Jun 25 2009
Surviving this heat!
Ohhh the summer heat! Yes I’m pretty sure summer is here in full force already. I have spent my morning this week getting all the animals ready for the day. I get up early and try to get as much as I can done in the cool hours then try to coast through the afternoon. Lie down under the fan and read and maybe take a nap. Here are a few tips to help you survive the summer heat
Saving money:
When the temperatures rise, so does our electric bill. We keep our house very cool at night, but during the day I keep the thermostat set at about 83. I have fans going throughout the house and as long as the air is moving and I’m not doing too much moving around in the house, the temperature is very comfortable. I also get the wash done and the dishwasher run before it heats up. I have to admit I’m not really an early morning person but this sure does help make it through the heat of the day.
Animals:
Our rabbits are in a barn under trees. The barn sees very little sun and for the most part there is usually a breeze through the barn. This week I hooked up another osculating fan for them. I make sure they have fresh water and they are fed late in the evening so they have the whole night to eat, during the cooler part of the day. Don’t be alarmed if they don’t clean up their food because most animals will naturally slow down on their food consumption during the hot months. If they have fresh water and are otherwise acting normal then they should be fine.
Some other tips for keeping rabbits cool:
1. Give them a bowl of Ice cubes in the middle of the day
2. Keep liter coke bottles, fill ¾ full of water and freeze. They will play or lay up against them to keep cool
3. Give them a piece of ceramic tile to lay on
4. Don’t handle or stress them in any way during the heat of the day – just let them rest
For our sheep are fed 2 times a day. I feed about 8 or 8:30 in the morning and then at about 7 at night. They all have plenty of shade and again I don’t handle them or try to catch them during the heat of the day. If I need to catch them for any reason I do that in the early morning hours.
We try to make our dogs as comfortable as possible also. They have the same access to shade and fresh water and are also fed late in the evening. Try to brush their fur to try to remove all the access hair, this will also help their body cool more efficiently. Some believe that shaving their coat helps, but keep in mind some breeds have the heavier coat to actually protect them from the heat.
All your outside animals need shade, fresh water, and then left alone to be able to rest when the temperatures are at their highest. With the right precautions you can have a very enjoyable summer!
