Winter Watering Tip!

[HappyFeetHens]

Not sure how many people already know of this, but last winter (and now) we’ve been having great success with preventing ice with a small container of salt water inside our waterers! Depending on the size of the container you might use bigger or smaller. For our hens we use little spice jars, rub off paper and adhesive, and fill with very salty water, then put it inside the waterer! Even when it gets very cold, my waterers with the salt water inside didn’t freeze or had much less ice that was easier to break. Apparently it works because salt water freezes at a lower temperature. One would think eventually it would freeze but for us it’s been a life saver even in single digits! I also use it for my goats’ water bucket with a larger bottle filled with salt water. Just thought it might help anyone struggling with frozen water every day!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Very interesting! - You don't put the salt into the drinking water, right?
Just a sealed container with brine inside the reservoir of your waterer?
No clue how that could prevent the non-salty water from freezing, but here's a new opportunity to learn!

 

[HappyFeetHens]

Very interesting! - You don't put the salt into the drinking water, right?
Just a sealed container with brine inside the reservoir of your waterer?
No clue how that could prevent the non-salty water from freezing, but here's a new opportunity to learn!

Correct, it’s a smaller, sealed container inside the larger water reservoir. And I suppose if it’s because of the lower freezing point, it helps to exchange heat with the water surrounding it? Not sure how it works but it has for me!

 

[Acre4Me]

@HappyFeetHens - where are you located? This may influence the effectiveness too.

 

[fatsGREENgarden]

I just posted this photo in another thread showing the salt water bottle trick is currently working for us. Our weather has gotten into the teens and yet the bucket hasn’t frozen when the normal waterer does. We will see how it will do when we hit negative digits next week...