more in cold weather ?

[bluemini]

My rabbit I have now is different than any I have had before because he is drinking more water now that it is cold then he did in the summer ! Im not sure why , but when it was warm I could fill up the bottle in the morning then he'd still have some the next morning and now I have to refill it everyday ,he has a 32 ounce bottle . Is this normal ?


Also the past couple of days he has been eating like crazy and acts like hes starving I guess the weather could be the problem but not sure ,also I ran out of hay a couple days ago and cant get more til tuesday so I thought that may be it too ?


I have been meaning to bring him in but havent got around to it , he will def. be in by tomarrow because I hate going out in the cold to thaw out bottles !

 

[Ms. Research]

My rabbit I have now is different than any I have had before because he is drinking more water now that it is cold then he did in the summer ! Im not sure why , but when it was warm I could fill up the bottle in the morning then he'd still have some the next morning and now I have to refill it everyday ,he has a 32 ounce bottle . Is this normal ?


Also the past couple of days he has been eating like crazy and acts like hes starving I guess the weather could be the problem but not sure ,also I ran out of hay a couple days ago and cant get more til tuesday so I thought that may be it too ?


I have been meaning to bring him in but havent got around to it , he will def. be in by tomarrow because I hate going out in the cold to thaw out bottles !

I think your rabbit might be getting ready for winter because he is outside. If he's eating more, than he will be drinking more. Rabbits need plenty of water to digest the roughage. He's eating to bulk up his weight for the winter. Remember your rabbit is "hard wired" and in the wild they must eat a lot to bulk up for the cold months. Also their fur will get thicker, which I believe you commented on another thread.

Don't worry. Your rabbit is normal. Just a normal rabbit getting ready for winter. Bring him in and you will see the change. Not right away because he needs to adjust to the inside life. Good observation though. Looks like you really know your rabbits.

 

[bluemini]

My rabbit I have now is different than any I have had before because he is drinking more water now that it is cold then he did in the summer ! Im not sure why , but when it was warm I could fill up the bottle in the morning then he'd still have some the next morning and now I have to refill it everyday ,he has a 32 ounce bottle . Is this normal ?


Also the past couple of days he has been eating like crazy and acts like hes starving I guess the weather could be the problem but not sure ,also I ran out of hay a couple days ago and cant get more til tuesday so I thought that may be it too ?


I have been meaning to bring him in but havent got around to it , he will def. be in by tomarrow because I hate going out in the cold to thaw out bottles !

I think your rabbit might be getting ready for winter because he is outside. If he's eating more, than he will be drinking more. Rabbits need plenty of water to digest the roughage. He's eating to bulk up his weight for the winter. Remember your rabbit is "hard wired" and in the wild they must eat a lot to bulk up for the cold months. Also their fur will get thicker, which I believe you commented on another thread.

Don't worry. Your rabbit is normal. Just a normal rabbit getting ready for winter. Bring him in and you will see the change. Not right away because he needs to adjust to the inside life. Good observation though. Looks like you really know your rabbits.

Thanks and yeah he has always been in but after my pitbull got spayed I put him out but I hate him being out there and I worked on the cage today so after I wash it out in the morning I will get him in ,but not right away of course .


Im glad thats what it is , he was really worrying me. and I try to know them as much as possible lol I love rabbits and learning about them

 

[brentr]

I'm tacking a similar question onto your thread...how much do folks increase their feed amount when the weather turns colder? I have NZ and they will be staying in their cages during the winter. They have protection from the elements, and I'm planning to give them good beds of straw to nestle into. Right now the adults are getting 4.5 oz of 15% pellets each day, plus some grass hay to nibble on. How much, if any, should that amount increase during the colder season?

 

[bluemini]

I'm tacking a similar question onto your thread...how much do folks increase their feed amount when the weather turns colder? I have NZ and they will be staying in their cages during the winter. They have protection from the elements, and I'm planning to give them good beds of straw to nestle into. Right now the adults are getting 4.5 oz of 15% pellets each day, plus some grass hay to nibble on. How much, if any, should that amount increase during the colder season?

Im not sure but someone else might could help ya, I just increased mines food by 1/4 a cup but hes only 5 pounds or so , unlike your breeds . He was getting unlimited hay and 1/4 cup pellets now he gets double the pellets . '


I really dont think you would have to increase it by alot though really ,but I could be wrong ?

 

[Ms. Research]

I think with all the straw and extra hay for warmth, that should keep them cozy. I would increase the hay more than the pellets. Don't want them too fat when spring comes. Fat does have a hard time breeding. Sounds like you have a great plan to keep them warm and out of harm way of the cold weather.

 

[woodleighcreek]

My rabbit I have now is different than any I have had before because he is drinking more water now that it is cold then he did in the summer ! Im not sure why , but when it was warm I could fill up the bottle in the morning then he'd still have some the next morning and now I have to refill it everyday ,he has a 32 ounce bottle . Is this normal ?


Also the past couple of days he has been eating like crazy and acts like hes starving I guess the weather could be the problem but not sure ,also I ran out of hay a couple days ago and cant get more til tuesday so I thought that may be it too ?


I have been meaning to bring him in but havent got around to it , he will def. be in by tomarrow because I hate going out in the cold to thaw out bottles !

Rabbits actually drink more in the winter than in the summer because it takes more energy to stay warm than it dose for them to stay cool. For feed, I usually dont increase the pellets, but feed more hay (fiber) and give a few bits of Calf Manna (protein)