Watering for winter

[Jazzy_girl]

We have some cold winters here. How do I keep their water from freezing? Also wonder how to keep the run in winter?

 

[R2elk]

We have some cold winters here. How do I keep their water from freezing? Also wonder how to keep the run in winter?

Alternate method to prevent water freezing

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you have electricity in coop/run or can run a cord out, there's many different heated waterer options, from heated bowls to heated waterer units. Depending on what you currently use as a waterer, you might be able to rig it up for a heater or de-icer. How cold does it get where you're at?

 

[Acre4Me]

What’s your general location? What is a “cold winter” there?

do you have anyway to have electric in the coop or run?

is the run covered at all? How much snow in the winter?

what is coop like? Size, height?

these answers will help give you a variety of suggestions from people in your same or similar climate/winter conditions.


we have electric in our coop. We use a heater base that is made for the double wall galvanized waterer we have. The water stays in the coop in winter. In warm non-freezing temps, water is in the run in the shade. We normally only provide feed in the run, however in especially cold weather (below zero), we do provide feed in the coop bc they generate heat through eating and they only eat with light, so we try to maximize their ability to eat for warmth During the coldest days.

 

[GC-Raptor]

We have some cold winters here. How do I keep their water from freezing?

Inside I use a heated base with a galvanized waterer. . Outside I use rubber bowls.

Also wonder how to keep the run in winter?

My pens get the wood shavings from the biweekly cleaning of the coops.
Only half of the 200 square foot pens are covered with tarp. So when it snows I have to remove snow from the tarps immediately and shovel the other half of pens later.

GC

 

[Ridgerunner]

In winter I use these, black rubber bowls available at Tractor Supply. If water freezes in them I knock the ice out and refill them. Since they are rubber they don;t break. If the sun is shining and I set them in the sun they can stay thawed in the lower teens Fahrenheit.

The sun does not shine at night and some winter days can be cloudy so I do have to break out the ice, but solar heat can help a lot.

 

[FastEddy22]

Because of the difficulty to supply power to my coop, heated options don't work for me. I have one spot outdoors that I like to put their water that sits in the sun, which helps. Often times, I have to bring water out 2-3 times per day in the extreme cold.

The rubber bowls others have mentioned are great because they are tough enough to handle the ice being broken from them.

I am going to try to build an insulated box for this winter that can house the water buckets to keep them thawed longer, I will try to remember to post something about it when the time comes so I can share it with others.

 

[FastEddy22]

As far as keeping the run is concerned, I usually bring down my walk behind snowblower and get what I can with that. And I shovel out the sections that are rocky or uneven.

 

[Jazzy_girl]

If you have electricity in coop/run or can run a cord out, there's many different heated waterer options, from heated bowls to heated waterer units. Depending on what you currently use as a waterer, you might be able to rig it up for a heater or de-icer. How cold does it get where you're at?

It gets below zero alot in the winter. I'll have to have my husband run some electricity over to the coop

 

[Jazzy_girl]

As far as keeping the run is concerned, I usually bring down my walk behind snowblower and get what I can with that. And I shovel out the sections that are rocky or uneven.

Ok yea I was figuring we'd have to snowblower for them. Thank you for your input. Where are u from? I'm in Northern wi