Winter Care

Winter in our neck of the woods never gets too extreme regarding temperatures or climate. But, on those few days when it really comes into play and water bottles are frozen, there are a few things we do here in our rabbitry to help the bunnies feel more comfortable in the cold.

Water bottles are fine for most of the year but in the face of sub-freezing temperatures, they do freeze and the bunny is unable to get water from the frozen spout. Crocks should always be kept on hand for this time of year. Plastic crocks are nice because the ice that might accumulate can be broken away, removed and water refilled. Generally, if it is cold enough to freeze their water than I make sure I go out to the rabbitry a few times a day to break out ice and refill so they still have a constant supply of fresh water to drink.

Another thing we do here if it's especially cold is to give the bunnies plenty of hay and sometimes a shoe box to build a little bed. Even the bucks will move the hay around to construct a makeshift shelter in the cage. It's really cute to go out and see them all hunkered down in their little bunkers. If you put your hand in, you can feel that they make a very efficient little warm shelter. This process can be very messy as they tend to soil in the box or on the excess hay in the cage so special cleaning should be done at this time.

With the winter cold comes a need for the bunnies to burn more energy to stay warm. This is why we also supply winter bunnies with a pinch of quick oats in their dishes. They seem to absolutely love it and it gives them that added boost to combat the cold temps.

All in all, winter is not a dangerous time for full grown rabbits if they are taken care of properly. The hot summer months are a much more dangerous time as fighting the heat is harder than fighting the cold for our little furry friends. As long as you make sure they have a good supply of food and water, they should do just fine in the winter.