keep water from freezing

[FutureChickenMan]

Quote:
I've used the air pumps in my pond and unless you keep the air stone close to the surface the water will still freeze over. I now use a trough heater to keep a hole in the ice (release the gasses) and use air pumps to ciruculate the water around.

 

[nccountrygirl]

today DH and I ran two connected drop cords down to the coop and now I have to go to Lowes and get the parts to make the cookie tin water heater, such a simple idea and it looks like it would work well.

 

[patandchickens]

Unfortunately, moving water CAN freeze. It just takes slightly lower temperatures to do it. So, ingenious idea but I really doubt that a pump would be a real solution. Extension cord is probably the way to go.

If that's absolutely impossible and you wouldn't need the warmer 24/7/whole-winter, you might look into whether one of the inverters that they sell nowadays might store enough power to run a cookie-tin lightbulb type heater for an acceptible length of time. Although, batteries don't work as well in the cold so you quite likely couldn't run the light for as long in subfreezing temps as the salesman is likely to tell you you could.

Pat

 

[Chatychick]

Yep when it gets cold here I have see some fountains freeze and the water looks like its hanging in the air...I would just get the HD extension cords and some dog water bowls ...thats what I use.

 

[palabeco]

Thanks everyone, looks like I'm going to have to use the extension cord(s).

 

[greginshasta]

Quote:
Why the initial resistance to using cords? How far does it have to reach?

 

[ginasmarans]

I had two extension cords run to our shed for the brooder and I covered the connections using some of that foam that came with our washing machine. Now here are my two cents about the winter water issue. We don't get tons of consecutive days below freezing,but a week or two are not unusual. I water my birds twice/day(morning and evening)with hot water to help melt what has frozen, and they do fine.

 

[Arklady]

What my son did was make a heavy duty extension cord using two plugs you can get from hardware store and electrical wire you use for home wiring. Its got a really good heavy coated cover on it and you can make it however long you like. Then he covered any plugs with a two litre bottles cut in half and then duct taped them back together. It worked all winter!

Arklady

 

[palabeco]

Quote:
Why the initial resistance to using cords? How far does it have to reach?

It has to reach about 100 yards from the house,although we could go from the garage about 20 yards, but since I want to able to unplug when not needed, would like to just walk onto back patio, not to the garage. My DH is the one resistant to using cords I 'm not really sure why..maybe elec. usage??? Or safety?? btw how would you put the cord into the coop? hole thru the wall ? how do you keep chicks from pecking at the cord?

 

[karri25]

Is there any way to keep th water from freezing without costing money and without using electricity? Like can you rig it up someway to help the water not freeze? I ma really glad someone asked this question. All we have are the plastic waterers so even if we buy a not very expensive water heater we will have to spend more money on metal waterers! I am hoping that there is some cool ingenuis way to do it without electricity.

here I am crossing my fingers....