Water for chickens in cold climate

[MinnPeeps]

I also live in the upper midwest. I use insulation. Specifically a 3-quart, stainless steel, vacuum sealed pail. Most people would use it as a wine cooler. It has worked well for five hens.

Filled with lukewarm water, it will go 12 hours at anything warmer than 15F. That is In the day when they are drinking from it.

I have played around with adding things to push that limit - longer time at those temps or that long at colder temps - but I don't really need to so haven't gotten serious about it yet.

The simplest way would be a piece of 2" foam insulation board under it. Or even wood. Mine has been on a cement block. I'll probably get around to at least that much this year. Maybe even a second layer of foam board with a hole cut out so the bucket can rest inside it and have more insulation up the sides. Or some such thing.

I'm also thinking of sinking a container of boiling hot water in the bottom of it, I've tried that a few times; it isn't as easy as I expected. It needs something small enough to fit in the ice bucket and a way to stay at the bottom of the bucket without taking too much volume from the water.

I've also though of making a partial lid of some sort.

Anyway, I think it can be made effective for 10 to 12 hours down to subzero temps. I'd have to try some adjustments to see about colder.

@saysfaa. Sounds very interesting. Could you provide a picture of this setup? Looking for options, outside of electric. Have you heard, we are expecting below average temps and above average snowfall? We might get our first snow, north of the cities in a week.

 

[saysfaa]

This is not the best picture but you can see it just inside the screen door and to the left a bit. The willows in front of the door were there temporarily.

It was taken in March while we still had two or three or four feet of snow outside.

 

[Sally PB]

I bought a heated dog bowl off Amazon for $35. Easy option and cheaper option if you have a smaller flock.

I'm just keeping it elevated on a block to try to keep the water as clean as possible.

Edit to add - I haven't tested the longevity of this option as it's my first year with chickens. But the reviews on Amazon using it for cats, dogs & chickens seemed promising enough to try.

I do the same thing: Heated dog water bowl, up on a cinder block. Mine lasted two years, and I didn't think twice about getting another one last winter. It was a godsend for the first winter I had chickens. No worries about having liquid water in the run all day long. Totally worth $40 for two years.

 

[Cindy in PA]

I use a heated water base & have kept water in the coop for 30 years without a problem. It is on a raised crate off the bedding. I also provide water outside during the day & just use rubber bowls & dump them at night. The way the weather has been the last few years, my heaters have hardly been needed.

 

[K0k0shka]

I've used this large heated dog bowl for a few years and I love it! We get polar vortexes and cold days too, and it has held up great. The water is always liquid, even if covered by 2 feet of snow - there's still a crater in the center with liquid water!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002DHBQQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[Debbie292d]

This is my first year with chickens, and I live in Wisconsin, which soon nights will start getting below freezing, and soon after that some days, and soon after it will most likely be below freezing all day long, with possible below zero temps, polar vortexes, you name it . What is the best way to get water to chickens in this climate? Kind of a noob question but I work during day so I can't be with my chickens to keep giving them new water, as well as lack of daylight will be an issue when I'm not working. If someone uses something to keep water in it's liquid state, what do you use?

Sorry I'm late but in Wisconsin too. Fleet Farm has their 2-gallon heated nipple waterers on sale for $40 reg $50 or $53. We bought two. We heat our coop to 45F so the 5-gal nipple bucket in there won't freeze but these are for outdoor breeding pens in Feb/March. These nipple waterers are nice especially if you have roosters with wattles they won't get them wet.

 

[MinnPeeps]

Ok. It has been a surprising year for chicken husbandry for me. First, survived a predator attacks. Chicken mites. Now, was wondering why my girls was thinning and acting odd. Could not put my finger on what. I did tonight, gave me girls some water. They almost tackle me. I sat it (metal waterer) down on the water heater and notice they are behaving strangely. Watch my boldest girl approach and attempted to take a drink. She almost jumped out of her skin. I have a faulty water heater, recently brought it. PSA, please be aware of electrical issues. It may not be enough for you to feel, but the flock surely can.

 

[KyCoop]

I do the bucket brigade. I take a fresh water out every morning and bring the frozen one in to thaw in the bath tub. At the beginning of winter I only have to take a warm cup of water out to thaw out the tray that had frozen but the water in the water er is still liquid. As the season gets colder, I have to start the back and forth. Last year's artic blast had me running out water every hour on the hour. The was awful but that's not normal weather for our area.

 

[Henfla]

I have a heated coop with insulation, so the water doesn't freeze inside.

 

[mamajos]

Ok. It has been a surprising year for chicken husbandry for me. First, survived a predator attacks. Chicken mites. Now, was wondering why my girls was thinning and acting odd. Could not put my finger on what. I did tonight, gave me girls some water. They almost tackle me. I sat it (metal waterer) down on the water heater and notice they are behaving strangely. Watch my boldest girl approach and attempted to take a drink. She almost jumped out of her skin. I have a faulty water heater, recently brought it. PSA, please be aware of electrical issues. It may not be enough for you to feel, but the flock surely can.

Is your heater plugged into a GFI outlet? If so, it would shut off the power when that short happened.