best way to keep water from freezing???

[LeslieG87]

How does everyone keep their flock's water from freezing? Anyone use heated waterers or elements and like them? At wit's end with this cold weather!

 

[Barbedwirecat]

Having the same problem and I HAVE HEATED WATERERS. I putting pans of water out for them and trying to get home to give them more mid-day. All I can do. The water seems to stay less frozen longer IN the coop---but I do deep litter for winter and it stays kinda warm on its own.

 

[1876 Farm]

Yes we use an electric water heater like the one below: they say not to use it with a plastic waterer, but we've never had a problem. My temp gauge didn't get above -15 today and we had no problem with the water.

 

[LeslieG87]

Thanks so much for the replies. I'm always nervous about fire but have heard the heating elements are pretty safe. Will be purchasing a base or unit today.

 

[vconner]

any one use a hanging bucket with nibbles? I have a birdbath heater in it but the nibbles are still freezing. It has been extremely cold here the last couple of days down to 3 and high of 6. Any ideas?

 

[kuulgrl]

I broke up the ice on top 3 times yesterday. This was the first day using a heated bowl.

 

[HiHenHerder]

I have a 1 Gallon bucket with a spare fishtank heater in it. Work great.

 

[1876 Farm]

I have a 1 Gallon bucket with a spare fishtank heater in it. Work great.

I never thought about this, this is a cool idea!!!

 

[annagarret]

I have read two threads from owners in Alaska and Canada that use snow instead of waterers. It makes perfect sense. Chickens will eat ice and snow to stay hydrated. With our deep freeze up North i did this also. Because it's sooo cold i added snow inside the coop it will not melt, in a little corner. I do not heat or use heated water bowls. It worked great. Also made perfect sense.....got eggs also!!!

 

[KristiHB]

Hi Leslie,
We're in Michigan with 7 chickens and currently in a deep freeze. We didn't want to run electricity out to their run so I came up with a low tech way of keeping the water from freezing. I turned a cinder block on its side and placed two large candles, that I set in tin cans (a cocoa container and a 28 oz tomato can) into the two cavities of the cinder block. Then I placed two bricks on top of the cinder block to elevate the metal watering can, allowing air to get to the candles. It's worked great this week. Only when the temp reached way below zero did it begin to ice up slightly. I'm not concerned about fire because this is set up outside of their coop, in their run, surrounded by ice and snow, with no flammables nearby. Also, we are home all day, going out to check on them frequently and the coop/run are near the house within eyesight. I liked that I could use up candles that I don't tend to burn in the house and that I didn't have to run an extension cord out to the run.
Good luck with whatever you do!