It was a cold and blustery morning…as in a biting wind that froze water (and exposed skin) without pity. The bitter wind blew the powdery snow around. We had already planned to move the rabbits indoors for the worst of winter, but the Minnesota-like wind chill sped that timeline up. And as far as the Minnesota reference, we do know of what we speak!
The unexpected depth of the cold merited immediate action. Armed with a really crappy staple gun and the only plastic we had on hand, we set about – before breakfast – closing off part of the rabbit tractors to block the wind. The wind made the job challenging, and it rapidly became painfully cold. We limped along with the substandard staple gun, half frozen, closing off one end of the tractors. That helped a bit, but the water bottles were solidly frozen (the metal “spouts” are really the bottles’ Achilles heel) and even though we brought out heavy porcelain chili bowls and filled them with warm water, the water still froze quickly. We filled up the bins (shelters) in the tractors with straw for warmth, gave them some cabbage and kale for treats, and made a shopping list. It was time to weatherize the tractors.
