Rabbit down a hole..

lozenger · 05/02/12 - 22:47

Hi all, we have 2 rabbits that live outside in enclosed garden all day and we round them up at night to sleep in double-decker hutch. They've been digging a burrow in the garden for a while, now - but one of them is down there and won't come out. Will he freeze?

Hutch has tarpaulin round it and perspex ill-fitting windows over the wire to keep the wind & rain out (we only put the perspex up in really bad weather) so it's is really cosy, but I am worried about how he will cope all night in this snow without his best mate. We're South Manchester so it's only a light covering and doesn't feel as cold as last night. I know he's OK as I just poked a big stick down there which he grabbed and had a tug of war with. I have left broccoli at the entrance so it's fingers crossed I guess!

xdow · 05/02/12 - 23:22

one of the rabbits i have was living wild for months before we trapped her in a shed one day and took her in
she was loose over winter, the first bad, snowy winter we had (which was when we first tried to trap her)
we caught her in the march following that and she was as healthy as anything

it will be cold down there, but usually it's a few degrees warmer once they're down there so it wouldn't be as uncomfortable as sleeping on the surface.

if you put some straw/hay out for him at the entrance of the hole he might pull it down to make a bed with

he'll more than likely be fine, but to avoid it happening again once you do get him out of there, maybe fill in this burrow they've made to avoid it happening again during the poor weather

i remember one night having to get my full arm down a burrow the rabbit mentioned above had managed to make in an afternoon, it went across under the fence and under the next door neighbours garden, i still couldn't reach her witht he full length of my arm in there, i had to put on a thick glove, and entice her to attack my hand, just so i could get a hold of her and drag her out. rabbits are wonderful

fun.

lozenger · 05/02/12 - 23:31

Thanks xdow - great idea about the hay - will go and shove some down there now. I am sure he will be fine, I was also worried about foxes, we have a 6ft surround sheer solid fence but you never know!

We have had the rabbits 2 1/2 years now its the first night he's not spent in the hutch with his friend - who isn't quite as keen to burrow. We have filled it in several times but they always dig it up again!

brillopad · 05/02/12 - 23:48

Rabbits aren't completely stupid - it's probably already worked out that it's warmer down there - no wind chill and any heat lost will not go far - the bedding sounds a good idea.

lozenger · 06/02/12 - 00:23

Thanks brillo - no this one isn't stupid at all, he knows every night when it's bedtime to do all he can to avoid being locked up! The other one is very obedient and goes straight in his hutch but this one gives us the run around every night!

Stuffed hay down there, will let you know how he gets on.

Thanks for the help.

lozenger · 10/02/12 - 01:57

I forgot to come and update this - rabbit did indeed spend a freezing night down his burrow - I put hay down as suggested and he was sitting smug as anything outside the hole in the morning totally unharmed. Though he was more agreeable to going in his hutch the following night. Thanks for the help.

Hey there!

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Rabbit down a hole..

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