Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Summer Is Coming
We're having a nice cool morning this morning, but we've had a couple of hot afternoons. I have one of my Flemish indoors because he has the hottest cage in the barn right now (going to take care of that). And it's still April. Soon, an afternoon like yesterday will be considered cool and a break from the heat. Now's the time to prepare for hotter days ahead.
If you show during the summer, make sure you have a good supply of small and/or lightweight fans to take with you. You also need extension cord in good shape plus the necessary adapters that will allow you to share electricity both among your own fans and with other exhibitors..
If this is your first summer showing, think about your mode of transportation. Putting bunnies in the back of a pick-up truck may work in cool weather, but may be deadly in the summer.
It's past time for us to have checked our barn fans. Several bit the dust this year, so we have some purchases to make. But the ones that are still running well are in need of a very thorough cleaning - which we should have done at the end of the fall.
Our biting flies have hatched. I hate those suckers with a passion. Just when I want to wear shorts to the barn to keep cool, I also need to wear long pants to keep them from draining all of my blood. It's time to get the upper hand on the pests of summer.
Kits will fare much better during the summer. While a baby that gets separated or out of the box in winter has very little time, a summer baby may be found alive and healthy enough just to return to his place with his litter. However, good luck in getting cooperation from your does as the days get uncomfortably hot.
If you use ice to cool your rabbits, now is the time to collect containers and get them into the freezer. The first too-hot day will sneak up on us. We won't have time to wait 24 hours for a jug of water to freeze when it happens.
In our area, shows do continue all summer, but they are sparse compared to the rest of the year. Still, it's a great time to check out the show schedules and make a road trip to someplace new (assuming your rabbits can make the trip in comfort).
Enjoy your spring. I hope it is a long spring with lots of comfortable weather. But be prepared for summer. It will be here before you know it.
Laurie ¶ 9:39 AM
If you show during the summer, make sure you have a good supply of small and/or lightweight fans to take with you. You also need extension cord in good shape plus the necessary adapters that will allow you to share electricity both among your own fans and with other exhibitors..
If this is your first summer showing, think about your mode of transportation. Putting bunnies in the back of a pick-up truck may work in cool weather, but may be deadly in the summer.
It's past time for us to have checked our barn fans. Several bit the dust this year, so we have some purchases to make. But the ones that are still running well are in need of a very thorough cleaning - which we should have done at the end of the fall.
Our biting flies have hatched. I hate those suckers with a passion. Just when I want to wear shorts to the barn to keep cool, I also need to wear long pants to keep them from draining all of my blood. It's time to get the upper hand on the pests of summer.
Kits will fare much better during the summer. While a baby that gets separated or out of the box in winter has very little time, a summer baby may be found alive and healthy enough just to return to his place with his litter. However, good luck in getting cooperation from your does as the days get uncomfortably hot.
If you use ice to cool your rabbits, now is the time to collect containers and get them into the freezer. The first too-hot day will sneak up on us. We won't have time to wait 24 hours for a jug of water to freeze when it happens.
In our area, shows do continue all summer, but they are sparse compared to the rest of the year. Still, it's a great time to check out the show schedules and make a road trip to someplace new (assuming your rabbits can make the trip in comfort).
Enjoy your spring. I hope it is a long spring with lots of comfortable weather. But be prepared for summer. It will be here before you know it.
Laurie ¶ 9:39 AM
