| Re: Water bottle vs water bowl
[quote=PixieStix;380045]Some pigs do have a hard time drinking without inhaling it into their lungs. Bottles are a safer, healthier option. Is there a reason you feel you need a bowl in addition to the bottles?
I am assuming that my pigs are the pigs that have no problem. I keep both as I am hoping that they will get the idea of the bottles. Every lap time I get the bottle out and show them how to use it and the kind of lick at it but thats it. Even when I leave to bowl out of the cage, they do not use it independently even if I position it so that it is dripping (into a bowl which I then empty frequently so they can't use it). So I am concerned about their water intake.
On a warm day (the majority of houses in New Zealand do not have air conditioning) even with cooling devises I feel that wet veges twice a day is not enough water intake. Especially as they drink a lot from their bowls.
As for comparing wild to domesticated animals. Domesticated animals keep the majority of thier basic insitincts. Which include prey drive in animals such as cats etc, drinking, eating and prey instincts (like how guinea pigs run away from 'scary' things). I feel that my Guinea Pigs are finding it hard to learn how to use the bottle and are relying on their natural instinct to drink from a pool of water (aka the bowl which is simulating this).  |