ISO Energy-Free Solutions for Water in Winter (Utah)

[BackyardDinoMom]

Hi BYC! First, I want to say I appreciate your grand wisdom.

I'm located in northern Utah, and I know I'm going to need some solutions to keep my water thawed in winter. Our average winter lows are overnight of mid 20's but it can decrease to the low teens for days or weeks at a time.

My coop and run are situated away from the house, so I don't have electricity out there, at least not this winter. It is on the docket for next year if we can figure it out financially. The coop is 4.5' x 4.5 with decent ventilation and an option to insulate the actual coop if temperatures require it, and a 4x8 run with a cover. I have 6 hens, and they are all pretty satisfied with this set up as long as they get their dedicated free range time in the evenings. I'm not sure how the winter weather will change their view on the situation, but I do have plans to extend the coop to 6x6 and make a run that's about 15 x 20, partially covered and partially netted.

Right now they have a standard poultry drinker and a small 6 cup gravity feeder from when they were babies, but we're looking to upgrade.

I bought the poultry cups, and I'd love to build a PVC tube and cup system so they can have more space in their run, but wondered if anyone has any Utah winter friendly solutions for ensuring the cups don't freeze. I envision they will probably want to roam less in the colder, wetter months, so the space will be valuable.

Thoughts? Picture because they are cute.

 

[NatJ]

Low-tech:
chickens do not drink while they are sleeping, or in the dark.
You can carry fresh water first thing in the morning, and 1-2 more times during the day.
(I grew up in Alaska. I've carried plenty of water over the years.)

If you are carrying fresh water, you do not need big containers (waste of effort to carry 5 gallons if the birds will only drink 2 cups before it freezes.) But larger amounts do stay thawed longer than small amounts. Anything with a really small area freezes very fast (nipples, cups, the little valve or hole in some waterer styles). Water in something like a rubber bowl will freeze more slowly because all the water is in one place. (And you can dump the ice out without breaking the bowl, too.)

I know that plenty of people do use heated waterers, but I have no personal experience with them.

 

[BackyardDinoMom]

Low-tech:
chickens do not drink while they are sleeping, or in the dark.
You can carry fresh water first thing in the morning, and 1-2 more times during the day.
(I grew up in Alaska. I've carried plenty of water over the years.)

If you are carrying fresh water, you do not need big containers (waste of effort to carry 5 gallons if the birds will only drink 2 cups before it freezes.) But larger amounts do stay thawed longer than small amounts. Anything with a really small area freezes very fast (nipples, cups, the little valve or hole in some waterer styles). Water in something like a rubber bowl will freeze more slowly because all the water is in one place. (And you can dump the ice out without breaking the bowl, too.)

I know that plenty of people do use heated waterers, but I have no personal experience with them.

Thanks. Do chickens like to free range in snow? That's something I never dealt with growing up as whenever it snowed in WA it was inches and thawed in a few days or less, now we can have snow on the ground in the feet levels and for weeks at a time.

 

[whiteboy]

Southern Utah here. I'm just going to use black ruber pans about 4 or 5 inches high. Then I can just dump the ice out and refill. If that doesn't work I'll run an extension cord.

 

[NatJ]

Thanks. Do chickens like to free range in snow?

Not the ones I had. I've read on here that some people's chickens do.

 

[BackyardDinoMom]

Southern Utah here. I'm just going to use black ruber pans about 4 or 5 inches high. Then I can just dump the ice out and refill. If that doesn't work I'll run an extension cord.

I was wondering if an extension cord would be safe in the elements but I've been reading and it seems like it would be okay

 

[whiteboy]

I was wondering if an extension cord would be safe in the elements but I've been reading and it seems like it would be okay

I do extension cords to my horse water troughs. I put ducktape around the conections and its fine.

 

[Trisseh]

If using extension cords make sure they’re rated for outdoors and you’ll be fine. If you really want to be careful with the connection points, you can get those nice little plastic covers for the plug ends. I’m in NW Ontario so winters are long and cold with lots of snow. my birds get a heated bowl inside for overnight just in case, out of the elements, but otherwise I just use the black rubber tubs and change them out twice a day. My coops are close enough to the house that it’s not a huge deal to run a cord out but not everyone is going to be able to do that.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thanks. Do chickens like to free range in snow?

Results will vary. Some folks on here have flocks that will march through the snow each winter, others can't seem to convince them to touch the "white stuff" no matter what. Mine will NOT come out in snow, so if it snows I need to shovel enough clearance for them to get to the waterer, and to have enough space to move around so they don't get cabin fever.

I was wondering if an extension cord would be safe in the elements but I've been reading and it seems like it would be okay

Yup, I run one out for the winter to keep my waterer heated (my set up is close to the house).