Watering during the winter in New England

[Jealous Gypsy]

Any reason why you couldn’t do a solar setup?

Solar is expensive, sometimes difgicult to get started with as welll depending on where she is sun can be a problem and especially in the snow to have to dig them out clear them off every day numerous times is quite a task. I have usb solar panels now i use to charge the tablet. Its a more complicated solution than you would think

 

[blackdog043]

Can you run an extension cord?

 

[Elsveta641]

Can you run an extension cord?

In the snow outside? Seriously?

 

[ValerieJ]

I actually did use an outdoor 100' extension cord the first year during our freeze. However, I couldn't get my girls to drink out of those nipples. I now have electric out there and I keep a heated dish inside the coop, but then my girls stay outside all day, even in the snow. So to make sure they have water out there, I have resorted to very small dishes, not jugs, and change the water with warm water several times a day. I am also trying to find a solution to this problem.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I run an extension cord for winter, but my coop and run are pretty close to the house. Last year my main concern with the snow was just keeping a clear path from coop to the waterer outside.

 

[RoosterML]

In the snow outside? Seriously?

It’s not a problem at all using the correct items..
Have you never seen people with Christmas decorations outside??
They make special connections just for the purpose.

 

[Elsveta641]

It’s not a problem at all using the correct items..
Have you never seen people with Christmas decorations outside??
They make special connections just for the purpose.

I suppose you're right. I just pictured running a dropcord through the snow from my house to the barn all winter and all I could think of was it sounded like a fire hazard! I mean holiday lights are extremely low power and meant to be used a few hours a day during Christmas. A water heater would take more energy and be used 24hrs a day for months on end?

 

[RoosterML]

I suppose you're right. I just pictured running a dropcord through the snow from my house to the barn all winter and all I could think of was it sounded like a fire hazard! I mean holiday lights are extremely low power and meant to be used a few hours a day during Christmas. A water heater would take more energy and be used 24hrs a day for months on end?

I have two different water heaters I use. One is 50watt and the other is 100watt. I use aquarium heaters.

 

[Jealous Gypsy]

I actually did use an outdoor 100' extension cord the first year during our freeze. However, I couldn't get my girls to drink out of those nipples. I now have electric out there and I keep a heated dish inside the coop, but then my girls stay outside all day, even in the snow. So to make sure they have water out there, I have resorted to very small dishes, not jugs, and change the water with warm water several times a day. I am also trying to find a solution to this problem.

Thats what my whisperer said, just change it every few hours, ill be checking on them that often anyways, but i know others may not be able to do this frequently due to work and various other situations

 

[blackdog043]

In the snow outside? Seriously?

Yes seriously! As long as your ends are protected and you use the proper stuff, it shouldn't be a problem.
I run a 12 gauge 100' extension cord to my coop. I have a covered power inlet on the side of my coop that the cord gets plugged into and the end from the house gets plugged into a covered GFCI outlet. I only use power in my coop for a couple months, when my water could freeze, so I saw no point in running permanent power to it.