My outdoor rabbits...

[Hyatt101]

So, my buns that are outside get the water bottles frozen every night, and i was wondering if anyone had any remedies to this? Also, anything to keep them warmer? We're at school throughout the day, so please keep that in mind!
Thanks!

 

[whitelop]

I don't know about water bottles but i think if they have enough hay to burrow into they should be warm enough. You could put some boxes in there for them to get into. Try to make sure there is as little draft as possible.

 

[Hyatt101]

They're in a barn, so the wind won't get to them, and they have sooo much hay in their cages! One rabbit is in a hutch outside the barn, but it has that extra section not exposed to the wind, which is also stuffed with hay.
The only thing is, I don't know if they're burrowing, because they always trample down the hay by morning... ?

 

[whitelop]

Are they in the barn with other animals?
I'm sure its warm enough in there for them, the drafts are what you have to worry about.
I would still maybe get a box for each of them and fill it with some more hay, so they can get in there.

You could probably make some rice heating pads for them. Put them in the microwave for a few minutes, and bury them in the hay so they can't touch them because they get hot. It will help heat them, but keep in mind that when the heat goes away they could be colder than if they had no heat at all. Thats why my chickens down't have them, just bedding and hay.

You could put a fleece blanket in their hutches. Foo likes to get under her blanket when she gets too cold. Its cute.

You could also cover your hutches to make sure their body heat stays in the hutch and doesn't escape out of the wire sides, other than the floor(if its wire) Just cover it them with an old blanket or whatever you have that your parents will let you use.

Hope that helps. I only have outdoor chickens and they have 10+ inches of pine bedding with hay to burrow down into. They have little pockets they sleep in, plus each other.

 

[Hyatt101]

Thank you!!
They don't share the barn with other animals, so I think they should be fine with hay, and a box

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

It's probably best to switch to bowls for the winter. The nozzle on water bottles can freeze even before the water, so they may be out of water for long periods of time. Dehydration can be a problem in the winter!

If they have bowls instead, the worst case scenario is they can lick the ice. But you can also float something (wiffle ball) in the dish which will help keep it liquid longer. Replace the water before and after school.

 

[Hyatt101]

Thanks Julie! I'll switch over to bowls. What do you mean with the wiffle ball...?

 

[MiserySmith]

If using a bowl I would suggest getting one that attaches to the side. I've seen bunnies with frozen feet from knocking over water in winter. ):

 

[Hyatt101]

Aww... That's a good point miz. I'll try to find bowls that attach to the sides

 

[fuzz16]

i have bowls that attach to the side..but opted for ceramic crocks for the water because they hold more, are easier to clean, and if the rabbit is gonna spill it, shell find a way to do it with the attached ones too lol

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Hyatt101 wrote:

Thanks Julie! I'll switch over to bowls. What do you mean with the wiffle ball...?

That was just a suggestion of something you could float in the water to help keep it from freezing. If there's something bobbing around in the bowl, it can help keep the water moving so it doesn't freeze as quickly.

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

Hyatt101 wrote:

So, my buns that are outside get the water bottles frozen every night, and i was wondering if anyone had any remedies to this? Also, anything to keep them warmer? We're at school throughout the day, so please keep that in mind!
Thanks!

--there are alot of health and predatory issues about having animals subject to hostile environments,,this being said i can only be tearse and will follow this entry,,--james waller--ray::lookaround

 

[Bunnylova4eva]

I wouldn't put out a water dish. Think how easily the bunny could get wet -even just it's face- and that wet part would freeze. I would sooner buy a heated water bottle like this: we have them and they work wonderfully

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000TZ7496/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Never going back to the old ones now

 

[Hyatt101]

Mia: I would buy that in a heartbeat, but we don't have outlets in our barn

I'm trying to think what's best for the buns, bottles or dishes! I'm thoroughly confused :?

James Waller--what do you mean? My rabbits aren't in 'hostile environments', they've been out in the cold before, and they are safe in our barn. I don't know what you meant, but my bunnies are well kept!

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Only you can decide what you feel is best in your situation.

If it helps, I haven't had any problems with adult rabbits using water dishes. Their fur helps wick away drops of moisture too, so unless you have one that actually gets IN the dish and likes to play around, I wouldn't expect that you'll have problems.

In any case, frozen bottles make water (even the ice) completely unavailable, whereas a bowl at least keeps ice out to lick.

The best thing would certainly be heated bowls or bottles. But failing that, I'd still encourage bowls unless you're home to change out the bottles at least 3 times a day or more.

 

[majorv]

Agree with Julie. We use bowls and we've never had a problem with our rabbits getting into and/or wet with water from the bowl when it's cold so I wouldn't worry too much about it. If it's very cold they will sit in a corner or jump in a nestbox we provide (when it's below freezing).

 

[Hyatt101]

Thanks guys! It looks like my only option is bowls, but that'll be great!

 

[JBun]

Hyatt101 wrote:

James Waller--what do you mean? My rabbits aren't in 'hostile environments', they've been out in the cold before, and they are safe in our barn. I don't know what you meant, but my bunnies are well kept!

Christina, I wouldn't worry about it. It's ok.

Yeah, if you can't run an extension cord to your barn to do heated bottles, then just do the bowls. If you are able to secure them so they won't be tipped over, then that would be the best thing, and just change out the water a couple times, so they'll have water that isn't frozen.

 

[Hyatt101]

Thanks Jenny! I was just a little confused by his comment

 

[tamsin]

Try a woolly sock over the bottle, followed by a plastic bag - that will help insulate it. I'd also suggest having two so you can leave one inside to defrost and swap it out, that way you know the spout will have completely unfrozen. Change it a couple of times a day. Feeding fresh foods also helps as they'll get most of their moisture needs from that.

Straw is a better insulator than hay so you could try that for bedding, though of course they need hay for eating too. If it's a large hutch/area then adding a cardboard box or small shelter inside will help too