Water's Frozen!

[MamaHen1616]

I hope that's what CFC meant!  IF I misinterpreted, I sincerely apologize.  And you are right, a bottle full of salt water in the waterer will do nothing to prevent a freeze up, IMO.  The salt water will be less likely to freeze, but it will not keep the rest of the water from freezing.

Good we cleared that up! Seemed like a good idea though.

 

[chickforchicks]

Are you saying you gave your birds salt in their water?  While it will keep the water from freezing, it will seriously mess up their electrolytes, and I also assume it will tax their kidneys.  I'd rather have thirsty birds than dead ones.

I did not add salt to the water the chickens were drinking. I put a closed bottle of water with a lot of salt in the closed water bottle into the reservoir and it was not a block of ice in the morning.

 

[WesleyBeal]

RE: bottle of salt water in the waterer.

I wonder if the buoyancy of the bottle of salt water, bobbing around in the waterer, is what keeps the water from freezing.

Just a guess. Something that might account for it working.

 

[ChickenTripp]

Looks like you might have a Plott hound, too? Our Violet helps remind me to change the chicken water a few times a day...she always runs right up to the run because that's the routine!

 

[flyin-lowe]

My 1.5 gallon heated water bowl got its first test today. Overnight temps were in the single digits with wind chills below zero. I just went out and check and no frozen water. I have it sitting up on a block so they can reach it but they don't flip too much debris into it. This is going to be the easies/cheapest solution for me. My barn is close by so I can easily run a cord to it. If you have a huge flock this would not be your answer but for my 9 hens it is fine. Plus on black Friday they had the bowls on sale for $9.99.