Rearing Young Chickens in Winter Without Supplemental Heat in a Barn

[centrarchid]

How cold does it get in your location?

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How's the huddle box working?

 

[Wickedchicken6]

A suggestion to keep your waterers lasting longer but still a safe temp for your chicks is to fill a water or pop bottle with hot water, cap it tightly and place it inside of your waterer if that's possible. Fill your waterer with comfortable temperature water and the "hot" bottle should keep your waterer from freezing so quickly.

Disclaimer: I haven't tried this myself...yet, mainly because I don't have a small enough bottle to fit in my one gallon waterer.

I'm working on filling my unheated waterer with just enough water for them for he day.

 

[AlvarezAcres]

Following!

 

[centrarchid]

A suggestion to keep your waterers lasting longer but still a safe temp for your chicks is to fill a water or pop bottle with hot water, cap it tightly and place it inside of your waterer if that's possible.  Fill your waterer with comfortable temperature water and the "hot" bottle should keep your waterer from freezing so quickly. 

Disclaimer:  I haven't tried this myself...yet, mainly because I don't have a small enough bottle to fit in my one gallon waterer.

I'm working on filling my unheated waterer with just enough water for them for he day.

I have three 1 quart waterers. They drink about 1/4 of that immediately after coming off the roost. Be the end of day volume remaining is usually about 1/2 of initial.

 

[mobius]

@centrarchid , saw this hack recently for chicken waterers and am posting it for your consideration...

 

[centrarchid]

Ice storm, predicted as likely tomorrow. May be a doozy. Power interruption will not be an issue because no power, Air temperature should warm enough to keep water from freezing. Challenge will be associated with rain and condensate building up on bird's feathers. Adults handle it just fine but the younger birds may have issues.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

I have three 1 quart waterers. They drink about 1/4 of that immediately after coming off the roost. Be the end of day volume remaining is usually about 1/2 of initial.

Ok...lol. Definitely smaller than my 1 gallon. I just bought those enclosed ice cube balls and was thinking of using them for my 1 quart waterers but I haven't used them yet. I broke one of my quart glass sealers being over zealous when it was partially froze during the cold snap at Christmas. Here glass sealers are considerably cheaper than the plastic screw tops and I like them better to clean...lol.

Your chickens sound like mine with their drinking...lol.

@centrarchid , saw this hack recently for chicken waterers and am posting it for your consideration...

I've seen that before for horses. It's a cool idea where it doesn't get really cold.

 

[aart]

Quote: ...and where there is LOTS of sun, which is not here...hahaha!

 

[mobius]

She does live in Maine, which is not that different weatherwise from Montana...however, I have not tried this yet...