keeping water from freezing

[daddy_roo]

Im sure this has been talked about before, but is there anything you can add to water to keep it from freezing that will not harm the chickens? i was wondering this in an attempt to not use a water warming device. not that im anti water warmer they are just expencive.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Anything that could lower the freezing point of water to the degree necessary would not likely be good to drink. You just gotta figure out a heating system, or you have to carry water.

 

[TeriS]

You can get a heated dog bowl from Wal-Mart or somewhere like that for about $12-$15.00. They go up in price to about $30., but the 12 dollar one works fine for my 12 hens. (We have 2 dog bowls).

 

[rungirl]

A $15 heated dog water dish is not expensive. It'll work for a few chickens.

 

[oldchickenlady]

Type "cookie tin water heater" into the search box here and it will pull up past discussions and directions. If it doesn't I can tell you how. Very cheap and easy.

 

[Chemguy]

Funny, I was just thinking about this earlier in the day. I do not have power to my coop and cannot (code), so I will be hauling water. I'm resigned to that, but it doesn't stop me from wondering if there is another way.

Fred's Hens is right. Something like salt, while able to lower the freezing temperature of water, is not good for chickens. While it's conceivable that some vitamins could manage the trick just as well, there would have to be what is likely a lethal dose dissolved in the water to avoid freezing. Another choice would be alcohol, but I don't want drunk, cold chickens (plus, again, the amounts required would be high). Antifreeze is toxic, so that's a no-no too.

I'll be thinking about this over the winter, no doubt.

 

[daddy_roo]

im kinda in the same boat as you with not having power to my coop. My MIL decided to go ahead and geta water heater. That is fine, but we literally ran an extention cord to the coop to provide "power". Working well so far. But as far as adding salt to the water, would sea salt have the same effect? I mean suposedly its better for humans or am I just some crazy hopeful?

 

[Fred's Hens]

By the time you got enough salt suspended in the water to lower the freezing point, the salinity of the solution would be disgusting, I suspect, to the chicken. The chicken's need and ability to handle salt isn't all that high.

 

[chickenz101]

http://forums.thepoultrykeeper.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=32930&start=60

 

[ailurophile23]

I've been thinking about this a lot too - while I have electricity available, what about when the power goes out? I am always looking for non-electrical solutions for winter issues as our power is less than reliable all too often. I keep coming back to the solar space heaters/soda pop can solar heaters and wondering if you could funnel the warm air towards the waterers and thus keep the water thawed during the daytime. I'll be watching for more ideas on this thread!