Water freezing

[pawtraitart]

This is what I use in my runs. It is food grade plastic so is supposed to be heat safe and it's translucent so I can see how much water is in there. It sits on a heated base. No freezing issues since the nipples are on the sides and are spring loaded. It's made by All'Bout Chickens.

 

[ChickInDelight]

Updated design includes a GFCI plug to eliminate shock, a 100 watt light bulb in each side of the cinder block, thin slate to cover, and a flat, black, rubber pan to hold water. Working great so far.

 

[cheapcheepcheep]

I use a thing called a Snuggle Safe pet bed warmer. It's a disk you microwave and it's supposed to keep your pet's bed warm, but it's also the same size as my small (1 gal) waterer's base, so I nuke it in the morning, put it in the run with the water on it, and supposedly you get 8 hours of warmth. I imagine somewhat less when it's out in the elements, but it's been working for 2 years for me. I don't put water in the coop, just the run, and I don't have electricity out there, which is how I came to this plan. I was going to try a solar-powered lamp in the cookie tin heater type thing, but my electronics skills aren't that fancy. The Snuggle Safe is $27ish online, depending on where you look.

I also add a little more ACV than usual to the water to lower the freezing point.

 

[joeyc]

all great ideas main thing is to have water there and second is clean as there will be some days that the water won't be checked till later in the day but will be checked or fresh in the am. Will try this heated waterer i wish i had asked on here first before i bought it and see what happens then will have a plan b ready

 

[PouleNoire]

Since I am against heat lamps we have been using a heated water bowl meant for dogs and it has been great! Only frozen over once when the electricity was down (glad I did not have a heat lamp on them) but we just refilled it with water then the electricity was back on.

 

[Blingchix6]

The vertical nipples will freeze up. The horizontal ones don't. I have 2 waterers in 2 different coops and the horizontal nipples are working just fine. It has been COLD here in Northern Ohio!! I use a birdbath deicer in the bottom of a bucket. I have a heated dog bowl for backup.

 

[circuschicks]

I had found a plastic heated dog water dish, last year @walmart.com and it was sent to my nearest Wal-Mart to pick up, I considered it cheap at about 5.95 I bought 2- 1 for a spare. I put it on top of a cast iron flower pot upside down & put my plastic chicken waterer on top it works very well.

 

[chad-o]

I have horizontal nipples in PVC pipe. I use a tabletop fountain pump to circulate the water from the end of the run back to the pail. Cheap $12.00 AND SAFE!!! Running water does not freeze.

 

[mysticrose]

I have been wondering about this too. What about putting a little bit of salt in the water to help prevent freezing? Or could that hurt the chickens?

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Don't add salt to water. We die of thirst when adrift surrounded by sea water and your animals would too with their drinking water if you put salt in it.

I use a heated plastic water fountain. It's definitely worth heating water and those turn off via thermostat at 50F. When this one breaks I'll make something from one of the many heated water threads here as Fred's Hens suggested.