Water's Frozen!

[MamaHen1616]

I too just purchased a heated water bowl.  As far as temps where do you live?  The more common breads of chicken can handle extremely cold temps as long as the coop is well ventilated.  Moisture and lack of ventilation will cause more problems then the cold. 
If you do not have electricity near your coop or if you can't run a good outdoor rated extension cord then you will likely have to haul them fresh water a couple times a day.

We live in Missouri so not really super cold but not warm either. Thanks!

 

[MamaHen1616]

Just noticed you're new to the group; welcome! Flyin-Lowe gave you good advice,btw!

Thanks!!

 

[chickforchicks]

I don't have electricity in my coop so I am going to go with an old fashioned method. A chicken friend told me that keeping a water bottle with salt water in it will make it harder (not impossible) for the water to freeze. I haven't tried it yet, but that simple fix is in my coop's near furture.

 

[MamaHen1616]

That s

I don't have electricity in my coop so I am going to go with an old fashioned method. A chicken friend told me that keeping a water bottle with salt water in it will make it harder (not impossible) for the water to freeze. I haven't tried it yet, but that simple fix is in my coop's near furture. 

That sounds like a good idea. Let us know how it works!

 

[chickforchicks]

I certainly will!

 

[lutherpug]

What part of MO are you in? I'm in KC...

 

[azygous]

You can make a cookie tin water warmer very easily. You can buy a "bottle lamp kit" at the hardware store or Lowes for just $10. You drill one hole in the side of the cookie tin, thread in your kit, connect the wires and in ten minutes you have a very reliable warmer to set any gallon waterer on. Plastic is safe on it.

I normally use large Igloo jugs with vertical nipples, and even with the heating pads I rigged over the nipples to keep them warm, they still freeze at single digit temps, so I've been using the cookie tin warmer with a regular waterer. Works just fine, but I don't use it at night, since it's a waste of electricity. I take the water in at night, back out in the morning.

 

[PingoBags]

I use an 18 watt (9 foot) pipe heating cable wrapped around a small bucket. That is wrapped in thin insulation.

For the past week, it has been below freezing with the coldest being -5C in the coop so probably a little colder outside where the water is.
Nothing has frozen yet and I'm using vertical nipples.
We get about -30C at night in the coldest months so I have no idea if it'l work at those temps, probably not knowing my luck.
My coop is about 120 feet from the closest outside plug socket so I ran an extension cord off the ground.

The flaps at the top is to stop chickens from standing on it.
Made a little lid on the bucket to stop dirt and dust from getting in and blocking the nipples

 

[gmebrie3]

sounds like I have the same 5 gallon with vertical nipples set up. do you think this would work:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product..._title_dp_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A2LCLHNZI16QFA
thanks,
Maria

 

[lutherpug]

I'll start by saying I have no experience with a fish tank heater in this setting but I do have extensive experience with them being used for their intended purpose.

My concern would be that they are designed to be used indoors-ie, where they don't have to heat a fish tank more than 10-20 degrees from the ambient room temperature. For example, if you keep your fish tank at 78 degrees and your living room at 60, you're asking the tank heater to heat the water by 18 degrees.

On the fish tank heaters I'm running in my house most of them have a thermostat with normal temp values for an aquarium-I can tell it to keep the tank at 77 degrees and it will kick on when the temp dips down to 76, for example. Not sure how that would work outdoors.

I'm sure someone who is using a fish tank heater successfully will weigh in here but at face value I would have some concerns-especially with 50w.