What to do about freezing water?

[cgjsmith]

My waterers keep freezing up. I don't know what to use to keep them thawed. were in for some freezing weather in a couple of days. any ideas? we looked for the heaters but there isn't any around us and we can't figure out how to put a fishtank thermometer in them. Crystal

 

[tiffanyh]

Personally, I use the smaller rubber bowls and fill them up with very hot water in the A.M. By eveining they are usually still thaw but I put them away for the night by then anyway. Then in the morning I flip them and stomp on them to get all the ice out and refill again.

They stay clean and it has worked well. I just drag a gallon jug of hot water out with me in the morning.

I have three small coops and a rabbit pen to fill each morning.

 

[Smitty's Farm]

What kind of waterers do you use? Have you tried to hang a heat lamp over your waterer in the coop? There is the electric heat bases, but you can only use it on galvanized type waterers, there are new waterers that have a built in heating system w/ a thermostate. You can order them from Murray McMurray. My local TSC (Rural King carries them), but I haven't broke down to buy one yet. Some people use pet dish warmer.

 

[jjthink]

Hi Crystal, I'm sure a lot of good suggestions will come along - people use nifty heater things that keep water from freezing. I suspend a ceramic heat lamp in the coop that keeps the water (and the chickens!) from freezing. In Tennessee, that may be too much heat, I don't know but the ceramic bulbs do come in a number of different watt choices.
I gather freezing temps are unusual there?
JJ

 

[Buster]

I hang a light with a 250 watt red bulb above my water jug. I haven't had it freeze once and it's been down to zero degrees. I did have to adjust it once because it was too close to the jug and started melting it. Caught it just in time. If you have a way to get power to your coop, this is what I would recommend.

 

[picklespickles]

i know it's not fun if it freezes but they really will be okay, too. it's nine a.m. here and has only worked it's way up to about twenty. i break ice every day. but they never run toward the water like they've been thirsty. so they still get plenty.

 

[lurky]

I also use the brooder heat lamp from when they were chicks. I am in New England it its all i need to keep the water from freezing. We had temps below freezing once this winter and it was fine. I just hang it so that there is no wau for it to get knocked off the hook or touch anything.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I use heated dog water bowls....

 

[Betsy]

I use rubber bowls. In the morning, I get rid of all the ice and give everyone fresh water. In the evening, I break the ice if I can. If it's frozen solid, I get rid of all the ice again and give everyone more water. I love the rubber bowls because you can jump on them, throw them hard, do anything you can to get the ice out and the bowl is none the worse for the wear. Oh, and they last for ages-I'm still using the same rubber bowl that we got for our first batch of chickens in 1991.

 

[kimberrrr]

I also drag a gallon of hot water out in the mornings. Not too many freezing mornings in the Atlanta area though. I figure this will only have to go on for another six weeks or so. It stays thawed all day as the temps normally go up rapidly during the days.

K