# Can newborns get too hot



## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

My minilop had 3 babies this morning and she has them covered under 
the biggest fur nest I have ever seen. 
It is about 10 inches deep & wide.You would think it is Zero degrees here!!
At least our 100 days are now in the high 80's but can they get too hot.
Should I take some fur out of the nest ???

I do have a fan on her so maybe she wants to keep the draft from them.


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## RiverPines (Dec 12, 2006)

If to hot the kits will crawl away from each just enough so they are not touching one another. That alone cools them. Naked kits do not hold body heat so it may be hot to you but not to them. They need that nesting material to hold their warmth or it will drift away.

I have Angora kits right now in my rabbitry and temps have gone in the 90's with tons of hair in those nest. No fan either. With the over abundance of fiber the angora moms tend to pack in those nest, I dont think you have to worry.
I never lost a kit to being to hot.

Moms too will often assist if its way to hot by pulling some of that nesting material back if it gets really to hot.

Her and the kits know whats ok.

Opening that nest or thinning it when a fan is circulating the air could cause a drafts that can chill a kit.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

In the warmer months, my kits move around a lot to regulate their temps. My nest box is more of a "tunnel" about 3' long and in the morning the kits will be in one lump under fur, but in the afternoon when it's around 90 I will find them spread out all along the 3' length, maybe two together, then a space and then a few more. Youngest litter is about 2 weeks old now and they rearrange themselves all the time. It's a bit strange to open the end of the nest box and only see a few kits because the rest of spread themselves out.

Not sure what the buns would do if they were confined to a smaller space. I also have them on a cement floor (with lots of bedding) and sometimes the burrow down a bit as the cement is quite a bit cooler than on top of the bedding.


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## nancy237 (May 29, 2008)

Thanks..everyone

They look great this am ..very fat/active

One is black with a white nose- too cute.

My hubby and I need to coordinate better - he is going to have yard workers today in the woods behind the rabbits with chain saws...urgggg

I am going to bring the nest box in while they are cutting to be sure she doesn't
jump in the box if she gets frightened. I think I will just watch her and be sure 
she is not too bothered before I worry about moving her.


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## MaggieJ (Feb 6, 2006)

Good for you about thinking ahead. :goodjob: Bringing the nest box in while the work is going on is an excellent idea.


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## Honorine (Feb 27, 2006)

I've lost kits in the nestbox to heat, so sometimes I'll take fur out during the day and put it back on at night. Other times I remove and bag the extra fur and save it till I need it at a later time, like the colder months. If its really really hot and the kits seem sweaty and feel overly warm I will bring them inside. Heat can kill rabbits fast, even kits in the nestbox.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Honorine said:


> I've lost kits in the nestbox to heat, so sometimes I'll take fur out during the day and put it back on at night. Other times I remove and bag the extra fur and save it till I need it at a later time, like the colder months. If its really really hot and the kits seem sweaty and feel overly warm I will bring them inside. Heat can kill rabbits fast, even kits in the nestbox.


I lost a few kits in the nestbox last Summer, too. I put a bottle of ice in the nest after that happened.

(Lost my favorite buck to heat stroke last year as well. It happened so fast.  Have to really stay on top of the heat, much more so than the cold.)


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