How do you keep your water from freezing?

[ErikaRI]

Yes, I'm leaving the other waterer in the run for now, after reading some of the above comments...

Yes, keep close watch..some get it right off the bat, others can take weeks.
Not good to 'train' in extreme temps when dehydration can be deadly.
I put out an open waterer at the end of the day just before they go to roost to make sure everyones hydrated.

 

[blackdog043]

Have they started using it yet?
If they aren't using it, take the other waterer out for a couple hours and see if they start using it. The red usually attracts them to the nipples, but they don't always take to change well. When I switched mine over, it took about 5 minutes for them to use it, I took the other water source out.

 

[koopmaster]

All super ideas!
I use horizontal nipples, the chickens got the hang of using them quickly. Till today I used no heat, just swapped the bucket out for a thawed one ( I put together a couple so I could do this) but after reading some other posts I did this

Tonight is this prototypes "maiden voyage"!
Report in the morning

 

[koopmaster]

All super ideas!
I use horizontal nipples, the chickens got the hang of using them quickly. Till today I used no heat, just swapped the bucket out for a thawed one ( I put together a couple so I could do this) but after reading some other posts I did this
View attachment 1221815
View attachment 1221816
Tonight is this prototypes "maiden voyage"!
Report in the morning

Morning report:
Success!!!!
Low teens last night and the nipples were operative this morning!!!!
Thanks for the tip HensOnAJuneB

ug

 

[koopmaster]

This morning, it was considerably colder than yesterday! The water inside the waterer was not frozen, BUT, the metal nipple thing was a little frozen, but nothing just a touch of my finger didn't thaw, the birds pecking did the trick as well. But an extended time at this temp may prove different.

 

[aart]

This morning, it was considerably colder than yesterday! The water inside the waterer was not frozen, BUT, the metal nipple thing was a little frozen, but nothing just a touch of my finger didn't thaw, the birds pecking did the trick as well. But an extended time at this temp may prove different.

What kind if heater in the bucket?
Even my AQ heater(keeps water 68F) won't keep outer nipple lip pool and spring from freezing much below -12F.

 

[koopmaster]

What kind if heater in the bucket?
Even my AQ heater(keeps water 68F) won't keep outer nipple lip pool and spring from freezing much below -12F.

I used 9' of pipe heat tape, insulated the whole bucket.

i Ithink it'll be alight, once the birds get pecking at the nipples, the warmer inside water will hopefully flow

 

[Leahs Mom]

I seriously love the simplicity of my water heat system. So much less work.

 

[aart]

I used 9' of pipe heat tape, insulated the whole bucket.

Oh, that's right.
Curious what your water temp is.
Got a submersible thermometer you can throw in there?
I use an old hot tub therm.

 

[tigger19687]

I had Polish YEARS ago, before this place was around so I was on my own.
The tops got frozen and I had to clip off the tips of the top feathers. Then I used a rubber band to hold them up for the rest of the Winter.
This is what I have now, heated dog bowl. Would help if you banded up the top feathers and had a jug in the waterer to only give them a small amount of area to drink from.
I love my dog bowl