Winter Care for Rabbits

Some people dread taking care of their rabbits in the winter time. But rabbits really like the cold weather. They have a better tolerances for cold weather then the hot weather. Yes, they do need shelter from the weather but they are happier in cooler temperatures. If you are interested you can check out our blog about summer care for rabbits.

Summer Care

Water is one if the very important things to remember for winter care. This is one area that people do not like to deal with but if you have a system set up you can make it work. Some people do spend the money on heated water bottles for their rabbits but that can get expensive. And if you are out doing chores anyway it is not that big of a deal to give fresh water twice a day. Some days when it gets really cold you might need to do it more often so they have a good supply of water. We usually have 2 water bottles per rabbit and sometimes we use dishes for their water. The reasons we have 2 water bottles or dishes per rabbit is so that while one is out in their pen the other one is inside in a bucket or sink thawing out. We also give them warm (not hot) water in their bottles or dishes so that it does not freeze as fast.

Water is one of the most essential things for a rabbit to survive. A dehydrated rabbit is not a happy healthy rabbit. If you have a doe that is taking care of babies water is especially important for her to keep her milk production up.

Shelter. Rabbits like the cold but they need to have a decent shelter to get in out of the weather. Our rabbits are in several different types of cages so each one is a little different as to how we set them up for winter.

We have our does inside of the building so they have the most protection. In the summer time we leave the door open but in the winter time we close the door and put plastic or an old window over the window opening. They still have some ventilation this is also important; you need to make sure that your rabbits have some ventilation.

The bucks are in the outside cages and we give them buckets (set on their side) or some type of small shelter that they can hide in to get out of the weather. We give them hay inside their shelter to help them stay warm. We also put up a piece of wood to protect them from the wind. We place it on the side of the cage that the wind normally blows.

The grow out litters are outside on grass year round in movable cages. They have a large flower pot flipped upside down with a hole cut in it as their shelter. We also give them a hay lined tray inside their flower pot so they can get off the cold grown or snow. I think all farmers that have animals keep an eye on the weather but here is your reminder. Keep an eye on the weather if they are calling for a lot of snow it would be best to move your outside movable pens under a tree or beside a wall. We have nice large pine trees that we place our moveable cages under when it snows. The idea of these movable cages for the grow outs is for them to have access to grass but in the winter the grass does not grow so make sure they are well supplies with hay in their hay feeders.

Bunnies. We have baby bunnies year round. Some people just breed in spring and fall months but from our research it is best to put your breeding does on a schedule and stick with it. Ours are bred every other month. We have learned a few things from having baby bunnies in the winter time. Plenty of hay for the does is very important so she can build a good nest. When the time is close for your doe to have her babies check on her often so that you can make sure when she does have them they are nice and snug in the back of the nest all together. The momma will not stay with the little bunnies to keep them warm. We have lost some babies because they were not in the back of the nest and got cold. Also make sure that there is at least 4 little bunnies in the nest. They need about 4 together to stay warm. We breed 2 to 3 does at a time so if one does have less we can foster and give her more from a different doe that had more. Make sure they have fur to cover them. Some does are over excessive in pulling their fur out for their nests and some are rather skimpy. If your doe is rather skimpy with her nests you could save her fur for next time once the babies are weaned. I have heard of people putting cotton balls or similar items in the nest to substitute the fur. We have never needed to add to our does nests we just made sure to supply them with lots of hay.

Give us your tips and trick in the comments of what you have learned about winter care in raising your meat rabbits outside.