Lost two :(

[coffeenutdesigns]

Last week we had cold weather. The last couple of days we've had rain and clouds. Today, sunny and hot and topped out over 100 degrees. I lost two of my week old babies I am so mad at myself. I should have pulled the nest material out of the box or moved the nest box inside or something. Rookie mistake I am sure I won't make again. My buns are already feeling the heat. Tomorrow is supposed to hit 106 ALREADY! I now have 2 fans in place and I making my kids guzzle soda (which they NEVER get, lol) so I can freeze some bottles. I will be at work until midafternoon so I won't be here to spray them down early. If I can keep them cool until 3:00 pm or so, then I can come spray the shed down. The blistering heat came from nowhere. The temps didn't creep up, they made a giant leap I wasn't prepared for and I lost some babies because of it.

 

[AmysMacdog]

Awww I'm so sorry. This weather this year has been sooo unpredictable, sooo weird!!! I almoxt lost my new Am Blue buck to heat in April because we had such a cold March we didn't have as many leaves on the trees as we normally do then. So it got hot and it wasn't as shady as it normally would have been.
I hope everybody does ok tommorrow while your at work.

 

[LauraNJ]

I'm sorry.

I also make giant ice cubes. Put water in the disposable containers, freeze it and then pop it out on the cage floor. I got that idea from MSD, I beleive. It is a brilliant solution to the ice bottles as no plastic gets chewed.

I used the ice cubes today for the does with litters. We went from 40F up to 80F today. It is very extreme temperature changes.

 

[Miss M]

I'm so sorry, Coffeenut!

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I'm so sorry you lost the kits.

Don't beat yourself up about it- if you repeatedly made the same mistake, then I would say go ahead and :wall: . But this was a first time "mistake", so just learn from it, and correct the issue in the future.

I should have pulled the nest material out of the box or moved the nest box inside or something.

I know a lot of members here pull some of the fur from the box, but I am on the fence about that. From working at a dog grooming shop in my younger years, I learned that fur insulates both against cold and heat. Bringing them inside probably would have been a good idea though.

Last week we had cold weather. Today, sunny and hot and topped out over 100 degrees.

Extreme swings in temps are the worst- I actually lost a "keeper" doe out of a litter when it was only 84F.

I now have 2 fans in place

That will help!

I am making my kids guzzle soda (which they NEVER get, lol) so I can freeze some bottles.

Last year I tried to get my kids drink soda at breakfast, but the little brats wouldn't do it! :angry:

I will be at work until midafternoon so I won't be here to spray them down early. If I can keep them cool until 3:00 pm or so, then I can come spray the shed down.

I just bought a couple of mister kits at Home Depot. Those may help, but until you can get some, spray down the area around and under the cages in the morning before you go to work.

I also make giant ice cubes. I got that idea from MSD, I beleive.

Nope, I can't take credit for that one. I remember someone mentioning it though.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

My dad has a mister on his patio he doesn't use and said I can have it, so I will be taking it down and setting it up in my rabbit shed this weekend. I will definitely put my babies inside during the day and wet the ground down before I leave tomorrow.

I was wondering about giving my kids soda for breakfast, lol. Wonder if they'll drink it <br /><br />__________ Fri May 17, 2013 7:24 am __________<br /><br />

I'm sorry.

I also make giant ice cubes. Put water in the disposable containers, freeze it and then pop it out on the cage floor. I got that idea from MSD, I beleive. It is a brilliant solution to the ice bottles as no plastic gets chewed.

I used the ice cubes today for the does with litters. We went from 40F up to 80F today. It is very extreme temperature changes.

I will have to try this, too. It sounds like a good plan when you don't have enough bottles to go around.

 

[TMTex]

I'm sorry that you lost two, coffeenutdesigns. Yeah, the temps in Texas can swing pretty wildly. I assume you're out west if you got to 106. That pressure system hit us in Central Texas yesterday and we scrambled to save the herd.

Your dad's mister should be a big help. Even with our high humidity, ours felt like dropped the temp a good 20 degrees.

The huge ice cube idea sounds good. I'll mention that to my wife. I bet she can figure something reusable out with some of those silicone container thingys she has.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

The huge ice cube idea sounds good. I'll mention that to my wife. I bet she can figure something reusable out with some of those silicone container thingys she has.

Silicone would work really well. We freeze water in stainless steel bowls for our use, but not the buns.

Even with two chest freezers in addition to the upright one on the refrigerator, I don't have enough room to freeze fifty bottles or bowls of water for the rabbits.

I think we need a walk-in freezer. :roll:

 

[LauraNJ]

Well drat, whose idea was it? Now I feel like an idea stealer.

I know I read it on here and just thought it was a perfectly simple solution. I also like doing the ice cubes because they are easy to stack up, don't take much space, less than a bottle and they freeze faster.

I was sure it was MSD, are you sure it isn't you? Maybe One Acre or Skysthelimit?<br /><br />__________ Fri May 17, 2013 11:18 am __________<br /><br />Found it! ice-cubes-in-their-own-crock-t3606.html?hilit=tupperware

Credit goes to, I believe, Arachyd.

 

[Kyle@theWintertime]

Oh no! That's awful, I'm so sorry!!! Not your fault though...temperature fluxuates wildly in spring here, it could well have dropped abruptly and then they could have chilled. These things happen, unfortumately. I'm just sorry it happens at all.

 

[skysthelimit]

Found it! ice-cubes-in-their-own-crock-t3606.html?hilit=tupperware

Credit goes to, I believe, Arachyd.

Give credit where creidt it due

I lost two just on the opposite, does uncovered the litter, or the litter uncovered itself--three days in the 80's, then three days with lows in the 30's, two REW kits under two weeks gone, a third had a close call. Every season has it's own dangers.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

Well, they made it so far. I got home and doused the buns and the shed with the hose. The fans are helping. The bottles I managed to freeze were melted but they worked while I was away, I guess. Our forecast has changed to include 2 more 100+ degree days in the next week, so mister system has moved to the top of my to do list.

I was thinking of giant ice blocks. My dad makes them for fishing trips in those plastic shoe box size containers and reuses them. I have several ice cream buckets I could fill and freeze while I have freezer space. That's the real problem is the space in the freezer. Especially after we get our side of beef in 2 weeks.

 

[Zab]

I'm sorry for your loss.
But you seem to be doing everything possible to keep them cool as it is, even though the temperature change was sudden.