Bottle vs crock?

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OneAcreFarm

OneAcreFarm

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My new little bun, CupCake, is good at drinking from a crock, but I don't think she "gets" the water bottle...for now I have both in there...How do I teach her to use the bottle? It has a stem, not a roller ball. I had to switch my doe Padme to the roller ball as she just wasn't able to get enough water with the stem type setup...
 
Ooh, good idea! CupCake is nothing if not a little piggie! :) She will eat anything, even your fingers if they smell yummy! lol
 
Jam apparently works, too.

I tried bottles for awhile, but the buns just didn't seem to drink as much as they do with the crocks, so....1 gallon baby pig waterers! and dog automatic waterers is what we use. Messy, tho. (one of the angoras just plops her big hairy butt down next to the crock and is always drenched :( )
 
I find that bottles keep the water cleaner
and help to prevent the spread of disease
through contaminated water, as rabbits have a tendency to
urinate and or defecate in their water and feed bowls.
You can wedge a match-stick or tooth-pick in the spout
to create a slight drip. After a day or two the rabbit
will learn where to water is and how to get it.
What one chooses to water their rabbits with is
their personal choice. I just choose Water-bottles because
they work for me and my herd. The best of luck
in whatever choice you make.
Ottersatin. :eek:ldtimer:
 
I use and prefer snap-lok crocks for the simple reason that they're easy to clean as well as secure to the outside of the cage. Since cleaning them is a frequent routine around here (i.e., whenever the drain pans are being cleaned, and often in between), the spread of disease and contaminants are minimal.
 
I have used water bottels for a long time. In fact when I was little i also used em for guinea pigs befor the rabbits. You can also buy stainless tubes and use it on water bottels. I pefer water bottels because you can easily medicate a rabbit if you need too and can easily wash bottel. Plus water in bottel does not get rabbit soak. You can also have more water in bottel than a crock .
 
right now my buns all have crocks, but bottles will be added as the weather warms up. They can dump a crock, but not the bottle.I use bottles that have a double ball in the tip-- I found that 50% of the stem ones Ihad either leaked or the animals could notget enough water out of them.
 
JT_Hunter":201gkf4p said:
OK...so how do you keep the water bottles from freezing in the winter...as I use them...
Click to expand...
Hmm, we don't really have to worry too much about that here in SE TEX....I might actually have to ADD ice to mine to help them keep cool! :lol:
 
JT_Hunter":1s9rucao said:
OK...so how do you keep the water bottles from freezing in the winter...as I use them...
Click to expand...

You either have plenty of extra bottles and replace the frozen ones with thawed ones and bring the frozen ones inside to thaw and be filled again for next feeding, or you bring each water bottle in and run it under warm water to thaw, then fill up and bring it back out.
I have no hydro, so no warm water to unthaw with. I also live about 15 minutes away from where my rabbits live. So I have bowls that I fill up with water for them. I bang out the ice and refill. I just switched to bottles for the summer. Then this morning some of the bottles were frozen. Grrr. :evil:
 
I have some rabbits who prefer the crocks over the water bottles. I have a whole slew of water bottles, and not enough hooks, so it's good some bunnies prefer the water crocks! lol. All of my rabbits know how to use both though, as I usually use the bottles at home, but at fair we're required to use crocks so it's easier to fill them up.

I tried putting layers of socks on my water bottles one winter to keep them warm. lol. It worked a bit. Then this winter I couldn't find any of the socks I'd used! Think I finally grew into them. lol.

Emily
 
JT_Hunter":2u8a4yip said:
OK...so how do you keep the water bottles from freezing in the winter...as I use them...
Click to expand...

I use bowls in the winter bit I HATE them!
I have no other choice, even though the water
may not appear to be frozen, the metal sipper tube
will freeze before you blink an eye!
At least in these excessively cold winters we have
been having in N.Y.S. as of late.
If it were at all possible, I would NEVER switch to
bowls but use water bottles exclusively.
One must do what one must do in order to enable
the rabbit herds survival. :bdh:
Ottersatin. :eek:ldtimer:
 
I use water bottles only here, too. For me, it makes it easier to keep track of water consumption as not drinking or drinking excessively can be an early sign of illness. It is more difficult to monitor that with a crock that can be evaporating, splashed out, fouled up, etc. That said, only my largest rabbits will use the stick valve bottles, so I have been converting everyone over to ball valves for ease of use.

Best of luck!

Lauren
 
i too have a STRONG dislike of crocks.

They add to the work load, they get messed, spilled, fouled, small ones can fall into them if they get out. Just strongly dislike them.

I have a strong appreciation for a good working water bottle. I use them as long as I can into the winter (usually end December before I'm forced to switch) and usually mid-March when I can switch back. Dislike that some bunnies don't like switching one way or the other and always have a two week watch on bunnies during that time. Currently have five youngsters determined to stay on a crock.. will hopefully soon have all my minis sold so I can get them into individual pens to switch them that way. (or sold to new homes so it's not my problem).

Being back on bottles as shortened my chores from one hour to 30 minutes. WOOT WOOT! :) More time to just relax and enjoy the bunnies. :)
 
I have bought some crocks just for this reason...but have been considering making some sort of small heating device to keep the bottles from freezing....maybe use a small night light under them with a PVC pipe covering to keep the small amount of heat contained around the water bottle...have to consider the tube needs to be warmed up also....still working that one out in my mind...but have crocks available any way...
 
What do you do about a rabbit that chews the water bottle? Not the main part, but the metal part where the ball is? We have gone through multiple bottles right now - I am thinking crock but would prefer to keep to bottles.... Just need an indestructable one, or need to be able to buy just the tops(part with the ball in it) so I can keep replacing it.....
 
I have found that buying the 'kits' that one can use to turn soda bottles into water bottles to be just as expensive as buying the whole set-up. Last year, i did buy some 'founts to convert soda bottles with, but the bottle must be mounted inside the cage, as the fount part rests on the cage floor. Found them in the Stromberg's poultry catalog
 
Frosted Rabbits":20nxxjx6 said:
I have found that buying the 'kits' that one can use to turn soda bottles into water bottles to be just as expensive as buying the whole set-up. Last year, i did buy some 'founts to convert soda bottles with, but the bottle must be mounted inside the cage, as the fount part rests on the cage floor. Found them in the Stromberg's poultry catalog
Click to expand...
please post a link I need to find some thing that I can water buns with that holds alot of water and is not expensive...

Has anyone tryed to use small dog waters? bowl type? Can rabbits nock em over easily ? work well for my dogs minus fact that its harder to clean em depending on size.
Also when I get home i will scan some stuff from my flemish giant guide book and post it. In book it has way to keep crocks from freezing by placing a light bulb under the cage and the crock.
 

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