Texas Heat Problems

[nickbun]

Hi!

I was wondering if anyone else that lives in Texas or anywhere where the heat is as bad as it is here....could possibly be having the same problem I am having. I have around 140 Californian Rabbits and since this heat has gotten so bad I havehad a lot of the rabbitsget loose stools and I never have this problem. So far what I have been doing is when I notice it I don't give them their pellets that evening I only give them a good feeder full of hay and then the next evening I try giving them half of what I normally give them of pellets along with another supply of hay and then if they are still doing ok and most are at this point I gradually build back up to their normal amount. I had a thought after I heard on the news that a lot of cattle during this drought and this heat are drinking so much water that it was affecting their kidneys or liver can't remember which one they said and the cattle are dying. My thought is maybe the rabbits are drinking too much water in this extreme heat an maybe it's causing them to have loose stools? Anyone else having this happen? Anyone want to comment on this whether or not you think this could be the problem....caused from heat stress? Thanks in advance for any ideas or help anyone can give me!

 

[Maureen Las]

heat stress could cause loose stools.
I am going to pm a few of our breeders for better suggestions to cool a large herd

I have heard of using big fans with wet towels over them

here is our info on heat stress from the library

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=27899&forum_id=10

 

[Maureen Las]

I am going to move this to the rabbitry section of the forum so that you can get more helpful respones

 

[pamnock]

I agree that the big fans are the best way to to help keep the rabbits cool.

 

[mistyjr]

I have heard that a few breeders are loosing their buns from the heat!

 

[nickbun]

Thank you so much! I really was pulling towards it being heat stress related. I forgot to post that our rabbits are in a open pole barn with a tin roof with 1/2" and some 3/4" 4 X 8 sheets of foam insulation installed from underside. We also have the Big 4' X 4' Poultry Fans 8 of them blowing at all times. In the beginning of summer I can turn them off at night to save on electricityand thenit getswhere I have to leave a few on and then like nowall are left on 24 hrs...and yes our electricity billisvery high! So far ray:since it has gotten this hot I haven'thad any die....the beginning of summer I lost acouple but they were older so it could have been justold age.

Also I have cut the amount offeed I give each one back quiet a bit! Of course the rabbits do this some on their ownin the summer. I just really amthinking it's also from them drinking more thantheir usualamount. I am thinking if I try to give them more hay like daily rather than every 3 - 4 days that maybe that would help firm their stool with the excess water intake. The only problem with the hay is so much of it fly's around with the fans blowing and then the hat gets stuck to the wire on the fans and then the fans get stopped up on the back and then they can't suck in air....I have some cages with hay racks but also due to the fans if you have hay in them fur gets stuck all over the hay and then they are ingesting more fur...I don't know....I think it's a no win situation....But if you find out anything I will appreciate it and will try anything out if I am not already doing it and see if it works....Thanks Again!

 

[TinysMom]

Perhaps try hay CUBES from Tractor supply?

I live in Texas too and the heat is pretty hard - but my animals are in the house and we have air conditioning (even yet - it gets pretty darn hot).

Good luck. Wish I had more suggestions.

You could also try frozen ceramic tiles and/or frozen bottles of water.

 

[mistyjr]

you can cut up some strawberries or some kind of fruit and put in frozen tray's and freeze them and give it to the rabbits!

 

[majorv]

I totally understand your problem with the fur and hay flying under fans. Some of my rabbits have lost a little weight in the heat because I know they're not eating as much. I have noticed a few rabbits with occasional loose stools but otherwise, fine. The cubes of hay would be a good idea. I usually see alfalfa cubes in the pet store but I need to findtimothy cubes.

We just built a cover over our rabbits and installed the foam insulation boards, and it seems to have helped. This summer has been wicked and we still have at leastanother month to go.

 

[TinysMom]

majorv wrote:

I totally understand your problem with the fur and hay flying under fans. Some of my rabbits have lost a little weight in the heat because I know they're not eating as much. I have noticed a few rabbits with occasional loose stools but otherwise, fine. The cubes of hay would be a good idea. I usually see alfalfa cubes in the pet store but I need to findtimothy cubes.

We just built a cover over our rabbits and installed the foam insulation boards, and it seems to have helped. This summer has been wicked and we still have at leastanother month to go.

I am beginning to think we moved from Texas to Hades or something - its supposed to be over 102 every day next week - some days to 106.

This is a horrid summer for us here - I don't remember it being this bad in August for the last few years...am I wrong?

 

[nickbun]

The hay cubes are a thought if we can find them in Timothy? But the next problem would be how to also give them to them. You are mot suppose to give them hay on the cage floor because of all the bacteria and all...so I'm not sure if they would work for the cages without hay racks and not sure if they would fit in the hay racks? The frozen fruit and froaen water and tiles work great for just a few rabbits but when you have 150 rabbits or so I believe that would be difficult to do...lol but I do appreciate the ideas. As for this Texas Heat....I can't even remember a August that we haven't had triple digits...that's how many years I think we have had this horrid heat...That is great that you put the foam insulation up. I really think it helps a lot! But if you don't already have the 4 X 4 Poultry Fans and if you can locate someone that has some used ones.. your rabbits will really love you and you will enjoy them when you are there feeding and etc. We have found them when the poulty farms have switched over to the huge swap cooling systems that most are going to now so I'm sure they are going to get hard to find. We have to drive North about 2 1/2 hours one way to get them. But they are worth it! It's hard to even think about winter right now but I am really not looking forward to it this year after this last year...we had the hard freezes and pipes busted and we had to hand water 150 rabbits filling up 5 gal buckets from the house and carry them out to the barn and dip bowls and water bottles into them to fill them up and stand there freezing while some would drink and because of not having enough then move them to the next row of rabbits...it waa horriable also and I don't look forward to that at all...

 

[CCWelch]

Another thing to try is a probiotic in the water or on the feed. Probios if you can find it is one of the brand names. It might be in with the horse stuff at your farm store.