location question

[sparrowinsky]

Is anybody here raising rabbits in a Mediterranean climate? I'm in Nor Cal, and we've got crazy-hot summers with wet, windy, cold winters (though winter's certainly taking it's time this year!)

I'm looking into raising rabbits as a possible short-term alternative to the larger livestock I'd like to get in the future. From what I've read it seems like a really fun thing to do! I just wonder if I can do so in my climate, as I've read that they can't be really cold or really hot. Is it possible, or is this idea going to have to stay in the "wishful thinking" category?

Thanks for your advice! and now I return to lurking...

[harplade]

we're in south Louisiana-very hot summers, nice but sometimes wet winters. We never breed in the summer altho I know people around here that do-from what I've heard, you'll lose some that just can't take the heat. The ones that survive and do well breeding in summer, keep their daughters to continue to breed. We do our last litter to kindle in late May and breed again in mid-August for September babies. The nights are beginning to get cooler then and we have found our best Momma's just don't pull as much hair in September as they do in December.

We have found our best shelters are PVC pipe-large enough for an adult rabbit to get in. They block wind and rain in winter, but in summer, the plastic (in the shady cage, of course) seems to cool as they lay stretched out on the PVC with their head sticking out. I know other people that do misters and fans to blow on them.

Ours are in a grove of trees that gets very filtered sunlight. We give them no shelter other than the PVC pipes and nesting boxes for babies. The trees keep temps down in summer and also temper the dramatic fluctuations of winter.

Good luck,
Harplade (a fellow lurker)

[MariaAZ]

We're in Phoenix, pretty sure we're hotter than NorCal. Temps this summer stayed above 110 for a good time, and we were well above 90 up until a month or so ago.

Around here, the rabbits don't do well in the summer without supplemental cooling. We enclose our rabbits during the warmer part of summer (generally June-September) and provide evaporative cooling and misting for them. Even with the cooling, the temps can still push the low 90's during the most miserable couple months, so we don't breed any litters during that time. In less brutal summer temperatures, people have reported success with frozen water bottles. I use them to supplement the evap coolers during those most miserable months, but they wouldn't be enough on their own.

Our winter temps don't go much below the low 30's and this doesn't seem to be a problem for the critters. Our cages are up against the house and have a roof and side walls so they get a little warmth from the house. Rabbits can handle the cold a lot better than they can the heat though, so I don't worry about our mild winters.

[sparrowinsky]

Thanks for the replies!

It seems like the winters up here won't be a problem. The biggest worry I have regarding that is the high winds we get in this area (esp. during rainstorms), but I was thinking of building a shed for them with walls I could remove during nice weather. I dunno, I'm still brainstorming that one!

That would be good for summer, too, I would think, being able to provide shade and breeze at the same time. Thank you both very much, I feel a lot more secure with this idea now!

[Jesse L]

Yes, and outbuilding would be the way to go! Lots of people that have realatizly small rabbitry's will buy a small cheaper shed for the rabbits to keep them out of some weather exrtemes.

And yes, your right. Winters usually dont effect rabbits if kept out of the wind. They easily cope with the cold weather.

Summer would be the thing to worry about. Frozen water bottles are always good, some rabbits will chew them so be prepared to change some of them. Another good idea is, if you have any spare tiles(kitchen/bathroom flooring tiles) you can stick them in the freezer and give it to them to lay on. My rabbits like it.

Jesse

[twohunnyz]

We are in the maritime Pacific Northwest, also called modified Mediterranean, and similar to you in NorCal. You'll do fine! There are numerous rabbit breeders there. Rabbits handle cold exceedingly well, it's heat they have trouble with. But there are lots of things to do to keep them healthy and cool.