How do you fill waterers in winter?

[Silkie2]

Before I used to bring out hot water jugs to fill the buckets and waterers in the winter. Now we have ducks and a lot more chickens, which means a lot more waterers. is there an easier way to fill up buckets and wateres in the winter? our house is a little ways away from the barn, so bringing it in and filling it up in the sink would be just as hard as bringing out water jugs. we live in New England the temps in the winter are usually below freezing (the hose freezes up, its kept inside in the winter)
how do you fill your water buckets up in the winter? and how do you keep them from freezing? (i have 3 gallon waterers,1 gallon waterers, and 1 1/2 gallon buckets for my 3 ducks and about 35 chickens)

 

[junebuggena]

Bring them inside at night so they don't freeze solid. Fill with warm water in the morning. Set them in a sunny spot.

 

[GC-Raptor]

I bought one of them hoses that stretches when you turn on the water and shrinks when you turn off the water and drain. I plan to hook it up today. I hope it will work in freezing temps.
If not, then it's back to using a plastic kitty litter jug that holds 2 gallons.
I use a galvanized steel waterer with a heater underneath, and a rubber bowl under the raised coop. GC

 

[Ridgerunner]

I installed a frost free hydrant in the chicken area so I can get running water even when it's below freezing. It's not a quick or cheap solution but I wanted water in that area anyway for other times of the year.

 

[junebuggena]

I bought one of them hoses that stretches when you turn on the water and shrinks when you turn off the water and drain. I plan to hook it up today. I hope it will work in freezing temps.
If not, then it's back to using a plastic kitty litter jug that holds 2 gallons.
I use a galvanized steel waterer with a heater underneath, and a rubber bowl under the raised coop. GC

Those flex hoses do freeze up. Learned that last winter during a cold snap.

 

[GC-Raptor]

Those flex hoses do freeze up. Learned that last winter during a cold snap.

Bummer, even if you drain them? GC

 

[debid]

Bucket de-icer to keep the water liquid and I haul containers from the house to fill because we don't have a faucet close enough to make using a hose and draining it afterwards easier.

There are hoses that are supposed to stay flexible in freezing temps but I haven't tried it myself. I'd expect you'd still have to drain them.

 

[junebuggena]

Bummer, even if you drain them? GC

Yep. If even the tiniest bit of water is left at the nozzle, it will freeze and the hose is useless.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Honestly I just use a gallon jug and fill it indoors. It's a hassle but better than dealing with a burst pipe. Had an uncovered spigot bust a pipe before and don't want to go through that again!

 

[wamtazlady]

I use one of those hoses that shrinks when the water is turned off. It has to be disconnected, drained and brought into the house. I also had a frost free faucet installed. It froze last winter. It not only froze, it caused the water pipes near it to freeze also. This year the faucet was turned off. I'm fortunate that my well house is in the garage next to the house. The forced air furnace heats the well house. There is also a faucet in there. Using one of those shrinking hoses attached to that faucet. It's much better than hauling water which I can't do. The young man next door comes over once a week to feed and water the critters. My feeders and waterers are large enough to last more than a week.