Protect animals from extreme heat and cold

Design shelters to handle your local climate extremes. For heat: provide shade with a solid roof, ensure good cross-ventilation, use light-colored roofing to reflect sunlight, and maintain constant access to cool water. For cold: build draft-free walls at animal level, provide deep straw bedding for insulation, and use heated waterer bases to prevent freezing.

Why It Works

Rabbits are highly susceptible to heat stroke above 85°F (29°C). Chickens with large combs are vulnerable to frostbite in humid, poorly ventilated coops. Proper shelter design addresses both extremes without relying on supplemental heating, which is a significant fire risk in barns with bedding.

Tips

• Heat lamps in coops cause barn fires every year — avoid them; cold-hardy breeds with draft-free shelter and deep bedding rarely need supplemental heat
• Frozen water is a bigger cold-weather risk than the temperature itself
• Shade cloth over outdoor runs is an inexpensive heat mitigation for hot climates