Frozen Water!

[openheartnp]

You can use it for chickens, it's like a deep dish so it will be bigger than what you are using now. I also have seen them at feed stores, so it will serve different animals.

Before this dish, I worried that my chickies would swallow a pointy piece of ice when i fished it out. And the water under the ice was very, very cold. just me being worried chick-momma.

 

[LoveNewChicks]

i have only one chicken, sadly

so that is why her waterer is so small,
don't think i need a bigger one

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

Quote:
I did the same thing, plus I plugged it into a thermo cube so it would only come on when needed.

Here is the link showing how to do it https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=107951

 

[LoveNewChicks]

sounds like a good idea,
do chickens need water at nightime?

 

[mommissan]

Those heated water dishes come in all sizes. I just got a 1.5 gallon, and I'm anxious to see how it does this week, dipping to 10 below!

Added this option:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41vE7Hwxd2L._SS500_.jpg

 

[LoveNewChicks]

interesting

 

[Eggcessive]

I also use a heated dog waterer in wintertime. Since they are awkward to clean out with a plug connected to the bowl, I just use a same size bowl as an insert (like a metal dog dish or a 1 gallon ice cream tub) and just put a clean one in each morning, then top it off in the evening. These do not overheat the water--it stays cool, but doesn't freeze, at least down to -10F which is our minimum low each winter.

 

[LoveNewChicks]

it was 34 two days ago,
and i had to break the ice!

 

[Didi]

I use 3 different methods to keep our chickens water from freezing. I live in Nova Scotia, Canada and it can get quite cold here. Before that I lived in the northern tip of southern Ontario, Canada so we have had several experiments over the past few years.

1. Hang a heat lamp light right over the metal waterer. Pros: Keeps the water thawed unless the temperature is ridiculously low. You can put it on timer to come on after you fill your water in the evening until morning when the days warm up the coop enough. Cons: Works best with metal containers. It stays on all the time and uses the most electricity, so your power costs are higher than my other methods. Water can get too warm which can upset the birds. If the light bulb burns out and you don't know the water will freeze.
2. Purchase a heated waterer (we bought one from the local Co-op). Pros: Just plug it in and forget about it because it only comes on as needed. Cons: The fill hole is small and at the bottom of the waterer.... it's a REAL pain in winter... especially if you don't have water to your coop. They are a bit more costly than the third method (although cheaper than the first overall).
3. At your local nursery, get a heated seedling mat. Pros: It only comes on when you need it. You can put either a metal or a plastic waterer on top of it. It's safe & waterproof. The power cost is minimal. The seedling mats are the same price or lower as the heated waterers. If it's larger than the waterer, the hens can take advantage of the additional warmth of the extra space on the pad if they need it (especially good if you have young).

Hope this helps!

Didi

 

[kimisfishing]

do you have a coffee cup warmer? try that but check to see how hot it gets first and put it in a cookie tin bottom or foil or something to keep it off the ground and out of any water