A quality drinker for rabbits is necessary for the normal functioning of these animals. If they receive less water, they become especially vulnerable and often begin to get sick. The devices in the implementation are not always suitable for these animals. Therefore, it is best to make them yourself.
Requirements
A do-it-yourself drinker for rabbits must meet certain conditions:
- capacity - about 1-1.5 l of water is required per animal per day;
- closed - no residues of feed, wool and excrement of rabbits should be in the vessel;
- stability - the device must be well fixed to the cell walls, otherwise spillage of liquid is possible, which will lead to various diseases of these animals;
- convenience - the vessel should be such for the rabbit, and for the owner in terms of its filling.
Photos of drinking bowls for rabbits are posted during the article.
Drinker Classification
They are divided according to the material used:
- from stainless steel;
- plastic;
- metal;
- from other materials.
By design, drinking bowls for rabbits are classified into the following groups:
- automatic - water is supplied without human intervention while lowering the level of fluid in the vessels; have a high cost, unprofitable for small farms;
- nipple - drinking bowls for rabbits, in which the water remains clean for a day, does not spill, they do not turn over, however, in winter, the liquid in them freezes quickly, they are small, therefore they need to be filled several times a day, are short-lived and unreliable in design, can leak near the cover;
- vacuum - can be attached to the wall with special fasteners, quite roomy, one capacity is enough for one rabbit per day, however, if the liquid level is incorrectly set, they can leak;
- cup - cans, bowls, cups that can be easily turned upside down by animals, animal hair and excrement easily get into them, so they are not recommended for rabbits.
Drinking bowls can also be divided into industrially made and own production.
On large farms, automatic drinkers are preferred, while private owners are more likely to make them themselves.
Creating a device is an easy option.
Below will be shown how to make a drinker for rabbits yourself.
For production, you can take ordinary plastic bottles. The drinker is done in the following steps:
- a hole is made in the center of the bottle with a knife, matching the diameter of that of the rabbit’s head;
- it attaches to the cell walls with a wire;
- 1.5 liters of water are poured.
Thus, bottle drinkers for rabbits can be made quickly and easily. They do not require special care. Of the minuses - fragility.
Creating a vacuum drinking bowl
In this case, in addition to a plastic bottle and wire, you will need a container from which rabbits will consume water directly, for example, a tin can.
The sequence of steps to create such a drinker:
- Water is poured into the bottle, after which it is twisted with a cap.
- Attached by wire to the cell wall with the neck down.
- A prepared container is installed under it, the neck should not touch its bottom a little.
- The cover is unscrewed. At the same time, water will flow from the bottle into the substituted container until its level is equal to the cut of the bottle. At the moment of their coincidence, a vacuum is formed, which will keep the column of water from flowing out until the animals heat part of the liquid, as a result of which a gap is formed between the water level and the cut of the bottle.
The capacity into which water enters can be fixed on a self-made groove, along which it will slide with the application of some force.
However, when using this option, drinking bowls for rabbits from plastic bottles can get trash and dirt into them, which is harmful to the health of the animals raised.
Upgraded version of the plastic drinking bowl
This material is periodically attacked by representatives of the fauna. Therefore, it is short-lived. In order to extend its service life, the following actions are carried out:
- from galvanization or stainless steel make a box to protect a plastic bottle of 5 l or more;
- sharp edges must be filed to avoid injury to animals.
In this case, the operating time of the bottle drinkers for rabbits is significantly increased.
For production, it is better to take dark bottles, since in bright ones water will bloom faster, which is undesirable for farmed animals.
Another variant of the improved drinking bowl is the installation of the bottle close to the surface of the container. To move water into it you need to drill holes in the neck. It should be borne in mind that the distance from the cut to the hole should not exceed the depth of the tank. It is best to make them cross-cutting, with one above and others below. You can do them crosswise. This will ensure a smooth distribution of water hammer in time at the time of revolution of the bottle and will not cause it to twist or other types of deformation. With this method, you do not need to screw caps on the bottles. In winter, you can even cut the neck off to make it easier to hammer out ice.
Making a nipple drinker
For the manufacture you will need the following materials:
- silicone (sealant);
- nipples;
- insulating tape;
- plastic hose and bottles for 1-1.5 liters.
Nipple nozzles can be purchased at appropriate retail outlets. They can be replaced with a trimmed handle housing with a steel ball placed inside from the bearing.
Production is as follows:
- a hole is made in the lid of the container using a screwdriver, a heated awl, or in another accessible way;
- a hose is threaded into it;
- since it is difficult to calculate the diameter of the hole and make it such at home, in most cases it turns out more than is required, in this case one end of the hose is wrapped with electrical tape;
- the cover at the junction with the tube is coated with sealant on both sides;
- a nipple nose or a trimming of the handle body replacing it is inserted into the hose, it is fixed in the same way with a sealant;
- the assembled device is placed on the outside of the cage, and the hose is threaded in through the rods.
When creating any drinkers, one must take into account the fact that males consume less water than females. The latter require more fluid during pregnancy.
Problems
Vacuum drinkers tend to freeze in the winter seasons. In addition, water freezes in containers in which it flows from bottles. Therefore, during the onset of cold weather, ice can be suspended in the cells as a source of water. When operating nipple drinkers at this time of the year, when freezing the spout, hot water should be poured into the bottle. In addition, you can use the forced supply of fluid from a specific tank using a small pump that circulates it throughout the water circuit, in which the nipples are mounted. To ensure water supply on very frosty days, a low-power heater can be placed in the tank.
Training rabbits for drinking
These animals will not drink from nipple drinkers until they understand that there is water. While the rabbit is in the cage, a person must press the nipple with his finger. The water that remains on it must first be brought to the rabbit's nose, and then to the mouth, so that he sniffs and licks it. This procedure should be carried out more than once; rabbit breeders recommend repeating it at least 3-4 times. You can stop it after the owner sees that the animal has begun to imitate its actions by clicking on the ball with its tongue.
Finally
You can make a drinker for rabbits yourself. As a material for the production, you can use plastic bottles. They can be installed so that the neck does not touch or touch the bottom. In the latter case, holes are made on the neck of the bottle. In addition, nipple drinkers can be used. In this case, it is important to teach rabbits to self-absorb fluid.