Yee ha - Winter is here! Question about water

[Duckfarmer1]

This is a good idea. Ping-pong balls for instance. Anything safe, with a floating/bobbing constant movement. As long as the birds can't choke on anything, this is a natural prevention of freezing. It's safer than heating resources.
I previously used nipple buckets with a heated wrap. But I became weary of it- and carrying it across the icy driveway doesn't help much.
Now, I have shielded dim lights over plastic buckets. I fill them with a bigger bucket... And the ice is (normally) thin enough to crack. The birds do like pecking at the chips so they help me break it up.

Then again, I'm in Maine. Ice is the inevitable so I've tried my best, so far, avoiding it.

so you used a plastic bucket and the heat wrap...that’s what ere contemplating, but are Leary about because of melting...we don’t have to carry it far..the hose is nest to the coop.it would be great to hear if that is a doable optio!

 

[Alaskan]

so you used a plastic bucket and the heat wrap...that’s what ere contemplating, but are Leary about because of melting...we don’t have to carry it far..the hose is nest to the coop.it would be great to hear if that is a doable optio!

You have a hose that can run year round?

 

[blackandtan]

We have those frost-free faucets too but I find once it’s steady at -20 or lower they do freeze and I can’t turn on the tap anymore.
I bring buckets of tepid water from the house and a heat lamp (well secured), hangs over the bucket and keeps Mostly thawed; the light has the added benefit of blocking the geese from making too much of a mess and splashing water everywhere.

 

[aart]

We have those frost-free faucets too

That doesn't keep the hoses thawed....and they must be a bear to drain.

 

[Folly's place]

I use hoses that are as short as possible in winter; the longest are 25' each, and aren't hard to drain, and then they hang up so they continue to drain. Frozen hoses are miserable!
Our frost free hydrants work very well, most of the time. Prolonged -20F mostly hasn't been happening here, fortunately...
Mary

 

[blackandtan]

That doesn't keep the hoses thawed....and they must be a bear to drain.

Oh no, once things start to freeze up the hoses get stored and I have a couple more weeks I can use the tap. I don’t know why I bother though cause my mitts get wet and it’s just as quick to use the sink in the house

 

[NHMountainMan]

Yeah, 'testing' would be a better word.
I was going to suggest swapping(inside to outside) them to 'test'.

I brought the sensors inside and they measured correctly. Then I swapped them. An 8 degree difference overnight, but also not very cold by comparison to the last few nights. My sense of that it’s holding daytime heat well. But I will watch for ventilation issues.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

I brought the sensors inside and they measured correctly. Then I swapped them. An 8 degree difference overnight, but also not very cold by comparison to the last few nights. My sense of that it’s holding daytime heat well. But I will watch for ventilation issues.

Sunny days will warm your coop up quite a bit. The other day the temps never got out of the 30's during the day but inside the coop it was 60F. When the sun goes down, so do the temps inside. On those days I like to leave the door open on the coop for awhile to air it out a bit.

 

[Duckfarmer1]

You have a hose that can run year round?

Yes..hot and cold water spikets...

 

[Duckfarmer1]

Yes..hot and cold water spikets...

But that’s only out of the house..not out of the barn where my ducks and livestock are..