Rabbit People....how do you keep your buns cool?

[NellaBean]

How long would frozen ceramic tiles stay cool? I have a bunch of them (Lowes....68 cents each) I got the other day to use as resting spots in their cages.

 

[debilorrah]

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I haven't tried them yet myself, but I do know alot of people use them.

 

[CranberryCreekFarm]

We have a fan and do the 2 liter water bottle trick. Chest freezer usually has enough room for the 20 bottles we need throughout the summer since its not quite garden veggie harvest time. But I also live in Maine, soooooo its not as hot here as in other states!

 

[NellaBean]

Well, I've been doing the smaller than 2 liter but bigger than small bottles...the one you get at Wally World with the flavored water? I have been putting 1 in each cage outside and 2 with the buck as his cage is the hottest. I have fans blowing on the garage cages. Going to move more into the garage this weekend. Currently only have 2 in there. Gonig to put dividers in the existing cages and then move 9 more in there. going to hang some screen or shade cloth over the opening too. Poor bunnies.

I have been moving them one or two at a time into pens in the grass before dark, just for a half hour or so to stretch their legs and get some good food. This weather is supposed to stay in the 90's for at least the next 10 days. Ugh.

 

[3chimama]

I would try larger iced containers as well....

 

[Chickencoop1996]

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X2

 

[rivers2011]

plant lots of trees! I used to live in a home in a city where summers were 35 degrees celsius (sorry, don't know Fahrenheit - but it was VERY hot and humid) and we never needed air conditioning because there were trees surrounding our house. Walking in, you'd think it was air conditioned because it was so cool. This is a very labour-intensive and expensive process...but good for the long run

 

[nurseshelly]

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I'm in AZ, and it gets up to 120 or a little hotter here some summers. Any time it's over 90, I gave my bunny frozen water bottles, either 2 liter or 1 gallon size. You just need two for each cage, one in the cage, and one frozen. My bunny would lay against it all day. About 3 or 4 in the afternoon, it would be mostly melted, and I would wet her down with cool water from the hose ... or

let her swim and splash on the top step in the pool. She LOVED the first step of the pool, when she got out, she would be nice and cool and run around the yard and play

By the time she was totally dry, it would be cooler. Also we had probably a ten foot deep, half acre long bed of zinnias that she loved hopping around in during the afternoon. They are pretty succulent and when they are in the shade they stay pretty cool. They love to eat them too

. If it wasn't so humid for you, misters would help.
Another thing you can do, is make a run for them with a burrow. You can build one just like the instructions for a tortoise burrow and it stays under 90 inside of the burrow in the summer, and warm in the winter. It's basically done by using concrete blocks to shape the inside of the burrow, then put something sturdy over the top. Then it needs at least 18 inches of dirt over it on all sides except for the opening. The more dirt you mound over it on the top, sides and back, the more insulating it will be. Then you wouldn't need frozen bottles at all.
Here are the instructions http://www.desertmuseum.org/programs/tap_burrow.php

 

[debilorrah]

I am in the desert. It has been 80-85 outside, so much hotter in the garage where the buns are. The frozen bottles help SOOOO much.

As a footnote. If you feel your bunnies ears and they are hot, COOL THEM DOWN. The ears are their cooling point. I learn something new every day!!! And I am glad to share, even if you knew that already.

 

[imtc]

I'm in Texas and have used misters for several years and they work well. A fan also helps but misters you can put on timers to turn on and off during peak heat hours or just on for 20 minutes....off for 20 so it's cooling them throughout the day.