I'm glad you addressed the truth of rabbits being perfectly fine in the winter cold. Most people do not get this and believe the rabbits must be miserable in the winter. The reality is that if they are protected from wind and wet, they're fine. I once read an online post of a rabbit breeder in Canada who went out one day during a winter storm to check on her rabbits, one of which had kindled the day before. It was like -20° F, (yes, below zero), with a 40 mph wind, and it was snowing. Her hutches were protected from the wind and wet. She stuck a meat thermometer in the new nestful of kits and it read 110°. They are nowhere near miserable. They are designed for the cold. If you treat rabbits according to your own comfort levels, you could actually kill them.
This was an awesome video, I am getting meat rabbits hopefully in Late Feb early March. Not sure where you’re located because I’m new but do you sell them as well. I’m in South Carolina
Thanks for watching. I think you'll love it. I would use a breeder near you and this video will help you find your rabbits. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-F3GyTnEmJb8.html
I really like your channel. I learn a lot from this. I would like to know how big the rabbit cage is and how did you make it. Greetings from the Netherlands.
30x30x18 inches-breeders and 36x30x18inches -grow outs here's a video on how to build cages. It's kinda fun. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-hSdZb9Q4J9c.html&t
Hello from Heathenism Homestead here in PA! I wanted to send a huge “Thank You” to you and the Mrs for all of your videos. I recently added rabbits to the homestead this winter and have found your channel and invaluable source of knowledge. Keep up the great work!
no out takes? JK. On a more serious note - your chimney stove pipe dome is looking quite dark - is your stove burning too hot? There may be build up in the pipe. Just mentioning this in case you have not noticed. Enjoy your new year!
Thank you for that we're burning a lot of soft and hard fire wood due to a neighbor donating a lot of firewood. We won't be burning it again only because it burns way to fast and hot. Good Eyes. It's dark, but I personally clean it every year so not to worry. I very much appreciate that.
More great information! We use the small metal bowls from Tractor Supply for water, we just swap them out twice a day. We have a shed we call the Bunny Bunker all our cages are in so they are well protected from wind and weather.
just planning my rabbitry now and you will be a big part of it. Thank you for that. Ive been sub'd for a while now but I just hit the notification bell so I can watch all the new ones too.
I got the heated waterers for my two rabbits this year, hoping they work... Ive had other animals and not all heated waterers work well so I'm skeptical, I'm also worried about my one rabbit who prefers a bowl so I may have to adjust my plans as the winter moves along, thanks for all the advice!
This really helped me. We have our rabbit cages in a building made from pallets, so there are lots of air gaps. I've been so concerned about them in the cold weather, but every time I put straw in, it goes through the cage wire within a day. Just the tip about using newspaper is priceless. We do need hide boxes though. Would a small cardboard box work temporarily? We're not in a position to buy lumber.
I have Silver Fox and Standard Rex rabbits both have 4 week old kits temp are dropping 35 deg f to like 5 deg f tonight in NW Ohio my rabbits are in hutches plywooded on 3 side and protected under a paviloion also tarped on 3 sides w12 mil tarps. Will they survive down to 5 deg. if I add straw or hay to there hide boxes ? HOW COLD HAVE YOU HAD YOUR RABBITS , IT LOOKS LIKE YOUR IN A COLD CLIMITE LIKE ME. Also your videos have been very inspiring this is my fist full winter thanks.
It’s 19° today in Michigan our rabbits are doing great we have several litters some with week old Rabbits -after a couple days they have fur and do even better in the cold. New born Rabbits are vulnerable to freezing on the wire if they don’t stay clustered so be sure to check on them if you’re not using kindling totes. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2i_IYGvx624.html you may want to limit your breeding and kindling to warmer temps if the litters can’t stay sheltered away from the elements. Rabbits older than a few weeks can stay comfortable down to -30F. Best of luck!
@@TheRabbitryCenter Thank you for responding to my question,all the bunnies made it thru the cold, you have great content and I have learned so much from your videos, you and Teal Stone, and Farm Girl have inspired me to start my own homestead, and raising rabbits is a blast.
We've been having some really cold temps here in SW Ontario, but after watching your video, I am encouraged to know that I am mostly on the right track - 14 C this morning and all our buns were happy little puff balls!
Yup, also wondering about keeping rabbits in an outside building in (northern) Ontario's winter. -20C is definitely common, as is -40C with windchill at night. Given, I'm looking at housing within four walls, floor and ceiling but it is not insulated or heated. No drafts though, and would have plenty of straw.... Still unsure...
I’d run a heater on a tstat and bring it up to (0*C 32F ) Bio Green PAL 2.0/USDT Palma Greenhouse Heater with Thermostat - Fast Heating, Grow Tent Heater, Greenhouse Fan, Outdoor Heater & Electric Garage Warmer - 11”x 8”x12.5" - 110v Heater -2 Years Warranty
Great video! I am just getting into outdoor rabbits and I live near Ottawa, Ontario. During the winter we will have multiple days in a row of -30 to -40 degrees celius. This past winter the coldest day was -43. What would you suggest for their enclosure during those times. Also is it ok to have 2 females in the same cage? Its only spring now, so I have lots of time to prepare. I just want to be sure to give them what they need to survive!
If you're seeing temperatures that cold, I would consider running them in a winter greenhouse barn or structure if some sort with a heater to keep it at freezing to keep your bucks fertile.
I am trying to decide if I need to build a completely enclosed shed. I live in west Texas. It is not that is gets that cold too often though it can get down into the teens and we get several snows a year. But the wind! And it comes from every direction. I am raising TAMUK tabbit and I think we will build the enclosure with two big sliding doors so we can ventilate in the summer when it gets really hot.
Do u have any live rabbits for sale? I have got my cages ready to start raising rabbits for food. We r retired & need to start raising our meat. We have 12 chickens. So we have eggs & chicken meat. Our neighbor raises cows. So we have a outlet for beef. I have 2 cages for breading 3 grow out & 2 for bucks. I wanted to make sure I had enough cages to get started. I don’t want a big operation just enough for food for us & our family. Kids & grandkids. Sorry for writing so much but I wanted u to know I am ready. From your videos I want to get 2 bucks & 2 does. I live in Pioneer, Ohio. We can drive up to u in a couple hours. Anytime of day works for us.
Congrats I’m Very much looking forward to retirement. The best we can do is put your name on the reservation list text 5179803833 to reserve a spot-and we’ll contact you when we have Rabbits available I understand if you don’t wanna wait -here’s a video to help you find your rabbits sooner we’ll still contact you when your name comes up-thanks ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-F3GyTnEmJb8.html
Hi Sir Good Morning. Iam from INDIA after watching ur vedios I had brought New Zealand white pair. Now I want to bring another pair of male Soviet Chinchilla and female black gaint and want to get hybreed variety. Is it good or not plz reply.
Giants will eat more and take longer to grow out as well as have a higher Bone to meat ratio. I would mix to medium pure breeds for hybrid vigor for faster grow outs and healthier rabbits
I'm just getting started with raising rabbits what are some tips you can give me for a beginner oh and I'll be living up by Buffalo New York so the winters are long well I'm sure you know what the winters like there
You can raise them outside in cold temperatures -you’re gonna have to work harder to keep your rabbits comfortable in the hot summers because rabbits are prone to heat stroke There’s a lot of good videos on RU-vid and there’s a lot of good books on Amazon try to consume as much as you can and purchase rabbits with pedigrees so you can sell rabbits to pay for your rabbit feed. Check out this Idea List on Amazon: RABBIT BOOKS by Bobby Jimenez a.co/8YQwDOa
I went away for a week and left my Rabbits at my mom's, when I got back they were very underfed, their faces were very skinny, they lost like half of the body fat in their faces, as well as fur. I fed them and they got better for a few days, but one day I went to seem them and found them both dead, one laying down stiff, the other broke his neck, he was chewing the cage It was very cold for two days and I think they died in the morning from the cold, they were outside in their cage, but they didn't have nothing on them, no straw, sheets or a roof above the cage. I think the cold was too much for them being so exposed and having lost so much weight What do you think?
I'm sorry to hear that. When it comes to rabbits dying there could be many factors like stressful environment, diet(too much, too little, dehydration, poor immune system. Once rabbits get there fur about 4 days old they stay very warm. Heat will kill a rabbit but you don't hear about very many deaths from the cold. They're built for cold temps. As long as they stay dry and clustered. I wouldn't think the cold would've been the deciding factor. But I'd clean and disinfect the cages with Lysol spray or a blow torch. Give the bowls and dishes a good cleaning and maybe ask someone else to look after your rabbits when you take your next trip. She might of been a little too busy who knows. Hope that helps.
In most cases they’re chewing the bowls because the water is empty try to keep them filled every 12 hours and provide them with Hay to chew on and soft untreated wood -small pieces of 2x2 work great!
I have quick question, we just got into raising Californian rabbits last year as 4-h projects. My question is, is it normal for rabbits to eat straw? Will it hurt them?
Hello from Sunny Woodlands Farm in New Hampshire! I've given up on plastic watering bowls because they kept cracking. I found some metal dog bowls at Dollar Tree, and all we need to do to get rid of the ice is whack them against a nearby tree.
I use a 5 inch putty knife to try to get underneath it -it will pile up in the corner in the coldest part of winter - I watch the weather as soon as it gets above freezing I’m sure to take advantage of the warm weather and clean all your cages to try to stay ahead of it.
This is a better idea for dishes in the winter. Right now they have plastic dog dishes that we have wired to the cage i like the bungee as well as dishes that can be taken out and slid back in. I may try that next year
Yeah I haven't made any fully complete step-by-step videos like others have on RU-vid but I have one I can share of the final stove top boil oh, you can tap any maple tree I even tap black walnut on our property. Here's a link to one of my videosru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-prL7M06xNdE.html
I love watching your videos you have been the most helpful for a beginner such as myself. I had just recently bought oats for my bunnies this winter. Thankfully we live in North Texas so our winters aren't that harsh. Look forward to the next video yell create.
@@TheRabbitryCenter Yeesss... I have learned several tricks to keep them cool. Freezing 3 liter coke bottles works well and we plan to install a sweat fan this year.
Just found your channel. Not sure if you are still actively recording. We live in Fennville, MI and got our first breeding trio this past spring. I appreciate that you are in Michigan as well and address some of my concerns for the upcoming winter. Love the setup. Making a "honey do" list to make some changes to ours now :)
I have to use metal bowls. They'll chew and shred plastic. Those rubber bowls sold to easily squeeze out the Winter Ice don't stand a chance. Metal bowls or they don't drink.
The metal ones can be smacked up against something but the plastic needs to be thawed first. We dip them in water and the ice pops. When the rabbits go too long without fresh water they'll chew the bowls and ice. Check out this video shares more info ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1IStNHuQAV0.html
@@TheRabbitryCenter They'll chew on plastic bowls the second I fill 'em with fresh water... when they're half empty ... when they're completely empty. It got nothing at all to do with water and everything to do with "something in my immediate area I can chew on". Yes, they have access to wood blocks, tree limbs, and chew toys.
Great video. Going to implement all your ideas with our rabbits. Wish I would have come across y’all years ago. Would have saved me so much money time and energy. Almost gave up on rabbits and now maybe I can do something else for them that will work out better. Thanks for all the wonderful information you share. God Bless
My daughters and I are pretty new to rabbits. I’ve learned so much from your videos… now I’m not so worried about the cold winters, since we live in north central ohio. Thankyou so much for all the info, and we look forward to more videos.
This is a common question. Folks often think this is the cause of sore hocks but in most cases it's caused by pour diet and over feeding your rabbit. This causes stress on the hock. Caged hutches are the most sanitary way to raise rabbits. This allows manure and urine to fall through keeping your rabbit and cage bacteria free. A simple resting board should be used in every cage. This allows your rabbit to get off the wire if they so choose.
Hi you and your wife are amazing you have learnt me loads I've just become a rabbit owner of 2 bucks 2 doe's and uve helped me out with everything I needed to no and you explain in very good details that really helps massively I appreciate your time and effort and support and when u say oats do you mean like porridge oats is it ok to give 100% wholegrain organic oats thankyou x
Zone 5. It helps to position your Rabbitry so the prevailing wind hits the back of the hutch. This way the cold wind isn't blowing into the cages. The front has no wind block but we place hide boxes in every cage for a rabbit to use for security, wind block or even chewing..
@@TheRabbitryCenter I just had my first wintertime bunny litter, I swear, if I didn't see this video of yours, none of the kits would have made it. I am thankful for you sharing your your wisdom.
I feed a punch of oats every 2-3 days to kits and nursing doe's. I left a link below but try a local livestock feed store they should have whole oats. 50 lb. bag for around 20$.
I am thinking about getting New Zealand Whites for meat. I live in northern Minnesota. This year wasn't bad with only a few times going below -10 F. The winters never are above freezing and below -30 F including wind chill isn't new. It's a cooler climate that I would assume Rabbits would normally love but some days get dangerously cold. I hear a lot of misinformation about rabbits temperature tolerance. At what point is it necessary to heat them up? Are babies more susceptible to cold? Should I be worried about the Buck (or doe if I separated the rest into grow cages) who has no other body heat to share? How good are rabbits at cold wind resistance compared to just cold? Thanks!
Rabbits are comfortable in temperatures down to -30 but certain rabbits like Rex rabbits have a different kind of fur and it’s closer to -10 Keeping your rabbits hydrated is the biggest challenge when facing cold temperatures.
Some of my rabbits especially Haliquin can't use solid tiles etc as they urinate on it and infect and get sore hocks.🤣other rabbits its ok . sort of ,such it and see . As it doesn't snow here like at your place, but it gets very hot here Bobby. Great info🥰👍
Happy new year! We use a lot of soft pine 2x4 pieces. But we also give our rabbits fruit branches, apple, cherry, pear, crab apple, weeping willow, birch, ash, I could keep going. Poplar...
Do you have issues with the waste building up using straw in the bottoms like that? My rabbits are inside of a shed so I don't do anything special for them besides just closing the doors up to keep the wind out. I have metal bowls that I use and I just slam them on the ground until the ice breaks out, but I'll have to try that bucket tip! Is the water warm/cool/room temp? You have a lot of great advice here, glad I came across your channel!
I appreciate you taking the time to comment. The Straw gets frozen sometimes and I have to remove it with a 6"putty knife. It's the perfect tool to clean your cage. The water bucket that I dip the iced bowls into is hot. I refill all the bowls with lukewarm water. Studies show that this stays unfrozen the longest. Thanks for watching.
@@TheRabbitryCenter thanks for taking the time to reply! I use a putty knife to clean mine out too. :) Interesting that you were told lukewarm, I was always told to use cold. Hmmm I feel like I should experiment now. LOL
We have plans on our website therabbitrycenter.com and we have videos if you were to search the rabbitry center hide box- in the winter time we put a sheet of paper down and then put shavings on top of that -On really cold snaps will fill the cage floor with a little bit more straw
@@TheRabbitryCenter thanks so much! I like the idea of not putting the rabbits in our greenhouse for the winter. I just made the Teal Stone Hutch, but need winter enclosures for the bitterest days in Minnesota. Great video--thanks
Keep trying. put a cap of Apple cider vinegar in the does water. Feed a half a dozen black oil seeds every morning and evening. This get their body going in the right direction. Try a different buck. An older proven buck. if you breed a few doe with the same buck breed only one doe per day. wait a day to give your buck time to rebuild his fertility. here's a video with some more tips. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-qLD6rMsfC-8.html
I'm curious how do you warm kits if momma's don't pull hair or born out of the nest box? First time momma had 10 in about 30° weather in Mississippi almost 2 weeks ago... Saved 7 with heat pad down to 4 now
@@joshsparks8152 You can also collect fur from molting to save back for instances like that. :) If you don't have any fur saved back though, you could always brush your rabbits and collect as much hair from them as you can. Or a cat/dog if your rabbits are used to them being around.
It's good to keep collecting as much clean fur as you can from your mama rabbits litters. Little bit here and there. So if you have a surprise birth you have some standing by. Heat blankets for kits is what we've used for a long time. They work great. When your rabbit has kindled you can remove your rabbit and pull fur yourself. It doesn't hurt them and any slight bother is worth keeping your kits warm. You simply pull fur from the dewlap and the fur comes out easily. We now strictly use kindling totes in the winter time and wouldn't breed until the weather breaks if we didn't. You can still breed and cover your cage floor surrounding the nesting box with straw but it's almost guaranteed that you can expect some loses. I hope your 4 rabbits pull through. Here's a first time video if you haven't watched it already-Thanks ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-JhSehCrrkT0.html&t
1. Is she ready? Check her color cool pink vs hot pink 2. Flirting. I have a side by side pen so they can flirt until her color comes in. 3. If she's ready and has had time to get used to him but still won't lift. you can lift her. I'm sure there are videos that will show how to do that. 4. I was gifted a doe that wouldn't lift and she was the fattest rabbit I have ever seen. I have rationed her down to an average weight and she has fur puddling from the loose skin. She got to flirt with one of my bucks for several days before meeting up. We will know if she took in few days
She's 2y 3m old. He's almost 8m old. He tries but she won't lift. I got her as a proven doe, just don't know when she had her last litter. She kind of started lifting today and mounting him but when he tries she's not lifting/ lifting enough. Or he's not aiming low enough.
I'm having a hard time breeding my rabbits in every winter , my does don't conceive in winters, could this be light related issue as the day's are short this time here.
How cold is it getting? Light will encourage breeding mimicking spring time and longer days but rabbits. If bucks get too cold (-15F -26C )as well as too hot they could go sterile for a couple months
I love your channel. I'm just starting out with meat rabbits. Well, their supposed to be anyway. Lol I have a question. 1 of my brokeback New Zealand's was fine when I got her. That same day I was holding her and went to put her back, she was so ridgid, her back legs went straight out as did her front legs. It reminded me of the fainting goats. But since then she hasn't grown, back feet are turned in wards bad. But she's eating and drinking but doesn't hop around like the others. Do you have any idea what this could be?
How many broke backs did you purchase? It's tough to say. The condition could improve but I'd give it some time and if it doesn't get better you could consult a vet to get a professional opinion if it's in fact a back injury or a real condition. Thanks for watching.
@@TheRabbitryCenter thank you for the information. She seems to be doing better. But I'm keeping my eyes on her. Btw she's supposed to be a New Zealand broke back. But I really don't know. Just starting out and I had to go with what the lady told me. Thanks again and I'll keep watching !!
Hello Bob, I've been watching your videos and i have a lot of takeaways. Meanwhile,my interest is about ambient conditions since we are in the equator line. Thus, may i ask if you may provide the humidity and tempt in your area as well. Like max temp in the summer and min, and max and min temp in the winter as well. I observed 2days of rain made our surrounding so humid and I end up suffering a rabbit. Hope you can share some info like you always did. Thanks in advance bob.
Our summers highs 95F/35C our winter lows are -5F/-20C When we have 30degree swings in May we get humidity in the totes that only have one entrance, the air isn’t able to vent. You can drill little 8/32 holes with a power drill on the upper sides so puddles don’t leak in. I Drill about 50 holes on each side you can easily see fill these in with silicone in the fall.
Thanks for this Bob, i guess it's the bad humidity is one culprit of high mortality rates of rabbits in our area. I believe We have same temp highs in the summer or maybe higher a bit in ours. Now i have 32-35degC readings. Our humidity pegs at 82% at an average. And i saw some studies that bad combination of temp to humidity is not healthy to livestocks, more especially to rabbits as they have limited sweat glands.
Cold doesn't seem to a problem. We had minus forty several times in the last two weeks. I did give them a little piece of cardboard to sit on OUR hutches are outside
