Rabbit Web Discussion Board

my rabbits water frezes because its cold and the bunnie lives outside how can i keep the water from frezeing

There are a number of things you can do to make sure your rabbits get enough water. Some use heated bowls or heat cables wrapped around automatic water lines if that is the type of system you are using. This does require electricity which may or may not be an option for you.

You can simply offer warm water up to several times a day if need be. When I lived in Utah, I gave my rabbits fresh, warm water about 3 times/day as the water would refreeze in the daytime. In northern Arizona, I would thaw and refill the bottles (I prefer bottles to crocks for a number of reasons; one being the fact that it was MUCH easier to thaw them out) each morning and they would stay drinkable throughout the day.

You can gauge if your rabbits are getting enough water by their feed consumption. Rabbits eat much less if they are not getting sufficient water. (Water is the key catalyst that enables the body to break down and assimilate food.) You want feed consumption to be adequate to allow the rabbit to burn calories for warmth and if you are breeding, to be able to care properly for their kits.

Good luck.

Charlcie Gill
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com

I use an electric heated bowl. The surface freezes when the temp drops to about 0 degrees F, but I like using it because I sometimes have to work long hours and can\'t provide fresh water during the day as often as I would like to.

I use crocks outside the rabbits will lick the ice when the water is frozen.i have extra crocks so i can bring in the frozen ones.bluebird

My guess is that a rabbit would not be able to get enough liquid to meet his/her needs by licking the ice, but it would be a good indication as to how often the rabbit needs fresh water. I have never read anything on how long a rabbit can be left without fresh water. Some say that a rabbit should have access to fresh water at all times, but those of us that live where it freezes know that may be unrealistic and a bit unnecessary. Even people don\'t need access to fresh water 24/7.

I have heard that you can put a thick sock over the bottle and it slows the freezing process down. I have never tried though, I am lucky, it rarely gets that cold here. Good luck!

Our rabbits are outside also and we use water bottles. I replace them at least once a day so that they never have a frozen bottle for long. I do the switch in the morning and it doens\'t seem to refreeze till evening. I\'ve also found that if I only fill the bottle half way, they don\'t freeze as quickly. Maybe because of air circulation?