Getting water to birds in the winter

ekbethuram

Hatching
Jan 2, 2016
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Hello! I am new here, but have frequented threads here for answers to questions I have for awhile now. I can tell this is a helpful place to get experienced advice. :)

This is my first winter with my chickens and ducks, and the thing I'm hoping you all have some tips and advice for is...

How are you getting water TO the waterers?

My hose is all frozen up, so I had to bring two small waterers inside and fill them up in the kitchen. I have more waterers to fill, but they're too big to bring inside, as well as the pools the ducks swim in.

So, how do you guys do it?


Thanks for your help!!
 
I carry from the house like you said. It is my first year with ducks but I've had chickens.

I have small kiddie pool for ducks, when it gets to cold and it freezes, they aren't going to swim.

You might try taking hose off and just using spiket. Hopefully that will be a shorter walk.

Curious to see what others say

Welcome to BYC

Marlene
 
Only my first winter with chickens, but I am planning to carry a 5 gallon bucket back and forth. With 7 chickens, I fill the water bucket every 10 days. Food gets replenished every 7 days.
 
Carry it or pull it in a cart or sled. You can have 2 sets of waterers and bring a fresh one out and swap it for the frozen one.

I have a 5 gallon bucket with nipples and a drop in heater. I just bring a gallon jug of water out every morning to top it off but I only have 8 birds.
 
Carry it or pull it in a cart or sled. You can have 2 sets of waterers and bring a fresh one out and swap it for the frozen one.

I have a 5 gallon bucket with nipples and a drop in heater. I just bring a gallon jug of water out every morning to top it off but I only have 8 birds.
Ditto Dat^^

I have 15 birds and they only go thru about a 1/2 gal a day...nipple waterers stay clean, so can just top off each day.
Used to do the 2 waterers swap out system....am sure glad those days are over.

Can't imagine having to deal with duck water....sorry.
Swapping out something deep enough for clean nares would be the best I guess.
 
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I installed a frost-free hydrant in the area so I have running water down there all the time, even when it’s below zero Fahrenheit. I carry water for their outside bowl to the dogs from that. I don’t know where you are so watch your burial depth. It needs to be below the frost line. I only needed to go two feet deep but others will have to go four feet or maybe further.

The first hydrant I installed leaked after a while. I’m sure sand got into it from my soil and messed up the valve. So when I installed the new one I wrapped the drain hole with high quality landscaping cloth and held that on with zip ties. Then I put a layer of landscaping cloth a few inches below the drain and filled that area with pea gravel to several inches above the drain, then covered that with more landscaping cloth before I filled it with dirt. I’m hoping that gives it a good drainage bed below the frost line and keeps the sand out. It’s worked for a while.

To water the chickens and dogs in I use black rubber bowls I got from Tractor Supply. On the days the sun is shining they absorb solar heat and will keep water thawed in surprisingly low temps, on the days the sun shines. When they freeze, like on cloudy days or overnight, I bang them on the frozen ground to get the ice out and refill them. The rubber bowls don’t break.

I’d think a black rubber bowl would work for ducks but if you are really cold you might need to swap out the water regularly.
 

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