Beer? Vodka? Molasses? Water additives to keep water from freezing.

[silkiechicken]

Got 14 inches of it in Everett WA.

I have a feeder full of layer pellets 24/7, and for water, I use those rubber hog? Dishes. I just pop the ice chunk out in the morning and put in hot water. Since it's only hovering in the upper 20's and just below freezing, I only have to put hot water in these black rubber dishes 1x a day for them to have water.

I don't give them snow to eat since it robs them of warmth.

 

[unionwirewoman]

Quote:
It's funny how life works , 3 of my cousins who live 30 miles from me traveled to Seatle and Spokane this week . Washington has got so much snow , that to travel over the passes , you are required to have chains ! Seems like it might be a good wild fire free summer if all of the northwest states keep getting this ! We have 2 base heaters for both coops , the first we bought last year went to crap this year ( $50.00 a pop ! ) Hope I can figure it out , otherwise I'll come up with something . I should ( I could be a millionaire off of some of the other things that were thought of ! )
Washington usually gets less snow than us , in some parts , but they still get their fair share , (hello , they are on the border of Canada !)

 

[alpinefarm]

I couldn't keep mine from eating snow unless I taped their beaks shut! They love it!

Seems to me that snow inside their coop in a rubber bowl isn't very different in temperature from near-frozen water.

Anyway, I've not ever (in 5 years) had a problem with letting them have snow...they eat it daily on their own, as I let mine out to "ramble" every day of the year and we have deep high Rockies snow 5 months of the year.

>>I don't give them snow to eat since it robs them of warmth.

 

[sadieH5836]

My aunt grew up on a farm in Iowa.
She told me to us Glycerine in the water to help keep it from freezing.
you can buy it at the drug store. It will not hurt chickens or other live stock.
I used it all last winter and did not have a problem at all.

 

[silkiechicken]

Mine do eat snow too but I make sure they have liquid water to drink. Liquid water will be 32 before it ices, but if it's in the teens out, the snow would be something like 14 deg, which is colder than 32. If the coop is above 32 or near it, it would probably melt, so no need to put snow in the coop So if it's really cold, it can be more energy.

One thing I've learned...Don't touch the inside of the -80C freezer. I froze a chunk of my pinky touching the ice in one without gloves... despite the big warning on the front that said "Do Not Touch Without Gloves.

I guess you could try glycerine, since the materials safety data sheet doesn't say it's that bad, just that "Ingestion of large amounts may cause gastrointestinal irritation", and if you add it to water, it would be pretty dilute. It appears to be less hazardous than ordinary table salt that says ingestion of "Very large doses can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and prostration. Dehydration and congestion occur in most internal organs. Hypertonic salt solutions can produce violent inflammatory reactions in the gastrointestinal tract."

 

[luvmygirlsinAK]

Quote:
That's exactly what I was going to say, they always tell you in basic survival to never "drink" snow as it will cool your body temperature down quicker than anything. Of course, I'm sure it would depend on how chilly the temperatures are.

 

[alpinefarm]

Snow, if you're lucky enough to have it, can be very helpful in cold temps to hydrate a flock. Lots better to have it in the coop as a back up, especially when one has to be away and there is no other way to guarantee constant liquid water otherwise....this is what the initial post was about.

Just offering my experience. Done it in the Rockies in my unheated coop and it has never caused a whit of a problem for my flock.

I've also heard that unprepared/poorly dressed humans in an iffy survival-type situation shouldn't eat a lot of snow for fear it could cause hypothermia. Not really what we're talking about here with chickens in their normal environment in their coop and with lots of down insulation on their bodies. Wild birds and other creatures in cold climates all eat snow all winter for hydration, snow alone or in addition to water they can find.

 

[onthespot]

a non-chemical, non electrical way to keep water from freezing is to keep it running. you could leave a hose slowly running to their dish and make the overflow drain away from their run. Might make a wet spot, but at least they would have water for sure.

 

[alpinefarm]

Excellent point.
Although...you folks in a warm climate have the luxury of letting your flock have access to an outdoor run during December!
At 8500' elevation in wintertime in the Rockies, my biddies have to be protected/completely closed up in an insulated coop 16 hours a day (and 24 on blustery, below zero days).
So, although I can do trickling water 3 seasons, I haven't yet designed a running system inside the coop and I have to be rather creative during the winter, especially when I have to be away for a day or two!

 

[rays123]

You could use one of those heating strips like you put around pipes to stop from freezing they sell at home depot and walmart for no more than $20