New England winter watering options for chickens

[Alaskan]

I too am trying to figure this out. I am in WNY so worry about winter is big for me. I read somewhere to paint barrels black as they will hold heat better to keep from freezing. Anyone ever tried this. It's about 75' from my water source to the chicken pen. So looking for good ideas.

I don't see the point in that.

I use the black rubber bowls. They are already black, and you can kick them about without them breaking.

 

[Alaskan]

Here we go New England! Time to prep for another winter season! This will be my first winter season with chickens and my biggest concern is water! I have most of the items to set up a heater with the pvc and the nipples, but will look to do that in the spring. This season, i will literally go outside every 2 hrs and give them fresh water if necessary. Thats not entirely realistic, so, i come here, to ask my chicken pros what some simple DYI ideas to get through this first winter. I do have a waterer that can be plugged in, but would still like some alternative ideas that others do. Was thinking of putting a water/feed into coop, but I dont know about the space in there. Throw me some ideas peeps! And thank you!

We usually do fine bringing out water twice a day. If the water is put in the sun out of the wind.

I use a heated dog bowl. Works great! Don’t put water inside the coop. It will evaporate, condense and freeze and that can cause frostbite on your chickens’ combs and other fleshy bits.

I had 2, both busted. They didn't stay fully thawed, froze to the ground, and busted when I tried to pry them up to bring inside to thaw. If they froze solid they were not strong enough to thaw themselves back to liquid water.

Toss a submersible aquarium heater in your bucket with nipples. Can't guarantee the nipples won't freeze though.

Like @K0k0shka, I've been using a heated dog bowl the last 3 years. Had to replace the first one last year but even at -20°F I've not had it freeze or even skim with ice.

Huh. Now I wonder what kind you use... I don't remember the name of what we had. But we busted at least 2. Blue, hard plastic.

Hey neighbor,
Here is a picture of our water setup along with a winter prep article. Hope this helps.
View attachment 2856376
Preparing the girls for winter

That looks like the deicer that I use if the water starts to freeze up in an hour or less.

But we put it in a black rubber pan.

 

[MTKitty]

No electric in my coop. Also my first winter.

My plans are to have a minimum of two water checks per day (morning & evening). On really cold days, I will probably add at least one mid-day check. This works for me because I’m at home all day.

The other things I hope will help: putting salt water in a plastic bottle and place that in the bucket to help with icing; and putting at least one bucket in the sun whenever possible.

I’m not too twisted up over periodic water offerings in winter. In the wild, animals drink a couple of times a day, usually at dusk and/or dawn. Also, chickens go all night without eating or drinking. As long as they can drink their fill a couple of times a day, I expect my guys to be fine.

 

[aart]

My plans are to have a minimum of two water checks per day (morning & evening). On really cold days, I will probably add at least one mid-day check. This works for me because I’m at home all day.

My first winter I had 2 identical waterers. I kept one near the furnace to thaw and swapped them out as needed.

The other things I hope will help: putting salt water in a plastic bottle and place that in the bucket to help with icing; and putting at least one bucket in the sun whenever possible.

This does not work.

 

[K0k0shka]

I had 2, both busted. They didn't stay fully thawed, froze to the ground, and busted when I tried to pry them up to bring inside to thaw. If they froze solid they were not strong enough to thaw themselves back to liquid water.

Well, OP is asking about New England, and I’m in New England, so that’s what we’re talking about… We don’t quite get the bowl-busting kind of temperatures that you might have up in Alaska

 

[MTKitty]

This does not work.

Welp, that saves me having to find a plastic bottle for salt water!

For swapping waterers, I’ll use flat-backed buckets and connect them to a hook in the coop to keep the feather-brains from flipping it over.

 

[K0k0shka]

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0053H89SA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This is the one I have. It has never frozen, not even iced over. Our winter lows are usually in the 20s and teens, rarely single digits, with maybe a dip or two below 0 for the whole winter, but that’s rare. Daytime temperatures hang around freezing.

 

[Krugerrand]

My first winter I had 2 identical waterers. I kept one near the furnace to thaw and swapped them out as needed.


This does not work.

Salt in the water will lower the freezing point inside the bottle. But, it doesn't stop the temperature inside the bottle from going below 32 .... so it will do nothing to stop the water around it from going below 32.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

What kind is it, post pic or link.
Show us your coop and run, inside and out.

 

[Alaskan]

Well, OP is asking about New England, and I’m in New England, so that’s what we’re talking about… We don’t quite get the bowl-busting kind of temperatures that you might have up in Alaska

Some areas further from the coast in New England are colder than I am.

But maybe you bought better quality heated dog water bowls.