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Warm water in cold weather

FudgeTort

Wise Old Thumper
Does anyone else give their bunnies warm/tepid water when its cold out?

I have always done this for my two, and Molly goes absolutely mad for it, to the point where she gets just as excited about fresh water time as she does her pellets. She always has a nice big drink as soon as I put it in. If I give them normal tap temperature she just looks at me in disgust and doesn't bother.
 
Mine have always had water with a splash of hot added from the kettle. :D I do it all year round as I've found they drink more, but I change it more often in the cold weather as it doesn't stay warm for long (obviously :lol:). Like Molly though, they tend to have a long drink when I first fill up.
 
I give warm water, too. Unfortunately, for some reason that has been explained on here quite a while ago, warm water freezes quicker than cold.
 
It's quite funny because Molly sees it as a treat and gets all excited, Brian gets worked up thinking he is getting something nice, but then looks quite upset when its just water! He isn't as bothered about it!

I give warm water, too. Unfortunately, for some reason that has been explained on here quite a while ago, warm water freezes quicker than cold.

Hmm, how does that work? Obviously it will cool down to the temperature of the air around it very quickly but I can't see how it would freeze quicker?
 
I give warm water, too. Unfortunately, for some reason that has been explained on here quite a while ago, warm water freezes quicker than cold.


Hmm, how does that work? Obviously it will cool down to the temperature of the air around it very quickly but I can't see how it would freeze quicker?

That's what I read and even if I don't understand, I stick to cold water........
 
Yeah I remember something about warm water freezing quicker than cold so I don't do it as much on a night but I do do it during the day time, I imagine a nice warm drink would warm them up some :)
 
Unfortunately, for some reason that has been explained on here quite a while ago, warm water freezes quicker than cold.

I've heard that too but haven't ever really understood why. :oops::lol: I don't think it's always the case that warm water will always freeze faster but more that it can in certain circumstances.

I still give my bunnies warm water though and haven't had major problems with frozen water bowls by the morning, only in the really coldest weather when the likelihood is that it would have been cold enough to freeze cold water too. As they drink more of the warm water than the cold though, then it's swings and roundabouts really for me - either they have a good drink last thing at night and the bowl may freeze at some point or they don't drink the water because it's cold but have access to it all night.
 
I change the water in the morning and afternoon (3/4pm'ish) but they only really drink after they've eaten so I change it in the evening too. It hasn't frozen "yet", I think the heat pads are helping :D
 
I've heard that too but haven't ever really understood why. :oops::lol: I don't think it's always the case that warm water will always freeze faster but more that it can in certain circumstances.

I still give my bunnies warm water though and haven't had major problems with frozen water bowls by the morning, only in the really coldest weather when the likelihood is that it would have been cold enough to freeze cold water too. As they drink more of the warm water than the cold though, then it's swings and roundabouts really for me - either they have a good drink last thing at night and the bowl may freeze at some point or they don't drink the water because it's cold but have access to it all night.

I tend to give them warm in the morning, then top up with cold if they need it in the evening. They don't actually tend to drink that much though, as you say. They will have a big drink when its warm and fresh and then not bother drinking much till the next day.

I read that putting something like a ping pong ball in the bowl helps stop it completely freezing over too.
 
Hmm, how does that work? Obviously it will cool down to the temperature of the air around it very quickly but I can't see how it would freeze quicker?

It's to do with the way that convection currents work in warm water v cold water. In warm water, the currents which are so subtle that we aren't really aware of them mean that the water freezes from the outside in, whereas in cold water without those currents, it starts to freeze by forming small ice crystals throughout the water. So the end result for both is that it freezes over the top, but this happens first from warm water, cold water remains 'drinkable' for longer because the unfrozen water is still accessible for longer.
 
It's to do with the way that convection currents work in warm water v cold water. In warm water, the currents which are so subtle that we aren't really aware of them mean that the water freezes from the outside in, whereas in cold water without those currents, it starts to freeze by forming small ice crystals throughout the water. So the end result for both is that it freezes over the top, but this happens first from warm water, cold water remains 'drinkable' for longer because the unfrozen water is still accessible for longer.

Oh.. ok. Sounds complicated but I shall take your word for it! Thanks :D
 
Thanks for this, I've never given the bunnies warm water because of the 'it freezes quicker' theory, however I've started putting a snugglesafe underneath their water bowl at night (they have one for themselves to snuggle up to too) so may give it a try tonight, see if they prefer it a bit warmer! :D
 
I never gave them warm water but I do put snugglesafe under each bowl every morning and night.
(which is a lot as I have got five bowls and then six to go inside the beds so I am in and out of the house for an hour!)

The chickens get warm water in their drinkers and I pour boiling water into the goats and the llamas' bowls. I also give them oatmeal when it is really cold. :oops:
 
This has been the coldest evening so far.. Bunnies are ok. Water has been topped up and snugglesafe underneath. The bottle, only topped up an hour ago has frozen (spout again). Snugglesafe seems to work ok overnight...
 
Mine will only drink cold water from a cold bottle in the fridge...

We were told warm water freezes faster because the particles are smaller, therefore, easier to freeze.
 
I just took warm water out to all mine when they had their breakfast and they love it but yeah I read the same thing on here last winter about warm water freezing faster than cold! I was a bit baffled too :lol:
 
No, just plain tap water here.

It is true that warm water freezes quicker than cold, we learnt it in a science lesson at school, cannot remember why though! ha ha
 
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