Topic of the Week - Keeping Water from Freezing

[U_Stormcrow]

I can send you a "can of Michigan winter" in exchange for a "can of Florida sunshine."

Set your can on the counter, let it melt. You have my "sunshine".

46 tomorrow. FL winter.

 

[Debbie292d]

Going to bow out of this conversation until/unless someone starts suggesting salty water bottles or similar - then I might amuse myself by explaining why that method doesn't work for most people, most of the time, in most sub-freezing situations.

I thought that was only on Facebook where people swear that works. I don't think I've seen it here. If I did, I'd have to scroll by.

 

[Debbie292d]

I use heated rubber buckets that I get from Statelinetack. I had issues with plastic heated buckets freezing and cracking. The rubber buckets have been great!

I wonder if the brand of heated bucket matters. We did want to get the larger 3-gallon ones, but these 2-gallon ones seemed more robust. We've had one through two winters and bought two more that have been through one. They are shielded from the windchill; the lowest temp last winter was -18F.

These are the ones we bought and have no issues with other than a thin layer of ice floating on top two winters ago.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I wonder if the brand of heated bucket matters. We did want to get the larger 3-gallon ones, but these 2-gallon ones seemed more robust. We've had one through two winters and bought two more that have been through one. They are shielded from the windchill; the lowest temp last winter was -18F.

These are the ones we bought and have no issues with other than a thin layer of ice floating on top two winters ago.

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I had the same one and ours cracked the year it got down to -26F. I also had problems with the nipples freezing up that year. It has only gotten down to -17F here since, but after that year I switched everything over to rubber. The ones I use now are rated down to -40F. I also use them for my horses and love them because they come in a smaller and larger size.

 

[saysfaa]

I went with insulation. A vacuum-sealed double-walled stainless steel three-quart ice bucket intended for cooling wine. Emptied and refilled with tepid water first thing in the morning and late in the day.

It will go 12 hours or so at mid teens F (-10 C) without freezing over thick enough the chickens can't break the ice if they drink from it periodically. In the still of the night it freezes over faster.

Last winter, I added insulation by setting that ice bucket into a three-gallon pail on top of a circle of 2" foam board in the bottom. I wanted to use spray foam to insulate the sides but couldn't get it to work with a couple of tries so just stuck pieces of insulation along the sides. The main thing was getting the ice bucket off direct contact with the cement block under it. And the bottom of the ice bucket is the thinnest part. I cut a hole in a lid for the three-gallon pail to keep most of the bedding out.

The improvement worked better but I didn't measure how much better.

Edit to add: I forgot, I needed more height to get the lip of the ice bucket a little above the lid of the 3-gallon pail. I used blocks of wood but many things would work.

 

[strobiculate]

As mentioned earlier, I went a black rubber tub nested inside a tire for winter. I put bubble wrap packaging inside the tire for insulation. On the bottom, a couple layers of foam board and it all sits on cedar decking, trying to keep the tire from sitting on the ground.

I put this in the sun. Where I live, we can get below 0F, but generally overnights in the single digits above 0 occur a few times a year. If it freezes, it generally starts melting in the early hours of the day.

 

[KimbosKluckers]

I just purchased a heater dog bowl and it’s been great so far. I did have to use a 50’ extension cord though.

 

[ChickyWhicky]

Iowa here and this is what I use:

I use this inside the coop. Going on year 3, still working fine. Has kept water unfrozen up to about -15F, once we hit -20F temps it did form ice on the outside edges. My only qualm is it sucks to refill. You have to flip it upside down to fill and then flip again once full.

I use this outside the coop. It also works fine and has kept water unfrozen up to about -20F, covered in snow and literally outside in the elements. Only qualm here is the birds can get their wattles wet while drinking and causes frostbite.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I am using heated dog water dishes.

For those who don't have electricity available it's the old fashioned way of breaking ice or knocking it out of the tubs daily....in extreme cold that can be multiple times a day.
I did it that way for many many years.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

I’m in the UP of Michigan-temps get below freezing from about Oct through April, with Feb/March getting to -30s. The runs are wrapped in winter to protect feeders and waterers (and birds) from the bitter wind and snow. Each coop has a 5 gal bucket with horizontal nipples and a submersible deicer. I drilled a hole in the lids for the cord and I cover the top to keep the dust out. I fill to 4 gal and top off with 1 gal every 2-3 days. I check for slime every time I top off, and clean the buckets and nipples every 2 weeks. It’s been working well, but some in my new coop can’t get the hang of the nipples so I have a black rubber bowl in the run now (in sun) and will hope they catch on before the deep freeze.