Keeping hutches warm in Winter

[irishbunny]

For those who have to keep their bunnies outside in Winter, what do you do to keep the hutches dry and warm? Besides things like hutch huggers (I can't find one that fits my hutch). I have two bunnies that live in a hutch outside because there isn't enough room for them in the building where I keep my other rabbits. I put like a ton of straw in their today, faced it away from the rain and put a body board on top hanging over the door to keep the rain out.

They like to hang out and sleep in the open part of the hutch and use the enclosed area as a litter box :rollseyes I wonder how could I reverse that? I have shavings covering the floor of the whole hutch, if I removed the shavings from the enclosed area of the hutch and left them in the open area would that make them want to use the open area as a ''toilet''?

I'm thinking if I could get them using the open area as their ''toilet'' I could put like blankets and lot's of straw in the enclosed area to keep it cosy for the Winter. It doesn't get too cold here, maybe a little below freezing but it's never gotten so cold that their water bottles froze.

 

[jessicalovesjesse]

I live in Colorado and have found that a tarp, heating pad and a couple blankies are sufficient.
But if the water bottle isn't freezing I wouldn't worry about it to much. In fact most rabbits (like mine) thrive in the winter.
He gets so fluffy and healthy compared to looking mangy in the summer.

 

[Sabine]

Mine sit in the open part of the hutch for most of the night even when it's freezing. I find as long as they are with the back to a building, protected from the rain they should be fine in the Irish climate.
I have an odd sized hutch as well that i found a perfectly matching BBQ cover for in Lidl (6 euro) I cut out the front of course.

 

[irishbunny]

Sabine wrote:

Mine sit in the open part of the hutch for most of the night even when it's freezing. I find as long as they are with the back to a building, protected from the rain they should be fine in the Irish climate.
I have an odd sized hutch as well that i found a perfectly matching BBQ cover for in Lidl (6 euro) I cut out the front of course.

I shredded some newspaper and got some straw and put it into the enclosed area and covered it with a nice soft baby blanket and when I looked in about a half hour after they were already starting to use it as a litter box lol! I guess they must not be that bad. I have them facing away from the rain so it's not pouring into the hutch. My dad thinks he might have a plastic see through sheet in the shed that I might be able to drap over the hutch at night too.

 

[Sabine]

I think rain protection is a must unless you want to keep treating the wood every couple of weeks. The hutches just rot away left out in winter

 

[irishbunny]

Jeepers ya,
Maybe I'll just attach the plastic sheet to the hutch all together and cut off the front so the wood is protected.

 

[Sabine]

You can always leave the front if it's see through and cut it so that you can roll it up during the day. The rolled up bit also creates a nice overhang.

 

[crystal]

Is it warmer if the hutch is off the ground and not on the grass? what do people think about that... is it good to have the hutch on the ground in the warmer months, and then raised in winter?

being in the other hemisphere, we're getting ready for summer rather than winter but there's no harm thinking about what I'll do next winter!

 

[edwinf8936]

Protection from wind and wet is the most important. They need a place where they can huddle.

ed

 

[NorthernAutumn]

I would suggest that you take a look at the dominant winds in your area, and put their hutch in the lee of the larger building. Less wind.
You can probably find that information in your local almanac or from your Weather station.

ie) Winds come from the west... Put hutch on East side of building.

It will also reduce snow drifts that build up around the hutch.

If you have a chimney that juts out of the house, it would provide some nearby warmth. However, if it doesn't run all the time, the temperature flux might be an issue for the buns.

 

[Sabine]

Haven't seen proper snow in years...

 

[irishlops]

Sabine wrote:

Haven't seen proper snow in years...

Just that slushy stuff. *shudder* Its very slippy.
I have the hutch facing away from the wind and behing a fence, which is behind a shed, which is behind a big headge.
and they have lots of areas to hide in if it gets cold.
My bowl's have frozen over last year though.

 

[irishbunny]

Never had any problems with the bottles freezing, the plastic must protect them some bit I have them with the back of the hutch facing the wind, plus it hardly snows at all, wish it did though

 

[NorthernAutumn]

I was wondering whether or not you would have the capacity to install a heat lamp for the winter...extension cord and a proper fixture would go a long way.

 

[irishbunny]

Nope I don't
I'm not too worried about them now though, they never huddle together and always feel nice and warm

I think the heat lamp might make it too warm or if something happened, like a power cut, then they wouldn't be used to chilly weather and that might make them cold or sick.