frozen waterers

[mdbtalon]

from Highland County Ohio and God Bless!!!

This has worked the best for me. http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/11/make-cookie-tin-waterer-heater-under-10.html The only time that I still have trouble with frozen water is when the temperature goes below freezing. Good luck!

Have to admit I really laughed when you said the only time you still had issues with frozen water is when temp goes below freezing. When else would you have that issue

Anyway I am sure these actually do work great, but does not work for those of us without power.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

Hi and from Ohio. So glad to have you aboard. Is there anything that could be done using battery power. FYI Those that suggested boiling water. It freezes faster the cold water.

 

[my sunwolf]

Hi and

from Ohio. So glad to have you aboard. Is there anything that could be done using battery power.

FYI Those that suggested boiling water. It freezes faster the cold water.

This is true, sort of. My area tends to get a lot of wind, and so the surface of the water will freeze just because of wind chill. With the boiling water, I can stave this off a little longer. There's a formula for the phenomenon you're describing, but it means that boiling actually freezes at a faster rate than cold water, not necessarily faster in actual time. I also use boiling water to thaw ice because once the sun is up, it will help keep the water from freezing as long as the wind chill is not too bad.

*edited to clarify

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. I water at least twice a day when we are having these very cold temperatures.

 

[mdbtalon]

This is true, sort of. My area tends to get a lot of wind, and so the surface of the water will freeze just because of wind chill. With the boiling water, I can stave this off a little longer. There's a formula for the phenomenon you're describing, but it means that boiling actually freezes at a faster rate than cold water, not necessarily faster in actual time. I also use boiling water to thaw ice because once the sun is up, it will help keep the water from freezing as long as the wind chill is not too bad.

*edited to clarify

Just wanted to "second" what you have said since I see this come up a lot on this site. If temps are below freezing and you want to prevent the water from freezing you should add hot water not cold or cool water. As you point out the hot water may cool at a faster rate, but that is irrelevant since the total time taken to get to freezing is still going to be much longer using hot water rather than cold.

 

[liz9910]

from California, brrrr! It's been cold here lately too, freezing my chicken's water too. I just dump in some hot water to melt it.

 

[ladyrsanti]

Yep, I highly recommend the rubber bowls/tubs if you don't have power. That's what I use for my sheep and we've been having temps around 0 this week. Because the bowl is so flexible, the ice pops out without too much trouble. The one I have is huge though and sometimes requires me to kick it violently and tip it over and do a jig on it but a smaller bowl for chickens (which they sell at TSC) would be much easier to handle.

 

[weimarmama]

&

from Alabama. Glad you joined us.

 

[antibacilli]

@chickenpooplady...great idea with the cookie tin. I had seen instructions on making heaters with lamps before but I was wondering where they were getting those tins from. A cookie tin seems as if it would work better as the heat is better contained than an open bottom tin and I can find one right now in the house. Thanks!

 

[chickenpooplady]

Have to admit I really laughed when you said the only time you still had issues with frozen water is when temp goes below freezing. When else would you have that issue

Anyway I am sure these actually do work great, but does not work for those of us without power.

Lol! I meant to say when temps get below 0. Sorry.