Question about heat...

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cmany

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Location
Delta County, Colorado, USA
So it has been REALLY hot here lately...Hot and dry...

Last week, I got so busy, I forgot to check on the rabbits until well after 2 pm...by 1 pm I have to start cooling them down...

Anyway...my kids of course didn't help...so when I went over there...there were a couple in distress...

I was able to put 4 females in a pen on the ground...which is cool since I water the area in the am...

They all cooled down....but the one that I am most worried about is the one that was/is pregnant...

She was in a bad way...Panting heavy, drooling...I was afraid I may loose her...

But I was able to get her cooled down...but it took much longer then the other 3...2 are sisters and are housed together...but they started bothering my other does...

SO I put them back...and it was my older doe and my 1 year old - who is a good breeder...the older one, once she started picking on the other...back to her cage she went...

So my question...Could she have lost those babies??? If so, would she have passed them??? She is was due yesterday...but the last time she kindled, she did it on day 31 or 32...

She has become more nasty then usual...but I figured part of that was because of being sprayed down to be cooled...she is pretty snooty as it is...but my god...she tried attacking me...

I did try to put her in with my male...just to see how she would receive him...NOT happening...when she is ready...she is ALL over him all lovey dovey...so I figured she still has them in there...

Could those babies have gotten cooked??? Will she pass them if they did???

Christine
 
This obviously is an extremely upsetting situation. Just reading about it made me feel heart sick. First of all, I strongly suggest bringing the pregnant female indoors for observation. It may just be that her system is extremely stressed from the heat and dehydration, but I must strongly emphasize the importance of having her checked by a Vet. If there was enough trauma to kill the babies, having them dead inside her could kill her. Without getting too graphic, it could essentially cause blood poisoning. I'm not a Vet or a Doctor, but I know from personal experience how deadly pregnancy and childbirth complications can be.

Remember of course that within reason, she is used to being warm. The insides of almost every living creature are warm/hot, and so her babies are obviously growing in a warm environment. Hopefully, there is nothing wrong with the babies and she is just taking a little longer to kindle than usual. It's my first inclination that if the babies were dead, she would go ahead and pass them.

Try keeping her inside in as calm an environment as possible. Give her nesting materials and see how she does. Hopefully, she will be fine. Go ahead and schedule a Vet's appointment if you can. If she has the babies before the appointment and they are all well, problem solved!

Please keep us updated!
 
I don't lift/pick up my does when they are within 3 days of delivering. I read that they should only be handled on an as-needed type of situation. With that being said, if the babies had died, she'd probably deliver them. If it gets to be past her kindle date by more than 3 days, then I'd get her to the vet to get her checked. Otherwise, keep her cool and try not to pick her up or mess with her unless an emergency.
 
you can freeze 2L bottles or something similar and put it in the cage with her. I highly recommend getting some kind of fan to put on rabbits in the heat. Drooling is not a good sign and thats when we bring them inside in their carrying cages. I couldn't imagine having a pregnant doe drooling. I also put in 12x12 ceramic tiles and the buns like having the cool tile to lay on. These are just some things we do when we're having 90-110 degree weather.
 
Sarah, I had thought about the tile but wasn't sure if that would be feasible. Do you freeze the tile and then put it in? Or just the tile, as is?
 
I always have tile for my buns, who are inside. I like giving them a cooler option than carpeting. My angora lays on the tile a lot because even normal indoor temperatures can get him tosty year round. I don't freeze mine, but I have heard of people who do who are looking to have a bigger impact. My kids have AC so they don't need extreme measures.
 
My hubby is already complaining because our big freezer is filled with frozen water bottles. I can just imagine if I start putting 50 tiles in there, too!

Mine are in the barn, which is an old bank barn, so it stays really cool in there. They also have the frozen water bottles and a fan. I read about freezing apple and/or banana chunks, and giving those to them. I have a kid working on that as I type. Plus I keep popping ice chunks into their water bottles, to keep those good and cold.

Luckily this heat wave is supposed to end tonight!
 
Thanks everyone...very very much....

I have been doing the water bottles...I have also been spraying them down...ears and face...which the ones who end up with more heat really don't mind...

Funny my flemish giant LOVES to get wet??? Don't get that one....but I spray the top of the hutch and then under it...and she will come out of her box while I do it...

And she is always the coolest of them since her box is built as an extension off the back of the hutch (trying to get the rest of them the same...he works A LOT...

And I have hooked up fans...but bringing that one inside just isn't an option...I have a Chi mix dog who will bark relentlessly at her...and my house is a little hot right now as I am growing out 90 quail chicks and 4 ducklings...

But now that I am staying on top of it (cannot rely on the kids to do it...no matter what I do) I haven't had anymore scares like that...

Will keep a close eye on her...figuring I may give her some tums to see if that could help her pass if she is still holding them in there...

She sure is excessively grumpy like she was before her last litter came...and she seems fine otherwise...

Going to look into get the tiles too...we are supposed to put a freezer in our basement this weekend when the hubby gets back from work...so will have the room to do that...

I really did bite off more then I could chew for my first year at doing all of this...rabbits, goats, ducks, quail, chickens, gardens (total black thumb here)...

And the hubby is now trying to convince me to get pigs!!! UGH!!! He is only here on the weekends...eeesh...

Sorry to complain


Thanks again all of you...
 
Lol man you keep busy. I wish I could have as many animals as you do :)

As forthe tiles we dont freeze them. Although I have heard that you can. I might have to try it out on one of my bucks that ends up drooling in the texas heat. So far with what were doing all of mine seem fine.

I may have to deal with this situation in a month. Im about to rebreed two of my tans and that puts their due date right in the middle of summer although hopefully i can get them inside before they are due. . .
 
LOL your telling me...

4 kids (girls at that!!! saw a news report that some of the most stressful homes are ones with 4 or more girls I believe it based on my own experience of course)

4 dogs, 6 goats (one is a bottle baby), 11 rabbits, 17 chickens, 2 mallards, 4 ancona ducklings (may be getting more ugh), 90 quail...

Large veggie garden and a crop field for all my gluten free grains...

I MUST be insane...

I think the hubby said I can get more of the ancona ducks (sexed them and I have 2 & 2) because he has been talking with people and has about 4-6 people who said if he raises the pigs (YEA RIGHT they really mean me) they will buy a pig a year from us...

And now with this heat...which will not let up...my health is starting to act up...

I am just SO excited!!!

It sure was easier when I just had the rabbits, kids and dogs...LOL...

 
I'll tell you now, skip on the pigs! They are smelly as hell (even when kept in a stall with turnout!), they bite (you and each other), and are a pain in the butt. Tell hubby AFTER he gets your rabbits housing finished you'll consider it. hehe Oh! And, if you're not raising all of your own feed, you'll spend more on feeding/caring for them then you'll see when they get sold (either live or processed).
 
Yeah, but I only have 176 acres, not 1500...we couldn't very easily do that without them getting into the neighbor's corn/soybean fields. LOL Not sure how much land they have, but if her husband can't finish housing on existing animals, I don't think acquiring another species is a good idea.
 
WE HAVE BABIES!!!! She had them this morning...

6 perfectly pink little squiggling babies!!!!

All seems well...although she is building the nest NOW after she has had them...

But it is still pretty darn hot around here...no break in site...javascript:emoticon(':biggrin2:',%20'images/emoticons/biggrin2.gif')

Thanks ALL

Christine:biggrin2:
 
Thanks...they look really good...

But I was concerned for a bit because she just wasn't making the nest...thought she was...but she kept throwing the hay out...and they were getting cold...

So I slid a piece of cardboard under the nesting structure...and places them in a warm cloth...their feet were getting purple....

She seems to have settled now and is taking better care of them...

I don't want to have to remove them from her...but IF I have to...I can...and I have fresh goats milk at my disposal if necessary...REALLY don't want to go that route tho...

Thanks again for everything!!!!
 
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