Cool Off!

I know, I promised a different post yesterday, but I'm not quite done writing the post and getting all the pictures so I'm going to ask you to be patient one more day. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this post that's been simmering in my draft folder about a month now. :)

Now that the summer heat is truly upon us here in Florida, I thought I'd share a few ways I keep my rabbits cool in the heat. Because they are fiber-producing rabbits, they are more likely to overheat, especially here in Florida's sun. Many people simply have an air conditioned area for their bunnies, however that wasn't an option for me so I have found a few techniques to keep them cool.

Tip #1: Hydration!

Fiona enjoying a cool sip of pineapple juice.

Keeping the rabbits hydrated will go a long ways towards preventing heat stroke. Make sure they have fresh, clean water available. I like to add a few ice cubes to their water. I also give them a few tablespoons of refrigerated pineapple juice which hydrates them, cools them, and prevents wool block! You can also hydrate them with watery fruits such as mango, pineapple, celery, watermelon, and cucumber. I freeze mine to make it an even cooler snack for them. (Plus, it makes storage easier.)

DO NOT add this to the water bottles, they don't drink it fast enough and it ROTS in the water. Lesson learned!

Tip #2: Shade

I know this isn't the best picture, I was trying to show that it's see-through but still provides plenty of shade. Similar to a screened-in porch but shadier.

The rabbit hutch has a roof that keeps the sun off the rabbits, plus it's under a tree, but I also add a bit of shade cloth on the sunnier side of the pen in order to keep the direct sun off of them. The shade cloth is especially nice because it still allows a breeze to pass through, plus you can wet it a bit in the afternoon and the water combined with the wind gives the area a nice, cool breeze. We use this stuff everywhere!

Tip #3: Environment

I know the ground looks a little rough here, we recently moved the fence back a few feet.

 As I said before, try and position the hutch in the coolest area possible. For me, that meant avoiding direct sun and keeping them away from the laundry room vent/air conditioning unit, both of which give off heat. Purchasing a cage-style hutch also allows the breeze to get to them as opposed to a solid-wall hutch. I also purchased box fans to place over the pens to create a breeze during the day, so far I think they've been one of the best things to help them. Each of them also have a floor tile in the pen with them. With a cage-style floor, it's important that the rabbits have something they can stand on anyway, (the cage can be hard on their legs/feet) and a tile is preferred to the traditional piece of plywood because it stays cooler, is easier to clean, and the rabbits don't chew on it (possibly ingesting dangerous chemicals).

I seriously recommend investing in these fans! Mine came from Dollar General.

I really don't do much more than this on a day-to-day basis and I've never had a heat problem. Let me know if you have any other great tips to keep your pets cool!

~Farm Girl Teacher