Summer ears?

[imajpm]

We've just entered the third day of a two week long brutal and very abnormal heat wave. Yesterday and today it reached 100 degrees in the shade. Bunnies are miserable but ok so far. Got fans, misters, ice, hutches moved to about 3 inches off the ground.. But I have a question about summer ears.

I have two NZW kits, from different litters, that are about 7 weeks old and have just developed summer ears. One just has the tips collapsing, and one has one ear tip down, and then the whole other ear is lopping at the base. Is there any genetic element to summer ears? All previous litters from the same parents have had perfect ears but none had the misfortune to get hit by a freak heat wave either. Thanks I love this forum!

 

[katiebear]

The summer heat is always brutal here..My 6 week olds, I have 18 of them, about five have droopy ears. They are F.G. mix the ears are kind of heavy.so I am not really shocked. It is usually the tips but I have three that flop over sideways, from the base. Only one ear though... :?: .. It is pretty cute, they do grow out of it..by process time you can't tell who had the summer ears.

 

[akane]

I've never found the heat effects on ears to be permanent. The rabbits usually grow into the ears and improve the base so breeds with ear limits still fall within them as seniors and/or lopping never happens again. I suppose it's a problem if you show juniors though.

 

[imajpm]

Urgh melting....All right thanks for the input

 

[TF3]

It's not been hot here at all, aside from a few warm days, but those have been enough to see FG kits ears flop (and come back up again).