Summer breeding ??

[primelife]

I live in Tx where its regularly over 90* If I want to breed in summer will the rabbits comply if there in the shade with fans? Any tricks or advice on what I can expect in general.... Thak you

 

[animalmom]

My experience, also in Texas, is that shade and fans are a help to keep the rabbits comfortable. However the bucks become temporarily sterile when the temperature gets too high and remains that way... high. I've read a couple temperature break points, one being 85 the other being 90. Unless your rabbits are in a temperature controlled barn that stays below 85 during the day I don't think you will have successful breeding during the heat.

The bucks, bless their little hearts, are willing, but the poor boys are shooting blanks.

That is my experience.

Oh, and if you do have a temperature controlled barn for your rabbits please don't tell mine!

 

[terri9630]

We used to live in S. Tx and our temps in NM are similar without the humidity. We can't breed in the summer. We start breeding in the middle of Sept and stop at the beginning of March. If we breed any later than the beginning of march the does get stressed by the heat while trying to feed kits and start dropping weight.