Please help/water bottles constantly freezing

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tterster

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It has been really cold her in Southern NewJersey. The water bottles are freezing so much. I am worried cuz I willchange it at 8:30 a.m. and won't be home till 5 p.m. How long can theygo in the cold with no water. I mean it is freezing so quick. It is 18degrees. Someone told me about apple cider and vinegar in the waterbottle. The metal ball freezes. Please help me.
Thanks so much.

Smokey's mom
 
With us not having such freezing weather I don'thave this problem. I do know that a rabbit does drink more in thewinter though.

I did however search the net to see if I could find anything that mightbe relavent and a couple of things came up, this isn't something Ipersonally do, so someone please let me know if what I have put iswrong:

"If you use a water bottle, placing a heavy sock overthe bottle will help reduce the likelihood of freezing. If you usecrocks, only fill them half way so there is room for expansionif the water freezes." -http://www.barbibrownsbunnies.com/winter.html

"If the rabbit is kept outside it is important to ensurethe water does not freeze during the winter months and therefore it maybe necessary to insulate the water bottle by wrapping some padding orthick cloth around it and checking daily to ensure that the water hasnot frozen. It should also be noted that a completely full water bottlemay crack if the water inside becomes frozen and expands." -http://www.petwebsite.com/rabbits/rabbit_water_bottle.htm

Hope these help you. Sorry I couldn't give my personal opinion!

Vickie


 
I will try the sock, but will that help with themetal ball freezing. I also worry about her getting in the crock bowland getting all wet. Will she be okay when I change the water bottle at8:30 and change it at 5 p.m. I am at work all day.
 
Well first,I would suggest waterbowls. I live in Canada and it's the only thing that I can use.Secondly, I would put a small container or crushed ice cubes in withthem. Rabbits will eat the ice when they cannot get water as it iseasier than getting water from a solid chunk of ice like what wouldhappen to the water bowls. Another thing you could do is feed celery,but that wont last long.

I do not recommend heated water bowls though, too many concerns about them.

My bunnies last 12 hours with fresh water (which freezes in about an hour) and crushed ice.
 
tterster wrote:
Iwill try the sock, but will that help with the metal ball freezing. Ialso worry about her getting in the crock bowl and getting all wet.Will she be okay when I change the water bottle at 8:30 and change itat 5 p.m. I am at work all day.
Click to expand...
Don't be concerned about that. I've had mine using bowls since I gotthem and have had no problems with wet bunnies! Mine know to stay outof the water. ;)
 
I'm with MyBunnyBoys -- never use water bottles in the winter -- the metal fonts freeze almost instantly.

Fill a crock with warm water, which will encourage the rabbit to drinkmore. A little bit of apple or carrot will also add moistureto the diet. Warm cooked oatmeal is also a good winter treatif your bunny will eat it.

Pam
 
Im with pam on this,the tips of the bottlesfreeze very quickly then the rabbit has no water.we use crocks and whenthey are frozen the rabbits will lick the ice.bluebird
 
Not to mention--it's like licking a flagpole inwinter, you know...tongues and lips can stick. I've seen mine sticktheir lips to cage wires. I'd avoid metal anything in winter!

I use bowls. Deep ones, so they take awhile to freeze. What they do islick a hole on the edge of the dish and keep it open (like aice-fishing hole) until the next day, drinking periodically throughoutthe day.

Their chins and chests get a bit wet after drinking, but they wash quite quickly so it doesn't freeze on.

A handful of clean snow works as a supplement, especially for lazybunnies. If you're worried about enough water, take fresh bowls outagain later in the day.

Horses, I've heard, get some form of porphyria in cold weather becausethey don't drink as much, and I think it works the same for bunnies. Sodon't be alarmed if you see red/brown/orange under the cage.

I just had a scare that way myself!

Rose
 
A rabbit on a concentrated diet (pellets) willneed fresh water. It won't be able to take in enough waterfrom frozen ice or snow and will become dehydrated.Giving foods that contain moisture such as carrots and apples can helpto prevent this.

Pam
 
bluebird wrote:
Imwith pam on this,the tips of the bottles freeze very quickly then therabbit has no water.we use crocks and when they are frozen the rabbitswill lick the ice.bluebird
Click to expand...
I used to leave it like that, but one major problem is getting enoughwater like that. Licking ice only gets you so far. I actually find thatSpice doesn't lick the ice in his bowl, he attempts to scrape it withhis teeth. So now since I put crushed ice in, they eat that (a loteasier than licking ice and they get more faster) all night. I alsofeed them each a bowl of fresh veggies right before bed so maybe thathelps.

P.S.- When intorducing veggies into a diet do it SLOWLY.
 
tterster wrote:
Ithas been really cold her in Southern New Jersey. The water bottles arefreezing so much. I am worried cuz I will change it at 8:30 a.m. andwon't be home till 5 p.m. How long can they go in the cold with nowater. I mean it is freezing so quick. It is 18 degrees. Someone toldme about apple cider and vinegar in the water bottle. The metal ballfreezes. Please help me.
Thanks so much.

Smokey's mom
Click to expand...
We're in NJ, too, experiencing the same weather you are. I'vegot two sets of fairly substantial crocks that I "swap out" twice aday. Once in the morning about 9:00 A.M. and then in theevening, anytime after 5:00 P.M. I leave the frozen waterbottles in place in case they do thaw, but make sure the buns get thefresh water in the crocks as well. On that regimen,no bun seems to be lacking for water, and it is fairly close to theschedule you are keeping.

I've read that warm water freezes more quickly than cool water, but Ifeel better when my cold little babies suck up warm water.Not hot, mind you, but warm to the touch. I would imagine itmust help warm up their little bellies from the inside out.

Buck
 
my dad came in my room and asked about this! hewas thinking about Hunter's Socks, you know the ones with the batteriesand you turn them on and they warm up. that might work!!
 
It would keep the water unfrozen but heated socks wouldn't help the nozzle from freezing. :?

Warm water does not freeze solid faster but it will get a thin layer ofice over the top faster. This layer of ice is nothing and bunnies willeasy break it with their noses. My bunnies will not drink warm water inthe winter! It has to feel cold to the touch or they wont touch it.
 
That's an interestingcomment/observation. I do find frequently that there is athin layer of ice on top of unfrozen water. I almost suspectthat the thin surface layer may prevent the rest of the water fromfreezing so rapidly. What is your take on that?

Some of ours, if not all, will drink the warm water. If not warm, they'll get it as it cools down.

Buck

 
Well I suspect they are so used to drinking coldwater that warm water actually might burn their mouths and that's why.It's just a hypothesis though!

I'm not sure if it the thin layer of ice actually keeps it fromfreezing as fast. :?I guess it possibly could because thesmall amount of heat would be trapped inside (although not warm enoughto melt the layer of ice but warm enough to keep it from freezing toofast).
 
If you have bottles that aren't inside thecage..... could you get some of those hunter's hand warming pouches?and attach them under a sock or something where the bunny couldn't getto them?

We have a heated bowl for our dog.... do they make anything like thatfor rabbits? Of course again, you'd have to have something where theycouldn't get to the cord.

Vodka doesn't freeze does it? *giggles* j/k no drunken bunnies!


 
Bo, I recommend not giving heated bowls. Mysister has a golden retriever who chewed through a supposedly 'chewproof' cord on one. If a dog can chew through one, so can a rabbit!Many rabbits like to toss things and I'd be weary of them pulling itaway and being able to get at the cord or something. I'd rather leaveice, veggies, and change the water constantly -- better safe thansorry, right?
 
:?I still don't like the idea. My boyscould easy yank that dish out of its holder and get at the cord. I'mtoo worried about my bunnies getting hurt.
 
Yeah, I would have to figure out a way to ....hook it in the thing and then hook that to the cage....... I stillwould be uneasy myself. I'd probably make my hubby build ametal box to hold it LOL! Hey! he has a welder and can getsome sheet metal! :p
 
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