Wintering rabbits

[Lindsay]

Coming into the colder months I'm looking for some advice on how best to winter my outdoor rabbits. Further, if I have a rabbit who Kindles in the winter, how to prepare for that as well. Currently, two of my buns are in tractors and I have one on the way who will be going into a hutch. They will get plenty of hay and pine shavings for warmth but is there something more I can do? I'm assuming my tractor buns will have to go into their hutches as it gets colder too. Appreciate any advice I can get on this. Thank you!

 

[promiseacres]

Rabbits are more heat sensitive than cold. In general as long as they have a dry area out of the wind they do just fine. Add lots of bedding but make sure it's not getting soiled and wet.
Freezing temps here I add chained heat lamps in our rabbit shed and pull frozen water bottles in the morning to thaw by our wood burner a couple of hours then they are returned to the rabbits. I give extra grass hay also.
As for Kindling we've done it, again they are near a heat lamp with a warm nest box. You can definitely loose kits if nest boxes get wet, temps drop too much, small litters, poor mothering skills. I keep extra pulled hair for kits. Though have never had a doe not pull hair though it hsppens. Nest boxes can also be pulled and kept inside, returning kits to mom twice a day for nursing.

 

[Pastor Dave]

Not much to add. Promiseacres is totally right, and lives further North than I.

It's a gamble breeding and kindling in frigid temps, just like a gamble when it's 90+degs. I breed year round, and you just have to decide if it works for you. The nest box keeps pretty warm if there is a decent amount of warm bodies keeping each other warm. If the kits are latched on and drop off on cold mesh floor, or just accidentally hop out, they will freeze if they don't have enough fur yet. I have had mommas cover them with her dewlap and keep them warm, but rare. Usually have one out of most winter litters hop out or fall off and freeze on the wire. It's a gamble, but if you don't, you won't produce any. It will be an experience.

 

[DutchBunny03]

Rabbits can easily deal with freezing temperatures, as said by @promiseacres and @Pastor Dave. They can tolerate not only below freezing, but subzero, temperatures. It gets well below -15 where i am, and they've been fine for years. Kindling in the winter is a whole different game, though. Bringing the dam inside on day 27 or 28 after breeding, and keeping the kits and dam inside until the kits are a couple weeks old, is probably your best bet.
Depending on how much snow you get(if you get snow or not), your tractor rabbits might not have to go in hutches, but it would probably still be a good idea. Even if the ground isnt covered with snow, its still cold.