# How Cold can rabbits take?



## ahahahni1 (Sep 4, 2006)

We keep our two bunnies in a cage on a front porch. I brought them inside since I wasn't quite sure how cold they could handle. I think I read down to 50 degrees if they have a warm nest box and do not get wet. What do you think?


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## Jackie (Jun 20, 2008)

Mine are outside when its -40. They just need the wind off them (and water of course). The only problem I have had so far is that some of the 'slower' mini lops had been dipping their ears in their water and freezing just the very tips. I have switched all the mini lops to narrow dishes and the damp ears seem to have stopped.


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## TxGypsy (Nov 23, 2006)

I did move my rabbits into an unheated enclosed building during the high winds. Normally they are in an open shed. I don't worry so much about temperature a I do strong winds. I have brought the nestbox with my new litter of babies into the house. When it gets below 20 I bring babies into the house.


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## arachyd (Feb 1, 2009)

If they are dry and out of the wind they should be fine. I'd be more concerned that if I brought them in and they warmed up they'd lose their acclimation to the outside temperatures and I'd have to keep them in till spring.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

I've had more trouble with hot weather than cold - even bitterly cold weather.

We do make it a point to bring them very warm water a couple of times a day, and stuff their cages about half full with hay, just to make things cozy.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Mine are in outdoor hutches at one end of our barn year around. The cold doesn't seem to bother them much at all. Each hutch has a big wood box attached to the end that they can snuggle up in with lots of bedding if they want too & when if the wind is blowing in their direction & really cold I do pull tarps down over the hutches & bungee them around the legs of the hutch.


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## pookshollow (Aug 22, 2005)

Mine are in an enclosed run-in shed. It's not heated and is definitely a bit "perforated". If it's snowing hard, there's snow in the shed. We've had temperatures below zero several times this past few weeks and the rabbits are fine. If I know it's going to be bitterly cold, I make sure they all get full feed and a good handful of hay. I give them water twice a day - not heated, as our water heater doesn't work very well.

They're in wire cages, no nestboxes unless they have young kits (which they don't at this time of year).


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## byexample (Aug 28, 2009)

We've had no problems with our adult rabbits down to -10F as long as they are out of the wind and are dry. When it gets cold it really helps them to have a box or board to sit on... otherwise they seem to get pretty cold with just a cage floor to stand on.

Prior to having all our breeding females inside we did have some on and off problems with young litters outside when it got cold. During our first winter we were seeing a fairly high rate of infant mortality during the coldest parts of winter. Always seemed that our rabbits would give birth at night on the coldest day of the month... and that didn't go so well.

Other than that, we've had no cold related issues. In fact, round here folks have more problems with heat than cold when it comes to raising rabbits.


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