Water in the winter?

[nuttyredhead]

Im just curious what every does in the winter. Right now i have a hose down by the coop and i change their water right there. Come winter my husband said the hose will freeze so I will need to take care of the water up at the house faucet.

Just wondering how everyone else take care of things in the winter?

 

[journey11]

Ah winter...yep, been trying not to complain too much about 94 degrees today because I know IT'S COMING!

I have a cistern with a pump that I usually water mine from, but in the winter I have to shut that down and drain it so it won't freeze. I'll be hauling water by the gallon from the house every day. Fortunately they drink less in the winter. I have electric in my chicken barn, so I have a heated dog water dish that I use. I have holes drilled opposite each other on the gallon water container (about an inch up from the bottom) and I sit it down inside the dog dish and the water siphons out and keeps the bowl filled at a constant level.

 

[nuttyredhead]

Quote:
Thanks!!! What do you use for your gallon container? What kind of material? We will ahve electric in the coop by winter so I will be using a heated dog dish also.

 

[woodmort]

I've done what you're planning on doing for 25 years but this fall my DW had a hydrant system installed right by the coop door--see https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=402030 . The total cost was about $1000 but well worth the time and effort of hauling water through hip deep snow. You might want to check about having it done--it took my plumber 5 hrs so, other than digging a 5-foot deep trench from house to coop, was not a big job. If you're planning on keep chickens in that spot I'd recommend you get it done now rather than wait like I did.

 

[rrgrassi]

Since my chickens are about 100 feet away, I do the bucket brigade routine.

 

[Nostalchic]

I have two waterers and in freezing weather, I change them out. I bring the frozen one in and put it in the sink in the mud room, take the thawed one out. (Shoot, I didn't really want to think about this yet!) But our coop is insulated so it has to be really cold to freeze the waterer. Last winter, though, when we had an unusually long, snowy and very cold spell, I bought a heated waterer and ran an extension cord. Honestly, I really didn't need it that much even then.

 

[LynneP]

We use an electric dog bowl- some other ideas in the links below

 

[OregonChickenGal]

I use a heated dog bowl 1.5 gal.

 

[Julie08]

heated waterer here as well, best thing since sliced bread.

 

[Luckytaz]

I use a heated metal base under my waterer. It has a thermosat that keeps it just above freezing.