Preperation for cold weather

[Linz_1987]

I was just wondering, we must have some sort of post about preperation for cold weather, but I just cant seem to find it.

Can anyone *bump* it for me/or us?

The frosty nights have started to turn here where I live, and its getting very cold for outside critters.

Although I have got lots of straw for the bunnies, and covers overtheir hutches I was wondering if there is any thing else I can do formy poor cold bunnies. My mum wouldnt let me bring theminside, not unless we got 2 foot of snow.

For my guinea pigs on the other hand, I have spent allmorning clearing out the shed so they can huddle in their in their oldcage.

I have covered half the cage with towls, but was wondering if a shed isok for ventilation? As I reckon the only air hole they haveis through the key hole. Should I keep the door openslightly? Or will that cause a draft and eventually bepointless of them being in the shed anyway?

Thank you for your help!

I would really apreciate it. ink iris:

 

[Bunnys_rule63]

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=16155&forum_id=17Thereyou go! I'm sure your buns will be fine, we have had a thick frost herefor a few days now but my buns are handling it just fine so I'm sureyours will be ok. Plenty of bedding and covering them over will beenough to protect them from the cold for now, I only start taking moreprecautions if the temp at night is dropping particularly low or wethere is a really cold snap.

 

[pinksalamander]

The chances of snow this year are supposed to be low anywho.

Good luck!

 

[Bunnys_rule63]

pinksalamander wrote:

The chances of snow this year are supposed to be low anywho.

Good luck!

Aww I lovesnow! Thebuns love playing in it too!Hopefully it will snow inJanuary, it never really snows here until after christmas.:?

 

[hunnybunny63]

yer i love the snow too! its not fair that we usually only get 1 day of properly deep snow a year! its not enough!!!

i think your buns will be fine and i still think leaving the door a jarwould be better as they need some fresh air jsut dont put their cage inthe draft!

does anyone know any good way of stopping water bottles freezing? ihave old socks on them which does help a little but not enough!

 

[Bunnys_rule63]

Really? We got quite a few deep snows last year,but then again I am further north than you! I don't usewater bottles in the winter, even if you can stop the actual waterfreezing the spouts still freeze up, I just give my girlsabowl because they are harder to freeze. My bowls have still frozen upquite a few times in the past few days though so it must be gettingchilly!:?

 

[hunnybunny63]

i think i will try bowls! my girls have alwaysused bottles but i have sen then drink out of bowls when i was teachingthem to jump over water!! lol

Daisy is getting a new bowl for xmas as at the min she is still usingthe bowl that was meant for both of them when they lvied together soits a big dog bowl!

ill try and get a couple more bowls tomoorow as im planning on getting some litter trays then any way

what would be best plastic or metal or ceramic for the weather? i knowits better to have heavey ones so they dont knoick it over so maybe notplastic!

 

[pinksalamander]

I'd think a plastic bowl would work best because it isn't as thermic as metal or ceramic.

The last time it snowed properly near me was the week i wasborn! Last week of Januray 1991. Its most likely not going to be aWhite Christmas but lets hope it gets a little snowy around mybirthday! I have a theory that people who were born in a certain timeof year like that same weather, like me i love the cold and i was bornin January. My mum loves spring, she wasborn in April, and myDad loves the heat and he was born in August! I wonder if it reallyworks for everyone

 

[hunnybunny63]

ok ill see if i can get plastic bowls!

i wasnt even borm in jan 1991 but i was born only slightly later!! lolyou must be 15 nearly 16 pinksalamander! oh and ncie theory i was bronin april and i dont liek it really cold but not too hot but i dotn liekthe rain so im not sure if i really work!!

 

[hunnybunny63]

hunnybunny63 wrote:

ok ill see if i can get plastic bowls!

i wasnt even born in jan 1991 but i was born only slightly later!! lolyou must be 15 nearly 16 pinksalamander! oh and ncie theory i was bronin april and i dont liek it really cold but not too hot but i dotn liekthe rain so im not sure if i really work!!

i got some plastic dog bowls today from wilkinsons!

 

[cookie2006]

Do everything in your power to help keep youlittle buns warm. Unfortunately, the very rapid drop inovernight temperatures here caused my bun to go into shock and he diedthis afternoon. They had plenty of warm bedding and a coveron the hutch. My vet couldn't tell me why some buns feel thecold more than others. Needless to say, I have brought myremaining bun into the garage until I can sort the shed outtomorrow.

Good idea about the bowl for water though, I will be switching.

 

[hunnybunny63]

sorry to hear about your bunny

my buns dont seem to mind the cold but when i put Daisy back today shewas thirsy and as i had put the new bowls next to the existing waterbottles as she drank the water bottle i took it away, tapped the bowland she switched to drinking out of her bowl!

great now all i need to do is check that Dandy is happy wiht it as when i put her away she was hungary so dug into eating!! lol

 

[Linz_1987]

The bunnies are nice and warm. Is ittrue that you can tell they are warm by touching theirears? Cos my bunnies ears are nice and warm so hopefully thatmeans theyARE warm?!

At the moment I am just worried about the guinea pigs, as they aresmallers and can feel the cold more. I put them in a wiredcage with a plastic bottom, its quite big, about the same size as theirhutch.

I was thinking maybe they would be warmer if I put the hutch in theshed instead? As its solid and has no gaps from thewires. But I put sheets and towels over the cage at themoment.

I am also worried that it might be REALLY dark for them in theirhutch? as its quite dark with the cage as there is only onewindow.

And lastly, shall I let them in their run during the day so they getsome run about? As when they were in their hutch and theirrun during the day before they never actually went out into their run,even though they had the choice to go in or out as theyplease. So to me it wouldnt make any difference, but its nicefor them to have the decision to go in their run. I wasthinking of making a little run for them in the shed with their hutchattached tomorow, but im not sure how I am going to do it!All I have is a little card board to make a little run. Ie.four sides so they cant run in with the spades and lawn mower etc, butI dont think it would be too stable :?

 

[Linz_1987]

Oh I am so sorry Cookie2006! Thats sosad Rest In Peace little one! I feel really bad now that mybunnies are outside. But as the last resort my mum wouldpossibly let me keep them inside this winter I so cant waitto get a place of my own.

I hope my bunnies are ok this year! As otherwise our gardenshed is going to have to be a little bunnie and piggie sanctuary thiswinter!

 

[pinksalamander]

I'm thinking my rabbit may be OK because he's ina more sheltered area. He has a lovely warm bed area that he rarelygoes in and when i stroke him his ears do feel cold but not loads. He'sright by the house and surrounded by fence and wall from almost allsides, i'm thinking the wind doesn't really get to his hutch that much?He always sits on the top level.

 

[hunnybunny63]

having the hutch next to the hsoue will keep them loads waremer which is why my 2 arent in their pens at night!

 

[Maureen Las]

I don't keep my buns outside ,however I do knowthat they do not do well at all with any extreme changes in temp so Icould see if a bun was overcome by the first extremely cold night. verysad...but it could also happen if the bun was exposed to very hotweather. Our climate is changing to the point that our seasons just gofrom one extreme to the other which doesn't help outside rabbits.