Insulated water bowls for the free range visitors

[NatJ]

You can try the saltwater trick and floating a water bottle of saltwater in the dish to help it move and break up the ice. Something else you could try would be to insulate the dish from the ground itself, such as on a wood or stone block.

Saltwater freezes at a colder temperature than normal water. It does not stay warmer, just does not freeze at the same temperature. (Of course you shouldn't give saltwater to the chickens to drink.)

If the saltwater is going to be in a water bottle to break up ice, not mixing with the drinking water, then it doesn't matter whether there is saltwater or normal water or any other kind of weight in the bottle. Anything that moves around would have the same effect.

Moving water does not freeze as fast as still water, but even big bodies of water (like oceans) and fast moving water (like Niagara Falls) can freeze when the temperature gets cold enough. So moving the water around, and breaking the ice on the surface to expose the liquid underneath, will only help in certain temperatures. In very cold weather the dish will just be full of ice by morning, solid all the way down, unless there is something providing actual heat.

 

[Stravager]

Saltwater freezes at a colder temperature than normal water. It does not stay warmer, just does not freeze at the same temperature. (Of course you shouldn't give saltwater to the chickens to drink.)

If the saltwater is going to be in a water bottle to break up ice, not mixing with the drinking water, then it doesn't matter whether there is saltwater or normal water or any other kind of weight in the bottle. Anything that moves around would have the same effect.

Moving water does not freeze as fast as still water, but even big bodies of water (like oceans) and fast moving water (like Niagara Falls) can freeze when the temperature gets cold enough. So moving the water around, and breaking the ice on the surface to expose the liquid underneath, will only help in certain temperatures. In very cold weather the dish will just be full of ice by morning, solid all the way down, unless there is something providing actual heat.

Fair point. I think the trick with the saltwater had more to do with the differing buoyancy levels. I've never tried it myself, but other people said it worked for them since a water to salt mixture of about 3:1 won’t freeze until around -5 Fahrenheit, and it helped keep their bottles moving around... I've also heard of people using ping pong balls or even basketballs in larger water troughs. Of course, once you get down to cold enough temperatures anything you put will freeze without a supplemental heat source. You can also use a rubber dish and flex the ice out and refill with hot/warm water - the rubber makes it much easier to bust up any ice vs a plastic dish can sometimes shatter.
I figure something as cheap as a water bottle might be a good place to start (definitely doesn't hurt to try!) and maybe give time to train the chickens to go somewhere with a power outlet.

 

[The Welch Chickens]

There are lots of ways to keep water unfrozen. We use a heating plate, but then again, we change it each morning.

God bless your kind heart, taking care of your neighbor's chickens!

 

[mumzee1432]

Im just wondering if they even have enough protection from the elements and predators once winter sets in. The amount of care you’re giving them is their best chance to get through the winter. You’re a sweetheart.

100% agree. I do know that the chickens can get completely up under their mobile home. That's not adequate protection from predators, but it's another option I think the chickens use during the day at least. The "coop" with a door has nesting boxes which provides about a 12" overhang. Maybe they plan to put a piece of plywood over the top. I don't have any confidence in their planning or protection of the flock.

I couldn't see any of this from the road so I didn't know what the flock's homebase arrangements looked like until we went there with Dumplin after her injury. I got the impression that the woman is a stay at home mom, but I'm not sure now. My daughter and I just looked at each other in shock as we saw upclose the conditions. Sickening. I keep replaying the conversation my husband relayed to me after he stopped by on the way home from work to try to tell them again that we found and were taking care of Dumplin. By that point, a few hours had passed. She told him she saw the chicken in the yard and thought she was dead. She said she was planning to send her husband to retrieve the chicken from the yard when he got home. He told her we were happy to tend to Dumplin in our kennel if they needed us to. He offered to let them borrow the kennel if they preferred to take care of her. She said he would come get her when he got home from work. We still haven't heard a word or seen them. I keep thinking -- really? She was willing to leave a chicken of hers that had been struck by a car in our yard for hours. She just drove right past it? Then, she thought it was ok to tell my husband that they would come get the injured chicken when he got home but didn't follow up. I'm confounded but their lack of regard for the chicken -- and also beside myself that she thought leaving a deceased chicken in the yard of people who clearly care about and feed her chickens daily was ok. My way of coping has been to redirect my thoughts to being grateful that Dumplin was with us instead of them during her time of need and when she passed. I think imagining what that last day was like for Dumplin if they had come and taken her would have tormented me even more. But -- the whole incident has me determined to step up and do what I can when they are on our property.

Meanwhile, as I type this, I can hear gunshots down the road. It's a fairly rural area with lots of hunters. Most are responsible and I respect that. My gut, however, tells me that this man is even less caring and responsible. Knowing he's "hunting" the coyote that got ahold of one of the roosters and tore his head off doesn't make me feel great. I feel like his lack of prevention and protection of the flock is why the flock has been and is at risk. Sorry to vent and ramble. So many feels right now.

 

[wrathsfarm]

I wonder how many chickens would move in if you built a "real" coop?
There's a few diy how to's on heated waterers on you tube if hubs is handy and want to do one on the cheap. Basically just a Christmas cookie tin and a lamp cord with a lower wattage bulb in side to warm it and disperse heat.
A 'thermal cube' will turn it on at freeze temp and off at non freeze temp.

 

[WoDia]

100% agree. I do know that the chickens can get completely up under their mobile home. That's not adequate protection from predators, but it's another option I think the chickens use during the day at least. The "coop" with a door has nesting boxes which provides about a 12" overhang. Maybe they plan to put a piece of plywood over the top. I don't have any confidence in their planning or protection of the flock.

I couldn't see any of this from the road so I didn't know what the flock's homebase arrangements looked like until we went there with Dumplin after her injury. I got the impression that the woman is a stay at home mom, but I'm not sure now. My daughter and I just looked at each other in shock as we saw upclose the conditions. Sickening. I keep replaying the conversation my husband relayed to me after he stopped by on the way home from work to try to tell them again that we found and were taking care of Dumplin. By that point, a few hours had passed. She told him she saw the chicken in the yard and thought she was dead. She said she was planning to send her husband to retrieve the chicken from the yard when he got home. He told her we were happy to tend to Dumplin in our kennel if they needed us to. He offered to let them borrow the kennel if they preferred to take care of her. She said he would come get her when he got home from work. We still haven't heard a word or seen them. I keep thinking -- really? She was willing to leave a chicken of hers that had been struck by a car in our yard for hours. She just drove right past it? Then, she thought it was ok to tell my husband that they would come get the injured chicken when he got home but didn't follow up. I'm confounded but their lack of regard for the chicken -- and also beside myself that she thought leaving a deceased chicken in the yard of people who clearly care about and feed her chickens daily was ok. My way of coping has been to redirect my thoughts to being grateful that Dumplin was with us instead of them during her time of need and when she passed. I think imagining what that last day was like for Dumplin if they had come and taken her would have tormented me even more. But -- the whole incident has me determined to step up and do what I can when they are on our property.

Meanwhile, as I type this, I can hear gunshots down the road. It's a fairly rural area with lots of hunters. Most are responsible and I respect that. My gut, however, tells me that this man is even less caring and responsible. Knowing he's "hunting" the coyote that got ahold of one of the roosters and tore his head off doesn't make me feel great. I feel like his lack of prevention and protection of the flock is why the flock has been and is at risk. Sorry to vent and ramble. So many feels right now.

No apologies. It’s not rambling. All of us need to talk about what weighs on our hearts after such sad experiences. And yes, we see conditions out of our control, and we sometimes do have the opportunity (like you did with Dumplin) to help make it better. It’s incredibly difficult for those of us who love our birds to watch someone else neglect and/or abuse theirs. We all know that such sweet feathered souls never, ever deserve such horrible treatment. Even those who raise their birds for meat treat them with respect and care. So, when you feel the need to talk about a sad experience such as you’re going through, feel free to talk to us about it. We’re great listeners and may even have some helpful advice along the way. Little Dumplin rests peacefully now.