner asks himself, what happens in winter when it gets cold, wet, and uncomfortable and the grass disappears under snow? Under these circumstances, shouldn’t it be better to bring the animals into the heated apartment? Read here how rabbits get along well outside in winter.
Can Rabbits Tolerate the Cold?
If the rabbit is healthy and has been kept outside since spring, wintering outside is not a problem: Adapted to the fluctuating outside temperatures over the course of the year, the animals develop a warm winter fur with a thick undercoat in autumn. Since rabbits also cuddle up to each other when it’s cold, they keep each other warm. Weakened or pregnant animals, young animals, and those that have not yet had enough time to adapt to the outdoor housing, on the other hand, should better spend the winter in the house. Even with some rabbit breeds with little undercoats, wintering outdoors is a bit trickier.
This also applies to rabbits with very lush outer hair such as angora or lions’ heads, as the long fur gets wet faster and is difficult to dry out in winter. Such rabbits absolutely need an absolutely dry outdoor enclosure. To be on the safe side, have the vet do a health check before the onset of winter: If the rabbits are healthy, they will be able to cope with low outside temperatures. As long as the animals are supplied with food and the rabbit hutch is winterproof, the cold doesn’t bother them much – it is more important that they can continue to use the exercise area in their usual enclosure without hindrance. Incidentally, rabbits like to romp around in the snow – movement keeps them fit.
How Do Rabbits Overwinter in Nature?
Although the progenitors of our house rabbits, the wild rabbits, originally immigrated to our latitudes from Mediterranean regions, the animals have adapted to the winter weather with ice and snow. They are also active in winter and do not hibernate. In nature, the rabbits create widely ramified, underground passage systems so that they live in the “underground” all year round – there they are also well protected against the cold. The winter food of wild rabbits consists on the one hand of plants that they scrape out from under the blanket of snow; Their strong teeth also make it possible to include roots and bark in the menu. In addition, wild rabbits eat as thick a layer of fat as possible before the onset of winter, from which they can feed in lean times. As you can see, the wild relatives of the house rabbits have come to terms with the winter very well.
What Do I Have to Consider When Keeping Rabbits in Winter?
Special attention is required when caring for rabbits in winter: Check regularly whether the animals have access to drinking water because drinking bowls freeze when it is below freezing. Nipple drinkers are completely unsuitable when there is a risk of frost. You also need to change wet gear immediately so that the rabbits don’t catch a cold.
Please provide absorbent bedding as a surface. Even if it is difficult and you are freezing yourself: If the rabbits overwinter in the outdoor stable, you must not bring them to cuddle and play in heated rooms in between.
The rapid temperature changes between warmth and cold stress the organism and can promote illness – this also applies to short stays in the building and in the event that a rabbit falls ill in winter. If quarantine is unavoidable by the group, the animal should be housed in an unheated room, such as the garage, until recovery and not exposed to the additional stress of temperature fluctuations. Equipped with a hat and winter jacket, you can spend time with your rabbits outdoors even on cold days. Also, treat them to a more generous feed ration.
When it is cold, the animals use more energy to regulate their body temperature. Note that fresh food such as lettuce leaves or herbs will also freeze at low temperatures. Therefore, offer the rabbits sufficient roughage, seeds, and frost-resistant vegetables such as sugar beets or kale. In winter it is better to serve smaller portions several times a day for immediate consumption. However, hay should always be available.
How Do I Winterize a Rabbit Hutch?
In order for the rabbits to spend the winter in the outdoor barn as pleasant as possible, you should already pay attention to a few important points when setting up:
This is how you make the rabbit hutch winterproof
- Weather protection: Place the rabbit hutch as sheltered from the wind as possible and not on the weather side of the building. Drafts and direct contact with rain or snow must be avoided at all costs. In the event of extreme cold spells, you can also hang up grid areas with woolen blankets or towels.
- Distance: The cage or stable should not have direct contact with the ground.
- Isolation: The floor and roof of the rabbit cage should also be insulated. Please do not use any material that the rabbits nibble on and accidentally swallow, such as styrofoam. The best thing to do is to create a false floor in the stable.
- Litter: Be generous with the stable litter in winter. A layer of litter about ten centimeters thick, hay and straw serve as an additional insulation material that the rabbits can build according to their own ideas.
- Cuddle nest: There should be an additional sleeping den in the rabbit hutch or cage.
- Artificial heat sources: If it is actually bitterly cold and the rabbits seem visibly cold, it is of course possible to provide artificial heat sources. This can be a hot water bottle (with a towel cover, protected from the bite), a red light lamp, or a heated shelter in the enclosure.
- Caution: The rabbits must be able to decide for themselves whether and for how long they use such heat sources – that is, they must be able to evade the heating at will.
What Do I Have to Consider When Keeping Rabbits in Winter?
Special attention is required when caring for rabbits in winter: Check regularly whether the animals have access to drinking water because drinking bowls freeze when it is below freezing. Nipple drinkers are completely unsuitable when there is a risk of frost. You also need to change wet gear immediately so that the rabbits don’t catch a cold. Please make sure that the bedding is absorbent. Even if it is difficult and you freeze yourself: When the rabbits hibernate in the outdoor barn, you must not bring them to cuddle and play in heated rooms in between. The rapid temperature changes between warmth and cold stress the organism and can promote illness – this also applies to short stays in the building and in the event that a rabbit falls ill in winter.
If quarantine is unavoidable by the group, the animal should be housed in an unheated room, such as the garage, until recovery and not exposed to the additional stress of temperature fluctuations. Equipped with a hat and winter jacket, you can spend time with your rabbits outdoors even on cold days. Also, treat them to a more generous feed ration. When it is cold, the animals use more energy to regulate their body temperature. Note that fresh food such as lettuce leaves or herbs will also freeze at low temperatures. Therefore, offer the rabbits sufficient roughage, seeds, and frost-resistant vegetables such as sugar beets or kale. In winter it is better to serve smaller portions several times a day for immediate consumption. However, hay should always be available.