It"s Getting Cold ,what To Do About The Water?????????

[fratmor]

OK now that it snowed in Albany its only a matter of time before NYC gets a freeze. how do we keep water from freezing?I have a plastic pail from home depot that i use for water,I'm thinking of placing a submergable fish tank heater in the bucket. any thoughts about that ?
also any other winter tips would be helpful this is my first winter with chickens.

 

[Cetawin]

Well some people raise the bucket and put a light bulb under the water pail in a protected case of sorts but I just hang a heat lamp over my waterer and it keeps the water from freezing and helps heat the coop a little.

They have bases that are heated for the poultry fountains that you can buy not sure if they would be safe to use with a plastic bucket...pail though.

 

[emvickrey]

If you can run an extension cord to the coop you can buy one of those dog waer bowls that is heated. The cord needs to be one of those heavy guage ones to withstand winter but that's what I used last year. I'll have to get more this year because I have lots more chickens. I'm including a link that I have bookmarked that can also be very helpful. Lots of ideas somebody took the time to put together.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=319875

 

[fratmor]

I have pine shavings in my coop, I'm worried about the whole thing going up in flames with a light under the waterer.

 

[newchicksnducks]

Since you were planning on an aquarium heater, I assume you have electricity to the coop. I use this -

http://www.meyerhatchery.com/get_item_hpfn_heated-poultry-fountain.htm

It's designed to be used in a coop, unlike an aquarium heater.

It worked well for me last year (my first winter w/chickens). Just a word of caution. When temps get in the teens and lower, the plastic does become brittle. If you drop it outside when taking it in to clean and fill, it may crack or chip (voice of experience!) I had to have my DH make a patch on the lip of the base out of "Gorilla glue" - but it is still working great!

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
First of all, before you consider using an aquarium heater read this thread: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=389587 but the short answer is "Don't"

Now I'd suggest getting a metal waterer and galvanized heater. Since they're designed for coop use, if you put the heater up on bricks or pavers there is only a very slight chance they will cause a fire. Another thing some people use are dog or bird water submersible heaters but I'd worry about those in a plastic bucket. Like you, I'd worry about using a heat lamp around shavings--all it has to do is get knocked down.

 

[ranchhand]

I have a friend in Montana, terrible winters there, too. She uses an old plastic cooler, like the ones for a 12 pack of cans. It is just inside the open coop door and doesn't freeze. It's worth a try, no electricity required and it has a handle to grab for easy cleaning/refilling. They can be gotten for very little expense at thrift stores, etc.

 

[lilchick]

It gets well below zero here in Indiana. I have several barns to feed and water each day. I have used the 3 gallon plastic waterers for years now. Every a.m. I carry freshly filled waters to them and each p.m. I dump them and take into basement to be refilled next day.
Since they are fed and watered in their barns/coops the water does not freeze during the day. Using the deep litter method helps keep barn warm and with the chickens down on floor milling around the temps. are warm enough to keep water from icing over.

 

[jmagill]

Well I have three aquarium heaters going. They work great for me.

I have this kind. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006JLPG8/ref=oss_product

This is my second year with them. I have already had them running for three weeks. I had two running and one coop that did not have one running for two of those weeks.
The chickens with the warmer water drank twice as much as the ones with no heater in the water.

I use them in 2 gallon buckets with nipples in the bottom.

 

[ttfoster]

Hi There!

This is kinda pricey for me here is something that will work! www.shopthecoop.com there called heated poultry bases!!

Good luck!
Bridget