Providing water during extremely cold winter

[Iain Utah]

We are getting our first taste of winter with temps below 30F the last couple of nights. I had to break a 1" layer of ice out of my geese's kiddy pools this morning. It has got me thinking about the upcoming fun involved in keeping fresh water available for my geese as we are anticipating an especially bad winter this year.

For those of you who keep geese in harsh winter climates, how do you provide drinking water and swimming pools for your geese?

 

[Miss Lydia]

We are getting our first taste of winter with temps below 30F the last couple of nights. I had to break a 1" layer of ice out of my geese's kiddy pools this morning. It has got me thinking about the upcoming fun involved in keeping fresh water available for my geese as we are anticipating an especially bad winter this year.

For those of you who keep geese in harsh winter climates, how do you provide drinking water and swimming pools for your geese?

Drinking water is in 5gal. heated buckets for the geese and 2 gal for the ducks/chickens. as for the pools I don't try to keep them going, but on days that get into 40's I will put out those cement mixing tubs so they can bathe.

 

[rabidgoose]

My birds will eat snow. I do provide water in fortiflex buckets, but usually they prefer snow. They even bathe in it when its all new and fluffy. I don't worry unless there is a thaw, oddly enough. Then everything turns to mud and the birds all get dirty and their feathers don't insulate as well.

 

[Trefoil]

I put the kiddie pools up for the winter and they just get the fortex tubs, I think the largest I've got is 20 gallons. They don't break. I finally broke down last year and got a frost free hose. Its not perfect, but it mostly works and is a LOT easier than carrying all that water from the house.

 

[Iain Utah]

Thanks for the replies. Last winter, I only had my two teenage ganders. I'd give them a bucket of fresh water daily at their feeding area for drinking and they would trek to the stream in middle of day to swim. However, unless I turn out my dewlaps onto pasture, they won't have access to the stream for swimming. I guess I will have to do as Lydia said and bring the pools out on nice days as a treat for them.

 

[Going Bhonkers]

Thanks for the replies. Last winter, I only had my two teenage ganders. I'd give them a bucket of fresh water daily at their feeding area for drinking and they would trek to the stream in middle of day to swim. However, unless I turn out my dewlaps onto pasture, they won't have access to the stream for swimming. I guess I will have to do as Lydia said and bring the pools out on nice days as a treat for them.

You only had 2 ganders last year? Your flock (gaggle?) has DEFINITELY grown

Good luck Iain, hopefully this winter wont be a bad one, although with 30 degree temps already, i dont know. But we can still hope!

 

[psue]

Last winter I broke the ice when I could in the poly tub and mine all use buckets to drink from... heated ones in the winter and cheeper ones in the warmer months. Remember they will bathe using their bucket if pools aren't avalible.

 

[Iain Utah]

Bhonkers, LOL I know what you mean. Going from 2 to 30+ is crazy. I should have your screen name. I certainly wouldn't recommend anyone else do it.

I have been looking at the 20 gallon black polytubs vs 5 gallon heated buckets for those on house property and am thinking of using a large horse water trough with a de-icer for my free range group. Strategic positioning by water outlets where it will get the most direct sunlight is another consideration I am pondering greatly. Do you guys offer water in your overnight housing?

Here's a weird coincidence.... yesterday, my sweet neighbor gave me a heated 2 gallon bucket as a surprise gift. I think it will work nicely for my ducks in their coop. I love my neighbors.

 

[Going Bhonkers]

Bhonkers, LOL I know what you mean. Going from 2 to 30+ is crazy. I should have your screen name. I certainly wouldn't recommend anyone else do it.

I have been looking at the 20 gallon black polytubs vs 5 gallon heated buckets for those on house property and am thinking of using a large horse water trough with a de-icer for my free range group. Strategic positioning by water outlets where it will get the most direct sunlight is another consideration I am pondering greatly. Do you guys offer water in your overnight housing?

Here's a weird coincidence.... yesterday, my sweet neighbor gave me a heated 2 gallon bucket as a surprise gift. I think it will work nicely for my ducks in their coop. I love my neighbors.

I'm thinking that you're asking the northern folks this one, but I'll answer in the meantime

I do offer water for them, only because when they were goslings, they seemed to drink it all up by morning (I only gave them about a cup full), so I felt that they must get thirsty at night, and just kept it up. Now they get more than a cupful since they're bigger.

 

[psue]

I offer water in their over night pen but not in their house.

I'm lucky in that we can use pens and not have to worry about any large preditors other then dogs.
It allows them to come outside and enjoy the weather before I get to let them out to pasture.