# How much sun do rabbits need?



## moopups (May 12, 2002)

A simple answer is all thats needed to this question. Ours are covered for now, does it effect their internal systems?


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## Michael Leferink (Jul 12, 2003)

Ours are covered all year. The north and west sides are tarped during the winter. The rest of the year, they have only a roof with a splash shield on the north side (due to a sloped roof). The rabbits get repositioned due to cage washing. So sometimes a rabbit gets very little sun and sometimes more. I do not think they need all that much.

MikeL


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## Tracy (May 2, 2002)

It is not sun so much as lighting. Rabbits as well as mosat animals breed according to day light hours. Meaning in the winter when there is less day light, animals are not likley to breed. In the wild, a rabbit would not have much chance for their offspring surviving in the cold winter months. If you want to keep breeding year long you must supplement light to trick them into thinking it is spring time. I supplement lighting so my rabbits have 14 hours of light per day.

This goes for chickens also. If you want to keep your chcikens laying all winter you need to keep your lighting at 14 hours a day. We use timers to come on at 4 am and shut off at 9 am every day.


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## dlwelch (Aug 26, 2002)

None.

No, it doesn't.


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## okiemom (May 12, 2002)

rabbits non't need additional light????? :stars:  



that would be good as i don't have aditional light for them :clap:


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## dlwelch (Aug 26, 2002)

He wanted a simple answer to a question about "sun". Additional
artificial lighting was not the question. 

However, I know of commercial (for profit) meat breeders who have
approximately 1,000 does each who do not provide any additional
lighting in their rabbitries. If it weren't working for them, I'm sure
they would make changes. I think location may be a factor as they
are in the southern half of the U.S. compared to Tracy being in the
northern half. Each of us will maintain our rabbitries according to
what makes us profitable and for the welfare of the rabbits.

Linda
Sunny dry Central Texas


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## marvella (Oct 12, 2003)

is there a simple answer?

rabbits tolerate cold a lot better than they do heat, so i don't worry about my rabbits getting any sun. here, sun is a killer.


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## Tracy (May 2, 2002)

It is not SUN that is a killer it is heat.

Most people on this board have common sense but saying a rabbit does not need sun some people could assume that keeping an rabbit in a shed or barn with out any lighting might be okay. I am meaning totally dark with out windows or such. All animals need day light in order to thrive.


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