frozen water!

[TDM]

Quote:
I use this:

 

[edible_chicken]

this is the first winter with our chickens and what i have done so far seems to be working well. when i lock the coop at night, i bring in their frozen water into the garage to melt and in the morning i refill with fresh water and i put out extra water by the house. so far they seem to be getting enough water and content not having water at night.

 

[RollinWithTheStones]

I'm in Ohio and thankfully it's not been that cold so far, I get out there at dawn break before the girls get up. I heat a kettle on the stove and use a metal watering can. I put some in their outside bowl some in their indoor waterer. Since we're averaging high 30's to 50's during the day it stays pretty thawed during the day.

I'd love to get a heated waterer, but there is no electric in the coop and most likely will be staying that way.

 

[LC_ChickenRanch]

TDM I like that! I've been using a red heat lamp on one of the 6 gallon plastic waters. I've broken 2 of the screw on lids and have planed on switching to a metal fount, and your heat tape idea looks like a winner. I'm up in AK and it's freezing from October to March, that's a long time to run 250watts.

 

[happycountryhens]

Me Too TMD. Great idea!

 

[bleith]

I did not read all the posts so I don't know if this was mentioned, but I use a submersible fish tank heater and put it in my waterer. It is designed to be in water so no trouble there. It is thermostatically controlled and is only 10 watts. Has been working great. We had a 7degree night last week and it worked great. $18 at a pet store

 

[3 NH reds]

I decieded to try the fish tank heater from walmart. it is pre set to 78* and is for a 2-15 gallon tank. We are using a simple one gallon chicken waterer but last night was to warm to tell.I am suprised no company makes a sturdy unit for this.

 

[wooden-animal]

Hi Folks

I have been using the nipples for three years now and love them.
I own a small hatchery in Idaho call Pine Pride Hatchery and have over 1000
birds on the farm.

I use the nipples in each pin we have seven pins side by side and is over 80 feet long'
We ran a 1'' pipe down the center of the pins with 5 nipples in each pen. at has a 50
gal drum connected to it with a float vale that keeps it full. We have a heat that goes
around the drum in a insulated box.Then we ran the heat tape down the pipe and put insulation
around it and ducked tape it in place so the chickens could not get to the heat tape or the
insulation. It only comes on at 38 degreees and we have never had frozen water. It saves us so much time
and it so much cleaner. It does not use much power and they always have water.

 

[3 NH reds]

Frozen water this am. Back to the drawing board. It was 10* this am.

 

[southerndesert]

12 volt water heater.... http://www.hydrogenappliances.com/stocktankheater.html