Keeping your water from freezing

[Chick-N-Fun]

Heated dog water bowls work great! I use 2 in the winter. Very easy to clean and keep filled!!!

 

[wamtazlady]

I just looked at some on amazon. My only concern is that the nipple is so far away from the main heat source. I'd have to experiment with it to trust it. However, for summer this sounds perfect and just what I need.

 

[wamtazlady]

Heated dog water bowls work great! I use 2 in the winter. Very easy to clean and keep filled!!!

I bought heated dog bowls for a friend who had chickens before I even had chickens. He loved it and it worked well. I didn't do the dog bowl for myself as it requires fairly frequent refilling. I have COPD and I'm 67. Between not being able to breathe when it's cold and the fear of falling in all the snow and ice and me breaking, I just couldn't see the bowls working for myself. The only negative I've read about using heated dog bowls is that chickens or roosters with large combs and wattles can get them wet while drinking and have them freeze. Otherwise heated bowls are a great system and do the job.

 

[Perris]

a little glycerin added to the water acts like antifreeze, at least at the small scale.

 

[blackdog043]

I just looked at some on amazon. My only concern is that the nipple is so far away from the main heat source. I'd have to experiment with it to trust it. However, for summer this sounds perfect and just what I need.

I'm not sure about the winter either. I have no experience with the extensions.

 

[wamtazlady]

a little glycerin added to the water acts like antifreeze, at least at the small scale.

I read something about it in the forums years ago. The amount of glycerin that was necessary to lower the freezing temperature by just a couple degrees was excessive according to someone who looked into it.

 

[Alaskan]

Until zero, or heavy winds, I prefer to keep the water outside. If you put it up against a clear wind block it actually stays thawed pretty well. But I use those black rubber pans.

Heavy winds or below zero and I bring feed and water into the coop.

I have had the darndest time with those plug in dog bowls, either they busted with water froze in them, or the heat mat under them froze to the ground then ripped off when I picked up the dish.

I also don't like the metal waterers.. even when sitting on a hot plate, they freeze up too fast. They only need to freeze a tiny bit where the water comes out... and then no more water comes out.

I haven't ever used the nipples....

I use the black rubber pans with a stock tank deicer for the chickens. My power to the coop is iffy, so I need something that is strong enough to thaw itself out of an ice block.

From what I understand about the nipples... you need nipples that will not freeze solid. Don't the horizontal ones have a little bit of water sitting in them? I think the vertical ones are better because the only water in them should be up in the tank... and so heated.

No idea really.

Sorry to not be more help... I live on the edge of the banana belt of Alaska.

 

[wamtazlady]

It's the vertical nipples that have a little bit of water left in them. The horizontal nipples have a little rubber O ring that seals the water out of the nipple.

 

[Oakland Chickens]

Since you have electricity out there, have you thought of an electric dog water dish? That's what we use and our water never freezes. We are in Michigan where our winter temps will go to below zero at times.

 

[Chickens&DeerOhMy]

Hi all,
I am from North Pole Alaska and we're starting to approach winter.
Does anyone have any safe, tried and true ways to keep their water from freezing during the winter months? We have sustained temps in the winter around 20 degrees down to -50 from about Nov-March/April.