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Every breeder knows that picking good drinkers for rabbits is quite difficult. It is important that pets have constant free access to drinking, and the drinkers for rabbits are reliable and comfortable, easily filled with water and prevented from getting contaminated. Pure water is one of the main conditions for the cultivation of healthy individuals.
Read the article: how delicious to cook a rabbit?
What kind of drinkers are there?
To choose the most convenient capacity for drinking, let's consider what type of drinkers farmers use most often:
- cups;
- nipple;
- vacuum;
- automatic;
- from the bottle.
Each type of drinker for rabbits has its pros and cons. Comparing them, you can choose the most suitable option.
Cup Water Tank
The most common way of the last century is to water the pets - just put a cup of water in a cage (a bowl, a tin can, and so on). Today, this method is used less and less, as it has more disadvantages than pluses.
Minuses:
- The cup drinker for rabbits often turns over because of the rapid movements of animals along the cage;
- it easily gets food, wool and eared life products, the contents quickly become contaminated and become unsuitable for drinking;
- an inverted bowl deprives pets of access to water, and moistens the litter, and this can provoke the disease of the whole family.
A plus:
- find a suitable cup on the farm is quite easy, so this method is completely cost-free.
Nipple
Use nipple drinkers for rabbits conveniently. The principle of their action is based on the fact that touching the ball to the nipple ball, the pet receives water, which comes through the tube from the tank.
Minuses:
- in winter, the nipple freezes, and water access becomes impossible;
- The purchase of a device will require some expenditure.
Pros:
- Animals can not pollute or pour water, it always remains clean;
- you see the liquid level and, if necessary, you can change it;
- in a container it is convenient to add drugs or soluble vitamins;
- rabbits sparingly consume water, as it does not splash, but flows directly into their mouth;
- such drinking bowls for rabbits can be made with their own hands from improvised materials.
Vacuum
This kind of breeders do themselves. To do this, put a bottle of water open with a neck down on the container. At the same time part of the liquid pours out, and pets can drink it from the bowl. As drinking, vodichku poured into a container.
Minuses:
- The food or garbage can get into the bowl;
- The bottle may turn over and the water will drain out;
- in winter there is a probability of freezing of the vacuum drinker.
Pros:
- this drinker can be made independently;
- the liquid in the bottle remains clean, easily poured in if necessary;
- the manufacture of vacuum equipment does not take much time.
Automatic
In large farms, the most commonly used are drinking bowls for rabbits. With their help provide water to dozens of individuals around the clock. The principle of operation is based on the fact that from a large central reservoir the contents are fed through pipes to bowls located in cages. The system is equipped with a float, which is lowered together and the level of liquid in the tank, which allows replenishing bowls in cages with fresh water.
Minus:
- making a machine for rabbits requires some skills and financial costs.
Pros:
- having set up an automatic water supply system, you can drink at the same time a whole livestock, and this saves considerable time for caring for animals;
- fresh and clean water enters the cells.
From the bottle
This option is suggested to use craftsmen who keep houses of decorative rabbits. According to the principle of action, the design of the bottle resembles a nipple. Such drinking bowls for rabbits with their own hands on the photos and drawings make it simple.
Minuses:
- costly acquisition of materials for the manufacture of a single structure;
- if you make nipple drinkers for rabbits with your own hands from a bottle for ten or more individuals, the costs and time for manufacturing increase several times.
A plus:
- The equipment provides a home decorative beast with a clean drink at any time.
Several ways to make drinkers with their own hands
When you have decided on the type of drinker, which is most suitable for your pets, you may have a question - how to make a drinking bowl for rabbits yourself? Let's turn to the advice of experienced rabbit breeders.
Method number 1
If the cup method is right for you, then you will not have to do it yourself. It is enough to put in a cage plastic or metal container, which will fit the size.
For one individual, it is better to choose a bowl smaller, and if several rabbits live in the cage, then the container will need more in diameter.
Method number 2
To make a nipple drinker, you need to prepare a small plastic container, buy a ready nipple in the pet shop, prepare the drinker fasteners. Then the liquid is poured into the bottle, the nipple is wound on the neck, after which the drinking bowl is fixed on the cage. Master class to make your attention.
Plastic containers should be secured from the outside of the cage, so pets can not gnaw it.
Method number 3
To make a vacuum drinker with your own hands, you need to prepare a plastic bottle, a bowl with smooth edges and holders. Next, the bowl is fixed at a height of 10 cm from the floor (this is necessary so that the animals do not climb inwards). Above the bowl, fasten the bottle with the neck down.
The neck must not come in contact with the container, otherwise the water will not flow.
A container with water must be attached outside the access zone of the animals, otherwise they will chew it in a few days. To learn how to make drinking bowls for rabbits yourself, watch the video.
Method number 4
In order to make automatic drinking bowls for a large number of rabbits, prepare a plastic tank with a volume of at least 10 liters, a plastic or rubber tube, several nipples. Near the cells are installed a tank of water, from it they bring a plastic pipe to the cells. In it, make holes, placing them opposite each cell. A narrow hose with a nipple is inserted into each hole.
Is it worth it to do drinking bowls on your own?
If you have a small decorative rabbit living in your apartment, then it is better to buy all the necessary equipment and equipment in the pet store for its maintenance. In this case, you will be sure that your pet will not cut the sharp edges of the homemade trough, in time will get access to drinking. But if you keep a large farm, and do not want to spend money on additional equipment, then you can use one of the proposed ways, by making drinkers for rabbits with your own hands, you will save money, and provide the rabbit families with permanent access to drinking water.
In winter, water can freeze, which will make life more difficult for a long-eared animal. Therefore, it should be possible to insulate vacuum, automatic or nipple drinkers for rabbits. To do this, you can wrap the containers with a warm cloth, or equip them with an aquarium thermoregulator. So your rabbits can drink warm water in the winter.
