Ideas for winter water bowls?

[Shea]

I usually use 1 qt fortex rubber bowls for winter here. As it gets cold enough to freeze that solid in a few hours, and those survive knocking the ice out of them. They do not however, survive chewers. I find myself 3 short this year and No One has them in stock. I have been looking over a month now with no luck.
Any recs on something similar?

 

[Alaska Satin]

I usually use 1 qt fortex rubber bowls for winter here. As it gets cold enough to freeze that solid in a few hours, and those survive knocking the ice out of them. They do not however, survive chewers. I find myself 3 short this year and No One has them in stock. I have been looking over a month now with no luck.
Any recs on something similar?

I gave up on fortex because they were so expensive, the rabbits chewed them up, and they also threw them around so they were out of water right away; even if there was ice in the bowl, they couldn't get to it when the bowl was upside down. Now we use a few different ways to deal with water in winter here (which can last 9 months in a bad year!), depending on who's got the job of watering...each way has its pros and cons and we each like to "pick our poison."

I found some fairly flexible plastic bowls really cheap at a yard sale at the local animal shelter a few years ago. They look basically like these:



I got that image from Amazon but I've seen them at pet stores and even dollar stores. They were so cheap that I wasn't too worried about breaking them, but they've held up surprisingly well having ice cracked out of them by twisting. However, I think they've lasted because I bought roughly twice as many as I need, so when I'm on water duty, I bring out a duplicate set of clean ones in a big bucket (another advantage of this method is that the rabbits get clean bowls every day), swap them for the frozen ones, take those into the house to thaw/clean, and repeat the process that evening. Some of the rabbits do chew them, but because of the shape and hardness of the plastic, it takes a long time to ruin them. Other rabbits are incorrigible about throwing them around since they're so lightweight (you might also have that problem with your rubber bowls), so those bunnies get a heavy crock.

When we're using a lot of ceramic or hard plastic crocks, and my daughter carries a 5-gallon bucket full of hot water down to the barn and drops the frozen crocks into it until they let go of the ice. That has the added advantage of warming the bowls, which means the water stays liquid a bit longer, and they don't crack when you pour warm water into them.

Watering in winter is really a pain...Good luck and God bless.

 

[Buknee]

I use water bottles. I have 2 bottles per hole. I bring a bucket full of fresh filled bottles out to my buns in the morning and simply switch them out. If the others are froze solid, I will put them in my utility tub to thaw before taking them back out for fresh water in the evening.
I watch closely with extreme cold to make sure that my nursing mamas always have water available.

 

[MnCanary]

I use water bottles. I have 2 bottles per hole. I bring a bucket full of fresh filled bottles out to my buns in the morning and simply switch them out. If the others are froze solid, I will put them in my utility tub to thaw before taking them back out for fresh water in the evening.
I watch closely with extreme cold to make sure that my nursing mamas always have water available.

What is extreme cold for you? i.e. where are you located?

The water in a bottle tube freezes very quickly, because it is a small amount of water and is surrounded on all sides by cold air. How long do you figure the rabbits can get water from your bottles?

Thanks!

 

[Buknee]

What is extreme cold for you? i.e. where are you located?

The water in a bottle tube freezes very quickly, because it is a small amount of water and is surrounded on all sides by cold air. How long do you figure the rabbits can get water from your bottles?

Thanks!

I am in Northern Idaho. Extreme cold here is a few days of negative temperatures. Currently our nights are around 15* F. My rabbitry is staying at around 20* F.

The bottles haven't seemed to freeze real quick. The rabbits all drink for quite sometime when I first put up their fresh bottles. I have been surprised to check a few hours later to find they can still get water.
The bottles on my bottom cages freeze quicker than the higher ones. My bucks are in the lower cages so a spell without water is not as concerning.
I switch out all the bottles morning and night whether frozen or not.
It's worked for me. Plus, I am not up in the cold filling bowls. It takes just a few minutes to switch out all of their bottles.

 

[Missy's Mom]

mine have chewed holes in their plastic ones, too. I'm not impressed! Need to find an unbreakable solution... chew proof and ice-crack proof!

 

[BuffBrahmaBantam]

We use extra ceramic bowls from the kitchen. But then we only have a few rabbits. Probably not a solution for those of your with many cages. But you could check out goodwill.

On colder nights we wrap an old towel around the bowl or pad hay around it. Keeps it from freezing solid a little bit longer. Here is my favorite water dish. We have a couple of these.. I think ours are 8 oz. We switch them out in the morning and evening.

 

[Shea]

I gave up on fortex because they were so expensive, the rabbits chewed them up, and they also threw them around so they were out of water right away; even if there was ice in the bowl, they couldn't get to it when the bowl was upside down. Now we use a few different ways to deal with water in winter here (which can last 9 months in a bad year!), depending on who's got the job of watering...each way has its pros and cons and we each like to "pick our poison."

I found some fairly flexible plastic bowls really cheap at a yard sale at the local animal shelter a few years ago. They look basically like these:

View attachment 32480

I got that image from Amazon but I've seen them at pet stores and even dollar stores. They were so cheap that I wasn't too worried about breaking them, but they've held up surprisingly well having ice cracked out of them by twisting. However, I think they've lasted because I bought roughly twice as many as I need, so when I'm on water duty, I bring out a duplicate set of clean ones in a big bucket (another advantage of this method is that the rabbits get clean bowls every day), swap them for the frozen ones, take those into the house to thaw/clean, and repeat the process that evening. Some of the rabbits do chew them, but because of the shape and hardness of the plastic, it takes a long time to ruin them. Other rabbits are incorrigible about throwing them around since they're so lightweight (you might also have that problem with your rubber bowls), so those bunnies get a heavy crock.

When we're using a lot of ceramic or hard plastic crocks, and my daughter carries a 5-gallon bucket full of hot water down to the barn and drops the frozen crocks into it until they let go of the ice. That has the added advantage of warming the bowls, which means the water stays liquid a bit longer, and they don't crack when you pour warm water into them.

Watering in winter is really a pain...Good luck and God bless.

Fortex expensive? I was getting them from Jeffers for $2-3 ea. Cheaper then anything else.
Ceramics will crack on me. We do get cold enough with wind chill that they will freeze near instantly.

 

[Shea]

What is extreme cold for you? i.e. where are you located?

The water in a bottle tube freezes very quickly, because it is a small amount of water and is surrounded on all sides by cold air. How long do you figure the rabbits can get water from your bottles?

Thanks!

Im im Upstate Ny. We can and have gone full months in the winter where the temp never hits over 0°F. Water bottles always seem to crack or leak on me. I use the top fill style during warm weather. I just don't have time in the mornings to sit and fill normal bottles. I leave before dawn for work, so in the winter their waters would freeze again before the sun comes up.
I did use cheap ceramic bowls from the dollar store for the first few years with rabbits and then switched to the rubber bowls. Less breakage, easier on my hands when frozen.
I may try the plastic crocks if I can find the cheap enough to get extras.

 

[Shea]

I am in Northern Idaho. Extreme cold here is a few days of negative temperatures. Currently our nights are around 15* F. My rabbitry is staying at around 20* F.

The bottles haven't seemed to freeze real quick. The rabbits all drink for quite sometime when I first put up their fresh bottles. I have been surprised to check a few hours later to find they can still get water.
The bottles on my bottom cages freeze quicker than the higher ones. My bucks are in the lower cages so a spell without water is not as concerning.
I switch out all the bottles morning and night whether frozen or not.
It's worked for me. Plus, I am not up in the cold filling bowls. It takes just a few minutes to switch out all of their bottles.

What brand of bottle do you use? I have yet to find one that dosen't leak or crossthread. Or clog. Generally just not a fan.

 

[MsTemeraire]

Stainless steel bowls. They will withstand being knocked out, and are impervious to chewers.

 

[Robochelle]

https://www.peaveymart.com/pet-bird...ccessories/bowl-pet-6-qt-round-heated/1014663
If you have access to electricity, this is the way to go. Thread the cord through the bottom of the cage, and it deters (not necessarily defeats unfortunately) throwing and dumping.

 

[user 8990]

Stainless steel bowls. They will withstand being knocked out, and are impervious to chewers.

I like the bowls that are wider at the base and don’t tip easily. Mine throw the light weight ones around for fun.

 

[Shea]

I like the bowls that are wider at the base and don’t tip easily. Mine throw the light weight ones around for fun.

Ditto. And no power availble unfortunately. Also could not afford heated bowls for 10 holes.

 

[Scooter1A]

I use water bottles. I have 2 bottles per hole. I bring a bucket full of fresh filled bottles out to my buns in the morning and simply switch them out. If the others are froze solid, I will put them in my utility tub to thaw before taking them back out for fresh water in the evening.
I watch closely with extreme cold to make sure that my nursing mamas always have water available.

There was a day when you could get a rubber bowl that didn't smell like toxic crap. Those days are over. Yes I hate winter and I'm fighting the bowl thing but I keep changing them out and tell them now come on guys drink now ha. It will warm up in two days and then i will do some restructuring for chickens and bunnies. Back to my unskiled carpentry skills.

 

[Buknee]

What brand of bottle do you use? I have yet to find one that dosen't leak or crossthread. Or clog. Generally just not a fan.

Lixit. They will all leak if you don't fill them completely full and screw the top on really tight. With the top up, squeeze bottle for all air to go out and metal ball to come to top. Hold the squeeze on the bottle while you turn it over and place on rabbit cage. I have noticed that the more straight up and down and secure they are, the better.

 

[Alaska Satin]

Fortex expensive? I was getting them from Jeffers for $2-3 ea. Cheaper then anything else.
Ceramics will crack on me. We do get cold enough with wind chill that they will freeze near instantly.

Count your blessings, then - fortex bowls are $9-$12 here. I have picked up a few at garage sales but the rabbits chew them to bits fairly quickly; I doubt it's very good for them, and they're meat rabbits and I'm not wild about eating fortex either. They also tend to throw them around, dumping any liquid water and making any ice in them unavailable since the bowls invariably end up upside down.

The rabbits are in a barn so there's not much issue with wind chill, but we generally see temps in the low teens and less, with stretches of below zero. Water bottles freeze quickly here too, especially the metal tubes which will freeze solid before the water in the bottles. Also, the bottles often crack in the process of freezing, especially if they are completely filled, so I put them away in the fall.

I use both the cheap plastic bowls described above ($1 ea), and ceramic crocks I find at thrift stores. The two keys to keeping crocks from cracking is to use crocks that have a taper on the inside, so that they're slightly wider at the top than the bottom, and to minimize big temperature changes. We give our rabbits hot water, but I don't pour hot water into cold crocks. I either bring the crocks inside to thaw and replace them with warm ones, or we sink the frozen bowls into a bucket of warm water for them to release the ice and warm up, to be re-filled with warm water. We don't have to "crack the ice out" which is not much fun anyway. (We do sometimes twist the plastic ones when it's warm enough that the ice will let go.)

Honestly, though, there doesn't seem to be a perfect way to provide water in deep winter, so we just rotate our practices when we get tired of the problems with one.

The biggest "trick" we use, though, which really seems to help the rabbits stay in good condition, is that in addition to giving them water twice a day, we give a each of them a treat-filled ice block. We freeze water in old yogurt/cottage cheese tubs, adding something tempting like apple cores or carrot peelings to be frozen into the middle. We leave these blocks in the cages all the time, and the rabbbits love to play with them and chew on them - they get hydrated, entertained, and good tooth-trimming round-the-clock.

 

[Scooter1A]

Count your blessings, then - fortex bowls are $9-$12 here. I have picked up a few at garage sales but the rabbits chew them to bits fairly quickly; I doubt it's very good for them, and they're meat rabbits and I'm not wild about eating fortex either. They also tend to throw them around, dumping any liquid water and making any ice in them unavailable since the bowls invariably end up upside down.

The rabbits are in a barn so there's not much issue with wind chill, but we generally see temps in the low teens and less, with stretches of below zero. Water bottles freeze quickly here too, especially the metal tubes which will freeze solid before the water in the bottles. Also, the bottles often crack in the process of freezing, especially if they are completely filled, so I put them away in the fall.

I use both the cheap plastic bowls described above ($1 ea), and ceramic crocks I find at thrift stores. The two keys to keeping crocks from cracking is to use crocks that have a taper on the inside, so that they're slightly wider at the top than the bottom, and to minimize big temperature changes. We give our rabbits hot water, but I don't pour hot water into cold crocks. I either bring the crocks inside to thaw and replace them with warm ones, or we sink the frozen bowls into a bucket of warm water for them to release the ice and warm up, to be re-filled with warm water. We don't have to "crack the ice out" which is not much fun anyway. (We do sometimes twist the plastic ones when it's warm enough that the ice will let go.)

Honestly, though, there doesn't seem to be a perfect way to provide water in deep winter, so we just rotate our practices when we get tired of the problems with one.

The biggest "trick" we use, though, which really seems to help the rabbits stay in good condition, is that in addition to giving them water twice a day, we give a each of them a treat-filled ice block. We freeze water in old yogurt/cottage cheese tubs, adding something tempting like apple cores or carrot peelings to be frozen into the middle. We leave these blocks in the cages all the time, and the rabbbits love to play with them and chew on them - they get hydrated, entertained, and good tooth-trimming round-the-clock.

great idea on the ice blocks. I just got some broccoli for my doe and some greens. haven't started any inside yet so....but ya I will do that. why not. gonna get cold here tomorrow then warm up again. man I hate winter.

 

[Alaska Satin]

man I hate winter.

Me too!!! Such a pain.
I just try to take consolation in the fact that the rabbits seem to love the cold temps, and boy do they put on nice coats.

 

[Shea]

Mine seem to think snow is a treat which is great and readily at hand in the winter.

I had 75° days and 60° nights less then a week ago. Now its 28 and dropping and if the wind shifts could potentially see 12"+ of snow tonight.