temp and breeding time in cny

[big bucks ny]

Just wanna know a good time to breed and when to rest due to temp, like don't breed july aug? I have my brood stock in an uninsulated garage with good ventilation, so it gets 85 to90 on hot days,but they get ice bottles and fans. Also any info for winter breeding would be great. Oh yeah localish meat mutts if that helps. Thanks

 

[Dood]

I'm in southern Ontario, about an hour west of Buffalo NY, so we probably have similar temperatures. I breed all summer without issue and I' ve never lost a doe or kit to heat exhaustion and use cooling tiles only on the hottest days.

I also have litters all winter although they tend to be smaller (ranging from 5-8 kits) and sometimes the girls don't get pregnant on schedule. I keep my breeding stock in a 10 x 10 barn that is heated to just above freezing to prevent their water from freezing as nursing does drink a lot and licking ice won't suffice. They also get at least 8 hours of artificial lighting to maintain a summer like circadian rhythm.

 

[skysthelimit]

Pretty much the same here.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

You can try to breed through the heat of the summer. I do, and it gets over 100 here.

There is the possibility of the doe dying due to heat distress, however... but if your goal is year-round production, the only way to breed for heat tolerance is to try it. The ones that can't handle it are automatically removed from the gene pool.

I lost a doe to to heat distress this summer as a matter of fact, but the two others that were bred to kindle at the same time did fine.

 

[akane]

It depends on your rabbits. Some bucks will go sterile in the heat and some take months to recover cutting out summer and part of fall for breeding. Some does will die of heatstroke during pregnancy while others hop around like it's a nice spring day. Some does will build wonderful nests with large litters for keeping warm in subzero temps and some couldn't keep their kits warm up around the 40sF. I've had all of the above and I've sat there holding my breath while attempting to breed $60 stock in weather extremes knowing that if they die it would be a major hit but it would also make my remaining herd stronger breeders.