Water Freezing - no electricity to coop- any ideas?

[Shellzba]

My 3 girls are troopers... they are still laying once a day even though the temp here in Northern New Jersey is in the teens for the last 2 weeks and we aren't going to see any relief for a couple more weeks. My challenge is that their water keeps freezing within 2 hours. I work full time, we bring the warm water first thing in the morning around 7am then again around 11am and again around 4:30pm each time the water is frozen solid. I'm worried that they aren't getting enough to drink. I can't run electric to my coop. Does anyone have any ideas on how to keep the water from freezing so quickly?
One idea I got was glycerine and the other is saline. Which is better for my girls?
Any help will be appreciated
Frozen solid in NJ

 

[JackE]

For a couple yrs I hooked up two 100' extension cords to run electricity to my coop. Used that to power up a cookie tin water fount warmer. Outside of that, I don't want my birds drinking glycerine or saltwater.
Jack

 

[jasmer]

We don't have electricity to our coop, technically. Well, with two extension cords and a power strip we do. We run them from an outdoor outlet on our house, around a couple trees, and under the eaves of the hen house roof. We have a power strip that handles two heat lamps that we really don't even use, as well as a heated water bowl for the chickens and one for the rabbit.

Before that, we just had to replace the water a few times a day. We used a pitcher. If you have snow, you can fill the water dish part way with water, then dump and swirl snow around in there a handful or so at a time until it's full. Alternatively you could look into a newer solar panels, some of them can generate power even on a cloudy day.

 

[KYKels0]

Warm water freezes fater

 

[KYKels0]

*faster

 

[donrae]

My flock has access to water three times a day also. I break ice in the am, afternoon, and evening. I feel that gives them a fine window to drink and no one acts overly thirsty and they're starting to lay better with the longer days, so must be doing something right. I know folks think all animals need crystal clear 40degree water 24/7/365, but really animals have been raised being hand watered twice a day for a long, long time and done just fine.

I break the ice, pour a little warm water in and swirl it around to help keep things from freezing as fast. I do this for chickens, horses, cats and dogs. They're all fine.

 

[NYREDS]

I water once a day in the morning. Often this time of year the water freezes during the day. The birds drink enough before it freezes. I've kept poultry here in Northern NY for over 50 years & this has never presented a problem.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I have extension cords running to my coops (GFCI always!) but don't have a heated waterer. If I lived where it froze all the time I'd get one. I use the black rubber fortex tubs for those rare freezes and the ice slips out when you step on them when they are upside down.

 

[HeeereChicken]

not sure if anyone has seen the tv commercial for a battery powered sauce/gravy stirrer...you put it in the bottom of the pan and it constantly moves things around...i think these would be great for keeping the water from freezing...we haven't gotten one yet but when i see them in the store i am going to get a couple...right now we are breaking the ice on the water bowls 2 times a day...my what we go thru for these chickens lol!

 

[Pathfinders]

I'm with the judge, don't over think this. I just run water out there twice a day. We use the Fortex rubber pans, and when they freeze we just stomp the ice out and put fresh water in. It's more work if you do it twice a day, but hey, if this were recess we'd all have sand in our shoes, eh?