Can Rabbits Live Outside during Winter?

Keeping rabbits warm in winter outside

Photo by Maxi

Can rabbits live outside during winter? Yes, but you must revamp its hutch to insulate as much heat as possible. You also need to keep changing its water with lukewarm water every two days.
If you are the interesting type of people who enjoy the great outdoors and the creatures that Mother Nature harbors, you most probably wonder how wild bunnies survive on their own in the cold and freezing winter times. Can rabbits live outside during winter? Animals can play a major role in our daily activities, and science suggests that we interact with animals on an average of five times a day. Pets are a big help to us in our efforts to cope with life and its ups and downs. If you are a rabbit lover, you need to implement better ways to protect your pet all year as the seasons change. Rabbits are cold-weather animals, and they grow optimally during winter seasons when other factors are optimized as well. However, the winter times can kill it with hypothermia. So, what temperature is too cold for rabbits? Remember your bunny is domesticated; it does not have enough freedom to make its own burrows, and its hatch captivity drastically reduces its survival instincts. Therefore, you need to provide it with conducive living and nesting conditions. Also, note that learning the diet of your furry bunny is also imperative to its well-being.

Rabbit Hutches

You have no idea what sorts of danger would face your rabbit if it lived in the world, you would be perplexed. From hungry carnivals to men with assault rifles and shotguns, these animals are targeted by all the predators around their environment. Therefore, domesticated rabbits need round the clock care. Homegrown rabbits have a better living environment as compared to their wild cousins. They are not used to taking care of themselves from predators. During cold winters unlike their wild compatriots, they cannot build shelters to prevent the cold winds from knocking at their door. It is the sole duty of a rabbit owner to act as mother bear when taking care of her cub; the best way to do this is to put them in season-proofed hutches.

A rabbit hutch is a structure that provides shelter for domesticated rabbits. It protects rabbits from adverse weather conditions like the winter cold and summer heat. Furthermore, rabbit hutches keep predators at bay. Rabbits are known for their low body-temperature tolerance; they have the capability of surviving in below zero degrees. However, they can survive in leaky hutches that frustrate the insulation process that their furry bodies facilitate. Hutches give security and provide insulation from harsh weather conditions.

There are two main rabbit hutch models that pet stores commonly offer. These are:

The two-story rabbit hutch

The design features two floors, and the upper floor provides quarters are strictly for sleeping, eating, and nesting. The lower section is the playing area. The whole structure is portable, and it can be moved to warmer areas during winter. Additionally, it features a wooden floor and walls that are curved from glazed pine. They provide the warmth and comfortability that is necessary for your rabbit’s survival. There are added doors on both the upper and lower divisions if you need some time to bond with your pet.

The ware premium rabbit hutch

This structure compromises of a wooden floor and wire mesh framing. It also has an added feature: an add-on ramp that facilitates multiple functions. The run can be used during playtime, cleaning, and feeding. The structure’s roof can be customized during harsh winters to provide that much needed extra warmth. It also features a pull-out tray that facilitates its cleaning. The wire mesh framing and fencing controls and partitions the living quarters to make sure that predators can’t access your fuzzy pet.

Preparing for the Winter Times; Keeping Rabbits Warm in Winter Outside

Owning a rabbit hutch or pen is not enough; the structures require proper seasonal maintenance. Over time, rabbit hutches can give in to adverse weather conditions and begin to fall apart. When this happens, your pet rabbit’s survival odds reduce greatly. Therefore, if you are aspiring to keep a pet rabbit, you can keep it outside of your house during winter. That is empowering because some people just can’t live with animals inside their houses. In fact, keeping animals inside the house can be hygiene and a health concern. You just need to take care of the following few things to make sure that the pets grow biggest during the winter times.

• Carefully look for any gaps in the rabbit hutch.

What temperature is too cold for rabbits

External factors such extreme cold could kill your rabbit. However, it is not just about what temperature is too cold for rabbits. Since most of the rabbit hutch is comprised of wood that is always exposed to spilled water and urine, it rots. It is important to replace the rotten wood or it can be a good breeding ground for parasites. The dump and rotting wood can also leak out heat and freeze your rabbit during winter. The dampening wood can also make the living space of your bunny wet; that is a sure way to kill the cute pet. Raising the floor of the hutch is a good way of preventing dampness, preserving the structure from rotting and keeping rabbits warm in winter outside

The roof also gets exposed to humid water and gets rusty; it gets leaky. Ultimately, cold winds and snow rains can also pass through the small cracks. During the hot summer, the small cracks can also expose the rabbit to direct sunlight that is harmful to the rabbit.

Replace dried grass, hay, and other insulators weekly

If you use dried grass, hay and straws or newspapers to provide warmth, ensure that they are replaced after a week. This is to get rid of the urine and solid waste that produces bad smells and carry harmful parasites. Ensure that the doors and hinges are working properly. Replace any broken doors that could be failing due to aging.

Clean and dry the sleeping areas

Rabbits are adored by their owners because of their ability to remain clean. However, their urine collects over time and makes the accommodation very uncomfortable. Ensure that you clean the floors in the sleeping and playing areas. Remember to clean the feeding tools to prevent diseases.

If your hutch features wire mesh designs, you can cover the mesh with plastic or Perspex to prevent cold drafts that come during the harsh winters. When night falls and powerful winds come, you can use heavy blankets to cover the hutch thus preventing the cold.

Study on the effects of cold stress on New Zealand white rabbits