Is it possible to give rabbits snow instead of water in winter: features of watering in the cold

Table Of Contents

Should I replace water with ice or snow
Features of winter watering

Many homeowners choose rabbits for growing meat. A calm and quiet animal can bring a considerable income to the owner. In summer, this is quite obvious, since animals can only eat grass in warm weather. But with the cold, problems begin. Liquids freeze. Is it possible to give rabbits clean, crumbly snow instead of water in winter?

Should I replace water with ice or snow

Winter is a difficult period for all living things. The most necessary liquid for any organism - water, quickly freezes, even if it was brought outside warm.Since rabbits are equipped with a fur coat, many owners keep them outside during the cold season. Rabbits, indeed, are not afraid of frost, are caged from predators, and receive guaranteed food.

But, taking into account their purpose, it is necessary to take into account that the low air temperature already draws out the stock of fat accumulated over the year from the animal. This process is compensated by enhanced high-calorie nutrition. If the wind-impermeable skin and fur of a rabbit serve as a reliable buffer for external influences, then the drink penetrates the body and must be heated to body temperature.

If you imagine the temperature difference of snow or ice (for the sake of the faint of heart, you can stop at 0 ° C) and rabbit 39 ° C, it turns out that a small animal will perform the functions of a boiler. Wild rodents eat snow, perhaps lick ice. A slender figure helps them escape from foxes and wolves.

When the fat supply runs out, muscle mass begins to decrease.So by the spring the meat will either become absolutely dietary, or the cost of feeding the “heater” will increase exorbitantly. In the spring, animals are not slaughtered, but the degradation of muscle mass will leave a harsh mark on the he alth and reproductive abilities of rabbits.

Features of winter watering

Despite the above horror stories, experienced breeders find a way out. The simplest: 2 times a day, walk along the cages and pour water at room temperature into the rabbits for drinking. Five minutes later, the rest of the water is poured out in the same order.

Some owners advise drinking hot water. Steam must not come from the water. If someone worked in the cold, he knows that from drinking steaming tea or coffee, the lips and nose are taken with a crust and cover for a long time.The respiratory tract of rabbits is also sensitive to moisture and infections in summer, for which it is invariably a breeding ground.

It is not recommended to melt snow or icicles to water animals. With snow and from above, any dirt from the atmosphere is deposited on it. Icicles contain, in addition to this, particles of paint or slate dust from the roof, which are pure poison.