what to do with frozen water

[Chicken lover 123]

hi everyone today we had are first snow and the birds water has frozen. we let are birds free range and I went to check on them and their feet were pinker than usual we do not have a heater in the coop because of fire hazards and are coop is to far away to run a extension cord I gave them some warm oatmeal but they seem dehydrated because their water is frozen what should I do? please reply ASAP

 

[lcwmt]

hi everyone today we had are first snow and the birds water has frozen. we let are birds free range and I went to check on them and their feet were pinker than usual we do not have a heater in the coop because of fire hazards and are coop is to far away to run a extension cord I gave them some warm oatmeal but they seem dehydrated because their water is frozen what should I do? please reply ASAP

What about when you make the oatmeal, make it very very thin with warm water??? Would that help?
Also, since they free range, can you give them a water dish close to one of your doors and keep track of it? They'll find it during the day, don't need it at night when they roost.

We do not heat our coop either but did situate it close enough to the house so they could have a heated dog water dish. SO glad as the last few nights have been 12 degrees, warming to about 20 during the day. Their non heated waterers are solid ice.
This time last year we had flowers, the bees were still active and it did not get bitter cold until late December. Who know what this year will bring.

 

[Mrs. K]

Think of being in a car with a bunch of people in the winter. Without heat, almost immediately the car will fog up. That is what will happen if you close up the coop tight at night. Wet chickens, damp chickens are cold chickens. Chickens make and trap their own heat. They need to be dry and out of the wind, and they will be warm enough. Worry about keeping birds dry, with deep bedding and good ventilation.

It took me awhile to get my head around this, but now I have large vents opened on the south side of my coop, open 24/7/365 days of the year.

 

[Mary's Backyard Chickens]

If You Do Have Electricity

If you DO have electricity to your coop and run area, you have a few more options. Heated waterer bases are available commercially, but they are expensive and don't seem to last more than one or two seasons.

There are tons of instructions online on how to make your own heated base out of a cookie tin, but the waterer can easily slide off the slick metal surface of the tin. Even scarier, we've had several people tell us theirs caught on fire, and one guy, in the comments below this post actually had a chicken electrocuted. Not good. And anyway, I prefer to store cookies in my cookie tins! So just say NO to the DIY cookie tin heater. Instead why not try....

Lightbulb in a Cinder Block - This idea is brilliant. You clamp a light bulb inside a cinder block and cover it with a stepping stone. Your waterer sets on top of it. The rough surface prevents slipping and this couldn't be easier or safer in your run in winter.

 

[Mary's Backyard Chickens]

This was much more useful than my idea.

Lol! It's okay if you don't know as much as other people know. It's called BEING YOURSELF. That was mine! They both will probably work.

 

[Molpet]

I bring black rubber bowls full of water out several times a day...and pick them up at night
need to collect the eggs before they freeze anyway

 

[(chicken pun)]

If you put a golf ball in their water the chickens will usually peck at it and the golf ball stirring around the water will keep it from freezing, hope this helps!

 

[Mrs. K]

I have never heard of the golf ball idea. I keep two black rubber bowls. One is dry or melting. It will freeze solid over night, but if you flip it upside down, and it is a bit of sunshine, it will melt enough that the ice block will fall out. Next day, flip the other frozen bowl, and fill this one. If it is not sunny enough, you can stomp them out.

I do not soak their layer pellets, or make wet oatmeal or cornmeal mush, it just will freeze solid, and they won't eat it. However, I have had good luck with soaking the scratch, it will absorb quite a bit of water, and then stirring it with the dry layer feed, drys it enough that while it will freeze, it won't freeze in a solid hunk. The birds will eat the grain, and the heat of their bodies will melt the moisture and make it available to them. I work from home, so mine get warm water once a day. They lay fine with it in January and February. We get very cold spells here, well below -20F.

As for their feet, don't worry at all about it, birds circulatory system is set up to keep the body warm, and the feet just above freezing. You will see ducks walking on frozen lakes. Little winter birds hopping around on snow. However, my run is heavily bedded in hay, and if I think it is going to snow, I make mini haystacks, then I flip this on top of the snow. It is not the cold, that they are afraid of, it is "the ground looks different." that will keep them inside the coop.

I think a box shelter out in the run helps too.

Mrs K

 

[aart]

hi everyone today we had are first snow and the birds water has frozen. we let are birds free range and I went to check on them and their feet were pinker than usual we do not have a heater in the coop because of fire hazards and are coop is to far away to run a extension cord I gave them some warm oatmeal but they seem dehydrated because their water is frozen what should I do? please reply ASAP

They must have liquid water at all times that they are awake. @Mrs. K's solution is best if you don't have electricity to the coop.

I would just close the coop up tight. A good coop will not have a draft and your girls can usually stay pretty warm huddled up on the perches.

Nonono! They need good ventilation all year round. Good ventilation has some air movement, but no drafts strong enough to ruffle feathers(literally)near roost area.

 

[aart]

I forgot to say only at night!

No.....24/7.
At night is even more important, when they are all inside breathing and pooping.