URGENT!! Heat...

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CloverRabbits

CloverRabbits

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Okay so I am new here :)

I have two rabbits, and my doe is 25 days pregnant. It is her first litter and I have been doing everything to make sure all goes well.

Well... It is going to be close to 100 degrees tomorrow, and the buns aren't use to that. I can bring them in my barn where it is about 10 degrees cooler, but will this stress her out? She is use to being in the extra stall in a cage, but I have not put her in for about two weeks because I have not wanted to cause her stress (she is used to running around the empty stall and I have extra cages there). Please help! She would be there probably most of Thursday too. Will it be okay to put her in the barn then switch her back to her normal hutch? She's already nesting and has a big beautiful nest :)
 
It's supposed to get wicked hot here the next few days, too. We go from cold, to hot, then back to cold. grrr! Anyway, if she made her big beautiful nest in a nest box, I'd move her. And just leave her moved until the summer is over (if possible). If she didn't build in an actual portable box, could you bring the whole hutch into the barn?
 
I'm not sure about which would be best. You might already be adding ice chips to their water. Other heat relievers are misting [especially the ears] & a fan. Maybe combine the 2. You might even consider getting some dry ice & blowing its mist onto them. I think if I were going to move them, it'd be to a basement or someplace more than 10` cooler.
 
Thank you so much! Well she has two hutches that I connected, so it has two separated wooden houses (the boxes at the back of the wooden hutches). She built the nest in the one that she never uses as a litterbox. It is the perfect size and totally covered, so really where I was hoping she would build it. I really cannot move the hutch inside, and there is not much light that comes into the barn anyways, so i wouldnt want her inside all summer. But do you think for the next two days she would be okay away from her nest and normal hutch? It will be much cooler, in the 70s, at night so I could put her back outside at night if that would help.
 
Sorry LakeCondo, I replied at the same time. I can do a fan and misting. I just checked, it will be 94 tomorrow and Thursday. Hmmm can't decide. I just really don't want to move her and stress her, but the heat may be worse...
 
At 25 days I would go ahead and bring her in, nest and all. I don't know how high the humidity is there, but you can lose the kits and the doe if she gets too stressed kindling in the heat.

We're hitting low to mid 90's many days and I brought my pregnant doe inside about 3-4 days before she kindled. She had them in the nestbox just fine. I'm just not sure when to take them back outside, but I'll have to acclimate them to it in stages since they're in A/C.

I wouldn't move her back and forth. If you move her do it soon. A few days after she has the kits you could try moving them back outside. I did leave one doe outside to kindle but she's under an insulated cover with fans on her and an ice bottle and she did okay having her 3 kits.
 
Is 94 for two days with frozen bottles, misting and fans way too hot or borderline? It will be back to mid 70s by kindling time. I just really don't want to move her then bring her back a day or two before kindling. And I really don't want them born inside and have to move them with it being her first litter. Erg! Stupid new england weather :)
 
If it won't be 94 when she kindles then you should be okay. The misting, fans and ice should help her get through the couple of hot days. I certainly know how unpredictable the weather can be! I had a doe last year who was due the third week in May and temps were pleasant. Suddenly, 2 days before she was due it turned hot & humid. Even with fans on her and icewe lost the kits. Luckily, we didn't lose her too. Your using the misting will help...something we didn't have.
 
How sure are you about the weather forecast a few days ahead being right? When it cools down sometime Thursday here in north-central IN, it's forecast to be 85` for a few days. The first under 80 is predicted to be a high of 79` next Tuesday.

But it's a tough decision & you can only choose to do what you think will be best.
 
Well I put them in their other cages that they are used to from the barn into the garage. It will probably stay 20 degrees cooler in here, but i made the switch early so it wasn't too drastic. She has a nest box with some of her materials from her normal hutch and nest and she has plenty of hay and water and grain. I put a damp towel over one corner for privacy and to cool. She seems quite happy :) eating a ton, so she's not too too close. I wish I knew how to post photos!
 
I'm glad you got her moved, and she's settled in. It's already super hot and humid here this morning. I just hope it only lasts for a few days, like they're calling for.
 
Well thank you thank you thank you everyone! Seven kits horns last night! I'll try to post a quick pic I took. Mom is doing beautifully! All born in the nest tucked in under her cozy fur. Oh and I put her back out to her normal hutch Friday night after it cooled down, and I'm glad I did because that's really where her nice nest was. Thank you all so much!
 
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