HELP! need a cordless way to keep water thawed!

[aart]

Folks kept chickens for centuries before Thomas Edison and yes, even in bitter cold climates.

Folks carried water for their birds, morning and afternoon, every day, day after day. Keeping the birds properly hydrated is essential, of course. The rubber bowls make removing the inevitable ice formations easy to remove.

Apart from running electricity, I know of no other alternative than watering in the early morning and again in the afternoon. BTW, carrying the water in a couple of old milk gallon jugs give you a handle and there's less chance of spilling, on the way out to the coop.

By far the cheapest and easiest solution....so it makes the most sense.

 

[Tmacinus]

Amen!!

Don't be a hater. If you can't help just keep quiet.

 

[BCnurse]

My coop is about 300 feet from my house and up a hill and has no electric. I have been hearing that this winter is going to be freezing where i live (half an hour or so from St Louis) and i have yet to find a cordless water heater with a majority of good reviews! since i leave for school at 6:10 AM, i don't have time to change the water before i go! please help!
-sincerely, izzyanchickies1

I also struggled for a few years...last year I moved their waterer to inside the coop and with their body heat, it didn't freeze overnight! Planning on just giving them indoor water this year!! (Our overnight lows are around -10 Celsius)

 

[Holstein cows are awesome]

It appears that some people misunderstand my situation. I began this thread to gather information to help me with a task that i take QUITE SERIOUSLY! Please do not make false accusations against me when you know absolutely nothing about my life! I work very hard to care for my animals, all 28 of them! I entered this website to find advice on a project that my whole family has invested greatly in! When i became involved in this site, i was only looking for helpful advice, so keep your comments in that direction please.

I agree that too many people can be critical without knowing your history. I prefer to ask permission instead of forgiveness. But I digress. Try to Google "battery powered aquarium heater". A local big name pet store is currently checking their inventory for me. Good luck.

 

[paintedChix]

I see that someone brought this forward from 2013 to now.

Here is another idea to try. I know we've done something similar w/ livestock tanks in CO & MT.

 

[linguini]

I see that someone brought this forward from 2013 to now.

Here is another idea to try. I know we've done something similar w/ livestock tanks in CO & MT.

Thanks for sharing the video - it's quite amazing and totally makes sense using geothermal.

A follow up video - they added a solar water pump and devised a cover for overnight.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

I had the same question for my brother, who has been keeping chickens for some time. He said that he gets black ping pong balls and keeps one or two in his waterer. He uses this method when ice fishing. The constant movement of the ping pong balls keeps the water from freezing completely and because they are black, they absorb heat also. He has used this for several years with no problems so thats what I am going to try. Of course, I am in WV so your winters might be way more severe.

this doesn't work once it's below -5c unless you're somehow making the balls move.

 

[Axalea]

I have seen people take a water bottle, fill it with salt water, and throw it in their chicken waterers (closed off and not leaking obviously) works best in a waterer like a gravity one where the chickens wouldn't be able to peck the bottle. Apparently because salt water has a lower freezing point it draws the energy

*disclaimer* I am not a chemist

 

[StinkyAcres]

I have seen people take a water bottle, fill it with salt water, and throw it in their chicken waterers (closed off and not leaking obviously) works best in a waterer like a gravity one where the chickens wouldn't be able to peck the bottle. Apparently because salt water has a lower freezing point it draws the energy

*disclaimer* I am not a chemist

This has been debunked. I believe it works to keep the water mostly thawed only because of the movement of the bottle in the water.

 

[paintedChix]

Yeah, I "debunked" it myself. Here in NC.

Maybe if I'd used a lot more bottles?




THE 1st pic, i cant find the pic where i broke off a chunk & measured the thickness. I used measuring tape & want to say the thickest part was 5" thick. It was a miserable week!!

The 2nd pic shows the end of a different tank being much thinner. The ponies broke the ice before I got back w/ tools.

This pic, different property, different storm, no bottles. Also thick ice. About 20 miles from "Fayettenam"... The ducks enjoyed the snow & rain. Found swimming in the "ditch" between house & barn...



This particular storm, ice doesn't appear as thick, but whole sections of cleared 5 acre on our leased property turned into literal "ice rinks". In a 20 mile radius, many people lost horses due to snapped legs & sliding. Lots of vehicle accidents. I imagine other livestock as well... It too, was a horrible time frame!

Made me wish for the "drier" blizzards in MT & CO where windchill was often -70° F. Our horse water tanks were closer to electricity, exposed water pipes wrapped in insulation (the "new fangled stuff", plugged in) & water tank heaters on floors of tanks. These icestorms in NC, just "flattened" me!! We had no electricity where any tanks were (still don't actually) & the frost free hydrant in the barn, wrapped in insulation & also plugged in, frozen solid for a month...





Edit to add - this particular ice storm, pics taken 1/11/2011, was more challenging & mind boggling than the bizzard that literally buried CO (& other states) in early 80's. That one, the electric heaters failed & the hydrant in that barn later "exploded" as thawing occurred. We had snow drifts to the eves on both house & 4 stall cinderblock barn. We made tunnels through drifts & hauled water to barn through those tunnels by bucket... That house & barn location were the closest together ive ever lived in. Thankfully, we had a wooden lean to attached to the barn & had stacked a full tractor trailer load of alfalfa there. Our neighbors, 2 miles down the road weren't "so lucky". In between water hauls, we watched helicopter airdrops of hay & supplies - very wide eyed! That was "the storm" that shut down western states!! Denver came to literal stand still.