Problems with the girls

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 25sd replies, 9 voices, and was last updated 14 years, 6 months ago by mocha200.

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- 01/26/2011 at 9:27 PM
  MirBear
  Participant
  1412 posts
  The weather has been horrid, absolutly freezing, it was almost -25C a few days ago and the girls are freezing!
  Even being out of the wind (in the garage) and with 5 blankets each on the bottom of their pens their still so so cold. Do to complications, i have no way of getting bales of hay, only the mini’s i buy from the pet store… I need suggestions on how to keep them warm!
  
  And on top of that their water’s freezing, and they wont stay inside their pens. Hershey refuses to stay in the pen and Twix only jumps her pen if she doesnt get exercize but their not allowed in the house! I’m afraid their only jumping their pens because their cold.
  
  My mom and i fight ever single day over this and with family issues, exams and such.. I’m super stressed. Please help out.
- 01/26/2011 at 11:37 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  You could try a bunch of shredded cardboard in a box for them to burrow into. That might act a bit like hay/straw. What about heat lamps? Would that be an option or a fire risk? I have instructions how to make heat pads filled with corn but I’m trying to think how to make chew proof and still benefit from the heat.
  Sorry, I am no way experienced with -25 temps!!! I’m going to do some searching and see what other ideas are around.
  
  Can you put sheets over the top of their pens to stop them jumping out?
- 01/26/2011 at 11:50 PM
  Lintini
  Participant
  3329 posts
  Oh Gosh MirBear I am so sorry.
  
  I would def try making them a shelter with lots of paper to burrow into. How much are those small floor heaters? My grandparents have one for their bathroom its really nice after taking a shower… I don’t know if you can buy anything like that let me think about this okay and look some things up too for you. Would your mom let you use one of those tiny floor heaters?
- 01/26/2011 at 11:54 PM
  lashkay
  Participant
  1548 posts
  I understand if money is tight, but if you can afford it, this would be a wonderful option in a blanket:
  http://cozywinters.com/shop/kh-3111.html
  
  They’re soft and comfortable and I think they hold heat for 12 hours after being heated in the microwave.
- 01/27/2011 at 12:01 AM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  Use cardboard, canvas, wood, blankets, whatever you have to line the outside of their pens.
  
  Do you use a crock or bottles for their water?
  
  Is there anything that runs in the garage that gives off some heat?
- 01/27/2011 at 12:05 AM
  lashkay
  Participant
  1548 posts
  Hi, excurse me if you already said money is an issue but a less expensive microwave bed warmer is:
  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=snugglesafe+microwave+bed+warmer
  
  Hope it’s helpful.
- 01/27/2011 at 12:13 PM
  MirBear
  Participant
  1412 posts
  There’s no electricity in the garage and npthing that gives off heat..
  
  Jersey, The girls have both, but mostly use crocks.
  
  Lashkay, Money Is an issue unfortunatly, as i recently lost my job due to complications with my boss (wasn’t my fault) and other than that i have no money
- 01/27/2011 at 1:03 PM
  lashkay
  Participant
  1548 posts
  Is there any chance you could search on google for a local stable/farm supply that sells horse hay for $5/25-50 lbs? Hay is an excellent giver of warmth piled in an open cardboard box the bunnies can sit in.
- 01/27/2011 at 1:05 PM
  lashkay
  Participant
  1548 posts
  Even warmer if you nestle some blankets in with the hay
- 01/27/2011 at 5:52 PM
  Otti
  Participant
  535 posts
  Maybe if you put a blanket in a closed box and made a hole on the side , kind of like a makeshift padded pet bed, they could go in there and be warmer?
- 01/27/2011 at 6:20 PM
  lashkay
  Participant
  1548 posts
  That sounds like a great idea, Otti! Seems like a mostly closed box would keep the heat in better, especially with some hay in there as well, but blankets better than nothing.
- 01/29/2011 at 11:08 AM
  KatnipCrzy
  Participant
  2981 posts
  I agree- they need a smaller enclosed space that they can get into that will be warmed up by their body heat. If they are on cement- it should have many layers on the bottom as cement is very, very cold. So a small “box” that they can easily fit into and get comforatable- with some type of bedding and a VERY thick floor if they are on cement.
  
  I have a horse at a local boarding place- the barn is not heated at all. When they bring the horses in for the night- they put water in their buckets since their body heat helps to keep the water from freezing (and they empty them in the am when they go back outside). So body heat can help an animal keep warmer in a smaller enclosed environment.
  
  Plastic soda bottles with hot water can help- but if the water gets really cold or freezes- it does more harm than good- as that colder to a bunny than nothing at all.
- 02/06/2011 at 7:05 PM
  MirBear
  Participant
  1412 posts
  FAB NEWS! I convinced my mom to bring the girls inside, they’ll be in smaller cages but, its better than in the cold!
- 02/06/2011 at 8:04 PM
  lashkay
  Participant
  1548 posts
  That IS fabulous news, MrBear, YAY!! I’m sure the buns will warm up in no time and will be none the worse for their adventure in the garage. Thanks for the update. Will they have exercise times when they’er let out of their cages inside? Getting them out of the cold was the most critical issue though, I’m so glad for you. You must be greatly relieved.
- 02/06/2011 at 8:56 PM
  longhairmike
  Participant
  1069 posts
  im sure your mom will fall in love with them quickly, and then she’ll wonder why she ever wanted to keep them outside.
  try to engage her in some handfeeding. its easier to bond a parent to a bun that it is to bond 2 buns.
- 02/10/2011 at 8:08 PM
  MirBear
  Participant
  1412 posts
  We’ve had them for two years and she’s never been fond of them, she’ll pet them a few times but other than that wants nothing to do with them. However i wont push the issue because their inside and trhats all that matters. i need to take some pics of their new cage, its a super large dog crate with two NIC levels.
- 02/10/2011 at 8:11 PM
  MirBear
  Participant
  1412 posts
  Posted By longhairmike on 02/06/2011 08:56 PM
  im sure your mom will fall in love with them quickly, and then she’ll wonder why she ever wanted to keep them outside.
  try to engage her in some handfeeding. its easier to bond a parent to a bun that it is to bond 2 buns.
  
  I’ve been having issues with this for 2 years, my mom has yet to fall in love with my girls, its not going to happen my mom is very on/off with where she wants them to be…
- 02/10/2011 at 8:30 PM
  mocha200
  Participant
  4486 posts
  Are they living in the same cage?
- 02/11/2011 at 6:38 AM
  LittlePuffyTail
  Moderator
  18092 posts
  I have a friend who keeps bunnies in her horse barn and she uses a heat lamp over their cage (can be bought at feed store, used for chickens and new born goats). I don’t approve of her keeping them outside but they are all really healthy and it gets REALLY cold here…like almost -40C some days. Of course you would have to be extremely careful that the lamp doesn’t get too hot and that no cords are in reach.
- 02/11/2011 at 9:52 PM
  jerseygirl
  Moderator
  22356 posts
  Oh, this is a good update to read Mirbear! I had been wondering what you ended up doing.
- 02/12/2011 at 11:00 PM
  MirBear
  Participant
  1412 posts
  Mocha: Nono, never in the same cage, not untill they get spayed.
  LPT: One of my biggest problems when they were in the garage was that there was no electricity, so there was no way to keep them warm.. but now that they live inside they should be perfectly happy.
- 02/13/2011 at 7:36 AM
  mocha200
  Participant
  4486 posts
  ok thats good! I thought they were together. So what cages are they in?
- 02/14/2011 at 5:23 PM
  MirBear
  Participant
  1412 posts
  Hersheys in an XL dog crate with 3 NIC levels, Twix is in a store bought cage.. At the moment, they switch cages ever few days.
- 02/14/2011 at 6:01 PM
  mocha200
  Participant
  4486 posts
  oh I see, I got confused. maybe you could make another cage out of NIC grids for twix.
- 02/16/2011 at 4:19 PM
  MirBear
  Participant
  1412 posts
  i only had 8 unfortunatly. :\
- 02/17/2011 at 11:13 AM
  mocha200
  Participant
  4486 posts
  oh, ok.
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