Help! 11 degrees ºF outside and need some water!

[aart]

I read online that if you put 1/2 cup of regular salt in a plastic water bottle...seal with duct tape...at least I did...and float it in the water. It’s because salt water doesn’t freeze. I didn’t believe it and neither did my hubby. I have two in my two big under the bed totes for the ducks..the third is heated. Anyways, since I’ve done it, only tiny bits of pieces of ice. Nothing froze. They were froze solid, so it’s not their beaks. Somehow, it’s working. It’s worth a try?

I wonder if it could simply be something floating in the water, causing a little movement? Very interesting!

I also read that if you put a ping pong ball it’ll work too, but I thought that might be dangerous with ducks, and Chris thought that was due to the movement

It is due to movement....and won't work once temps get really cold.

 

[aart]

I fashioned a heated waterer similar to the one @aart made here.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/aarts-heated-waterer-with-horizontal-nipples.67256/

I didn't make the cage around it and it's not laying on the bottom. I just hung as close to the bottom without it touching and then secured it buy folding the cord over the top and wrapping electrical tape around it. So far it is working great. Temps have been as low as 15 degrees and it has not froze. I top off the water every other day or so to keep the water above the heater. If I did it like arrt, I would probably only have to top off every 5 days or so. I only have 3 chickens. I was worried that my girls would not use the HN's and aart said I might have to tap the nipples to teach them, but not my girls. As soon as I walked in the run with it, they were all over it before I could even set it down.

Got pics?
I top off everyday to make it a habit and am paranoid about that heater breaking.

 

[hispoptart]

Got pics?
I top off everyday to make it a habit and am paranoid about that heater breaking.

I don't right now but I can get some later today. Like I said it's quite basic. Nothing compared to your awesome job. I understand worrying about it breaking. I check the water level everyday when I collect the eggs, I suppose I should not be so lazy and just bring water out with me and top it off LOL. I'm going to have to check the temp when it's daylight, because I just looked at it and it's not glowing, so either it's warm enough or it's not working hmmmm….

 

[hispoptart]

Just went and checked, it's 25 degrees out and the water is 70 degrees.

 

[Uff Da]

I exclusively use snow all winter. It all depends on the breed of chicken but I have actually experienced MORE vigor and performance from my birds each season and generation by challenging their tolerance. I do that by using snow as their water source and radical air exchange with an uninsulated coop that is left open all winter on one side. I'm in zone 5a.

All you need to do is focus on giving them fat and protein when the nights are cold. I make suet blocks to hang in the coop. They are better at retaining heat than we are. It's better to feed them right than heat their coop or waterer

Interesting. I also have Icelandics. I was talking with another Icie owner on FB recently about our observations regarding snow consumption, because both of us had witnessed this behavior even though both of us provide fresh water in winter.

I myself use horizontal nipples in a 5 gallon bucket heated with a birdbath waterer. But when there is snow cover, I don't stress about keeping it refilled. They've gone a day or two before I've been able to haul water with no ill effects. Unfortunately, we live in a wind corridor and our snow tends to blow away, so I can't rely on this system for most of the winter.

 

[hispoptart]

Got pics?
I top off everyday to make it a habit and am paranoid about that heater breaking.

Here's the pics. Sorry I got busy today building a shelter for my girls in the run so they could stay out of the rain and snow. I'll include a pic of that also. It's not completely done but I ran out of daylight. I took the pics of the waterer before I topped it off, so you can see that even half empty the heater is still under the water.

The shelter

Pics of the waterer

and the feeder I built from someone else's plan. Sorry don't remember who to give the proper credit.

 

[aart]

Here's the pics.

Heater looks to be totally vertical?

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Nice work!

 

[hispoptart]

Heater looks to be totally vertical?

It is, and seems to be working just fine.

 

[aart]

It is, and seems to be working just fine.

I guess laying it down might be risky, without a 'cage' to keep it from touching the plastic.