Methods for keeping water from freezing

Fred's Hens said:

Here, the cold would penetrate the thermos within an hour or two at most. Secondly, at -30, the tube would freeze shut in minutes.
I carry water in December, but by Christmas time, I get out the heated dog bowls and plug 'em in. At 10F, they can keep a gallon bucket set in the bowl thawed easily. At -20, they can only keep the bottom 2/3 of the bucket thawed. I just pout a little hot water on the surface in the morning. It usually warms up to 5-10F by noon and the bowls work fine all day long. Next morning, if it still sub-zero, same routine. But hey, I have to gather eggs and feed the hens anyhow.

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mama24 said:

I live in NC where we have milder winters (I;m from W. PA where it gets really cold, though!) I bought an electric heated waterer at the feed store this winter when I got tired of carring buckets every morning. Works great, and wasn't too expensive.

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bj32 said:

we live in Northeastern PA so... it's cold but it only dips into the negatives occasionally... this is my first year with chickens and their coop is rather small - just big enough for the 5 of them to roost and nest. I go out each morning with my boys and we put out their hanging feeder and fill the bucket with water (with water nipples screwed into the bottom). With this system, I'm not sure how to implement some kind of heater? I like the nipple system - they've used it since day 1 and it has worked great - no poop in the water, no spilled water containers...
does anyone else use this type of system or have any suggestions for keeping the water from freezing.
We are home every day, all day (I homeschool my 4 boys) and we can see their run and coop from our dining room window so we keep a pretty close eye on them...

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