# HURRY! Rabbit cold tolerance?



## Snemelka

My area just dropped to record cold temperatures. I didn't expect it to get this low here, and I didn't research what temperatures rabbits are okay to! Quick! In a wood and wire hutch, covered with a tarp and loaded with straw, with a nestbox also loaded with straw, how cold can the rabbits tolerate? It just hit 6 degrees Farenheit.


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## sewtlm

Mine are out in their cages and it's -4 and dropping.
As long as there is a wind block mine are fine.
It was -45below last year and I didn't loose any, unlike the heat of the summer when we lost our best buck.


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## Danaus29

As long as they have water a couple times a day they can tolerate temps that are pretty cold.


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## BackfourtyMI.

It sounds like you have them pretty well taken care of with all the straw to snuggle in & a tarp to cover the hutches with they should be fine.


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## Jackie

I plan on keeping mine outside when it drops to -58F.


I am actually shocked at how much water they drink. When it gets really really cold I like to make sure they have unlimited pellets. I am sure that contributes to how much water they drink. I go out twice a day (I would go three times if my jobs permitted...hoping they will be okay with twice). Every time I go out with fresh warm water for them they are ALL thirsty! I fill their ceramic dishes half way, then about 12 hours later I ad more water. Sometimes I can get three fills out of a dish, sometimes just two and its overflowed with ice. I have a pile of extra dishes so I just switch out a totally frozen one for a new one. Some rabbits are smart enough to lick ice, some pee and poo in their dishes!! Just drives me mad to have to change out a half filled dish because someone peed in it.


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## lisa's garden

I bought the heated water bottles for my rabbits. I have to make sure that I keep them filled so the heater doesn't burn out. This does mean that you need to have an outlet to plug into, but I think it really helps them to have the water available at all times, especially pregnant does.

Heat is worse for rabbits than cold. I have always kept mine outside with a place to get in out of the wind and rain. This year I have a barn so they will be more protected and I think that I should be able to breed them all winter now.


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## a7736100

Temperature Preference of Rabbits

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/alternat/facts/info_temppref.htm


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## susieM

Put a spoonful of glycerine into the water so it doesn't freeze.


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## Beaners

You don't have your location listed, which can be helpful for these kinds of questions. "Record cold" might be tough for rabbits that aren't acclimated. That temperature shouldn't be a problem in general. It might be a problem if the rabbits have lived in tropical conditions and are suddenly subjected to something much colder.

Generally though, that temperature isn't one that would cause concern. With bedding and tarps, 6 degrees should be downright comfy for most rabbits.

Kayleigh


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## rabbitgeek

For cold conditions below freezing, the first thing is being sure there is water for drinking, not ice.

The next thing is be sure the shelter protects rabbit from wind, rain, and snow. A dry rabbit is a warm rabbit.

You can add some more shelter by adding a cardboard box for them to hide/snuggle in. Or you can add straw for them to snuggle in. Replace soiled straw daily.

A lot of people try to button up the rabbitry by wrapping plastic or tarps all over everything, but they forget that rabbits need ventilation. So be sure to leave gaps for air flow.

I hope that helps.

Have a good day!


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## lonelyfarmgirl

mine do fine in super cold temps. we had -20 last winter, no problem for them as long as they have water. I always give warm water in the winter. they drink more that way.


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## SaratogaNZW

If the future, it would help to know where your located Snemelka. Cold is relative for rabbits, heat is not. A state or region would help, 6 degrees would be ok if you live in Canada, or Montana, but in Texas or New Mexico this could be devastating.
But heres my bottom line: Adult rabbits are really cold tolerent critters, its the heat that makes them uncomfortable or dead quickly.

Way Back When story: Tunnels in snow packed cages.
Gillette Wyoming, Spring 1984. I have 1 lilac fullsize rex buck, 3 lilac does with litters around 5 weeks old. They are outside, but up against the house so the wind is broken. 
That area of the country never hits 100 in the summer, rarly above 95, but is notorious for horribly cold, bone-chilling winds. A blizzard hit us, it was so cold and so bad, the county actually said if we catch anyone out on the roads, you better be dieing because we will cite you for unecessary travel. It was more then -15 below without the 40-50 mph winds, and it snowed like this for 3 days, Wind chill of -30 perhaps? 
When it blew out, there was more then 5 feet of snow, with 15 foot drifts. The area of the rabbits cages was a drift, from ground to the top of the house. It took me another half a day to dig them out, the wood and wire hutches were completly packed with snow. Mommys had plugged the nest box entrances with nest material and their bums during the storm so the nests were warm and dry. Every one of the mommas must have heard me digging them out and started digging on their ends too, so there were momma size tunnels and baby size tunnels all through the snow-packed cages. I lost 2 kits out of 3 litters during that storm, because they were outside of the nest when the cages started packing with snow.
Moral of the story: as soon as a baby is old enough to venture out of the nest, (2 weeks?) they are faily cold hardy animals. Im sure there are more cold or heat hardy breeds, but in general it has to be pretty dang miserable before I worry too much about the buns in the winter.


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## Pat Lamar

That's a great story, Saratoga, and a wonderful example, too. Thanks!

Pat Lamar


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## Pony

sewtlm said:


> Mine are out in their cages and it's -4 and dropping.
> As long as there is a wind block mine are fine.
> It was -45below last year and I didn't loose any, unlike the heat of the summer when we lost our best buck.


Oh, I hope that wasn't Kiwi...

We lost a buck to the heat Summer '09. It happened so fast, and he was in the shade and everything!

I'm amazed that the rabbits actually seem to prefer the bitter cold temps. But they're not a human - specifically, they're not THIS human, who cannot abide cold weather.


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## Pat Lamar

LOL Rabbits ALSO have built-in fur coats, too, and their body temperature is higher than ours.

Pat Lamar


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## bluebird2o2

I have never lost a healthy rabbit too the cold.i have lost two rabbits due too heat.its gets cold in Pa.


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## BackfourtyMI.

susieM said:


> Put a spoonful of glycerine into the water so it doesn't freeze.



Does it change the taste of the water at all, I don't want water out there for the bun's that they won't drink?

Also where do you buy it? I would like to try it, I'm assuming drugs stores maybe?


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## Helena

Ok..new to rabbits and today I brought into the barn..which certainly isn't cold proof either, and put a light bulb in their cage. It has the little bunny room off the cage. Got them given to me about a month ago with a very fancy hutch. But after reading here don't think that the bunnies need the bulb (60 watt) for heat now. I will take it off them tomorrow. they don't seem to be drinking much water but will give the warm water a few times a day. thanks for the info...


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