How to keep bunnies cool?

[TheLittleBunny10]

Today is kind of hot (65-70 F) and probably will be for a while and was wondering about some ways to keep my bunnies cool,
and do black bunnies get hotter than white?
here is what I came up with:
put a frozen bottle (with water)
take off the rain tarps (not all the way)
put a fan in front of the hutches
put a tile in the cage

any other ways?

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Black absorbs more of the color spectrum so if they are in full light, yes they get warmer. It's the same as if you wore a black t-shirt in the sun...sucks up aaaalllll the heat. White reflects the heat and light away, making it "cooler."

However in the shade, neither color is warmer or colder. S'all about the levels of radiance and absorption. I won't bore you with color theory though, LOL.

A frozen bottle of water is good, plus if they have crocks instead of bottles for water they will lie next to the nice cool water crock. A cool tile in the cage is also a good idea. I wouldn't go for a fan though unless they have a way to get away from it, as you want them to be able to choose where they want to be and if they need to cool down.

Also I wouldn't personally worry too much about 70 F or below...I worry when summer hits and it gets in the 90's. In the low 70's they should be able to cope well if they have a tile or an ice-bottle to lie on or next to.

 

[TheLittleBunny10]

ok, thanks

its hot for me

 

[trinityoaks]

Yeah, 70s isn't close to being hot. We start using additional cooling measures (water misters, fans) when temps hit 90F. Over 100 and I start checking them several times a day, especially through the afternoons. I haven't had good success with ice bottles--they melt far too quickly here. My buns have gotten through summers with temps as high as 117 with just the misters and the fans (with humidity down around 2%).

 

[mwtrees]

The critical temp that I have always heard is 85 degrees. Not that there shouldn't be some cooling done before that! But not at 70. At 70 a fan would be more along the line of a draft than a cooling breeze.

A black rabbit is going to be a little bit more affected by the heat, but unless in sun of any kind (filtered or direct) it shouldn't have much bearing.

Lop breeds do have a little bit harder time as their ears are not as exposed to the air for cooling.

If you are in a low humidity area and have an enclosed barn or shed you can use a swamp cooler. I have a modified greenhouse cooling system on my barn that usually keeps it around 80 no matter how hot outside. But our high temps in summer are rarely above 105 and usually below 100.

I have a costco tarp barn that a friend used for her rabbits and the small swamp cooler on that could keep it at 65-70 even in summer which is TOO cold. There is problems with shocking a rabbit if it were to be taken out of that cool of temp into 100 degrees.

 

[TheLittleBunny10]

If you are in a low humidity area and have an enclosed barn or shed you can use a swamp cooler.

they are not in a barn/shed and the humidity here is pretty high,