Preventing water from freezing WITHOUT electricity

[slycat929]

So, I have been lurking on this forum for the past couple of months, as I recently decided to join the flock of backyard chickens keepers. I live in Wisconsin and it gets quite cold here. I have been looking for ideas to prevent the chickens' water from freezing WITHOUT any electricity, but it seems to be limited. I have found a number of forum posts about this and it always seems to turn to running extension cords to the coop. My chickens are housed on an undeveloped lot with no well and no electricity. There is NO WAY to run any extension cords to the coop. Running hot water to them every day is also not practical, as I work very long hours and often leave home when it is dark and get home when it is dark. I can do that 3 or 4 days a week, but definitely not on a daily basis. I have the stuff to make an insulated waterer with a tire and a 3 gallon rubber feed bin and spray foam, but I was wondering if anyone has any other creative ideas. I have also considered possibly buying a solar panel, but I don't think I'd be interested in buying one over 100 W due to the cost.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I'm in Wisconsin too, there's no way you are gonna keep water from freezing without electricity or at least battery, or solar power. You need something to run a heater. It gets down into the -20's. No amount of insulating is going to stop water from freezing.

 

[slycat929]

I am agreeable to solar power, but I would prefer to use a setup that utilizes the minimum wattage, so that I don't have to buy a wall of solar panels to make it run.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Geothermal heating uses deeply dug narrow holes to collect heat from the earth and since heat rises it can keep water frost free in stock tanks. Not sure if you could devise something similar. I didn't read this whole conversation but at least you could check it out. https://www.homesteadingtoday.com/threads/geothermal-heated-waterer.280327/

 

[Ruralhideaway]

Just brainstorming here. If you used that system you'd have to use some kind of in ground, or barely above ground, water tub I think. Then I would cover all but a few inches of the water surface with insulation of some kind. Styrofoam blocks come to mind but they'd peck them I think. Hmm.

 

[RonP]

You will need an energy source to convert to heat.
I think you will find it you have very few options.
Expensive solar, expensive batteries, or labor.
Might be more efficient to hire someone to do twice daily water changes?

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

I saw a post on here where someone dug a hole a foot deep, filled it with manure and put the water fount on top of that. If no dirt floor in coop maybe a tire filled w manure.

Sounds like it would work.

Gary

 

[slycat929]

I think I may use a cooler with horizontal nipples so that there is built in insulation. Something sort of like this:

http://muddyhillfarm.com/product/insulated-cooler-adapter/

Then, I will use a lower wattage aquarium heater such as 50 watts and a smaller solar panel like 100 watts with a battery. I don't need to have a large cooler as I only have 7 chickens. I will just have to bring hot water out there when I can.

 

[Molpet]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/alternate-method-to-prevent-water-freezing.73180/

 

[Molpet]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/alternate-method-to-prevent-water-freezing.73180/