Rabbit resting pads

[Xerocles]

Make sure your water crocks angle out instead of in.
Don't breed your rabbits in the summer. Pregnant, fat, fur coat, heat=heat stroke and a dead rabbit. Fall, winter and early spring are ok, not late spring or summer.

??? Ok, I'm new at this, and a little thick....but what do you mean by angling the crocks? They're just heavy round bowls. How do I angle them, and which way is out?
And our hottest month is supposed to be July, with an average high that month of 92f. Of course this year we broke that by a bunch. I already planned on giving the month of July off from breeding/birthing.
A few posts back you asked about my dog. She's a Sooner. Just as sooner be one breed as another. She's a pound rescue. I don't have herds to protect, and around here, things have a way of happening to farm dogs. So, like all animals I love her but keep some detachment so if something happens I'm not too distraught. She HATES snakes and has dispatched a few this year. So far all have been nonvenomous, but I'm sure she didn't know that when she attacked. I don't want a MEAN dog, but I got her (as an adult) in the hopes that she would give pause to think to anyone driving into the yard. Because I had a couple of break-ins while I was in the process of moving in. FAT CHANCE! You drive into the yard and get out, the biggest danger is she might LICK your face off. But with strange animals, its different. I've seen her go to vicious a few times, and its not pretty.

 

[Baymule]

Some crocks are angled inward, if the water froze in them, it would bust the crock or you would have to wait for it to melt to get the ice out. That type would be for feed only. Some crocks have a nice rounded inside, with the sides straight up or with a slight angle, making it easier to slip a frozen block out of it. Clear as ice now? LOL

Your dog is a nice looking dog, pretty.

around here, things have a way of happening to farm dogs. So, like all animals I love her but keep some detachment so if something happens I'm not too distraught.

That I cannot do. I throw my heart in and when we lose a dog, I bleed my heart out, cry my eyes raw and grieve it all out on BYH. I love my dogs and when I lose one, I grieve. We are blessed with a very good neighbor who has come over and dug graves for two of our dogs that died since we moved here. It was his way of helping. I can be pretty tough with most animals, but not my dogs. Some animals are in my heart, naturally my most favorite ewe had to be put down, I sat in the trailer bawling, hugging her, my husband got to sniffling, the whole vet staff was tore up. That blue eye in my avatar belongs to Joe's Tuff Bars, a 30 year old cremello Quarter Horse gelding, the love of my life, my heart horse. he has Cushings disease and is in decline. We have had him 23 years. I know that day is coming, but I am going to love him hard every day and treasure the time I have left with him. On the flip side, I can deal with death and loss extremely well. I grieve, then I get up and get back in the game. I will take the hit, I will take the pain of loss, so I don't miss the joy.

 

[YourRabbitGirl]

I like the plastic ones best. View attachment 67631
I've tried ceramic tile and found it to be more work than it was worth. The rabbits didn't seem to care for the surface, they peed on it and made it something I had to clean/disinfect twice a day. Plus you get enough of them and they are heavy. I don't recommend ceramic tile at all. If you could get marble scraps that might be better.

The plastic ones are easy to clean, occasional do break, and some rabbits will chew on them, but over all they last a long time.

I keep two sets so one set is in the cages the other set is in a diluted bleach solution soaking. Scrub, rinse and you are good to go for another week.

I have two large barn fans in the bunny barn, one at each long end -- set at different heights so one fan cools the top row and the second fan cools the bottom row. I also have a misting system that is out front of the cages so it helps cools the air but doesn't spray on the rabbits.

Frozen water bottles didn't work for me with my 8 cages for the following reasons: didn't last but a couple hours, would need three sets of bottles (one set frozen in the cage, on set just put in the freezer, and the third set half frozen so it would be ready to go in the cages next). My DH put the stop to that because all that warm water was thawing the freezer. Other folks have had great success with the frozen bottles.

There are some plastic types that we can purchase here... but I prefer wood,

 

[Beekissed]

We just used a nice old slab of wood for getting off the wire....just place it in the corner away from where they choose to pee and poop....most will choose a certain area to do that instead of just all over. Identifying where each one does their business will save your resting board from all of that. They are cheap, easily replaced and it won't hurt the rabbit if they gnaw on it.

We used frozen bottles and fans in the summer months and open air housing....all of that works wonders....with your temps you won't have to work too hard to keep them cool. Double shade is your friend, with great ventilation from all sides.

I also used a nipple system for watering in the winter instead of bottles, insulating the tubing with heat tape and insulated tubing foam to keep it all from freezing, but folks who get much colder winters often can't use that. I've found, with the heavy breeds, their dewlap can stay wet all the time in water crocks, so the nipple waterers worked best for them. https://www.kwcages.com/a-guide-to-rabbit-watering-systems

Don't forget your mineral wheels....will keep the teeth in good shape, while providing much needed minerals.