Shadrach's Ex Battery and Rescued chickens thread.

[rural mouse]

The RentACoop one is about 8" tall x 4" x 4", so not too unwieldy in a small coop, but it sounds like you've found something that's working (and that a rat couldn't chew through).

The plastic water containers have held up surprisingly well, but it's that heavier, textured plastic that doesn't shatter when a hole is drilled.

Only the red cover of the oldest waterer, a cereal saver, has begun to crumble. It's 6 years old, seen here being enjoyed in its younger days by Beebs and the extraordinarily missed Frida Bakawlo, One-Wattle Wonder:

Conversely, I've been curious if it's true that metal waterers freeze more quickly than plastic. That's something the internet says, but is it true?

Metal is an excellent temp conductor. Yes it does freeze more quickly. Plastic insulates a bit. It also flexes a bit.

Water expands when frozen. A plastic milk carton filled with water and thrown into a freezer (for a consistent temp) will expand. The ice will also blow off the lid as it freezes. A metal container of the size will get cracked as the water freezes. Any still liquid water will spill through the crack, freezing and expanding the crack as it does. It's why you only fill the water bottle to 3/4 at most when freezing one for an ice pack.

Metal when cold enough will instantly freeze moisture. The movie A Christmas Story has a kid getting his tongue stuck to a metal flag pole. It happens. It doesn't happen at 32F/0C. https://biologyinsights.com/can-your-tongue-stick-to-a-frozen-pole/

Is it likely to happen to wet chicken wattles inside a coop is a place like Bristol....no, it's probably too warm. Could it happen given the right circumstances (extra cold)? Yes. Even a frozen popsicle can cause the sticky factor (as my brother discovered to his chagrin). The popsicle had been stored at about -10F/-23C.

Metal can also cause frostbite through the conductivity. That's why it's extra important to use gloves when handling metal in water in frozen temps. Those temps are a bit warmer than the freeze the moisture on your tongue, but not a whole lot warmer. A couple degrees below freezing isn't going to do it.

 

[Shadrach]

Conversely, I've been curious if it's true that metal waterers freeze more quickly than plastic. That's something the internet says, but is it true?

Is it likely to happen to wet chicken wattles inside a coop is a place like Bristol....no, it's probably too warm.

I'm glad you lot with cold weather chicken keeping experience mentioned this. I hadn't considered this. With Glais's wattles, which he dips in everything metal may be a problem.
It doesn't often freeze but I would hate to find Glais stuck to the bowl when I arrived.
I'll need to have another think.

 

[RoyalChick]

I'm glad you lot with cold weather chicken keeping experience mentioned this. I hadn't considered this. With Glais's wattles, which he dips in everything metal may be a problem.
It doesn't often freeze but I would hate to find Glais stuck to the bowl when I arrived.
I'll need to have another think.

It would be extremely unusual weather to get that cold in Bristol.
Even where I am it is rarely a worry. Though I do prefer nipple waterers in winter for that reason.

 

[rural mouse]

I'm glad you lot with cold weather chicken keeping experience mentioned this. I hadn't considered this. With Glais's wattles, which he dips in everything metal may be a problem.
It doesn't often freeze but I would hate to find Glais stuck to the bowl when I arrived.
I'll need to have another think.

I agree with @RoyalChick . It would have to be substantially colder than normal for more than an hour or two. That being said, I personally am uncomfortable with a metal water dish. The food dish....sure, no problem.

 

[BDutch]

I'm glad you lot with cold weather chicken keeping experience mentioned this. I hadn't considered this. With Glais's wattles, which he dips in everything metal may be a problem.
It doesn't often freeze but I would hate to find Glais stuck to the bowl when I arrived.
I'll need to have another think.

I have a drinking bottle as on of the water supplies. My neighbour put an old woollen nitten on the outside to prevent the water from freezing. The bottle is behind a glass window. Not sure how good it works.

Also read about an insulated bowl (styrofoam on the outside) with apple juice, or water with a little syrup and a ping pong ball on top to prevent the water from freezing with a moderate below zero temp.

Another solution i came across is a solar panel with a battery and a heating element for water. You have to DIY. https://petgroomclub.com/articles/solar-powered-chicken-water-heaters-guide/

 

[Shadrach]

There is obviously a market for a battery powered heating element for water and low level coop heat. With the deep cycle batteries I would think this wouldn't be too difficult to achieve. A project for someone perhaps.

 

[kattabelly]

There is obviously a market for a battery powered heating element for water and low level coop heat. With the deep cycle batteries I would think this wouldn't be too difficult to achieve. A project for someone perhaps.

I've been slowly accumulating all the gubbins I'd need to run one of the Brinsea brooder plates off a leisure battery up at the plot (they're sold with a mains adapter but built to run off 12V), plus weather- and rat-proof it, with the idea of maybe adding solar charging in future. Not quite the same thing, but similar idea.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

So far, so good with this waterer from Premier 1 Supplies, which ought to be available in the UK (it’s made in The Netherlands). Wattles remain dry:

If there were a way to keep the water thawed, it would be perfect. It’s made it through 16°F/-9°C without cracking. We’ll see how we do Monday night (3°).

https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/aviaqua-poultry-drinker?cat_id=141

 

[fuzzi]

So far, so good with this waterer from Premier 1 Supplies, which ought to be available in the UK (it’s made in The Netherlands). Wattles remain dry:

View attachment 4288436

If there were a way to keep the water thawed, it would be perfect. It’s made it through 16°F/-9°C without cracking. We’ll see how we do Monday night (3°).

https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/aviaqua-poultry-drinker?cat_id=141

My Rent-a-Coop cup waterer works great, until it freezes. Ice forms inside the tube supplying water to the cup. It's why I add RUBBER tubs for drinking when the temperature drops below freezing.

There's salt water in the gallon jug inside the rubber tub. It supposedly keeps the water from freezing as quickly.

When ice forms in the rubber tub you just bend the tub's side and the ice breaks easily.

 

[HiEverybirdy]

I agree with @RoyalChick . It would have to be substantially colder than normal for more than an hour or two. That being said, I personally am uncomfortable with a metal water dish. The food dish....sure, no problem.

I'd been wondering about metal waterers because they look nice, and the plastic ones do wear out after a couple years.

Donna's wondering why I thought this would make a good photo, but this is the waterer we like:

Between last night and this morning, I reminded myself of the 2 main reasons I've stuck with plastic waterers:

1. Our well water is potentially tough on metal, and I worry about zinc leaching in galvanized waterers.

2. We regularly have temperatures cold enough to stick to metal (for us, that's low 20s F/ -6 C). You'd think I'd learn not to grab coop keys with damp fingers or mittens Handling metal waterers those mornings would be a nightmare, and I wasn't even thinking about the wattles!

Interesting to see how others solve for waterers.

@fuzzi -- I'd been wondering whether that water-bottle trick works after it started making the rounds on the 'gram reels a couple years ago. Looks like a clever setup.