Frozen waters

[McChooky]

I live in N

M and use a heated wagerer. It saves time and aggravation..
Lol

We could if our extension cords didn't fail in the middle of winter again lol

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I put my waterer out this morning with fresh clean tap water around 8am and left it out all day in the run .At 6pm I removed it from the run after the chickens went inside the coop to roost.The drinking trough that circles around the bottom of the waterer was frozen solid so the chickens couldn't get anything to drink.I knocked the frozen ice out of the drinking trough that encircles the waterer and unscrewed it and the water inside was not frozen solid inside.It was 6 degrees F this morning when I put it out at 8am for the chickens and 20 degrees F when I picked it up to take it inside at 6pm.Temps never got above freezing today. Bitter cold. Even though the trough was frozen solid the water in the tank itself was not frozen solid only had a web of ice partially frozen.Wish I'd remembered to take my phone out to take pics!Again,as I stated before even if temps get around zero it won't freeze solid and will only be slush in the drinking trough if you change the water out once during the day(which I did not do today)Edithoto attached of actual waterer used.(1/2 gallon size) Will upload photos next time test is done sorry!!

If the water inside the waterer doesn't freeze, due to being of larger volume, then perhaps you should give the chickens a bucket to drink from, possibly a heavy black rubber one. The smaller volume of water in the trough freezes due simply to being smaller in volume, exposed to cold air all over, if that makes sense. I mean, it's like if you put a saucer of water on the ground, that's going to freeze very quickly. If you can put a one-gallon bucket out there for them, that might take almost all day to freeze over. It would have to get extremely cold to freeze solid.

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

We could if our extension cords didn't fail in the middle of winter again lol

Get you to Home Depot, or harbor freight and buy you some new extension cords, make your life much easier. The issues with snow/rain and mud with cord connections are easily and inexpensively fixed. Drive a little stake in the ground to hold the plug off the ground, plop a bucket over the affair. Secure with any unsuspecting rock.

 

[Cynthia12]

Some folks that are in constant cold use old crockpots.

 

[Stoney Meadow Maple]

Some folks that are in constant cold use old crockpots.

Sounds like a good way to injure a bird. Those aren't intended to get wet for one thing, for 2 they aren’t thermostatically controlled to limit temperature. While in super cold temps they MIGHT do ok they will get to boiling if the weather warms up.
For real, rated cords and heaters aren't that expensive and are designed to do the job.

 

[McChooky]

If the water inside the waterer doesn't freeze, due to being of larger volume, then perhaps you should give the chickens a bucket to drink from, possibly a heavy black rubber one. The smaller volume of water in the trough freezes due simply to being smaller in volume, exposed to cold air all over, if that makes sense. I mean, it's like if you put a saucer of water on the ground, that's going to freeze very quickly. If you can put a one-gallon bucket out there for them, that might take almost all day to freeze over. It would have to get extremely cold to freeze solid.

I'm afraid to let water in an open bucket touch his wattles in this bitter cold. He got frostbite a week ago.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I'm afraid to let water in an open bucket touch his wattles in this bitter cold. He got frostbite a week ago.

Oh, you're right, forgot about that.

 

[McChooky]

If the water inside the waterer doesn't freeze, due to being of larger volume, then perhaps you should give the chickens a bucket to drink from, possibly a heavy black rubber one. The smaller volume of water in the trough freezes due simply to being smaller in volume, exposed to cold air all over, if that makes sense. I mean, it's like if you put a saucer of water on the ground, that's going to freeze very quickly. If you can put a one-gallon bucket out there for them, that might take almost all day to freeze over. It would have to get extremely cold to freeze solid.

I'm using 15 drops of a natural homeopathic remedy in 1/2 gallon of water per day. Treating the whole flock 14 days.( 7 more days to go) .I added a 2 year old rooster to my flock a month ago and want to make sure none of them have worms before spring arrives.If they had worms this makes them pass them then you see what they've got..

 

[McChooky]

Counting the days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[McChooky]

Oh, you're right, forgot about that.

I did too.I let them drink out of the waterer today.After I screwed the base off!!!!!!!!!!!!!