Mitigating the heat (hopefully)

[TMTex]

Our temp hit 96 yesterday and the rabbits were obviously stressed. The sweetest doe was acting like she was scared of me. We put ice water in bowls to help them. I dampened their ears with water by hand to help cool them off, but they didn't like it.

I ran to Home Depot to get a mister system. They're running a good deal on them if anyone wants to check them out. I got a 12 foot 3/8 system with a 10 foot extension for about $25.00. I got it temporarily installed in maybe 10 minutes. I also put a fan out there, but the wind was already pretty strong.

The temp in the sun felt easily over 100 by that time and inside the misting zone was probably around 80, maybe less. Our rabbits started acting normally pretty quickly. My wife helped me put up a 10' x 20' covered shelter to help with the heat. It was uncomfortable to do this in close to 100 degree temp, but she's a trooper.

The sun was set before we finished and I did a more permanent installation of the mister system in the dark. It tested fine, so we should be able to fight the heat more effectively from here. Today's supposed to be hotter than yesterday.

I'm hoping the heat didn't hurt the pregnant does. Two does will be due in two weeks. The other two will be ready for their first breeding about that same time.

 

[6riversfarms]

It sounds like you are taking the right steps. I had good results using a combination of misters, fans, and frozen water bottles last summer even in our very humid climate here. I invested in a more substantially built misting system for this summer as I had a problem with the plastic nozzles splitting on the one I bought from Lowe's. Even with the nozzle problems the mister from Lowe's helped a great deal. I didn't lose a rabbit to the heat last year even with 100 degree plus temps and Rel. Humidity above 75%.

Good luck.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I dampened their ears with water by hand to help cool them off, but they didn't like it.

If they didn't like it, they weren't too distressed. I sprinkle mine with the hose, and if they are very hot, they just lay there while I do it. When they become active and start grooming themselves I know they will be okay.

I got a 12 foot 3/8 system with a 10 foot extension for about $25.00.

I bought two of the same kits for my growout area, which gets partial shade for part of the day, and direct sun at other times. Hubs also bought a roll of shade cloth for them.

My BunnyBarn is in complete shade in the afternoon, and last year the buns seemed comfortable. I used a box fan on the hottest days.

Two does will be due in two weeks.

Watch them carefully when they are due to kindle. Between the misters and the fan, they should be okay, but labor is hard work and they will be most at risk at that time.

Good luck! :clover:

 

[CWD]

I hope thing work out for you.
this past week we had 3 days of 102 and 3 days in the high 90's Then all of a sudden yesterday hit a high of 78
and today's high will be in the high 70's.
I have been putting frozen water bottles with them for 2 weeks now, and the misting system is running around the clock.
Like MSD said keep an eye on your does, it will not take much to cause them stress during labor.

 

[TMTex]

Thanks, all. I'll keep an eye on the does, but I'm not sure what to do. When I was raising meat buns as a teen, I just put the does in one huge cage and the bucks in separate ones. I made the cages out of whatever I could scrounge. I free fed everything. There weren't all these rules and concerns. Just meat once in a while.

The more I learn, the more I realize that I don't know anything. Thanks for your help.

 

[Lmannyr]

I went through the same ordeal last year; tarp, fans tarp, ice, etc... WAY TO MUCH FUSS AND WORK and upkeep. This year they were already panting a few weeks ago. I didn't want to go through the same deal as last year so we built a 20 X 8 X 10 (L X W X H) hutch on dirt. The entire hutch is a wire cage. The bunnies can dig 3 feet down before hitting hardware wire. The same day we put them in their new home, they were panting in the wire cages and happy as they could ever be in the gigantic hutch. It's been one week now with the hutch, not once have I seen them pant. Always active (digging, humping, eating, laying out in the front getting some overspray from my drip system watering their food. They seem VERY HAPPY in their new home. They are in shade until about 5pm. Even then they look very comfy. The herbs I have growing in front of the hutch with provide the late afternoon shade. The hutch will be a blessing this summer. The ground is ALWAYS cooler in the shade.

If you have the space, I would recommend a gigantic hutch colony type setting. Much easier to maintain so far. I breed for meat so the more humping, the better. No more putting each doe with the buck. Oh jeez, this is gonna be a breeze this summer.

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

When I was raising meat buns as a teen, I just put the does in one huge cage and the bucks in separate ones. I made the cages out of whatever I could scrounge. I free fed everything. There weren't all these rules and concerns. Just meat once in a while.

The more I learn, the more I realize that I don't know anything. Thanks for your help.

Life was easier before you learned so much, huh? We had meat rabbits when I was a kid and we managed to raise them and eat just fine without all the "rules" lol.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

There weren't all these rules and concerns. Just meat once in a while.

The more I learn, the more I realize that I don't know anything. Thanks for your help.

Life was easier before you learned so much, huh? We had meat rabbits when I was a kid and we managed to raise them and eat just fine without all the "rules" lol.

Rules? What rules? Isn't the ONLY hard and fast rule that concerens rabbits this:

"There are as many ways to raise rabbits are there are rabbits"

 

[caroline]

we got to 105 last year, very unusual for us. we lost a couple of bunz before we added soaker hoses to the corrugated metal barn roof. We already had fans in the barn. This year we replaced the plastic feed sacks, we had hung as "curtains" over the 1 foot opening between the top of the wall and the roof, with cotton sheets that we bought at the Goodwill for $3 each. Now when we run the soaker hoses the water drips down from the roof and wets the sheets and they act like air conditioning when the air blows through them. They are a lot prettier too

 

[NOrabeets]

I noticed my rabbits acting a little overheated a couple of days ago (only 85 and not overly humid yet), so I picked up some marble tiles at Home Depot. They seem to stay cold much longer than a regular tile (seems to take hours to heat up after I pull them out of the freezer)and my rabbits must love them because they are always laying on them now.

 

[TMTex]

I've read about using tiles somewhere. Sounds like a good idea, but I tried the large ice cube idea that arachyd mentioned in the following post...
post35262.html#p35262

Instead of tupperware, I used large cottage cheese tubs. The ice popped right out and all but one bunny started chewing and playing with them right away. I refilled the tubs and put them back in the freezer. We also have a commercial freezer that came free with a meat subscription years ago when I was dumb enough to think that was a good idea. I'll put the ice blocks out there for storage and refill again.

It's been 96 and above here for the past few days. It's supposed to be hot for a while now, but hopefully, we have it under control.

We'll see how well we did in early June when the kits are due. Fingers crossed.

 

[AnnClaire]

I agree with Lmannyr ... having the buns in runout pens is much easier on them in the high heat than trying to keep up with freezing 2liter pop bottles and changing them out ... and I had 1/4 the breeding stock that summer than I have this year. Last summer was the first time all had runout pens (does/babies, buck, buckling growouts) and I didn't lose anyone to the heat, and the buns really liked it!

I did have to cage everyone last night because of the storms predicted, and today was a bit warm, but no one was overly stressed. I do have 3 does due to kindle this week, so I am not sure what I am going to do ... I was thinking about making some smaller temporary pens for them to be segregated in until they kindle ... the only problem with that is that I don't want to "floor" a temp pen, and a doe ready to kindle is a digging machine!!!!

My other option would be to not rake the droppings out from under the cage line (I really need to do that!), and put their cages on top of the pile which would have them about 12" above the ground ... this kept a buckling cool last week while I was busy building more cages and emptying out others.

Of course, I don't just leave the runout pens "plain" ... I make piles with logs and the buns have a great time exploring them, digging under them :cheesysmile: I also add the unused kitty litter tops occassionally and they have a blast jumping up on top, digging under, running in and out. I also rotate in the empty nest boxes and they play in them too. And then, I also added more dirt, so now they are having fun digging a warren, but the top is only about 2" thick, so when I have to get in there, I am collapsing their tunnels. Oh, well, they get busy and dig new ones

 

[Lmannyr]

Update. The Gigantic Hutch has been a big win for us. It's been two weeks now with the buns in their new home.m I've had ZERO issues. I added 3 3ft X 1ft X 1ft (roughly, some wider, some longer) nest boxes with removable tops under ground with a dirt pathway leading into them. Feeding has is easy and I'm beginning to grow a rabbit friendly herb section in my garden.

I find myself sitting on a log in the hutch rabbit watching in the middle of the day a lot now. It's race full, relaxing and NOT HOT. I really wished I did this sooner. Their ave been no behavior issues. Everyone looks as happy.

 

[AnnClaire]

PHOTOS ... WHERE'S THE PHOTOS?????

I generally do my morning cuppa outside watching them race around and binky and play ... and in the evening when the heat is dying off, they get active and playful again You may want to wet down the soil in the mornings when it gets really hot ... it will help give the buns some cooler soil to dig a bit for cooler soil. I also set concrete paver stones along the fence line and those help transmit the coolness of the soil and the buns like to lay on them too.

 

[zee]

Lmannyr, WHERE ARE THE PHOTOS??!! This sounds like the answer to my cooling problem for the buns. We are in for a A LOOOOONG summer. Question: How do you retrieve the poop? Maybe the photos would tell the story.

 

[Lmannyr]

AnnClaire,

I have oregano growing across the front 20 ft which gets a micro sprinkler. The sprinkler gets 1 ft inside wet too. The micro sprinkler goes off bout 6 times every 24 hours. They love laying over te moist ground and dig deeper to get cooler. It's great, I have yet to see them breathing fast since the move. As far as playfull, nt my bunnies. They seem like a real serious group. They run away from us, hide, and sart stomping like we are not welcomed. I'm trying to change that by spending couple several hours a day in the hutch just watching them.

Zee,

As far as the poop, it's ony been two weeks so nt much accumulation yet. It seems like most of the poop is in one general area but there some everywhere. Today I made a 2ft X 2ft with 1/4in mesh sifter (just materials laying around so it was free). I shoveled up poop area and filled up a bucket of poo in about 30 min. I need to perfect my technique to cut the time some. Sure beats the hairy, sticky, corugated ramps that needed to be brushed EVERYDAY to keep path clear. Hated that system. I might pickup an ocean sand flee rake / basket /sifter and see how that works. Time will tell

Those big nest boxes I buried last week are not being used, at all. I would have thought they woud sleep dig whatever in there but nope, 2 out of three of the entry does have been nearly covered closed. Should I ave left them above ground? They ave stopped digging tunnels since the addition of the underground boxes. Glad they stopped, I was scared to kill a bunny by stepping on one and collapsing a tunnel. Yikes. Have collapse several already (prior to boxes) but no one was in them. Buns have been in the colony now for 2.5 weeks. I hope come kindle day, babies end up in the new est boxes under ground. We shall see.

 

[Secuono]

It's supposed to be 90-96F this week here. I'm trying freezing large plastic cups of water and changing them often.
Tried to use water bottles frozen, but the kits wanted to lick the ice they couldn't reach instead, plus rabbits chew bottles and make them one time use. Might as well skip the destruction and try open ice.
I'll post back when I know how it turned out!

Does lowes have a misting system?

 

[skysthelimit]

Hmm, I know Walmart does.

 

[trinityoaks]

Does lowes have a misting system?

I bought mine at Lowe's a couple of years ago.

 

[AnnClaire]

Lmannyr,

Give them a little time ... they will soon start acting all silly and tossing their heads and running around! LOL As for the stomping and running away, only feed them pellets and hay in the pen, and gather up some nice forage each day, go inside, sit down and only let them have the greens if they approach and eat from your hand. Soon enough, you will be able to stroke their heads. I find skittish buns are not quite as skittish if I use the back of my fingers to stroke their heads at first. Soon enough, you can get them changed over to generic ritz crackers from the dollar store as a treat.

Once you get them where they are sniffing you and putting their paws on you, you can start reaching toward them to stroke them. They will still shy away, but soon enough they will tolerate it. Once they are nose-bumping you, then you can pick one up, stroke it a couple of times, then put it back down. Slow but sure will win the day

When you notice the first haystache, stuff the buried nestboxes with hay and give loose hay for nestbuilding and I bet they will nest in the nestboxes