I once read a posting of an old-timer's recollection of a non-electric solution to the problem of keeping the chicken's water bowl from freezing in the winter.
Said to dig a hole in the run, place a lit candle in the hole, and cover it with a flat pan that had some tiny holes in it to allow air to get to the candle so the flame would stay lit. The pan had prongs or legs underneath it that dug deep into the earth surrounding the hole, so the chickens couldn't move it. Then the water bowl sat on top of the pan. The candle stayed lit for a full week. Anybody ever try this or see it or hear of this kind of setup?
I'm going to give it a try, with some modifications. Like maybe use a very large pan and put a few bricks on it and set the water bowl either on top of the bricks or in the center of the pan so that the bricks surround the pan.
Seven-day candles are just under $5 each. I don't think our winter temperature drop below freezing for more than about 10 weeks each winter.
(Wish I could find that original post. I'd love to read it again and see if there are any details about it that I've forgotten. If you know where it is, please point me to it.)
This will be my first winter with chickens. All summer I've used a hanging plastic gallon jug with a poultry nipple in its bottom. The tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (organic, with the cloudy "mother") added to the gallon of water has kept the water fresh for a whole week. I just add fresh water to the jug to top it up every day. Then at the end of the week, I empty it and scrub and bleach and refill and start over with fresh water.
I wish there were some non-electric way to keep using the hanging jugs all winter without them freezing.
Of course, I may just end up running our heavy duty bright orange extension cord out to the coop and using a red light bulb 24 hours a day.
Anyone have any non-electric ideas?
Said to dig a hole in the run, place a lit candle in the hole, and cover it with a flat pan that had some tiny holes in it to allow air to get to the candle so the flame would stay lit. The pan had prongs or legs underneath it that dug deep into the earth surrounding the hole, so the chickens couldn't move it. Then the water bowl sat on top of the pan. The candle stayed lit for a full week. Anybody ever try this or see it or hear of this kind of setup?
I'm going to give it a try, with some modifications. Like maybe use a very large pan and put a few bricks on it and set the water bowl either on top of the bricks or in the center of the pan so that the bricks surround the pan.
Seven-day candles are just under $5 each. I don't think our winter temperature drop below freezing for more than about 10 weeks each winter.
(Wish I could find that original post. I'd love to read it again and see if there are any details about it that I've forgotten. If you know where it is, please point me to it.)
This will be my first winter with chickens. All summer I've used a hanging plastic gallon jug with a poultry nipple in its bottom. The tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (organic, with the cloudy "mother") added to the gallon of water has kept the water fresh for a whole week. I just add fresh water to the jug to top it up every day. Then at the end of the week, I empty it and scrub and bleach and refill and start over with fresh water.
I wish there were some non-electric way to keep using the hanging jugs all winter without them freezing.
Of course, I may just end up running our heavy duty bright orange extension cord out to the coop and using a red light bulb 24 hours a day.
Anyone have any non-electric ideas?
