How to Use a Heat Lamp to Keep Rabbits Warm

Using a heat lamp to keep rabbits warm can be tricky. A rabbit must have a degree of warmth, but they are much more susceptible to heat stroke than freezing to death. Even young rabbits can survive in temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit if properly insulated with sufficient bedding. An adult rabbit can survive overnight for several days in temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit. However, most rabbits can not survive more than a few hours at temperatures above 80 degrees. For a rabbit, heat is more of a danger than cold.

Things You'll Need

  • Heat lamp
  • Thermometer
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Instructions

    • 1

      Place the heat lamp in the rabbit's cage or container. The rabbit's living space should contain straw or another insulating material. Place the thermometer below the heat lamp in the insulating material.

    • 2

      Check the temperature of the thermometer four times: once in the early morning, once in the afternoon, once in the evening and once late in the night.

    • 3

      Adjust the heat lamp in relation to the bedding in the cage, up if the temperature rises above 70 degrees Fahrenheit at any point during the day and down towards the bedding if the temperature falls below 45 at night.

    • 4

      Turn the lamp off if the heat rises above 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day at its maximum elevation above the bedding. Discover the window during the day at which the heat lamp can not be on without raising the temperature above 70 and turn the heat lamp off during that period.

    • 5

      Remember, not below 50 degrees Fahrenheit and never above 70.