Watering chickens in the winter

[Keys2Hades]

If you have the time I always bring my handing water in and put it in hot water and then refill it with hot water. the frozen nipples quickly return naturally and then the hot water during the day doesn't freeze.

That’s a good idea!

 

[Keys2Hades]

It is, that’s why I’ve decided to take the complication out of it and just top off frozen water with warm water to melt it instead of investing in a fancy water heater. Of course, I recognize that most people don’t have the luxury of doing this if they work a typical 9-5, which I don’t. I work nights and when I leave my husband is just getting home.

I never thought of doing that. I’ll try it. Yeah, the idea of a water heater makes me nervous.

 

[Aapomp831]

I never thought of doing that. I’ll try it. Yeah, the idea of a water heater makes me nervous.

I just feel like it’s an expensive waste of money and electric - only find it to be absolutely necessary if you live somewhere way north and can’t be home for hours and hours at a time.

 

[AOrchard]

I put a bowl under the nipple waterer! Collects any water for the silly roo, and collects any drips.

I've had great experience with horizontal nipple waterers for poultry rabbits and rodents outdoors. 1 in 6 seems to leak from the day I bring it home, so I just return/get rid of/repurpose that one, and the rest go a couple years without issues. If they are leaking more than a couple drips a day, something is wrong with it, try gently cleaning the nipples with a toothbrush from the inside, or try a different brand. You may also find if it's hung crooked it leaks more. Make sure the top of the bucket is covered and insulated. If the bucket is not insulated I would add insulation (put hardware cloth over the top of the insulation so they can't peck it). You can make your own nipple waterer for half the cost - buy a heated horse bucket, drill holes in the base, screw in the nipple waters from Amazon, apply a little caulk around the outside if you're concerned, and done.

Heated nipple waterers aren't the cheapest to buy, but if you have a full-time job off the farm, or want the freedom to leave for a night or weekend, it's invaluable. If you already always go to your coop once every day, they probably aren't worth it. If you want to be able to be away from your coop for a day, easily worth it. (Same for some form of automatic chicken doors). Sometimes you want to be able to have a date night or something without worrying about your chickens...

 

[Keys2Hades]

Also, chickens don’t need water at night. I would empty it at night, bring it inside a garage or porch and just refill in the morning.... my wateters are outside of the coop at night, I’m just too lazy to bring them in when I have perfectly good hot water to take care of it lol.

Discovering they don’t need water at night was one of the most helpful things ever. Takes a lot of pressure off!

 

[Keys2Hades]

I have a horizontal nipple waterer in the coop. If it drips, it's one or two drops, so it doesn't get the bedding wet. My problem is that my cockerel can't seem to figure it out. The pullets are fine with it. (I think my boy has eye-beak coordination problems.)

So I have an open waterer in the run as well. It's a milk jug with an opening cut out of the side opposite the handle. Cost: $0. I have a small plastic peanut butter jar full of sand that I put in it for ballast. Again, free. It also works as a heat sink. I empty the jug at night and bring in the pb jar to warm up by the wood stove. I found the coop waterer frozen solid one day, and the outdoor jug was fine, so I guess it works.

Lol, cockerels never seem to be too bright, ours is the same way.
I think I’ll try that milk jug thing, it sounds like what I’m looking for!

 

[WindingRoad]

Thanks for the reply! I may just try and do that. Figuring out how to do water in the winter must be the hardest thing about chickens lol.

You can try a heated dog bowl but it takes a lot of water gallon and a half and need electricity. I have an electric poll right out side my coop. I have those base heaters and I put two full gallon jugs on it. The Arizona Ice Tea jugs don't melt on that base heater. I have it right outside of my kitchen the last couple of winters. I keep 6 gallon AIT's in the kitchen and just carry one out when I go out to let the chickens out. I have a big 5 gallon waterer. The base heater won't keep the water in the tank but will keep the water ice free in the trough. The trough is pretty wide and fairly deep. One filling is enough for 13 chickens for the day. Good luck finding something that works for you.

 

[Sally PB]

I think I’ll try that milk jug thing, it sounds like what I’m looking for!

It took me a couple of tries to get the hole cut right. I made the first one too low, which meant it didn't hold enough water. I also had to cut it higher and wider than I thought, to accommodate my cockerel's "headgear."

 

[Sally PB]

I put a bowl under the nipple waterer! Collects any water for the silly roo, and collects any drips.

Well, like DUH! Why didn't I think of that!? Thank you!

 

[blackdog043]

Here's what I made.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...ock-tank-deicer-and-horizontal-nipples.74609/