Think it's too cold for your chickens? Think again...

[groverlvchx]

I had some eggs freeze in a (heated) garage fridge that cracked wide open. I cooked them for the family (those eggs were destined for sale until then). Out in the coop, I've had eggs crack but the membrane was still intact (I felt something like a crack on one so I played it safe and assumed it was, another was visible yet small). Again, I kept them for the family. I had no problem or ill-effects eating them. If the shell wasn't cracked or broken, I really didn't know if the egg froze or not. I didn't see any differences in the egg once it's thawed and couldn't tell you if it was a frozen egg or not.
Then again, I'm not known for my cullinary prowess. I usually don't care if I get brand name or generic foods. If there was a difference, I may not be capable of detecting it. LOL
CG

Thank you, CG. We've eaten eggs that had been frozen, but with the crack I was concerned with food poisoning. Glad to know I can trust the membrane to keep out the bad stuff. The dog will be disappointed, though.

 

[Gargoyle]

I also got a 250 watt immersion heater (see image below) put it in a 2 gallon galvanized waterer, and that froze up when it got close to zero. I don't get it.

That is pretty amazing! People use those heater rings in open buckets at colder temps and the water doesn't freeze. You would think a covered waterer, especially a double wall like the one shown, would be easier to keep warm. I wonder if yours isn't putting out the expected amount of heat.

It's 25 degrees this morning, about 35 in the coop. My wife had moved that heater inside the coop. I just took it out to clean it, opened it up, grabbed the heating element and it's ice cold. How warm should it feel?

I just plugged it in outdoors, if it doesn't feel warm in an hour I'm taking it back to Tractor Supply to exchange.
________________________
Edit to add- it got very hot to the touch when I tested it. So, either the thermostat had switched it off, or, I'm thinking likely, the plug might have been loose or something, so it wasn't getting power.

 

[groverlvchx]

I have plastic red/white chicken waterers. Can I use that
with my plastic waterers somehow? Right now they're on heated doggie dishes filled with sand and they work great until single digits. We get down to -20*F here so I'd like to find a better way to keep their water liquid. This winter we've had to change out waterers 2-3 times daily several days in a row during a cold snap. There isn't always someone here to do that. Anyone have success keeping water liquid at zero and down to 20* below?

 

[Triplell]

I just use the heated dog dishes but put them on Bricks to make them higher. Less likely to ge the shavings in. There was some frost but remained open even down to -26F.

 

[Gargoyle]

I have plastic red/white chicken waterers. Can I use that
with my plastic waterers somehow? Right now they're on heated doggie dishes filled with sand and they work great until single digits. We get down to -20*F here so I'd like to find a better way to keep their water liquid. This winter we've had to change out waterers 2-3 times daily several days in a row during a cold snap. There isn't always someone here to do that. Anyone have success keeping water liquid at zero and down to 20* below?

The box says it can be used with plastic waterers.

 

[groverlvchx]

I just use the heated dog dishes but put them on Bricks to make them higher. Less likely to ge the shavings in. There was some frost but remained open even down to -26F.

I'm SO tempted, but I hate to expose that much surface area of water in the coop--trying to keep the humidity down. Do you keep yours outside in the run?

 

[groverlvchx]

The box says it can be used with plastic waterers.

Do you set the plastic waterer on top?

 

[Gargoyle]

Do you set the plastic waterer on top?

I'm using it with a 2 gallon metal waterer, and I have it inside. Not sure of the best way to use it with plastic.

They claim it's ok with plastic, but it was quite hot to the touch, so I'd test it carefully first. Maybe they are referring to hanging it inside a 5 gallon plastic paint bucket.

 

[Triplell]

All of my water's are in the coops. My coops are all inside an old barn. But I do make sure that their bedding is dry and have lots of ventilation. My ducks and geese are also inside this barn. Once the weather get warmer and the snow starts to melt them the waterfowl go outside. I have so many chickens that with thier poop it can be hard to keep the humidity down so I feel that the water dishes do add much. I also use lots of barn lime to keep the amonia down and during the day I rotate which pen gets the run of the barn for the day so their door is wide open for added ventilation for the others. I use no heat either, they just get extra scratch or some FR for the night.

 

[groverlvchx]

All of my water's are in the coops. My coops are all inside an old barn. But I do make sure that their bedding is dry and have lots of ventilation. My ducks and geese are also inside this barn. Once the weather get warmer and the snow starts to melt them the waterfowl go outside. I have so many chickens that with thier poop it can be hard to keep the humidity down so I feel that the water dishes do add much. I also use lots of barn lime to keep the amonia down and during the day I rotate which pen gets the run of the barn for the day so their door is wide open for added ventilation for the others. I use no heat either, they just get extra scratch or some FR for the night.

Thanks, Triplell. Looks like we're practically neighbors! LOL Princeton here. If your dishes stay open down to -25* then maybe I could try them outside for awhile and see if that helps. I'm sure windchill will also be a factor, but yours are holding out pretty cold, so it's worth a try. I'll let you know how it goes. I'm sure summer has a whole new batch of issues to deal with, but I find myself looking forward to NOT dealing with ice. Well, I guess that means this January is no different that all the past ones. LOL