How hot is too hot for Lionheads?

I'm wondering if you folks know how hot is too hot outside for a lionhead. I have a fan on them, they are in a shed out of direct sunlight, and I'm putting frozen bottles in with them. Two out of the three seem fine, but our new mother seems to pant for most of the day. I put a thermometer in the shed and it's getting close to 85 degrees and it's going to be hotter this week. I wouldn't worry if they didn't have so much fur, but they do. Should I worry or is this all normal?

Do you have your fan set up to create the most air movement you can? For example, the fan I have for my buns blows through their cages. I've also read that if you can set up the fan to blow down, like a ceiling fan, that that is good too. I don't have the overhead clearance to have a fan blow down so mine blows through. You don't have to get too fancy with the fans, regular box fans work just fine... the thing to watch for is the accumulation of fur on the fan blades and around the fan housing. My fan would be very difficult to clean so I made a bag out of tulle and placed it over the fan so fur and insects don't get in the fan. I have to brush off the accumulation weekly, but that beats the heck out of taking the fan apart to clean.

Giving the buns a frozen water bottle is good, keep any eye on their fur to make sure the fur doesn't stay damp. I've read that some folks like to give the large ceramic tiles for their buns to rest on in the summer as those tiles seems to stay cooler longer. Again just make sure their fur doesn't stay wet.

Keep us posts, and don't forget the pictures, please and thank you!

Heat seems to go harder on pregnant does and nursing moms, probably because their bodies are working extra hard producing kits or milk for kits. Yesterday, with the temperature hovering just below 100, we wound up bringing a Mini Rex doe in the house (how people survived here before AC, I will never know). While most of my rabbits are clearly feeling the heat, this girl just looked bad - scary bad. I've lost a few rabbits to heat stroke; I sure didn't want it to happen to her. I will be checking on them all several times a day until this heat wave breaks; anybody that looks too bad will get to come in the house and chill (sorry, couldn't resist).

I've never bred Lionheads, so I can't say how they specifically hold up in the heat, but I have bred Jersey Woolies. I always feel sorry for the long-hairs when the weather gets brutally hot, though most seem to tolerate it about as well as my shorter-coated breeds.

I second animalmom's caution about the damp fur. I have had problems with rabbits that sit against water valves, getting their fur wet. Getting wet once in a while won't hurt, but when they stay wet, bacteria and algae will grow in the fur, which can set up a potentially fatal infection.

Thanks folks! I did setup a 20" fan blowing directly across the tops of their backs. I have moved them all in towards the cooler middle of the shed and away from the heat radiating wall. We are putting frozen bottles in everyday. Fur is staying nice and dry. I'm less worried today with the bigger fan I bought.



Dad


Mom

So adorable! I live in Texas and raise and breed lionheads, so I know what it's like to try and kep them cool during the summer. I have overhead fans ans box fans. I suggest putting frozen watter bottles behind your box fans so the fans blow cooler air.

I have found it depends on the individual rabbit as well as breed. Lionheads I am unsure about. My French Lops start stressing at about 75 degrees. If it reaches 80, they stroke. Even with the fans and air circulation. However, in MN the humidity launches that temp a lot higher than what it actually is. We had some days that were 92 degrees with 98% humidity... Not fun... I have an A/C unit in there for them now but used to use frozen water bottles as well as frozen tiles on top of the fans. I was told do not blow fans directly on them but under, above or around the cages. It sounds like you are doing great! Good luck!