Care for rabbits in winter

Brrr, winter! We can snuggle into bed under a blanket, but what about rabbits that are used to living outside? They can stay outside in the winter, but you should support them. In this article, we explain how to do this, so that your rabbits can also keep themselves upright in the cold months. Tip number 1 is that rabbits should always have a buddy to snuggle up to.

Rabbits in winter: sheltered and out of the wind

First of all, it is important that the loft is out of the wind. An outside cage must also have a night cage, as your rabbits can be sheltered here. To keep the cold out of the rabbit hutch in winter, it is possible to mount plexiglass in front of the mesh. This keeps the cold wind out, but there is still enough light. Always leave enough space for ventilation. Another option is to hang the burlap in front of the mesh. That ventilates better than plexiglass but does make the rabbit hutch a bit darker. Forget the run from the hutch to the windward side, so that your rabbits are not in the draft. Please note: if you have covered the run around the turn of the year, you have to be extra careful that there are no fireworks on it. This can lead to a fire, which is of course dangerous for your rabbits.

Winter cage decor

We can of course also do everything on the inside of the cage to make it pleasant for your rabbits. Start with a (thick) layer of ground cover, for example, wood fiber/hemp fiber. On top of that, put a layer of straw, Supreme Supasoft Bedding. It is important that this underlay absorbs moisture and retains heat. With an extra thick layer of straw, your rabbits can snuggle up to keep themselves warm.

Rabbits and severe frost

Rabbits can survive down to -15 / -20 degrees, with some precautions, but you should definitely take measures from -10 degrees. If you notice that your (older or weaker) animals have some difficulty keeping warm, move them to a garage or shed with adequate ventilation, light, and fresh air. The shelter and somewhat higher temperatures up to a maximum of 10/12 degrees can be sufficient. Isn’t it possible to put your rabbits in a shed or garage? Make sure that your rabbits can hide deep in the straw. You could also put a heating pad in the loft. Make sure that this heating pad is not too warm and that it is under the straw so that your rabbits can lie on it more easily. Keep a close eye on your rabbits for gnawing.
Don’t just bring your rabbits into your home either! They took 3 months to produce a winter coat. If they are then brought inside with this ‘winter coat’, there is even a risk of overheating. If you are considering keeping your rabbits indoors during the cold days, you should pay close attention to the temperature. When your rabbits are exposed to temperatures above 12 degrees, your rabbits can shed and lose their winter coat. You cannot then keep them out again until mid-May.

Tip : Provide adequate shelter

It is important that your rabbits can snuggle away to a warm place. You can do this by placing a lot of straw in the cage and in the night cage, but also by placing a rabbit house or a tunnel. Here your rabbits can sit out of the wind, which saves a lot of colds.

Feed rabbits in the winter

It is not necessary to give your rabbits much more food than usual in the winter. Rabbits naturally keep themselves quieter in the winter, because there is less food to be found. You can give your rabbit extra support by giving an extra tuft of hay during the colder days. Make sure not to leave too much rabbit food, especially during the freezing cold. When rabbits eat frozen foods, they can develop diarrhea. Do you notice that your rabbit has diarrhea during the freezing days? Give your rabbit only water and roughage such as hay for a few days.

Tip: Watch out for old and sick rabbits!

Old and sick rabbits can suffer from the cold more quickly than healthy, young adult rabbits. This is partly because these types of rabbits do not get through the shedding period as well. Do you have such a rabbit? Regularly check the coat and general health from freezing temperatures.

How often do water changes/changes?

If your rabbits’ drinking water keeps freezing, it is necessary to provide fresh water more often in a day. Do this at regular intervals so your rabbits know when to drink it. Make sure your rabbits drink again, especially in the evening. To prevent the water from freezing, there are special insulating sleeves for the drinking bottle. Keep an eye on the water; with the covers, it takes longer for the water to freeze, but in heavy frost, it can still freeze.
Do you have several rabbits? Then it is useful to place a water bowl next to a drinking bottle. Rabbits can then drink from the water bowl at the same time instead of one after the other and can drink more greedily than from a drinking bottle.

Tip: Watch out for frostbite!

Check the spout of the drinking bottle regularly. Despite a cover, this nozzle can easily freeze, so that no water comes out. Placing a bowl of water is convenient. You can drink more greedily and with several, but be careful, it can also fall over, and the bottom freezes.

Tip: Beaphar grape sugar in the water

Add some Beaphar grape sugar to the water. These sugars are easily absorbed and are burned immediately, which produces heat and energy. Because there is grape sugar in the water, it also freezes less quickly.

Cold rabbit ears

Rabbits will have icy ears in the winter cold. This is not to say that your rabbits are completely cold. You can check this! Check that the body temperature is right by feeling the dimple in the neck just below the back of the head. It must be warm there. Is this not the case? take your rabbit inside and put him or her in a blanket. Your rabbit should then warm up again fairly quickly. Does your rabbit stay cold after some time? Then the cage is really too cold and it is better to house your rabbit somewhere else, in a warmer place.

Young rabbits in the winter

Young autumn rabbits that were not born outside cannot be kept in an outside cage in the winter. This is because they don’t have a winter coat yet. Only in the spring, in mid-May, they can get used to outside. Rabbits that have been living outside since the summer has developed a thick winter coat. They can stay outside until about 10 degrees frost.

Also Read: 7 Reasons Why Walking Your Dog Is Fun and Healthy