What Rabbits Do You Have? Show Off Your Rabbits Here!

[Lynzi777]

I just got done with this one...

I only have one rabbit per cage at the moment, no litters, but these do the job. I fill it once in the morning and they are usually good for the day. I bought a glass cutter from Hobby Lobby.

 

[PrimroseMom1]

Homemade glass crocks?  How?

I have 5 adults, but they have large litters - average 8 kits.  By about 5 weeks, they are emptying 2 bottles within 24 hours.  I also wonder how well those bottles really work.

For you newbies out there, I have never read about this before. My bunnies use a water bottle. I check the water level twice a day. This is my first winter with them. The day of the first cold wave I filled their bottle. At the end of the day the level was about the same. The next morning it was still about the same and I noticed they hadn't eaten as much. This went on into the next day. I thought it was due to the cooler weather, but on the second day my bunnies were listless. I started checking everything and realized that the bottle tip wasn't delivering water!!! My poor bunnies were both trying to drink as fast as they could when I unclogged it!!! I ran and got another bottle and they both drained it half way in one sitting. I think they would have died. I felt so stupid and horrified and sad. Now I always test the water bottle Shen I fill it and if it hadn't gone down, check it again. I just never thought that the nipple on a water bottle could actually get clogged with that little ball bearing instead of automatically working correctly. Duh

 

[Lynzi777]

I just hate waterbottles and have been switching to crocks because I can't seem to find a water bottle that doesn't leak. It drives me nuts. Plus they're just a pain to fill. My rabbits had no problem going from a bottle to a crock.

 

[Bunnylady]

For you newbies out there, I have never read about this before. My bunnies use a water bottle. I check the water level twice a day. This is my first winter with them. The day of the first cold wave I filled their bottle. At the end of the day the level was about the same. The next morning it was still about the same and I noticed they hadn't eaten as much. This went on into the next day. I thought it was due to the cooler weather, but on the second day my bunnies were listless. I started checking everything and realized that the bottle tip wasn't delivering water!!! My poor bunnies were both trying to drink as fast as they could when I unclogged it!!! I ran and got another bottle and they both drained it half way in one sitting. I think they would have died. I felt so stupid and horrified and sad. Now I always test the water bottle Shen I fill it and if it hadn't gone down, check it again. I just never thought that the nipple on a water bottle could actually get clogged with that little ball bearing instead of automatically working correctly. Duh

When I talk about water bottles to people, I always mention this problem. I tell them to tap on the end of the tube to make sure the water is coming down. I also tell folks, "if you notice that the rabbit isn't eating, the first thing to check is the water bottle. They need water to process their food, so if they have nothing to drink, they won't eat. It is critical that they have water to drink (or in a pinch, ice to chew on) during cold weather. Rabbit fur is great insulation; a rabbit can eat enough food to keep itself warm, but they have to have the water to digest it."

 

[PrimroseMom1]

I just hate waterbottles and have been switching to crocks because I can't seem to find a water bottle that doesn't leak. It drives me nuts. Plus they're just a pain to fill. My rabbits had no problem going from a bottle to a crock.

My bunnies drink fine from a bowl. I have a metal bowl I put in their play yard when I let them run. I had a rabbit once that would turn over any bowl right away,on purpose, so I went to the bottles. But I am super careful now.

 

[Lynzi777]

My bunnies drink fine from a bowl. I have a metal bowl I put in their play yard when I let them run. I had a rabbit once that would turn over any bowl right away,on purpose, so I went to the bottles. But I am super careful now.

I was actually worried about that since they flip their food bowls over when they're empty. But I used glass bottoms to bottles as their water dishes and they haven't even tipped them over. So far so good and no more leaky water bottles!

 

[Bunnylady]

I have an automatic watering system. which works fine for me because we have a pretty mild climate. We get a few cold spells when the system stays frozen all day. I have a bunch of ramekins (tiny little baking dishes used for things like creme brulee) that I use as water dishes at those times. Most of my rabbits are good with that, but there are always a few that have to dump them almost as fast as I can fill them.

. As a backup for those numbskulls, I will put ice cubes in the cages (yes, rabbits will gnaw on ice to get water if they need to).

 

[winkle1234]

I use an Edstrom automatic water system that circulates warmed water with a fountain pump. I use two small submersible aquarium heaters (two in case one stops working) in a cooler as the source tank. I have a similar system with chicken nipples for my coop. The system did not freeze last winter even during the 10 days we stayed below zero during the day and negative teens at night. Keeps my ~40 rabbits and ~100 chickens well hydrated. In the summer I place ice in the cooler with the water during the hottest days (low 90s).

 

[yankeehill]

I have not heard of the Edstrom systems. I wonder though, even though the pump is circulating warm water, won't the water have a chance to freeze? I am in Maine, and I just can't see how the water would not freeze.

How much would it cost for me to set up something like this? I guess my budget is under $200, since that's what the heated water bottles would cost me.

 

[winkle1234]

It would probably be around $165. The big difference between the auto system and individual bottles is the amount of water. My autowater system has lasted a week before needing to be refilled. I normally don't wait that long since they run out of free feed food but it does come in handy in the winter when it is either very cold or during a storm I don't have to go a disturb the rabbits to give them more water.
$55 = 10 x $5.50 per cage for nipple and PVC adapter
$25 = PVC pipe and connectors (elbows and joiners)
$20 = Fountain pump
$35 = cooler
$30 = 2 x $15 aquarium water heater


I have embedded a picture of how the nipple sits in the cage. My cages are setup back to back. My rabbits were trying to use them before I even had all the piping connected and they still had their water bottles.