Can chickens eat snow?

[Hokum Coco]

Since snow has a density of roughly 8-10 percent water,it would would make me think that a chickens body would work 90 percent harder metabolize it. You and I think the same!
I do see that keeping the water thawed poses a problem where you live. I know that they make heated waterers,that's if you have electricity to your coop.
The best of luck to you
Experience tells me chickens think differently.

 

[Bocktobery 10]

OP, if there is no electricity outlet on your property you could try to rig up something solar. There are some videos on you tube on how to make cheap solar panel for warming up a water tank or just for heating a room in a house. Something like this perhaps could be devised to try and solve your problem.

Here is a link to a you tube video about the set up... I have no idea if this is for real or not as I've never tried it. But this link should help you to other links about this concept.

 

[Dailypix]

We rely on solar power and the coop has its own small system. I am away from the camp for two to 4 days at a time frequently during the winter. The chickens never liked the waterer with the nipples. I have one that plugs in and the water stays liquid while I have power but they dont seem to drink from it much. When I get back the big 5 gallon waterer is sometimes frozen solid. (went to -39C last year) I exchange it for one with fresh water. Sometimes the heated waterer drains the batteries, especially when there is 2 feet of snow on the panels. So for at least 24 hours they may have no fresh water. Our coop is not heated but the chicken guard door opens after sunrise to a nice run and the run is always covered in snow. The rooster does not like it on his feet much but they continue to scratch and peck at the snow. This is our second year. Last year inspite of my concerns the chickens all made it through healthy and active. They roost a lot more and they lay less (some of the eggs are cracked) but they seem ok. I am assuming they get their moisture from the snow. My choice was to kill them all or see if I could care for them. I chose the later solution. As they did not seem to be suffering I am glad they are alive. One idea, if you have electricity, is to try an aquarium bubbler. The small pumps use little power and the air bubbles may be enough to keep the water liquid.

 

[Dailypix]

OP, if there is no electricity outlet on your property you could try to rig up something solar. There are some videos on you tube on how to make cheap solar panel for warming up a water tank or just for heating a room in a house. Something like this perhaps could be devised to try and solve your problem.

Here is a link to a you tube video about the set up... I have no idea if this is for real or not as I've never tried it. But this link should help you to other links about this concept.

This actually works. I get about 5 to 7C increase in temperature. Ours heats the cabin not the coop. You do not need pop/beer cans (although that is what we used.) Black metal screen works fine. The cold air goes in at the bottom and warming causes it to rise. The circulation gives you free warm air. The downside is at night the warm air at the top enters the system , cools and drops and you get an air conditioner. You need a way to close the system at night. I use a 4" cover on the while PVC outlet pipe.

 

[Dailypix]

I got to thinking about this thread and am trying an experiment. The small solar system gets drained by the stock heater. Thermostats to turn it on are useless because it is always below freezing. (They are calling for -20C Wednesday night). I got a big 40 gallon box and buried it in the coop with straw and compost all around. Put a concrete block in to prevent the girls from jumping in for a swim. I got the smallest aquarium pump and bubbler I could find. This works for the koi pond in the city. I hope there will be an opening in the ice because of the bubbles. Also the composting straw, wood shavings and droppings May generate some heat. I ame hopeful the air pump will not drain the batteries.