Suggestions on keeping our water from freezing...update

[JeninMN]

We have a 3 gallon waterer..plastic w/ the red bottom / tray and black screw on lid...we love this waterer..has worked great for us...

can we continue using it this winter? how would we keep it from freezing? We really want to keep it hanging too so the water stays clean..

Thanks!

10/13....a friend that has this same kind of waterer came up with the following idea...

Getting a heat lamp that has the "cage" on it so that the chickens can't fly up into the bulb and break it and then putting that near by the waterer to keep it from freezing....

thoughts on this??

 

[Run-A-Muck Ranch]

They have heated bases you can buy. But if you want to keep it hanging that would probably be outta the question than.
When our ewes are lambing they are in a different part of the barn-I dont' have enough plug in pails so they have the regular none heated buckets. I put a little molasses in there for them and the water doesn't freeze as fast. I know vinegar in the rabbits water will stop them(or suppose to stop them) from eatting there babies--it also prevents there water bottles from freezing. Or maybe hang a heat lamp over the water dish, the heat from that might help keep the water from freezing...

Might not be the best suggestions. But that's all I can think of at the moment.

 

[Ericasl]

I read somewhere to put some wood in the water. I have no clue if it wood work!!!HAHAAH. I am going to try it when it gets cold enough.

 

[Katy]

I don't think the wood would work....we keep a piece of wood in the cattle tank so if a cat falls in it has something to grab on to and it's been frozen in the ice plenty of times.

I use feed pans in the winter and dump them a couple of times a day...depending on the temps.

 

[LynneP]

We invested in a 3 gal double-walled metal waterer and a heated base. We installed a patio paver (2'x2') today on top of cinder blocks to keep bedding away from the base heater, which will go on the flat patio paver. This is necessary in our climate, we'll drill through a beam to plug in the heater on the other side of the coop wall. I'll post a pic when I get one! Not hooking this up until early November but we wanted the concrete bits done while it's warm in the coop and easier to move things around- especially the hens who had to go out in the run.

ps- Don't use plastic waterers on heater bases. There is apparently one special type of plastic waterer with an appropriate neater built into it!

 

[Possum Manor West]

Hi, new to the forum...new to chickens. Ours are now about four months old. We have an old electic dog bowl we are going to use this winter. It keeps the water just above freezing. The dog has decided he would rather be inside anyway. It will mean me filling it at least once a day, but on those really cold North Carolina mountain days, it will be good thing.

Kathie

 

[Rustywreck]

I've read the description of the heater base for waterers and it says it is good to 10 f.
We have temps much lower than that in winter so would I be waisting money on one of these things?

Will chickens eat snow instead of water?

 

[AK-Bird-brain]

We use the heat lamp aimed at the water can up here in Alaska. It works for us.
Yes chickens will eat snow, but I wouldn't recommend it, it will lower their internal temperature and it takes a lot of snow to equal the amount of water they need.

 

[annaserv]

I put a birdbath de-icer in their water buckets in the winter. I have their waterers right next to the wall and so I can hang the excess cord on a nail on the wall above the waterer. Kind of crude set up, but even when it's -20 (or colder) outside there might be just a little ice build up on the edges.

 

[newchickmom]

I use that exact same waterer. I made my own heated base for it and it did not freeze at all last winter!