what do i do for winter

[adrikeen]

could that catch fire

It shouldn't if you get the outdoor extension cords and your outdoor outlet is in good repair. They also make covers for the connections...look like capsules. I've never had a problem in that area and I have a cord that snakes from the house, across a deck, down across the lawn and to the coop.

 

[bobbi-j]

Or, you could try to keep the chickens' body heat in one area, and keep the waterer there.

The problem I see with that is, in extreme cold, I don't think you could get enough chickens crowded in one place to keep the water thawed. If you did, it would be so crowded, it would create poor living conditions for your chickens.

Also, the chickens' feathers are made to keep the heat trapped close to their bodies, not escape into the air.

OP, in answer to your question about an extension cord being a fire hazard, it can be. There are a lot of variables to consider. If you don't have electric in your coop, the safest bet would be to change out their water 2-3 times a day.

 

[R2elk]

Alternative water system for people that have a dirt floor in their coop.
1 - Select a water bucket preferably with tapered sides. I normally use a tapered flat back plastic bucket in 3 or 5 gallon size.
2 - Dig a hole that is 6" - 8" deeper and at least 9" wider in diameter than the bucket.
3 - Put enough fresh manure (not composted) in the bottom of the hole so that the top of the bucket will sit 2" to 4" above the ground level.
4 - Set the bucket in the hole and finish filling the hole with fresh manure.
5 - Fill the bucket with water and allow a little to overflow. This will provide the moisture needed to get the manure composting. As the manure composts, it will release heat and keep the water from freezing.

If you live in an area where the temperature does not get below zero degrees F., your water should never freeze. After the manure has composted, it will need to be replaced. I normally replace the manure annually.

I prefer to use horse manure but since I no longer have a horse, I use the chicken droppings that I collect from under their roosts.

At -20°F I usually get a very thin layer of ice that the poultry have no trouble pecking through to get at the water. At -30°F I may have 1/2" to 1" of ice that I remove first thing in the morning and the water in the bucket stays open until it freezes the next morning.

For those that do not have a ground floor, you could build an insulated box around a bucket and fill it with manure.

Good luck.

 

[BYCforlife]

Alternative water system for people that have a dirt floor in their coop.
1 - Select a water bucket preferably with tapered sides. I normally use a tapered flat back plastic bucket in 3 or 5 gallon size.
2 - Dig a hole that is 6" - 8" deeper and at least 9" wider in diameter than the bucket.
3 - Put enough fresh manure (not composted) in the bottom of the hole so that the top of the bucket will sit 2" to 4" above the ground level.
4 - Set the bucket in the hole and finish filling the hole with fresh manure.
5 - Fill the bucket with water and allow a little to overflow. This will provide the moisture needed to get the manure composting. As the manure composts, it will release heat and keep the water from freezing.

If you live in an area where the temperature does not get below zero degrees F., your water should never freeze. After the manure has composted, it will need to be replaced. I normally replace the manure annually.

I prefer to use horse manure but since I no longer have a horse, I use the chicken droppings that I collect from under their roosts.

At -20°F I usually get a very thin layer of ice that the poultry have no trouble pecking through to get at the water. At -30°F I may have 1/2" to 1" of ice that I remove first thing in the morning and the water in the bucket stays open until it freezes the next morning.

For those that do not have a ground floor, you could build an insulated box around a bucket and fill it with manure.

Good luck.

Great idea. Thanks for sharing!

 

[BYCforlife]

If you use an extension cord that is too thin, you may have a problem. To safely bring electricity to my coop, which is 200 feet away from the nearest power source, I use 2-100 foot long Heavy Duty cords. I have not had any problems, but I would never use more than 3 cords, even if they are heavy duty. I am going to be trenching a permament electrical wire to my coop. I'll put an outlet at the coop, and then I'll have no problems.

 

[SIMZ]

We wrap the outside run in plastic sheeting to block wind. They hate wind and would all just sit in the coop, but now they're able to spend most days outside, more than doubling their living area.

 

[lcwmt]

Alternative water system for people that have a dirt floor in their coop.
1 - Select a water bucket preferably with tapered sides. I normally use a tapered flat back plastic bucket in 3 or 5 gallon size.
2 - Dig a hole that is 6" - 8" deeper and at least 9" wider in diameter than the bucket.
3 - Put enough fresh manure (not composted) in the bottom of the hole so that the top of the bucket will sit 2" to 4" above the ground level.
4 - Set the bucket in the hole and finish filling the hole with fresh manure.
5 - Fill the bucket with water and allow a little to overflow. This will provide the moisture needed to get the manure composting. As the manure composts, it will release heat and keep the water from freezing.

If you live in an area where the temperature does not get below zero degrees F., your water should never freeze. After the manure has composted, it will need to be replaced. I normally replace the manure annually.

I prefer to use horse manure but since I no longer have a horse, I use the chicken droppings that I collect from under their roosts.

At -20°F I usually get a very thin layer of ice that the poultry have no trouble pecking through to get at the water. At -30°F I may have 1/2" to 1" of ice that I remove first thing in the morning and the water in the bucket stays open until it freezes the next morning.

For those that do not have a ground floor, you could build an insulated box around a bucket and fill it with manure.

Good luck.

We are well North of you and are discussing a heated dog dish for the coop's water but there's always the possibility of power outages. This is a fabulous idea. thanks!

 

[R2elk]

We are well North of you and are discussing a heated dog dish for the coop's water but there's always the possibility of power outages. This is a fabulous idea. thanks!

I have been using this method for about 30 years. It works.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I use rubber bowls and buckets, low tech, bash out ice, refill with warm water 2x day, no electric needed.

 

[lcwmt]

If you use an extension cord that is too thin, you may have a problem. To safely bring electricity to my coop, which is 200 feet away from the nearest power source, I use 2-100 foot long Heavy Duty cords. I have not had any problems, but I would never use more than 3 cords, even if they are heavy duty. I am going to be trenching a permament electrical wire to my coop. I'll put an outlet at the coop, and then I'll have no problems.

We are siting the new coop adjacent to the dog run, close to the house for a number of reasons. We run power to the "worm bin"and a bowl for the birds, one very heavy cord does it.