Very Cold Weather?

Salmonberry · #1 05/03/06, 04:12 AM

Ok, ok, I know it's spring and all, but I have a burning question about rabbit care in the dead of winter (for next winter). I getting ready to have rabbits for meat and would like to know if they will tolerate -30 or so for brief periods if I keep them dry and away from drafts. Would insulating their area work if I need to ventilate it?

Thanks,
Salmonberry

Honorine · #2 05/03/06, 08:20 AM

I think you would have to pick your breed very very carefully, and get some input from folks in your zone that keep rabbits outside. Most(all?) of us live in warmer climates than you do, I can't even imagine it being -30 outside. You need to contact any rabbit clubs or even 4-H in your area and get some experienced advice. I have Mini Rex and Flemish, the minis seem miserable when its really cold, the flemish get all fluffed up, I imagine that their larger ears could cause more heat loss than a rabbit with smaller ears. Big ears could possibly get frostbite too, like some chickens combs. I wish I could be more help.

twohunnyz · #3 05/08/06, 02:53 PM

Rabbits usually do better in cold weather than hot. Although, your cold in AK is pretty bitter! There is a breeder in Wasilla, who raises Satins and Rex. On our website there are a few breeder directories listed. I know that breeder is on a couple of them, but can't remember which! Some of the directories go by state so that should help.

The breeder we bought our Satin stock from lives in the mountains of Idaho where it gets -20. They keep their rabbits in an unheated, uninsulated building so they are protected from rain, snow, drafts and wind, but it's still cold in there.

Hope you can get in touch with the breeder up there, I'm pretty sure they have a website, too. It's funny, I saw your post a bit ago about wanting to get into raising rabbits, but by the time my membership was approved to post messages, I couldn't find it again! I'm glad you posted so I could tell you about the breeder in Wasilla!

Salmonberry · #4 05/11/06, 01:43 AM

Thank you Twohunnyz,

I know exactly who you are talking about. I have recently been in touch with her regarding her satins. I am planning a trip to her farm. I appreciate the info about the Idaho breeder. We don't get too much colder where we live (the real cold is in interior Alaska), maybe -30 or so. It gives me the courage to try.

Salmonberry

WindowOrMirror · #5 05/11/06, 02:10 PM

We keep Rexes in a shed that's "windproof" without insulation. We make sure that they keep enough dry hay to nestle down in, but that's it. We get winters of -30 here... not many days at a time though.

What'll kill ya is keeping warm water out there. A breeding doe can use up to 2 qts a day.

R

Salmonberry · #6 05/11/06, 06:53 PM

Red Devil,

Do you use wire cages? Do they have wire bottoms? How do you provide for ventilation?

We're planning on an insulated lean-to but I'm struggling to figure out if it is effective to insulate when you need good ventilation and how to go about that.

I'm also concerned about wire bottomed cages being drafty. If you just put straw on top of that and provide a nest box with straw, I can see how that would be warm.

Salmonberry

Willowynd · #7 05/12/06, 01:47 AM

I do not mean to steal the thread, but it got me to thinking about colony raising and the affects the winter with snow and freezing temps would have on a colony kept warren. Would they be able to tunnel down deep enough to stay warm or would the snow block thier tunnels and suffocate them?

MaineFarmMom · #8 05/12/06, 05:55 AM

It's gets down to -30° for short periods. That's the only time I give my rabbits hay. The carbs will help them stay warm. I also give them wide planks to sit on so that the cold air doesn't come up underneath them. I have the tops of their cages covered in the winter to cut down on draft.

In the hundreds of does I bred (commercial meat with NZWs) I never had one drink quarts of water thankfully. That would have been a lot of running around with warm water all winter. I use crocks in the winter. They're plastic, thick and durable. I can smack them on something solid to break the ice out. I water three times a day. If the rabbits don't get enough water they won't eat enough to keep themselves warm.

If you can keep the wind off them, give them a little hay, a board to sit on and water 3x a day they'll be all set. I think it's a lot harder to keep them cool than warm.

Tucker · #9 05/12/06, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Salmonberry

Ok, ok, I know it's spring and all, but I have a burning question about rabbit care in the dead of winter (for next winter). I getting ready to have rabbits for meat and would like to know if they will tolerate -30 or so for brief periods if I keep them dry and away from drafts. Would insulating their area work if I need to ventilate it?

Thanks,
Salmonberry

Hi Salmon ,,
I'm a member of 'Meatrabbits' and quite a few of the members live in Canada and upper US states ,,

most all of them say its heat that bothers rabbits worse than cold ,, if your building is dry and draft free you should do ok ,, the cold will be more of a 'bother' to you in the winter than them ,,

going out in bad weather and trying to keep fresh unfrozen water in freezing temperatures is a royal pain ITA

I 'had' a lot more breeder rabbits than I do now ,,,,, till I fell on the ice last winter ,,

hub blew a gasket

about how we 'started' out to just raise a few for us ,, I took the idea and ran with it and had built up number's of breeders and was selling to a processor ,,

HE reasoned that if I didn't have 'so' many to take care of I wouldn't have been out on the ice to fall ,, (like it was the rabbits fault

)

so to keep family harmony ,, I sold most of my breeders and just kept my favorite trio ,,

I sure miss all those rabbits