Winter water?

[bruceha2000]

Nah... that sounds like way too much fun.

I think I'll put some nipples in the bottom of a 5 gallon bucket and throw a stock tank de-icer in the bottom.

That's pretty sad - I even respond to my own posts now

You can talk to yourself and you can answer yourself, as long as you don't say "huh???"


I was going to reply to your other questions but since you changed your mind ... Guess I'll do it anyway in case someone says "Hey, wait. I wanted to know!!"

- Anyone have tips about placement of nipples - angled or bottom? I believe they are always supposed to be facing straight down or they will leak. The water comes out BECAUSE they are tilted by the chickens when they hit the metal pin. Could be there are brands that are not picky.
- Width of pipe? I don't suppose it matters much other than if you are using push/screw in nipples The diameter of the pipe should be enough the nipples fit fairly flat against the pipe. Saddle nipples are specifically made to clip onto 3/4" PVC pipe. Use teflon tape even though the instructions say it isn't necessary.
- How close to a wall? Mine are saddle nipples in a 3/4" pipe fed from a bucket. The pipe is held to the wall with pipe "hooks" so the answer is "about an inch". Works great and takes no room in the coop.

Bruce

 

[Jonathan w]

I agree good choice in not heating the coop, I tried the heated plastic waterer and didn't like it, so I got a one gallon metal font and a heted base, I love it< and so do my girls, I live in northeast NY

 

[JackAsch9]

Does anybody have any simple ideas to keeping water from freezing in northen Indiana?

 

[pigeonguy]

Does anybody have any simple ideas to keeping water from freezing in northen Indiana?

Do you get colder than Northwestern Illinois. I'm going with the green house method and if that does not work completely I will add a heat source with a thermal cube to keep it warmer in there.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/716845/winter-watering-with-no-electricity

 

[clucky3255]

I buy an extra water,and rotate each day.. it is a simple as that! hope i helped a bit.

 

[Minniechickmama]

I saw somewhere on here last year (as EVERY year someone starts a new thread about this), that someone heated large rocks each night and put a fresh one in the water pan each morning and it kept the water from freezing with radiating heat from the rock. I am sure that a big enough rock heated on a woodstove, if a person has one, or in an oven during a cooking time would work wonderfully on SOME waterers.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

I saw somewhere on here last year (as EVERY year someone starts a new thread about this), that someone heated large rocks each night and put a fresh one in the water pan each morning and it kept the water from freezing with radiating heat from the rock. I am sure that a big enough rock heated on a woodstove, if a person has one, or in an oven during a cooking time would work wonderfully on SOME waterers.

Just be aware that if you put a wet rock on a campfire it can explode as the water heats inside the rock.

 

[efanie]

i love that idea I am thinking i might had to try this!!

 

[Minniechickmama]

I never said put a wet rock in a fire. You could heat them on the top of some wood stoves. And an oven is hardly going to be as hot as directly IN a fire.
I must say, from a safe distance, seeing a rock explode would be pretty cool to see. My kids would probably love it, however, for safety's sake I think I will skip mentioning it to them.

 

[Twister-n-Dos]

I took a 50 watt transmission pan heater like this:



plugged into a thermo-cube.

I put two cinder blocks on the coop floor, put the heater on top of them, and then put two paving
bricks on top of that. There is a double walled galvanized fount sitting on top of this whole setup.
The coop is insulated 2x6 construction. The only heat inputs are this heater setup and 6 hours
of a 40 watt light bulb set on a timer for added light. It has been working great, but the temperature
has only gotten down to 0 degrees F outside of the coop, the real test will come with -40 and -50
cold spells. Might have to upgrade to or add a higher watt oil pan heater when it gets way below.




Edited for formatting, to add photo of the setup, and to give a performance update:
It has been between -10 and +15 degrees for the past two days and this is working great.