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Bottles freezing...

V

Veronica

Mama Doe
Hiya,

Today I'm having a bit of trouble with the bunny's bottles freezing up.
The rabbit's themselves seem to be warm, as I've packed the hutches out with hay and straw, but I'm concerned that even the bottles inside the shed are freezing up :?

I'm seriously looking into how to stop the bottles from freezing...and am aware of this product....
http://www.scratchandnewtonshop.com/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=28

I know some of you use these, and was wondering, do you find they are successful? Do they stop the bottles from freezing?
I would have quite a large financial outlay in getting all my rabbits these, but I don't mind the investment, if I knew they were going to work.

I am looking into other ways of heating up the shed too, and although my babies seem warm...I don't want them getting cold as it is freeeezing today.

Any thought you might have I'd be very grateful to hear :)


Thanks in advance
 
Another way to stop bottles freezing is to insulate them with bubble wrap. You could use scraps of carpet nailed to the ceiling of your shed to insulate it. x
 
bubble wrap inside a sock is another thing people here do - My rabbit's water is in a bowl and it was frozen solid last night, although the hutch had covers and a quilt on top - Usually I put a splash of boiling water out of the kettle in (hot tap water has germs) and it stops it freezing by morning - Kettle was empty, and me running late last night :oops:
 
All 4 if mines bottles were frozen this morning - I dont think much would have kept it liguid in that weather :shock: First time the actual drinking end has been frozen :(
 
Tamsin sent me some clear plastic sheeting for out hutches. All of the outdoor hutches have this over the front, it is left there all day as it helps keep the heat in yet they can still see out. Since using this I havent had a single bottle freeze over :wink:
 
I have the bottle snugs for inside the sheds, and although they sort of work, I don't think they're worth the money. The water in the actual bottles has still been liquid (although it really has been icy cold, in spite of their advertising blurb about keeping it a constant temperature) but on more than one occasion the spouts have frozen over so it's no use having the water unfrozen in the bottle anyway! On that basis I'd suggest some bubble wrap and a sock, with the bubble wrap wrapped as far down the spout as possible. I also give my bunnies bowls of water when it's very cold, as I figured that it is easier for them to lick the surface of the ice and at least quench their thirst a little that way.

I've got a vague recollection that some people put a drop of glycerine in the water and that stops it from freezing, but please don't quote me on that without someone verifying it!!
 
Only one bottle was frozen this morning, but most of them were frozen just now :? But this was because the covers have been rolled up as they were out today.
The ones in the shed were fine, although not a piggie was stirring this morning. I was tempted to peek at them to make sure they weren't frozen solid, but didn't as that would have let any warm air in their bedrooms out. Sure enough at dinner time there were the piggies :wink:
 
AlisonA said:
I have the bottle snugs for inside the sheds, and although they sort of work, I don't think they're worth the money. The water in the actual bottles has still been liquid (although it really has been icy cold, in spite of their advertising blurb about keeping it a constant temperature) but on more than one occasion the spouts have frozen over so it's no use having the water unfrozen in the bottle anyway! On that basis I'd suggest some bubble wrap and a sock, with the bubble wrap wrapped as far down the spout as possible. I also give my bunnies bowls of water when it's very cold, as I figured that it is easier for them to lick the surface of the ice and at least quench their thirst a little that way.

I've got a vague recollection that some people put a drop of glycerine in the water and that stops it from freezing, but please don't quote me on that without someone verifying it!!
Click to expand...

What a good idea to have a seperate bowl. I think I will do that tonight.

Yeah, the spouts on my bottles were frozen too :?
 
bluebunny said:
Do you know where she got it?
Click to expand...

It was part of a 30ft poly tunnel that a company donated.... that was fun to cut into sections :lol: I imagine that if you go to a garden centre/fish shop that sells pond supplies you can probably get clear plastic sheeting off a roll in smaller pieces.

I have a bottle snug from scratch and Newton and so far that has stopped it freezing (we've only gone down to about 0 so far though).

Ooo, that reminds me I have some hutch huggers/run huggers for rescues if anyone wants... I'll make a new post for that.

Tam
 
I've got a clear PVC shower curtain permanently nailed to the bottom front and partially round the sides of my hutch - The top (where the shower curtain rings would go) is hooked over some brass cup hooks, just under the roof overhang - My hutch is roof opening though, which helps - you would need to loop some knicker elastic round the cuphooks if you wanted to fold it down to use the doors much.

That plus a duvet plus another shower curtain fastened over the whole hutch didn't stop his bowl freezing last night though - Does anyone know what the temp dropped to, as it's never frozen usually when there's a frost?
 
Don't know about last night, but according to the BBC 24 hour forecast, it is supposed to be -7 here about now :shock: It's definitely going to be a really really cold night everywhere tonight :shock:
 
I'd be worried, but Benny's chosen to sit outside in his run ALL day till 5pm when I locked him in his hutch with his veg - It has to be warmer in there than in his run! Although when I gave him his veg his water was already starting to freeze - never done that before either :?
 
Yup mine are all the same, they've been dashing around like loons and snuggling up for a doze in the great outdoors, so it can't bother them that much! It's nice and still though so no extra wind chill factor.
 
Yes mine are the same, they were desperate for me to open their hutch this morning, waiting impatiently at the bottom! I overslept, they were not impressed!!!

Those bottle snugs are cool, but such a rip off!! £14.99 in my local shops???? Has anyone seen them cheaper in shops(not online)?

I do the sock & bubblewrap too :)
 
Thanks smokiemisty :)

But I don't do petsathome lol! Can't pay money to a corporate bunch of greedy fatcats. Plus my local store ~ half the staff are animal loving kids but not properly trained and the older lot will sell you ANYTHING by lying.
"Yes of course 2 lops will fit in this 4 ft hutch in comfort" paaahhh!
"Of course your rats will be fine on woodchip"
"Oh you're daughter will be so happy with her pet budgie for christmas"

Its cool tho, I will see if my local pet shop will do me a deal ;)

ps. sorry to those who work there & are nice :)
 
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