Water in the Winter?

[Arya28]

Hi everyone

I would like to hear your ideas and experiences with keeping your chickens water thawed out in the winter!

We are moving our chickens to the barn for the winter, so that they will be warm. However, the barn has no electricity so we cannot just put a water bucket warmer in there and plug it in. I know there are ideas out there on how to keep the water thawed without electricity.

I would love to hear your ideas and creative designs for how you keep your flock watered in the winter! How do you keep it thawed?

 

[R2elk]

Hi everyone

I would like to hear your ideas and experiences with keeping your chickens water thawed out in the winter!

We are moving our chickens to the barn for the winter, so that they will be warm. However, the barn has no electricity so we cannot just put a water bucket warmer in there and plug it in. I know there are ideas out there on how to keep the water thawed without electricity.

I would love to hear your ideas and creative designs for how you keep your flock watered in the winter! How do you keep it thawed?

If you have a dirt floor and fresh manure, this works.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/alternate-method-to-prevent-water-freezing.73180/

 

[Arya28]

If you have a dirt floor and fresh manure, this works.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/alternate-method-to-prevent-water-freezing.73180/

That's a really good idea! The floors in the barn are concrete, not dirt. However, the doing that in an insulated box idea might work. Thank you!

 

[Arya28]

Does anyone else have any more thoughts on this? I'm bumping this because I know there has got to be more great ideas out there!

 

[N F C]

There's a pretty lengthy thread about this you might want to look through:
heated-water-dish-or-other-methods-reviews-wanted.1199176

 

[Ridgerunner]

I use black rubber bowls I get at Tractor Supply. If the water freezes in them I knock the ice out by beating them against the ground. The rubber bowls won't break. If you set them in the sun they will keep the water thawed or it will freeze extremely slowly even when it is pretty cold out. The black absorbs heat.

The sun does not shine overnight. Some days the sun doesn't shine at all. It's not a solution but it makes keeping them with water much easier for me.

In summer I use white bowls so the water stays cooler.

 

[LittleWillowFarm]

I put a few ping pong balls in the water, large enough they don't eat it!
and while they drink they will keep the water moving thus keep the *WATER from freezing!

 

[BethyLeigh]

I put a few ping pong balls in the water, large enough they don't eat it!
and while they drink they will keep the water moving thus keep the ice from freezing!

Great idea! Thank you for sharing