How to keep water warm with no electricity?

[saysfaa]

1. Take an empty soda bottle, fill it about half way with salt, then fill with water. Screw the lid on tightly and drop it in the water bucket. Salt water freezes at a lower temp than fresh water does. It will have an osmosis effect and lower the temp the water freezes at. Just check the bottle for leakage periodically...

It will keep the water inside the bottle from freezing until it is a lower temperature. How does that keep the water outside the bottle from freezing until a lower temperature?

 

[BDutch]

Other tips:
It also helps a lot to remove the water bowl from the shade and to put it behind a glass window that blocks the cold wind but catches the sun, so a layer of ice heats up quicker.
Or put the water bowl on a layer of manure/compost, which provides insulation from below, although this is not sufficient at really lower temperatures.

I have a hanging water bottle on the east side (where the cold wind comes from) behind a window. The window really made a difference. But if it freezes a lot I use a water warming element. Cant you use a distribution plug?

 

[rural mouse]

It will keep the water inside the bottle from freezing until it is a lower temperature. How does that keep the water outside the bottle from freezing until a lower temperature?

The effect carries through the plastic . When I read about it (don't remember where) it explained the science behind it. I don't remember the details on that part either. I figured: it's simple and easy to test, gonna try it. IT WORKS.

 

[saysfaa]

Did you test it next to a similar sized waterer with a bottle of plain water in it?

Also, I'm interested in the explanation you saw if you come across it again.

 

[aart]

Can I just give them water in a bucket? My waterer only has a small hole to put water into.

Post a pic of the waterer you use....and how many birds you have.

 

[rural mouse]

Did you test it next to a similar sized waterer with a bottle of plain water in it?

Also, I'm interested in the explanation you saw if you come across it again.

Not exactly. Used smaller bucket of same materials in same location the previous winter. Kept having to upend the bucket and kick the ice out of the rubber thing and/or bring it inside to thaw the nipples. With the salt bottle, only had to do that when temps were below 15F.