Keeping outdoor rabbits warm in winter

Earlier this year we got two dwarf rabbits which live in an outdoor hutch LIKE THIS ONE, connected by a length of tube to a run. The set-up is on a relatively sheltered position against a fence facing away from the prevailing wind. We also have a matching plastic cover for the hutch but it is waterproof only, not insulated and as well we have just ordered a microwaveable bed for them. I have been reading up and it seems some people go to all sorts of lengths to keep their rabbits warm (ie, bringing them indoors etc) but we aren’t willing to do that as we have a dog.

Has anyone been through this and can advise what precautions they took to avoid having their children go out to find two rabbits doing an impression of the dog in the back of the car in Planes, Trains and Automobiles?

Bring them indoors.

Place them somewhere warm with some challots and redwine.

Hutch hugger and loads of straw. The bunnies will grow a thick winter coat.

Our two were outside for twelve years and were fine.

We moved the hutch in to one of the sheds.

Failing that you could do an insulation upgrade on the hutch.

Ours have been outside for the last 2 winters no issue.
Plenty of straw in their bedroom so they can make a nice cosy bed (fill it to the top so the sleep in it, not on it), in a sheltered corner with 6ft solid fence one side and house wall the other. Neither of them complained to me and they ran around pretty happy when let loose in the garden.

Our two were outside for twelve years and were fine.

Yeah I am sure they will be fine but it’s the dwarf bit that slightly concerns me – I am assuming the fact they are smaller will mean they will not be as able to keep as warm.

We moved the hutch in to one of the sheds.

I would like to bring them inside somewhere but they would end up somewhere with less room than they currently have.

Build an insulated sleeping box and put it in their run?

A pal’s (regular) rabbit died one winter, no idea if it was due to cold, but it was east Scotland. They are used to being underground I guess which must be a lot warmer.

Separate bedroom packed with straw will be enough, please make sure you put them away.  I found parts of our rabbits of 8 years scattered around their pen a month ago, fox had some fun with them.

Ours are dead now (not cold related). Our set up was a run connected to hutch by big tube. Bedroom full of straw, good wind shelter around the hutch, occasionally microwavable hot plate over night.

I was waiting for the poohing machines to die for years but the pair of them survived lots of Scottish winters and seemed quite happy

I’ve got guinea pigs so not quite the same. They seem to be happy as Larry over winter. I have a cover that is thinly insulated, but more importantly keeps them out of the wind. I pack their bedrooms with straw, but they just eat it so by the time morning comes around it’s gone. I do insulate over winter with bubble wrap and cardboard though, and cover the mesh front up with transparent polythene sheet to protect from frost.  I took pity in them last winter at the height of the beast from the east where temps went well below minus 5, but even then the chances are they would probably have been fine. I’ve contemplated putting a single heated tile like you’d use for electric underfloor heating in a bathroom for when it gets really cold as I have an outdoor plug next to the hutch. With a thermostat it could kick in at temps colder than minus 5 and provide some warmth just to take the edge off the coldest temps.

i’d prefer Not to bring them indoors. They’ve not evolved to live in warm dry areas, homes are too warm for them, and they smell, they’re happy outdoors, but it’s sensible to take some measures in the most harsh winters. I’m not keen on the shed option either. Being cooped up in a hitch in a dark shed can’t be particularly pleasant either. And it’s not as if the shed is anything more than a big hutch so no warmer than their hutch as lin as you keep the wind out. I’d rather safeguard them in their hutch.

Our two were outside for twelve years and were fine.

Bit harsh for children to be outdoors.

What about the bunnies?

So I have had an idea and I have bought some of that foil-backed bubble wrap and I’m going to tape it to the inside of the waterproof cover as a way of insulating the hutch quickly.

12v solar panel (kind u would use for topping up motorhome batteries.)

12v carbon fibre heating pads (kind that u would find in heated motorbike jackets)

Insulate hutchas you would a normal shed and then add heat pads to floor.

Check out youtube. Loads of videos showing you how to do it yourself.

Parts are all really cheap and available on ebay.

I was waiting for something like the above pic!

How come it took so long??

I think the most important thing is food & water (esp water, which has to be its liquid form in this context, so check that)

I used to put perspex sheets loosely over the chicken wire to keep the direct flow of the wind out, and extra straw but after that, nothing much (though this was southern england)

No need for any heating. No heed for much insulation in the structure of your hutch.  Rabbits need to have somewhere dry to lie on, be out of the wind and plenty of bedding. So a bit of carpet or sacking over the entrance and plenty of hay is all you need. Most domesticated rabbits are of semi arctic extraction. They can handle the cold very well. The fact that they are dwarf doesn’t make any difference in that respect.

We had the same hutch and plastic cover. Lasted 3 years. The rabbits ate the hutch from the inside and the plastic cover disintegrated. Built a new hutch with double layer walls with polystyrene insulation and a big a frame roof. Lovely dry Bunnies. May move in there myself. The key bits however are being dry, windproof and having lots of hay plus being fox proof and most chicken wire isn’t. Building the hutch was way more entertaining than the rabbits are

homes are too warm for them, and they smell,

no they’re not, and they shouldn’t smell if you’re looking after them properly.

I am assuming the fact they are smaller will mean they will not be as able to keep as warm.

Rabbits have a fur coat for a reason, and so long as they are well fed and their sleeping compartment is well insulated they should be fine.

I was waiting for something like the above pic!

How come it took so long??

Literally the first reply. I don’t know why i bother i really don’t.

We had house rabbits that got moved outdoors, built an insulated box in their hutch (make sure its big enough after the thickness of the insulation) and then added a reptile heat pad on the ceiling, cost a few pence a week to run but it gave off just enough heat to encourage the rabbits to go into the box at which point they would keep it warm themselves.  Before this they were a bit stupid and would huddle in the main hutch.  Originally I put a cat flap on it but found one would sit in front and block the other so removed it and just left the hole open.

Haven’t you seen Fatal Attraction?

Just make sure the hutch is well insulated. Possibly put a blanket over first and then some plastic as windproofing. Also possibly put a windbreak in front of the tunnel entrance if the wind can turn in that direction.

Although there is an argument that it can be problematic if the rabbits are also brought in for several hours a day. Its claimed that can screw up their ability to adjust to cold temperatures. Not sure how true it is though. When I had a rabbit as a kid she spent the evenings in the house and the days/nights outside without seeming to care. Well aside from one particularly cold snap where, since it was a separate run from hutch, she made it pretty clear she was happy staying in the hutch for those days thank you very much.

They’ll be fine outside! We have 3 currently and have kept rabbits for years. They are designed to be outside, so as long as they can be out of wind, lots of hay/straw to nest in and they’ll be fine. The heat is actually worse than the cold – we struggled to keep them cool this year, I reckon their happier now it’s colder!

had 3 rabbits. 2 of them lived outdoors in scotland. I used polysteryne and greenhouse perspex to insulate them, loads of hay and straw and made sure they kept dry. Lived for years! 

Well they survived their first cold night and today I added a layer of carpet insulation on top of the roof (under the waterproof cover) and their fleece / thermal pads have arrived this evening. Hopefully the foil bubble wrap will be delivered on Monday which will complete things.

unless they escape in the meantime like one of the little shits almost did today whilst I was working on the hutch.

The microwave pads work.

I made underfloor heating for ours from motorbike heated grip pads, an eBay Chinese thermostat and a 12v 2A PSU. Worked great.

I think I put it in the “last thing you made thread” ages ago.

Found it, page 46, not much detail there though.

The ones I have got aren’t microwave ones – just fleece and thermal. Hopefully all the other things I am doing will make it comfortable enough for them.

A fire under the hutch will keep them warm for the rest of their lives. ( With apologies to Sir Pterry).

https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-is-the-last-thing-you-made-pics-pls/page/46/

Heat pads under sleeping area floor sandwiched with 4mm ply underneath.

PSU into stat, stat to heat pads.

You can set the temp it kicks in, my stat had a temp probe I installed at top of  bedroom. I think when the temp dropped to around 10c in the bedroom it kicked in and kept it around 11c

Costs about £10 – £15 all in.

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F263495365476

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F162916656428

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F332582552772

My rabbits would sit outside in -15C

I made an insulated hutch cover, easy with foil covered bubble insulation and duct tape

If they are cold they will go where it is warm. More important to allow them free access to run

They have free access to the run at all times thanks to the pipe I have connected them both up with 👍

They have free access to the run at all times thanks to the pipe I have connected them both up with

A cunicular railway?

I’m also found the nested into straw, but wouldn’t with hay