Please watch this short video and fire away with suggestions. Thanks guys!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAnMDBHmIDI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAnMDBHmIDI
OMG, I HAVE A DILEMMA!!!
- Thread starter zee
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jessie15273
Well-known member
I think you have it all covered!
What was the temp that day? I live all the way up in NJ and people here say to put water bottles in when it gets to just 80! I put them in at 90. I have also been selecting for heat tolerance. If a doe pants a lot and just doesnt handle the heat well, I will try to replace her with a kit from one of my more heat tolerant does. I recently lost a lot so I have been set back in the way unfortunately.
What was the temp that day? I live all the way up in NJ and people here say to put water bottles in when it gets to just 80! I put them in at 90. I have also been selecting for heat tolerance. If a doe pants a lot and just doesnt handle the heat well, I will try to replace her with a kit from one of my more heat tolerant does. I recently lost a lot so I have been set back in the way unfortunately.
MamaSheepdog
Well-known member
Hi Zee,
I'm sorry you lost Sugar. Without seeing the body, it is hard to say what she died from.
You can tell when a rabbit is going into heat distress because they will be breathing heavily with their head tilted up, and they will have drool around the mouth and on the chin.
If you still have the body, it would be a good idea to do a necropsy on her to see if there are any internal signs of the cause of death. She could have developed mastitis also- did you check her teats for abnormal swelling and possibly a bluish color to the skin?
The kits look really healthy, and at 5 weeks they will do just fine. Many people wean at four weeks.
Your set-up looks very nice and clean, so I doubt your husbandry had anything to do with the loss.
I have far too many rabbits to provide frozen water bottles to. Last year when it got to be 104F and over, the rabbits in my growout area (which is partially shaded for part of the day, but has periods of full sun) would go into heat distress. I misted them down with a hose, making sure to wet their ears. I also would wet down the soil around and under the pens.
I'm sorry for your loss, and hope the rest of your rabbits remain healthy. :clover:
I'm sorry you lost Sugar. Without seeing the body, it is hard to say what she died from.
You can tell when a rabbit is going into heat distress because they will be breathing heavily with their head tilted up, and they will have drool around the mouth and on the chin.
If you still have the body, it would be a good idea to do a necropsy on her to see if there are any internal signs of the cause of death. She could have developed mastitis also- did you check her teats for abnormal swelling and possibly a bluish color to the skin?
The kits look really healthy, and at 5 weeks they will do just fine. Many people wean at four weeks.
Your set-up looks very nice and clean, so I doubt your husbandry had anything to do with the loss.
I have far too many rabbits to provide frozen water bottles to. Last year when it got to be 104F and over, the rabbits in my growout area (which is partially shaded for part of the day, but has periods of full sun) would go into heat distress. I misted them down with a hose, making sure to wet their ears. I also would wet down the soil around and under the pens.
I'm sorry for your loss, and hope the rest of your rabbits remain healthy. :clover:
Jessie, the temp yesterday when it happened was 83 degrees. MSD, I know I should have done a necropsy, but, I didn't. 
The body is gone in the trash now. I learned a tough lesson with this, but, I will continue to push forward and concentrate on doing a better job. Right now, they all are inside the house until I come up with a plan to keep them safe outside in case the heat was the factor. Thanks for you guys input.
The body is gone in the trash now. I learned a tough lesson with this, but, I will continue to push forward and concentrate on doing a better job. Right now, they all are inside the house until I come up with a plan to keep them safe outside in case the heat was the factor. Thanks for you guys input. 
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I really have my doubts that heat was a factor at that temperature, unless she actually was in direct sun... which she wasn't. I just watched the video again. 83*... it's uncomfortably warm, but it just isn't that hot, if you're under a tarp like she was.
I really think it was something else.
I'm so sorry for your loss, Zee! The kits should be fine.
I was putting water bottles in at 90*, but then I read another member's post who said she didn't put them in until 100*, because she wanted bunnies that could take it. Made sense to me... what if something comes up, and you can't get the bottles out there?
So that's what we did last year. The buns showed no trouble with the temps in the 90s. It never got to 100*, but we do have high humidity.
I really think it was something else.
I'm so sorry for your loss, Zee!
The kits should be fine.I was putting water bottles in at 90*, but then I read another member's post who said she didn't put them in until 100*, because she wanted bunnies that could take it. Made sense to me... what if something comes up, and you can't get the bottles out there?
So that's what we did last year. The buns showed no trouble with the temps in the 90s. It never got to 100*, but we do have high humidity.
skysthelimit
Well-known member
Sorry for your loss.Mine ate the bottles and the others ignored them. the other side of the barn will be cooler this year with the cement so I'll be armed with fans and hope for the best.
Zee, so very sorry for the loss ... it is hard to lose a good breeder! :grouphug2:
IMHO, the only way it could have been heat stroke was if she was pre-disposed to be succeptible to it ... which the kits aren't displaying any sensitivity to the heat, so I would rule that out as a genetic issue. However, there are other environmental issues that could present with the same symptoms ... like MSD said, and I saw last week when I lost a 2.5 year old doe, there would have been wet fur around her mouth if it was heat stroke, enough you would have noticed plastered/spiky fur even if it had dried.
More than likely, it was a blood clot, or heart failure, or simple fright by a predator. IMHO, go ahead and move all the rest of the buns back outside, keep an eye out for signs of cats/predators disturbing them, and choose a growout doe from her litter if she was giving you the type of kits you want.
IMHO, the only way it could have been heat stroke was if she was pre-disposed to be succeptible to it ... which the kits aren't displaying any sensitivity to the heat, so I would rule that out as a genetic issue. However, there are other environmental issues that could present with the same symptoms ... like MSD said, and I saw last week when I lost a 2.5 year old doe, there would have been wet fur around her mouth if it was heat stroke, enough you would have noticed plastered/spiky fur even if it had dried.
More than likely, it was a blood clot, or heart failure, or simple fright by a predator. IMHO, go ahead and move all the rest of the buns back outside, keep an eye out for signs of cats/predators disturbing them, and choose a growout doe from her litter if she was giving you the type of kits you want.
Okay guys, thank you soo much for your advice and tips. You guys have a great day and a wonderful mother's day if you all are mothers.
