I need a short term solution to freezing water to make chicken chores easy for the neighbor while I'm gone ten days with temperatures expected to be as low as highs of just below freezing, lows of high teens F (-9 C).
This thread is mostly to gather info and ideas.
I'm thinking two wateres. One that will freeze slowly or not at all. The other that will melt quickly if it does freeze.
The melt quickly kind is what I've already used for a few days. A black rubber pan in the sunniest corner (if there is any sunniness - we get a lot of thick clouds this time of year). It is put in a heavy base so they can't tip it over.
My friend uses an aquarium heater inside the upright leg of pvc return pipe for his 20 - 40 (maybe) chickens. The return pipe enters a 5 gallon pail inside an insulated wooden box at about shoulder height. The outgoing pipe is pvc down to the height of the chickens' backs, then 90 degrees to horizontal with nipples, then 90 degrees to become the return pipe. All the pipes are insulated with one layer of foam tubing. The aquarium heater is enough to generate enough circulation to keep everything from freezing in his set up. He has a thermo cube so the heater doesn't run unless the weather is cold. This system also worked for up to 62 rabbits in addition to the chickens.
We've discovered there are different sizes of aquarium heaters. His is not especially big but I found an especially small one (8 watts), designed for a 1ish gallon fish tank. I paid about $15. We think it will work in the five gallon bucket with nipples directly out of the bucket and as much of the bucket well insulated as possible. Or a completely insulated bucket and a very short pipe, insulated as well or better than his.
The store where I bought the aquarium heater also had reptile heat bulbs on clearance, 90% off, and then, I think another 2/3 off. They were $0.65 each. I got two. If the bulbs work well for a dry heat system (cookie tin or flower pot style or such) then I will return the aquarium heater.
Three stores did not carry or were out of thermo cubes. One had what might be a different brand of a similar thing but I didn't like it's temperature range.
I checked bird bath heaters, stock tank heaters, heater bases for poultry waterers, heated dog dishes, and heated 8 quart buckets at Tractor Supply. I didn't buy any due to prices and not wanting to store them when not needed. I did get two 3' lengths of 3/4" pvc pipe for $0.35 each from their clearance section.
For completeness: transmission pad heaters, block heaters, and oil pan heaters might work. As might seed bed warmers. I've seen description of them for poultry water set ups in the past but didn't take notes. All are too expensive for my short-term purpose; I don't have any laying around.
This thread is mostly to gather info and ideas.
I'm thinking two wateres. One that will freeze slowly or not at all. The other that will melt quickly if it does freeze.
The melt quickly kind is what I've already used for a few days. A black rubber pan in the sunniest corner (if there is any sunniness - we get a lot of thick clouds this time of year). It is put in a heavy base so they can't tip it over.
My friend uses an aquarium heater inside the upright leg of pvc return pipe for his 20 - 40 (maybe) chickens. The return pipe enters a 5 gallon pail inside an insulated wooden box at about shoulder height. The outgoing pipe is pvc down to the height of the chickens' backs, then 90 degrees to horizontal with nipples, then 90 degrees to become the return pipe. All the pipes are insulated with one layer of foam tubing. The aquarium heater is enough to generate enough circulation to keep everything from freezing in his set up. He has a thermo cube so the heater doesn't run unless the weather is cold. This system also worked for up to 62 rabbits in addition to the chickens.
We've discovered there are different sizes of aquarium heaters. His is not especially big but I found an especially small one (8 watts), designed for a 1ish gallon fish tank. I paid about $15. We think it will work in the five gallon bucket with nipples directly out of the bucket and as much of the bucket well insulated as possible. Or a completely insulated bucket and a very short pipe, insulated as well or better than his.
The store where I bought the aquarium heater also had reptile heat bulbs on clearance, 90% off, and then, I think another 2/3 off. They were $0.65 each. I got two. If the bulbs work well for a dry heat system (cookie tin or flower pot style or such) then I will return the aquarium heater.
Three stores did not carry or were out of thermo cubes. One had what might be a different brand of a similar thing but I didn't like it's temperature range.
I checked bird bath heaters, stock tank heaters, heater bases for poultry waterers, heated dog dishes, and heated 8 quart buckets at Tractor Supply. I didn't buy any due to prices and not wanting to store them when not needed. I did get two 3' lengths of 3/4" pvc pipe for $0.35 each from their clearance section.
For completeness: transmission pad heaters, block heaters, and oil pan heaters might work. As might seed bed warmers. I've seen description of them for poultry water set ups in the past but didn't take notes. All are too expensive for my short-term purpose; I don't have any laying around.
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