There are three main options for watering your rabbits: crocks, bottles, or automatic system. I advise against crocks simply for the fact that they are very prone to collecting pee (especially if you have bucks that spray), feces and fur (particularly if you have wool rabbits or rabbits that are molting). Crocks also generally require you to reach inside the cage to deal with. I have seen some people use some narrow hose nozzles to refill secured crocks from outside the cage, though. The only reason I would bother getting crocks would be if you plan to take your rabbits to shows, since crocks allow you to stack carriers more easily. If you do get crocks, make sure that you get the type that can be secured to the cage so that the rabbits cannot move them (or hide them) or tip them over.
For the backyard rabbit raiser, bottles are most likely your best option. There are several options for the bottles, including whether the neck of the bottle is straight down (and the nozzle is curved), or the neck is at an angle; the bottles can be made of transparent or opaque plastic; nozzles can be double ball bearing or spring loaded. I prefer to use bottles that have the angled neck because those ones usually have a wider opening, making refilling easier. However, the nozzles that come on the straight neck bottles can usually be transferred to a 2-liter bottle. There are even some manufacturers (like Bass Equipment, KW Cages, and Klubertanz) that sell “conversion kits” which is essentially just a bottle cap/nozzle assembly and a wire to hold the bottle in place. If you keep your rabbits outside, I advise getting opaque water bottles because they will last longer in the sun, and withstand freezing better. UV and freezing temperatures tend to make clear plastic brittle. Most bottles have double ball bearing nozzles, which are easy for all rabbits to drink from. You can get spring loaded nozzles, but usually they only come on the bottles that are top-filled. Top-filled bottles are great if you can take a hose with you out to water the rabbits instead of hauling all the bottles back to the faucet. But, because the top-filled bottles have a spring-loaded nozzle, some rabbits have a bit of difficulty drinking from it, especially young or small rabbits.
If you are planning to keep a large number of rabbits, it might be better to get an automatic watering system for your rabbits. They cost slightly more per cage than bottles, but they will save you a great deal of time. Most automatic watering systems consist of a bucket that is mounted higher than the topmost cage, and is gravity fed into pipes or tubes that distribute water to each cage via nozzle (usually spring-loaded). Some get fancier by including pumps, water return systems, anti-freeze mechanisms, or medication delivery systems. I haven’t personally used an automatic watering system since the time I use to gather water bottles doubles for checking up on all of the rabbits. However, if you decide you want to use an automatic watering system, just contact the supplier and they should be able to help you get exactly what you need.
For the backyard rabbit raiser, bottles are most likely your best option. There are several options for the bottles, including whether the neck of the bottle is straight down (and the nozzle is curved), or the neck is at an angle; the bottles can be made of transparent or opaque plastic; nozzles can be double ball bearing or spring loaded. I prefer to use bottles that have the angled neck because those ones usually have a wider opening, making refilling easier. However, the nozzles that come on the straight neck bottles can usually be transferred to a 2-liter bottle. There are even some manufacturers (like Bass Equipment, KW Cages, and Klubertanz) that sell “conversion kits” which is essentially just a bottle cap/nozzle assembly and a wire to hold the bottle in place. If you keep your rabbits outside, I advise getting opaque water bottles because they will last longer in the sun, and withstand freezing better. UV and freezing temperatures tend to make clear plastic brittle. Most bottles have double ball bearing nozzles, which are easy for all rabbits to drink from. You can get spring loaded nozzles, but usually they only come on the bottles that are top-filled. Top-filled bottles are great if you can take a hose with you out to water the rabbits instead of hauling all the bottles back to the faucet. But, because the top-filled bottles have a spring-loaded nozzle, some rabbits have a bit of difficulty drinking from it, especially young or small rabbits.
If you are planning to keep a large number of rabbits, it might be better to get an automatic watering system for your rabbits. They cost slightly more per cage than bottles, but they will save you a great deal of time. Most automatic watering systems consist of a bucket that is mounted higher than the topmost cage, and is gravity fed into pipes or tubes that distribute water to each cage via nozzle (usually spring-loaded). Some get fancier by including pumps, water return systems, anti-freeze mechanisms, or medication delivery systems. I haven’t personally used an automatic watering system since the time I use to gather water bottles doubles for checking up on all of the rabbits. However, if you decide you want to use an automatic watering system, just contact the supplier and they should be able to help you get exactly what you need.
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