Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow . . .

[pamnock]

Wow! We are getting blasted with snowhere I love to be out at the bunny barn on days like theselistening to the gentle munching of hay and watching the bunns hoparound their cages, warm, comfortable and oblivious to the fact that astorm is raging outdoors.

I'm all stocked up on feed, carried warm water out this morning to putin the watering system and ran the heaters while I worked out there.

I get so upset when I hear stories of "they didn't get fed todaybecause I ran out of feed", "water froze and I couldn't getany more to them", "couldn't get out to the barn because ofthe snow", "haven't cleaned the cages since last fall" . . .a never ending stream of excuses from people who shouldn't have rabbitsin the first place :X (Sorry, I occasionally have to vent)

Please, please, please!!!!! Keep those outdoor bunnies warm, well fed and give them fresh water.

Pam

 

[Carolyn]

AMEN on that vent, Pamnock!

It's sunny here now, but I know it's coming! I hope it doesn't hituntil after 2:30 because I just have to get my hair done today. :shock:

The rabbits have more food than I do, so I better get on it.

Stay warm - and hope your electricity holds out!

Love,
-Carolyn

 

[mambo101]

Good venting Pam. I always try to keep one extra bag of each bunny essential on hand, just in case.

 

[lanna21974]

I'm with ya on that one. I usually buy feed threebags at a time so I never run out. We dont get snowed in here so I'mlucky on that score...but I'm in that bunny barn everyday at least 3times a day and always right before I go to bedrain or shine.

Lanna

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

I can't believe people would use those excuses!

I mean I've ran outside in a hailstorm (golf ball sized hail) that wascoming from a 45 degree angle right in my face just so I could makesure my bunnies were ok!

I put up with -40 and belowwindchill factors to run out to myhay shed to grab my boys their pellets even though they are in thegarage and warm.

I go outside at least 7 times a day (school days cut the amount of timeI can get home to water my bunnies) inany cold weather togive fresh, unfrozenwater.

I clean their cages daily and whenever it warms up to slightly overfreezing I use bleach and soap and wash down the wood floor boards andlet them dry in the sun just for the boys.

I have enough pellets, hay, and oats to last me a while and I never let it get down too low before I pick up more.

I cannot believe people would use such excuses! I always put my animalsfirst -- if they're not fed, warm, and happy then I wont eat, be warm,or get to sit down and do nothing until they are 'hunky dory'.

 

[mygrl2k3]

shhhhhh no more snow. I dont haveoutside bunnies but snow is no reason not to take care ofbunnies. Shame on those people.

Cristy

 

[Dwarf_Angel04]

Well, we were told we would wake up to more snowon the ground. I have yet to see it snow! We better get some more snowbecause they cancelled a rabbit show because of this 'storm'!

LOL! I'm venting cause I want MORE snow! I'd be quiet upset if they ended up cancelling the show because of a 'fizzle'!

When we had our 24 inches of snow back in December, I managed to getout and feed LOL! It took me about 4 runs out to the barn toocause I kept forgeting stuff! I was fallin' on my butt and everything.By the time i got to the barn I realized I had to dig the barn outbefore getting in. That was the worse feeding session I've ever had.LOL!

Amanda

 

[bunsforlife]

Well being as

#1 I still feel like poo

#2 I went to work yesterday and proceeded to vomit

#3 The blizzard

I called out sick from work today =p

The rumor mill is already whirring I bet, people saying I am faking it =p

Of course I feel bad about calling out, but hell I am honest to goodness sick!

 

[rabbitgirl]

pamnock wrote:

I get so upset when I hear stories of "they didn't get fed todaybecause I ran out of feed", "water froze and I couldn't getany more to them", "couldn't get out to the barn because ofthe snow", "haven't cleaned the cages since last fall" . . .a never ending stream of excuses from people who shouldn't have rabbitsin the first place :X (Sorry, I occasionally have to vent)

Please, please, please!!!!! Keep those outdoor bunnies warm, well fed and give them fresh water.

Pam

That's awful!! I really worry about mine, less so in snow than in heatand wind. I remember a mad dash to the cages one windy and rainymidnight to tie them to the fence so they wouldn't blow over.

Since our winters arealmost invariablySiberian, mybuns are fairly used to the winter routine and do a better job takingcare of themselves (well, most of them!) than I do. We had a short nestbuilding "class", but after that I haven't cleaned or altered boxes forabout four weeks or more. They got the lesson! No more nests asbathrooms! I was so proud. They smell so sweet, like marsh hay andstraw...unless Bub sprays something and rolls in it....:X

My biggest problem is keeping Pandemonium, Fenwick, and Smokey's cagesclean. They have very messy habits in the cage portion and stufffreezes absolutely solid. All I can do is chip away with my littleshoveluntil the place is liveable (the mess in one day!!Sheesh!!) Soap and water is useless on days when one's eyelashes freezetogether and water freezes on contact.

The biggest tip I could give anyone in cold climates is: build cageswith an OUTSIDE support system. If the tops of the cage legs areinside the cage walls, stuff builds up in the bathroomcorner--even if it's only a small area blocked by the leg. Bub andIzzy's cages are spotlessly clean because we finally figured that out!The little guys will be in line for brand new cages soon, I hope.

Yes, it's definitely necessary to be mindful of buns in any sort of badweather! Tucked in snug houses it can be easyforownersto forget how they are feeling.

Rose

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

I know what you mean Rose. My boys have removableboxes in their hutches (different than the half open and half closedsetup most of you have) which I place right in the middle of theirhutches. They do not go to the bathroom in it at all and I very rarelyhave to clean it out (I change straw totally once every 3 weeks becauseit's very fresh and pointless to change any more often) but Ifrequently add more straw because sometimes they eat the straw.

Soap and water does nothing until it gets up to at least 36 and is verysunny otherwise the water will freeze instead of drying. Most of thetime I have to goat least4 months without beingable to clean their floor boards other than chip off frozen water andpoop that has frozen on the boards because of spilled water. They go topee on the wire part so that's a plus! All I have to do is pour abottle of hot water in the corner for anything that froze on the woodledge before it could drain off and the corner is clean.

Other than that it's hard to clean cages in very cold weather. But we do our best and our bunnies are obviously happy!

 

[Bo B Bunny]

We were supposed to get hit with the snow lastnight, but most of it went north of us. Now, we have highwinds and snow. I think you are going to be hit hard Pam.

I can't agree more with your "vent"!!! I keep at least 1weeks' worth of feed EXTRA. If I get to the point of beingless than that, I go get more. I don't have to worry aboutthe animals that way.

Yesterday when I knew we could have a bad snow, I went to the store,and I got Bo some extra greens just incase..... I mean it was a whole$1 to buy him a bunch of carrots for the tops.... I usually go to thestore for greens 2 x a week.... if I couldn't get out, he'd have thoseto eat If I could, he still has them

We even worry about our wild birds! My husband called fromout of town to tell my son to put the new suet cakes out for thewoodpeckers and to fill the feeders before the snow hit.