My bunneh haz melted...

[TF3]

We are having our first really hot day (it is only about 25C) and my bunnies are melting.

This little FG fellow (I'm going to post some more of my weird 'Giant Tiger Bunnies' in colours and genetics shortly) has turned into a lop...



What is the deal with ears?
I know with dogs it changes with development, teething etc.
It seems each bunny has a day where it just can't keep them up~ some are tips, some the whole ear~ and then they are back to normal.
I assume it is something to do with those giant FG ears and the rate at which the cartilage firms up?
Or do I have Giant Tiger Lops?! :lol: :x

 

[katiebear]

Nope no giant lops..my F.G.mix kits all do that..after about 7 weeks or so it's not so much..It's getting warm here too..so I see alot of floppy ears..It's funny to see the little 2 week olds all sprawled out in the big bunny pose, legs back and ears flopped off to the sides though..

 

[MaggieJ]

I don't know exactly what causes the ears to droop - It may be because the blood vessels in them dilate in an attempt to dissipate heat or it may simply be a stage in development. I've seen it before and it soon goes away.

In any case, your bunnies will appreciate a gentle spritzing of their ears with cool (not cold) water. I use a spray bottle and aim above the rabbit's head, allowing the cooling mist to settle gently onto the ears. A fan also helps, but make sure it doesn't blast directly on them. In a colony, this is easy to arrange. With a bank of cages it may be more difficult.

 

[Zass]

I had one fully lop-for-no-reason recently too.
I keep watching for them to go back up.
Any day now...

 

[TF3]

They all seem to pop back up after a bit, don't they?

I gave all the ears a spritz earlier on~ really it was warm today but not humid and the cages are hung in a screened in porch so they are never in direct sun and always have a generous cross breeze.
With some humidity it could forseeably require a fan and we have enough space it could oscillate and not hit anyone directly.
I have two litters due next week, so I am hoping it stays seasonal in the high teens, low 20s.
Being north enough we sometimes get a hot/ humid spell that sees humidex at 35+ but they generally don't last too long.

And if it really gets hot, we have enough pens and a rabbit tractor project underway so we could move them outside to deep shade,
but for now, considering how voracious the black flies are, all warm blooded critters are safer behind screens.
My dogs are sweating in their need-to-be-groomed coats but they don't get devoured outside with them!
It must be such a challenge for folks who live in hot climates!

 

[MaggieJ]

I don't know South River itself, Lori, but I have ties with Muskoka and also with northern Hastings County - Bancoroft etc. - so I do have a pretty good idea of your area and it is beautiful. We are down near Lake Ontario, about 100 miles east of Toronto. More humid than your area, but the Lake helps keep us cool and we do get strong breezes!

Your porch set-up sounds great. I don't envy you your black flies, but the blueberries and cranberries later in the season help compensate, don't they? My sister lives in Bracebridge and the family cottage (since 1922) is near Bala.

 

[TF3]

Oh Bala is gorgeous!
The cranberry festival is on our to do one of these years!
I had a student intern a couple of years ago that cottage on an island in bala (Gradys)
We were in Sundridge (just south of here) for 9 years and right on the lake, so the flies were minimal.
But we moved up into the woods and oh, boy. :x :x :x

We brave the bugs for the blueberries and our new (to us~ it is 90 year old schoolhouse) home has loads of wild raspberries and strawberries.

I'm from the Brantford area so I know southern Ontario humid, yuck.
And our family wonders why we don't visit them in the summer :lol:

 

[MaggieJ]

If you are ever in Bracebridge, I highly recommend my sister's restaurant. Real food, everything made from scratch. (Shameless plug for my sis. LOL)

http://finethymesrestaurant.com/

 

[TF3]

Good to know!!

 

[funnies50]

Lol yeah! I figured the buns do that when they're hot :rant: Coco was at Indian Wells for a tennis thingy and she flopped down like that. Right between my feet. :evil: