Author Topic: Heat lamp for rabbits (Read 19866 times)

HucksDaddy · « **on:** February 29, 2012, 10:16:22 AM »

I am a firm believer that wood has no place in or around the rabbitry. But even then, one may use a heat lamp to keep kits warm in the winter. If you have a nest, that means you probably have straw or wood shavings even if you are anti-wood as I am. Those who use the heat lamp may want to heed this story.
http://www.coloradoan.com/article/20120227/UPDATES01/120227025/Investigators-Timnath-fire-sparked-by-lamp-rabbit-hutch?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

Cedar · « **Reply #1 on:** February 29, 2012, 10:48:53 AM »

The last farm I owned in Oregon before I went to Canada had a 80x100 ft turkey barn which burnt down from a heat lamp. All that was left was the slab. I have seen WAY too many barns go up from accidents like this.

Cedar

joshuab · « **Reply #2 on:** February 29, 2012, 12:03:55 PM »

It doesn't really get that cold where I live but has anyone tried some version of a hot water bottle or radiant heat from larger barrels of water that can absorb heat in the daytime and release it during the night?
Just an idea....

Joshuab

Sweethearts Mom · « **Reply #3 on:** March 11, 2012, 04:42:21 PM »

John uses a kind of metal covered hot pad under the nest box when it is really cold.

Rise and Shine Rabbitry · « **Reply #4 on:** April 25, 2012, 04:00:16 PM »

I live in Maine and have no heat in my rabbitry. I never use heat lamps, I breed all year long and only a few troubles (with new does) But i have been selectivy breeding for winter nest building. If a kit was born in the winter they will be a good cold weather rabbit!

Cedar · « **Reply #5 on:** April 25, 2012, 05:33:01 PM »

Even when I was in Canada I did not use any heat for my rabbits. They have the warmest fur of all animals but the Musk Ox and the Vicuna.

Cedar

john gillis · « **Reply #6 on:** April 25, 2012, 07:09:24 PM »

Here in the Dallas Texas area the weather has radical swings. One day it's 90 degrees and the next it's in the 20's. On those days I use a nest box heat pad because there is not always enough hair in the box. Has really made a big difference in my death lose.
John

Uberman · « **Reply #7 on:** April 26, 2012, 05:17:50 AM »

I have lost kits in the cold (Pennsylvania). I have been researching this subject and found a housing system that I think will work.

Pennsylvania gets cold in winter and pretty hot and humid in summer I think having an underground area for the rabbits will solve this problem on both ends. I have an area behind the house where I keep the rabbits, there is a slope I can dig into and make an arrangement like in the link.

Before I start this project I am trying to decide on a rabbit hutch like in the picture or more of a colony type set up with a paddock shift approach. I already feed 100% weeds, grass, Jerusalem artichokes, and garden waste anyway it would be nice to have them harvest their own. I bring the young ones up to butcher weight in a "Hare tractor" before, I get nice "grass fed" rabbits and my field mowed. Anyway here is the link: http://ressources.ciheam.org/om/pdf/c08/95605275.pdf

Moonvalleyprepper · « **Reply #8 on:** April 30, 2012, 06:36:34 AM »

I live in MI and don't heat my rabbitry. The rabbits are in a detached garage, I have a wood burning stove for it but havn't installed it yet. I did lose a few kits this winter due to either the cold or the mother dropping them on the wire. One thing that I did do was put a 20oz pop bottle filled with hot water in the nesting box for the nights where it was going to be super cold. The kits ignored it at first but in the morning they were all huddled around it for warmth.

inbox485 · « **Reply #9 on:** April 30, 2012, 04:10:05 PM »

I really don't get the heat lamp for rabbits thing. They are cold weather animals. I get things like needing wind breaks to stop drafts, extra hay, or even using spare nest boxes for boroughs, but heat lamps sound like a solution to a problem that doesn't exist and a major risk of being a problem.

john gillis · « **Reply #10 on:** April 30, 2012, 05:23:43 PM »

Rabbits can handle very cold temps. when they have fur. Since new born rabbits have no fur they can't handle any cold weather with out some protection, usually the doe will pull enough fur and a couple of baby rabbits will do very well in there nest. A single baby rabbit will have a problem keeping warm, a doe that is slow after giving birth with pulling fur, not enough or no fur and you'll have kitcycles which can be used as snake food. The lamp or nestbox heater is to keep the new kits warm in case something goes wrong at birthing time, if all goes as planned[ yea, right

]the heat isn't needed. But I like the insurance of the heat to help my survive.

inbox485 · « **Reply #11 on:** April 30, 2012, 06:24:15 PM »

Quote from: john gillis on April 30, 2012, 05:23:43 PM

Rabbits can handle very cold temps. when they have fur. Since new born rabbits have no fur they can't handle any cold weather with out some protection, usually the doe will pull enough fur and a couple of baby rabbits will do very well in there nest. A single baby rabbit will have a problem keeping warm, a doe that is slow after giving birth with pulling fur, not enough or no fur and you'll have kitcycles which can be used as snake food. The lamp or nestbox heater is to keep the new kits warm in case something goes wrong at birthing time, if all goes as planned[ yea, right ]the heat isn't needed. But I like the insurance of the heat to help my survive.

I guess. I did learn the hard way that 2 kits doesn't produce enough body heat to survive when they dig to the bottom of a metal nest box in the winter, but I had a different litter of 5 with 3 still borns leaving 2, and they were fine using an insulated nest box and lots of hay. So far all my does pull fur before they birth. I thought that was the norm. How do you keep the cords where the rabbits can't get to them if you use a heating pad?

john gillis · « **Reply #12 on:** April 30, 2012, 07:06:03 PM »

On my metal nestboxes I cut most of the bottom out leaving a 1/2 to 2" lip on the bottom, then use a piece of partial board or some type of wood with drainage holes drilled in. Even my wood boxes have a removable bottom w/ drain holes. Most of the rabbit supply vendors sale pads for the nest box, around $34.00. In this area a litter of 8 at 5 week old rabbits is $240.00 . That even helps understanding why I try to keep every litter alive. At times I'll take a heat pad, and sandwich it between couple of thin cooking sheets and connect it outside to bottom of cage, but keep it turned to low. The suppliers are best because its protected and has a thermostat. Usually 1 to three days is about all I use them on a litter.

john gillis · « **Reply #13 on:** April 30, 2012, 07:23:01 PM »

I'm slow today. A rabbit nestbox heater or pad is different than a heat pad we humans use. Rabbit pad is in-cased and cord has protector to keep bunny from eating and chewing, built in thermostar for 90 degrees. Go to bunnyrabbit.com or any vendor and they'll have pictures. I'm afraid to use heat lampsor light bulbs, heard of to many fires and my bucks think any close lites are for target pratice.

inbox485 · « **Reply #14 on:** April 30, 2012, 07:39:41 PM »

Quote from: john gillis on April 30, 2012, 07:23:01 PM

I'm slow today. A rabbit nestbox heater or pad is different than a heat pad we humans use. Rabbit pad is in-cased and cord has protector to keep bunny from eating and chewing, built in thermostar for 90 degrees. Go to bunnyrabbit.com or any vendor and they'll have pictures. I'm afraid to use heat lampsor light bulbs, heard of to many fires and my bucks think any close lites are for target pratice.

I LOL'd at the target practice bit. I don't have enough does to keep my bucks busy enough, and one of them hoses the area down about once a week if he doesn't get a doe to take it out on. The first time I saw it I was scratching my head wondering why the heck there was chalky white drop marks everywhere. That guy has about a 5 foot range, and has managed to nail does in adjacent cages on a few occasions.

john gillis · « **Reply #15 on:** April 30, 2012, 08:39:44 PM »

>:(10 4: Nothing like grooming a white rabbit for a couple months and then on the day of show a buck sprays and leaves a nice brown stain. I try to keep dividers between the rabbits I'm showing . That includes the carriers and show coops. If they can they will pull fur through the wire or spray for 5 to 10 ', they are so pleased with themselves.

inbox485 · « **Reply #16 on:** May 01, 2012, 05:23:59 PM »

Quote from: john gillis on April 30, 2012, 08:39:44 PM

>:(10 4: Nothing like grooming a white rabbit for a couple months and then on the day of show a buck sprays and leaves a nice brown stain. I try to keep dividers between the rabbits I'm showing . That includes the carriers and show coops. If they can they will pull fur through the wire or spray for 5 to 10 ', they are so pleased with themselves.

I actually have a set of three single cages propped up on cinder blocks. I'm considering making those the buck cages. Only issue then is one of my bucks dreams of delivering a swift death to the other and can't be within sight of him without gnawing on the cage all day long. I've yet to do any showing (but I did discover a place that does monthly shows about 5 minutes from me), so using the boy girl separation thing like in elementary school seems to keep them civil.

Also what is the breakdown you do for getting $30 per 5 week rabbit?

john gillis · « **Reply #17 on:** May 01, 2012, 07:17:15 PM »

I put a solid divider between rabbits and that stops the fur pulling,fighting and spraying the next door neighbor. That's the minimal I sale a meat pen group for. I don't sell pet quality or culls unless they are processed for food. I don't sell under 8 weeks of age as a single, only in groups, I feel there is less death loss and stress. JMW. Shows are fun and a good learning tool, grab a chair, lots of hurry then wait,wait wait,zzzzzz, and a bunny . The 11th will be by NM for a show and I have some I've never shown before. I'm excited to see how they will do, also carrying some that need another leg to make Grand Champion.

Olivia-Blythe · « **Reply #18 on:** February 08, 2019, 02:03:57 PM »

Alright so i just had my Silver Fox doe kindle. It is day 34 for her and she was given a nest box on day 28.
She flattened out the hay and acted like she was ready to pull fur and finish her nest but she never did.
She is a first time mom and I gave her, her space.
This morning I went outside to feed and found six newborn on the wire, all cleaned off and looked like they might of had nursed (their little bellies were swollen and i found milk on some of their lips)
All of them appeared dead, so i rushed them inside and held them in my shirt for almost two hours, having read that skin to skin with frozen newborn kits can help resuscitate them.
Well nothing.
I moved them into a baggie and set them in warm water, keeping them dry but hoping the warm water would help revive them.
Their bellies began to turn pink and their was no blood at the end of their nails.
After three almost four hours they showed no sign of life, I put them back into the nest box hoping that mom would try and help them. As of right now nothing.

My rabbitry is outside and last night it was 24 degrees and this morning 25 degrees, what can I do to help my other two (first time) does from following suit?
Has anyone has this problem before?
Why did my doe do this?
She never finished her nest and never pulled fur.

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Author Topic: Heat lamp for rabbits (Read 19866 times)

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