Hi All, This is my first post and I'm very excited to share that I got my first egg today. I will post my first egg picture soon, to the appropriate thread. I have many questions, but for now I'm thinking ahead a bit to the winter. I live in Wisconsin and we are below freezing for much of the winter. We have an insulated coop, so I hope that will keep my ladies warm this winter. I'm wondering what to do about water. Right now, I do have a large plastic waterer in the coop but also keep an open bucket in the run that I fill with fresh water everyday. Does anyone else just use an open bucket for water? It seems to work quite well and is much easier to fill. So my question is... could I use a steel open bucket on top of an electric base, inside the coop, to keep it from freezing this winter? Then I can just bring out a fresh pail everyday. Or is it necessary to use a fount type waterer? I of course want my girls to be safe, but I do not really have an appropriate place to fill a water fount during the winter mnoths. What type of waterers do you folks in colder climates use? And how do you fill it in the winter when outdoor hoses are no longer an option? I have 1 ee, 4 RIR, 2 australorps, 5 bo, and 2 slw. And I think it was one of the SLW that laid her first egg for me today, but I'm not completely sure. Thanks for your sugestions and help, JPichler
I live in Colorado where -30* is common in the winter, I finally gave in and bought a warmer, about $40 I believe, plug it in, but the waterer on top (I have a metal one) and voila...I still check it and sometimes have to remove the exposed water with my fingers, it will freeze a bit exposed to the cold air... ** to fill it, I carry water from the house if my well is frozen...we usually don't have that issue, but you can always lug a gallon of water out of the house...a bit warm, and put it in the waterer...I would not recommend a plastic one in cold temps, they may crack.
I don't know anything about keeping water from freezing, but I would be concerned in keeping an open bucket of water in the coop. Depending on the size of the bucket compared to the chickens anyway. I lost a young hen in a bucket of water. I was running late that morning, so I didn't dump it out. I came down in the evening and found one of them floating.
I use mop buckets and ice cream tubs. Never have had a 'chicken waterer' Works great for me pam in TX
I use a small stock tank with a submersible heater. I have blocks in the tank just in case one were to fall in. Works like a champ.
