New to Showing Californians

[carolsembellishments]

Hello All!
Having raised meat rabbits as a kid, but never shown them, my husband and I decided to get back into the rabbits as a retirement hobby. I love raising rabbits, I love playing with the babies. Learning how to show has been a little challenging, but everyone has been helpful and kind. We live where it gets very hot, and I am trying to find the best mister set up for my buns, and this is how I found this site.

 

[jaxmarblebuns]

Hello fellow cali shower, nice to have you hear. I have shown mostly 4-H, but can help with most ARBA questions as well.

Californians fur is temperature sensitive; abrupt temperature changes can cause smut to appear on the white of the coat which is a disqualification. With that said, in the last two years I have had to implement a makeshift misting system in my carport/barn with a box fan and garden hose and it seems you should be ok as long as you keep the water off the rabbits and keep the temp consistent throughout the day.

How hot does it get in your are? Or, if you are comfortable sharing, what state/general area are you in?
Depending on the area you are in, how consistent the hot temp are, the type of setup you have, etc. it may be worth it to invest in something other than a mister system.

Another option that I have found to be excellent is a sprinkle on top of the barn/carport/shed. I have an average canvas carport and have used a sprinkler hoes strong over the top of it these past few years, it has kept the inside temp at 80F-85F on 95F+ days. (I temp that my rabbits tolerate quite well) It also eliminates the problems of rabbits, feed, equipment, etc. getting wet, though the floor does still flood a bit

Anyway, I’ll try and get a few different mister/cooling setups that I have found and try and find a pick of what I had going. It may be a bit before I get them to you though. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

 

[carolsembellishments]

I am in California. It is 104 out as I type this. Our high today was 110, which was cooler than yesterday. I have a misting system that I bought off ebay that has it's own pump and works pretty well, but I was curious what others are doing to keep their buns cool. Air conditioning is not an option, so I was hoping to improve the efficiency of the misters. I have my misters on the backs of the cages, where I clean at, and so the food is not a problem. My barn is also under a tree, which is a big help. Thank you for answering my post!

 

[Nibbles]

Welcome to RabbitTalk. Enjoy!