How to Beat That Heat!!!

[TeaTimeBunnies]

Well here in Tennessee it is summer time. That means the sun is shining :happysun: we have the our truck windows rolled down ickuptruck: the kids are playing :chase1: and the bunnies are HOT!!! So I decided to have people share their summer time ideas to beat the heat. I'll get pictures of my planes (and bunnies using then) when I get the chance. Here is what I do: frozen cuddle bottles, keeping water refills in the fridge, and freeze fruit into ice cubes (I call them bunny pops)

 

[Ramjet]

I'm in south Texas where it stays hot .... Last year we had 120+ consecutive days of 90+ heat - June thru September.

I built designed my rabbitry to combat the heat, its white sheathed in white plastic , with only half walls which allows the air to circulate , cages are hung so that there is an open space between them and the outside walls.
On really HOT days which is more often than not , I put jug of ice in each cage during the heat of the day.

Haven't lost a rabbit to the heat since moving to this design.

Last year was unusually bad with the heat lasting well into October , didn't get my first litters until January when I'll normally get the first litters in November.


Tempted to build a swamp cooler with dry ice so my bucks aren't heat sterile so long.

 

[tarheel506]

The heat here is really humid, which seems to make it harder to manage...I also use large frozen bottles in each cage, and change out water bottles as much as possible. I tried using frozen alfalfa cubes, but the buns didn't seem to like them much...maybe I should try fruit like you said. I have box fans hung at the end of each cage row, and my rabbitry is against a wooded bank that gets shade starting around 3pm, which helps a lot! A few years ago I lost some kits in nestboxes due to overheating, so I now take any nestboxes with kits under 2 weeks old inside if the temps will be over 85.

 

[Ramjet]

The heat here is really humid, which seems to make it harder to manage...I also use large frozen bottles in each cage, and change out water bottles as much as possible. I tried using frozen alfalfa cubes, but the buns didn't seem to like them much...maybe I should try fruit like you said. I have box fans hung at the end of each cage row, and my rabbitry is against a wooded bank that gets shade starting around 3pm, which helps a lot! A few years ago I lost some kits in nestboxes due to overheating, so I now take any nestboxes with kits under 2 weeks old inside if the temps will be over 85.

They LOVE frozen banana's and watermelon rinds .... nom nom nom. opcorn:

 

[TeaTimeBunnies]

Mine love their bunny pops with blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, dandelion flowers, and clover flowers. We haven't tried other fruit in the bunny pops yet, but mine also love blackberries.

They LOVE frozen banana's and watermelon rinds .... nom nom nom. opcorn:

I know that I love watermelon, so I'll try sharing with my bunnies, and bananas are definitely on the list if fruit we will try

 

[Sendhendrix]

Sweltering here the last few days with heat index into the 100s.

We pamper the bunnies with a rotation of marble tiles from the freezer, frozen 2 liter bottles of water, and during the hottest part of the day a ceramic bowl of chipped ice garnished with a couple of carrots and celery leaves.

The doe, who starts panting dramatically at exactly 85°F, stops spooning with her ice bottle to nibble daintily at the ice-treat bowl before upending the contents onto the ground. She clings to her warm tile for life while we attempt to give her a fresh one, while the buck ignores his ice treat and occupies the opposite side of the hutch from his frozen bottle, and behaves as if it is a nice balmy winter day.

We deploy an oscillating pedestal fan blowing gently underneath the cages when there is no breeze.

I already can't wait for winter.

 

[Random Rabbit]

Here in NY... so far it has not been horribly awful....yet. The past 2 days we have been close to 90 (89 to be precise) ...the humidity has been uncomfortable but not oppressive ... yet.
I turn the fans on, hand out ceramic tiles,... turn Off the lights and try to Not go into the barn, except for chore times, to permit the rabbits to lounge around and be still.
So far we have managed to get thru heat waves fairly well.

( i'm not quite ready to welcome winter back .... yet. )

 

[The_Dutchess]

I use a combination of frozen water bottles, ceramic tiles (I've found the tiles cool down during the night and stay cool during the day), and applesauce ice cubes (unsweetened apple sauce frozen in an ice cube tray). So far the favorite is the applesauce popsicles. I sometimes also freeze the ceramic tiles so they'll lay on them. Also squirt bottle.