Help w Calls in Winter

[vlapinta]

I live in NJ and it has been freezing here. I have three calls and this is their first winter. I can tell it is definately going to be a challange to keep the water from freezing. They have a shelter available to go into when ever they want. My problem is what do do with their waterer ,and how to keep fresh water for them. I had a three gallon waterer that I was using in the summer but it recently broke. I had an old dog waterer but it is made of thin plastic and it keeps freezing. They have access to a 10 gallon tub but that also keeps freezing.
I could use some suggestions to what type of waterer I should buy and any other suggestions on how to keep the water from freezing.

Vicki

 

[Lund Poultry]

first off you should go to a farm center and get a rubber 3 gallon dish. This type you can just turn over and stomp on it and break the water out. I give mine water every morning in this and when I get home I stomp it out and refill for them so they have a drink and swim before I dump it out and lock them in for the night. I NEVER give mine water in the building at night (they are way to messy) Or you can get a larger water dish and actually get a heater for it.

 

[duckluck]

I get the rubber feed pans as described above, put them in rabbit pans and add hot water so that they only need changed twice a day, generally speaking. The rabbit pans help save the shavings!

 

[vlapinta]

I was doing a search and came upon a 1 1/2 gallon electric water dish. I do have access to electric. Would this be a good idea?

 

[Hattiegun]

I have an electric water dish... works great . I have a 250 pond in their enclosure..I put a stock tank heater in it w/automatic thermostat.. when the water gets to 32 it turns on and shuts off at 45!! Its getting really cold here.. was down to 4 this morning.
I do NOT have any ice at all ~~ now Im worrying that I shouldnt let them swim when its so cold out !!! I stopped this morning at 7 am and they were SWIMMIN' uggghhh.... goof-balls. I cant beleive how much I worry about them !!!!!!!! its prbly at least 20 degress in their enclosure which has an attached 'Heated' hut,(that i keep on lowest setting which is around 40) BUT WE CANT GO IN THERE FOR MORE THAN 2-3 MINUTES ????!!!!!!! I HATE COLD !!!
PS. Tractor Suppy/Farm store has all sizes of tank heaters or online...

 

[NajmoNests]

I also use the 1 1/2 gallon heated dog bowl. A board over half of it, close to wall, keeps their bodies out of their drink. Do other peoples ducks seem to take mouths full of water and spit it out as they walk around? I can't imagine how else they make the wood chips so solidly frozen 3' from bowl!

 

[vlapinta]

Do you think its OK just to give them water in a water bowl and stop filling their tub for swimming? The tub freezes anyway. Do they have to have swimming water in the winter?

Vicki

 

[duckluck]

They like swimming water in winter but they don't have to have it, but they do need to be able to dunk their heads. Me, I go the extra mile with my water because I do want the ducks to be able to bathe at least a bit.

I don't like the heated bowls because a) I have heard they can melt and cause a fire and b) my ducks go "ga-ga" over the heated water and have it all out of there in a flash. I did try it once and they had it all splashed out of there in less than an hour, and the heated bowl was just sitting there empty. So now I just put warm water in the feed pans and change it 2-3 times a day. They don't go quite so goofy this way.

 

[NajmoNests]

Vicki - IMHO they do NOT have 2 have swiming water. I provide heated dog bowl waterer, half covered, to prevent flooded quarters and skinny dipping. Since they are indoors and I can't watch their antics from my computer window, they don't have their pools filled!

Selfish of me I know, but they are for my enjoyment.

This my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

[vlapinta]

Maybe I will get 1 heated bowl and a couple of rubber feed bowls. What sizes would be good for 3 calls?

Vicki