Raising rabbits in Texas heat IS a huge problem. My rabbits are on the north side of the house, heavily shaded and still I must freeze 1 and 2 liter plastic bottles of water to put in each cage 3 to 4 times a day. I also hose down the cage roofs, tree trunks etc. It's a lot of work in the summer months during Texas heatwaves but of our 40 rabbits, only one buck died and one very young kit died after being stung by a yellow jacket that got in the cage. I also put out double the number of those sticky bug strips under each cage and around the entire cage area, changing them once a week -- yes, they are loaded with mosquitoes, flies and gnats. I get the cheap ones at the dollar store, something like 8 or 10 to a box for $2. Those heatwaves also can bring ear mites, something we never had in all our years of rabbit raising until 2012. I keep a can of ear mite treatment at all times. Usually one treatment is all is needed on each affected rabbit. Another problem (as if heat isn't enough of a problem) is the lack of light affecting breeding. When the weather cools in the Fall, the sun moves to a different area in the sky and the cages don't get much light at all. I do for the rabbits what I do for my chickens to keep them laying -- give them artificial light until 11 or 12pm. I also put ice cubes in the rabbit cages for them to lick on. We are thinking of making a tent to cover that area and putting solar fans in there for next summer. Another thing I noticed during the heatwave was the water in the automatic watering system was getting hot. I bought ceramic bowls for each cage and put water with ice cubes for them to drink. I found heavy soup ceramic bowls at the dollar store for $1 each and they have two handles so the bowls can be wired to the cage. We also discovered if we hang wet fabric tarps around the area -- not on the cages, they will also cool the air as the wind blows them. We got inexpensive fabric tarps at Harbor Freight. We will use the same tarps on the cages during winter storms. I never use metal nesting boxes, only wood. Metal gets too hot in Texas heat. Even the wood gets hot and the does will remove all the hay and most of the pulled fur from the box. Urine gets a really strong smell if the rabbits are given alfalfa hay, so I limit alfalfa. We also only feed Bryant Rabbit Pellets, and Bryant Scratch for the laying hens (they lay year round), and Bryant crumbles for the geese. Bryant just works better all around for Texas animals, they are strong and healthy, the quality is superior and the prices are better than all others -- and no hormones are in the feeds.
