Hi from sunny California!

[sonorabitandspur]

Thanks! We will do that. I suspect it will take me awhile to get set up. We are probably going to start working on a hen house first and then a rabbit house. My concern here is how hot it gets. 100° is not too bad but 107° might be a bit much for rabbits, although there is about a billion cottontails running around all hours of the day.

 

[sonorabitandspur]

In my old age, I find I am dreading the slaughter, processing part. When my kids were little I would do that when they were off somewhere else. I have become a bit of a softie I guess!

 

[babsbag]

My friends that raise rabbits here use misters and a fan for the really hot days. Back in my rabbit days in Sonora I used to freeze two liter bottles of water and lay them in the cages but I would use misters on timers now too, much simpler. Another idea is wet burlap bags on the cages with fans.

I think that the cottontails have underground warrens and probably spend the hot part of the day in there.

I can get young CA /New Zealand cross rabbits for $10-30. I haven't started down that path again but I do see them for sale quite often.

 

[sonorabitandspur]

I had not thought of misters! What a great idea. We had gone the route of frozen water in milk jugs and burlap bags though. Even then we lost a couple rabbits on hot days. They were very old rabbits so I suspect there could have been other causes as well.
I would have thought the same about the cottontails but I have seen them lying under the cars or eating out on the lawn in the middle of the hot afternoon. Surprised me!

 

[Baymule]

@sonorabitandspur when you build your rabbitry, use a heat shield or radiant barrier between the roof decking and the tin or shingles. It will make up to a 15 degree difference!

 

[sonorabitandspur]

I had thought of two layer of 2" rigid foam insulation, with the reflective coating facing up on the top layer and facing down on the inner layer. Eve vents with air space with a venting cap on the ridge. The heat from the sun can be pretty intense here. Not many shade trees around, which makes the views nice! Last summer the detached garage with loose insulation and traditional trusses got over 120° F on those hot days. Of course it was closed up so a rabbitry should not get that warm. Pretty sure rabbits won't be able to take that!
In our area they sell shipping containers for a couple grand. I saw where some people are burying them for wine cellars, bunkers, homes, shelters, ect, what have you. I have not checked into permits but that might work too! Ventilation and drainage then becomes a bigger hurdles but that would make a cooler place for them. Who knows I might move in with the rabbits! Lol! I have not pursued the underground idea as I think it would be real expensive. However I have worked part time for contractors in the past on exterior basement walls so I'm certain I could come up with a design that would work!

 

[sonorabitandspur]

@sonorabitandspur when you build your rabbitry, use a heat shield or radiant barrier between the roof decking and the tin or shingles. It will make up to a 15 degree difference!

I'M m not sure is that what you mean by radiant heat barrier? I've been away from construction for a long time so I'm not familiar with all the materials that might be available now.

 

[Baymule]

https://www.radiantguard.com/pages/radiant-barrier

http://www.homedepot.com/b/Building-Materials-Insulation-Radiant-Barrier/N-5yc1vZbedf

 

[sonorabitandspur]

Thanks!

 

[norseofcourse]

Welcome from Ohio and good luck with your plans!