Winter water solutions

[mr.hutch23]

It got into the teens last night and the water froze solid. I've got a five gallon plastic fount. I turned on a 100 watt bulb I'd hung over the waterer, but that didn't seem to help. How do you folks in the cold weather areas keep your H2O in liquid form all winter? I've only got 20 chicks so I didn't want to make a major investment. I can do some wiring and I'm not afraid to experiment (I know, bad combination).

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

[Fred's Hens]

Easy and cheap is a heated dog dish. You can also make a heater, using a cookie tin and a light bulb. There are a number of "how to" threads on the cookie tin.

The heated dog dish works well, but to "cheat", I set a small plastic pail into the dog dish. I just take a fresh one out and swap out the old. Done. Which is great is zero weather.

We actually use those one gallon ice cream pails. They work great. Just one of many ways to beat winter and watering the flock.

 

[LilyD]

I second that I have two coops and each coop has their own bucket for the winter. I swap out the buckets each morning and evening with fresh water so that it's unfrozen. I do the same with my horse too.

 

[toofarout]

I have a 100 watt silicon oil pan heater sandwiched between concrete pavers. The 1 gallon waterer sits on top of the top paver.
I switch out the waterer once a day (have a spare) to make sure there is enough liquid water for when morning comes.
There is still some freezing in the top portion of the waterer, but the bottom usually stays ice free.
It is inside the barn, not outside.

 

[TroutsChicks]

fish tank heaters are cheap, thats what I am gonna do. I also read a blog on a women that is boiling rocks and putting them into their water dishes and just boiling them after they get home. The blog said it lasted all day...haven't tried it. But I am planning on using the fish tank heater.

 

[Mattemma]

I just take warm water out in the am and pm for them.

 

[Fred's Hens]

The problem with "carrying" twice a day, for us, is that the water freezes quickly at -20. At those temps, the water freezes within 20-30 minutes. The chickens would only have a brief opportunity to drink, twice a day. Not sure that would provide adequate hydration.

 

[henney penny]

This works great,dh made this box insulated with blue board and 40watt bulb then set the waterer on top

 

[henney penny]