Easy Remedies For Warmth In Winter?

[Ashley B]

Around my house it has been getting a little chilly at night.. Almost around 30' F. My Male Rex rabbit's cage is in the garage for right now and so it is not AS cold as it is outside.. but I still feel like it is kind of cold. Does any body have some ideas as to how I could keep him a little warmer without using hay? Thanks

-Ashley

 

[Imbrium]

bunnies do pretty well in very cold temperatures - the most important thing is to make sure he's not exposed to any drafts.

if he's not one for chewing on fabric, you can stuff a clean sock with uncooked rice and microwave it for a couple minutes as a heating pad.

may I ask why hay isn't an option? if it's the cost, perhaps you could get some cheap straw from a feed store - it shouldn't double as food like hay does because it has no nutritional value, but it's a good insulator.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

What kind of cage does he have? It it is a wire cage (wire top with plastic or wire bottom), then you can cover it with a heavy blanket leaving one side open as it will help keep the heat in but also allow airflow and keep it from getting too warm. Giving him a nesting box or even just a house can help too and have some soft bedding for him. If he is in a hutch, then a blanket can still be a good idea, but a wooden hutch is more insulated anyway.

Since it is getting below freezing, you do need to keep an eye on his water supply. Make sure it doesn't freeze as he would then have no water. A dish is better as he would be able to break a thin layer of ice where a bottle would make it much harder.

Rabbits tend to do better in the cold than the heat, so as long as it isn't too cold then he should be fine. He might eat more since he is burning more calories to keep warm, so giving him more food as it gets colder can be a good idea (not too much so he doesn't get fat).

 

[ldoerr]

I agree that you should get a bale of hay from a feed store and use it for stuffing the cage. It is SOOOOOOOOOOO much cheaper than buying it at the store or online. Like the others have said, cover the cage with a blanket leaving a small gap for air flow. When I had my rabbitry, to keep the rabbits warm in winter (lower 20*s part of the winter) I stuffed the cage with hay and closed the barn door leaving a little gap for air flow. For my outdoor hutches I covered them with towels and a tarp and put even more hay in the cage.

 

[Stone_family3]

My bunnies don't really chew paper, so I shredded paper and stuffed it in a cat carrier. I just change the paper out as needed. My bunnies live in a cage in the chicken coop and when it is warm they move to a cage in the back yard so they can nibble on the grass and enjoy the fresher air.

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

ldoerr wrote:

I agree that you should get a bale of hay from a feed store and use it for stuffing the cage. It is SOOOOOOOOOOO much cheaper than buying it at the store or online. Like the others have said, cover the cage with a blanket leaving a small gap for air flow. When I had my rabbitry, to keep the rabbits warm in winter (lower 20*s part of the winter) I stuffed the cage with hay and closed the barn door leaving a little gap for air flow. For my outdoor hutches I covered them with towels and a tarp and put even more hay in the cage.

Yes, I have done this and it works wonderfully. Plus, they seem to like having all that hay to play in.

 

[pamnock]

A closed box stuffed with hay/straw is one of the best insulators for bunns to snuggle into.

 

[Bill Jesse]

I picked up a couple of heavy Mexican blankets at the thrift store for five dollars. They do well covering the hutches. A cardboard box stuffed with hay is great. Get your boxes from a wine store and make certain they have no cello-tape holding the flaps together. Rabbits may eat it.

As for hay and straw it is really good. However bunnies can tolerate the cold better than the heat. At one time we were holding a dozen bunnies in carriers in a plastic garden shed. The temperature was forecast to dip. We stuffed lots of extra hay in the carriers but in the morning most of the rabbits were sitting on top of the hay!

One word about plastic garden sheds. Don't use them if you have a lot of rabbits. The humidity gets high in them and the condensation drips from the ceiling.

 

[Bill Jesse]

Sorry forgot to add this comment to Ashley. If you are keeping your rabbit in the garage I hope the car is not there as well. Fumes from the car's exhaust can kill a rabbit.

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

Bill Jesse wrote:

If you are keeping your rabbit in the garage I hope the car is not there as well. Fumes from the car's exhaust can kill a rabbit.

I have to agree-I would really worry about that, and about exhaust from other power equiptment like snowblower etc. could also cause issues I would think.