From mid-summer to mid-summer, rabbits are prone to a variety of adverse physiological reactions that can significantly impact their growth, development, and reproductive performance. This makes summer feeding and management crucial for ensuring the healthy growth of meat rabbits and improving overall economic efficiency. So, how can we help rabbits stay safe during the hot season? What steps should be taken to prevent heatstroke? To explore these questions, the author recently spoke with Bai Guoyong, a rabbit breeding expert from the Sichuan Academy of Animal Science.
Rabbits are often described as "easy to keep in winter but hard in summer." This is because they have underdeveloped sweat glands, making it difficult for them to dissipate body heat efficiently. During the summer, this can lead to reduced appetite, weakened immunity, and even heatstroke, which can be fatal in severe cases. Preventing heatstroke in rabbits starts with creating optimal living conditions and implementing effective cooling strategies.
Maintaining cleanliness and dryness in the rabbit house is essential. Regular disinfection of the floor, cages, tools, and outdoor areas helps eliminate pathogens. Solutions like 1%-2% caustic soda or 10% lime water can be used for this purpose. Additionally, minimizing disturbances by avoiding frequent changes in breeder groups and limiting access to the farm by outsiders helps maintain a calm environment. It's also important to guard against potential threats like cats and dogs, which can cause stress and even bites.
Once the environment is optimized, effective heatstroke prevention measures must be implemented. These include shading, ventilation, water cooling, fruit-based remedies, and herbal treatments.
Shading is one of the most effective methods. Planting tall trees like poplars around the rabbit house or using black wire mesh and pergolas on the roof can reduce direct sunlight exposure. Vines such as grapes and broad-leaved plants can also provide natural shade. According to studies, every 100 kg of broad-leaved tree leaves can absorb up to 12,000 kg of heat from the air, significantly reducing radiant heat.
For outdoor rabbit houses, using materials like firewood or branches to create shaded areas can help lower temperatures. Farmers with asbestos roofs can cover them with straw or shade nets. Ensuring that windows and open spaces are shaded further improves cooling.
Ventilation is another key factor. Bricks soaked in well water can be placed inside cages to absorb heat and lower the temperature. However, it’s important to maintain dryness to avoid high humidity, which is harmful to rabbits. Opening doors and windows regularly allows for better airflow, and spraying cold water on the floor during dry periods can also help cool the space.
Painting walls with white lime water can reflect sunlight and reduce heat absorption. Reducing the number of rabbits per cage also helps minimize heat stress. A density of about 10 rabbits per square meter is recommended, and lactating does should be kept in separate cages to protect both the mother and her young.
Water is essential for cooling. Sprinkling water on the floor, walls, and roof during hot hours can lower indoor temperatures, but care must be taken not to overdo it. Providing clean, fresh water at all times is vital, and adding small amounts of salt, baking soda, or vitamin C can enhance its cooling effect. Wet bricks placed in cages can also help lower the temperature around the rabbits.
Fruits like watermelon and cucumber peels offer natural cooling benefits. Feeding rabbits small amounts of these daily can help reduce body temperature, quench thirst, and improve digestion. Bitter gourd juice, when added to drinking water, stimulates saliva and gastric juices, helping rabbits cope with the heat.
Herbal remedies are also effective. Plants like verbena, plantain, and houttuynia have cooling properties and can be fed to rabbits to prevent heatstroke. These herbs are easy to grow and can be incorporated into the diet for added health benefits.
If heatstroke occurs, immediate action is necessary. Symptoms include elevated body temperature, rapid breathing, loss of appetite, and in severe cases, convulsions and death. Affected rabbits should be moved to a cooler area, given cold water or saltwater, and cooled with ice packs. In extreme cases, acupuncture or traditional Chinese medicine may be used for treatment.
Traditional remedies include mixing crushed litsea cubeba root with salt and warm water, or using houttuynia juice diluted in warm water. Pineapple juice, watermelon rind, and wolfberry juice can also be given to help cool the rabbits down.
In summary, proper summer management is essential for keeping rabbits healthy and productive. By combining environmental control, hydration, nutrition, and timely interventions, rabbit farmers can effectively prevent heatstroke and ensure the well-being of their animals throughout the hot season.
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