CHICKEN WATERER To Use During the WINTER (No ELECTRICITY Needed)
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
- Frozen chicken water or any livestock water is a big problem during the winter season. Many chicken waterers are made from plastic and when they freeze they will break or not work right. I think I found a good system that doesn't require electricity.
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Make sure to add food coloring into the salt water bottles so if they break or leak it will turn your water color and you can change it!
That’s great! We superglue the cap sometimes to insure a good seal but that would help if the bottle broke anywhere
@@AcresOfAdventure maybe add that in description or pin more ideas?
Wut an awesome idea. Holy cow!! It takes a village!!
Excellent tip!
Great idea
I hate like hell to burst your bubble but, salt water does freeze ! I have 10 salt water bottles in my freezer & use them in summer in my cooler to keep everything cold ! Also, salt water frozen is colder than just plain water. If you bring your water ears inside at night you have no problems with freezing! Ok a lil more miner work but when the temp goes down to -60 your water isn’t frozen when you bring it out to your chickens. I’m in Montana & yes it gets down to -60 sometimes. You can go to solar panels but that’s a lot of work with snow & batteries. Just bring them indoors over night.
Freezes slower
I once saw a video from Canada. The chicken had no more water but were „eating“ the snow. Thank you fir your video.
The power of true nature, animals will find a way to survive
Awesome tips. I've been struggling with the frozen water situation. This is my first year raising chickens. I'm in Ohio so not too far away. That 2 day wind and snow storm was tough on the chickies. Dealing with little bit of frostbite on their combs. Got some vaseline on em today. Lol I can go on about chickens all day lol
Take care and subbed!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I had the same stress, first year chicken gal and mine were so unfazed at -19! Electric water heater was awesome but all the other gizmos failed.
@@gaylecorwin3460 It's amazing how unaffected these birds are! And through the bitter cold I still getting 4 eggs a day from my 6 chickies. Yesterday I used 6 eggs for an omelette just trying to use em up! I had no intention in selling eggs but simply can't keep up with production lol. I have a few dozen on hand now at all times.
What breed of chickies do you have Gayle? Mine are Barred Plymouth Rock.
I've been using the black rubber bowls for a few years now I had extra cuz I also use them for feeding my horses grain. Love them.
They have many great purposes!
I use 5 gallon bucket with nipple waterers on the sides for 12 chickens. If the temp drops below freezing I add the tractor supply electric bucket water heater. Never had the nipples freeze up on me.
Water stays clean and only need to fill it once a week.
An insulated top would be the most effective. With a hole just big enough for a chicken to get a drink. An old cooler would take quite a while to freeze.
The best thing that i have found for wenter watering is small ice chest! Like those used for work lunch buckets!!
Thank you for this information! I live in Western PA United States and I'm constantly going out and checking waterers because they freeze. I paused your video and went out with a salt water bottle. I need 2 more but since we don't drink pop or bottled water I'll have to scrounge to them from someone. Have a great new year and stay warm. 💚
Thank you! Stay warm also and I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
Yes, we use buckets as well.
Greats tips! I’m near Lansing and it’s been coming down for almost an hour now. Stay safe my friend!
Thanks! You too! I hope you guys stayed safe during the storm!
I put hot I mean hot from the teapot put jar set it in the waterer fill to full , put to bottom back on take it out to coop chickens will drink the warm (hot water) last tell the go to bad repeat in the morning we live in the U. P. we got cold and snow !
I got a friend who never has given his chickens water in the winter. They just deal with eating snow and what not. Its crazy, but hes had them for over a decade and never had a problem. i.e. no chickens have died from dehydration or appear to have a problem. I don't know how it works. My chickens gorge themselves on water in the winter and I can see they enjoy it.
If you take a small Gatorade bottle fill it with salt and water… the constant movement and salt will help keep it from freezing. We use it with our lamb water… and it worked great!
Myself changes to old metal pans and just smash the ice out and refill with water, I have used plastic bowls over the years but lots of the times the water has frozen to much and if I hit them to hard trying to het the ice out the plastic usually cracks so that’s why I use metal
Lmao @ chizeling the ice around the rim😂😂😂. I always just used 2 and took the froze one in each day and swapped it ith the thaw one. The chickens knew to get while the gettin ws good or they wited until tomorrow 😂😂😂
They have heating elements that are 200 watt also 200 watt solar panels
Greetings from Ukraine. Pour one kettle of boiling water, twice a day. You're welcome))
Thanks for the tip Marco!
I've never passed up one of these videos on frozen water for birds. There's a video with the same water bowl only boxed in with an earth tube. No electricity needed.
And it's plastic so it can freeze and break I use the rubber feed pans
How do you keep the wattle from freezing after the chickens drink water?
Thank you for good, practical advice. I had given away a good Fortex rubber bowl long ago. Buy another one next week. Merry Christmas. God save America. We need it.
Glad you enjoyed it and found it helpful! Hope it works better for you!
Thanks for these tips!!
Of course!
I don't know who thought of that salt water in a bottle thing, but it certainly doesn't work. Salt water has a lower specific heat than fresh water, meaning it's willing to absorb heat faster than fresh water. That means the fresh water will be giving it's heat up to the salt water bottle faster than it would otherwise do. It takes about four times the heat to drop the temperature of fresh water by one degree than it does salt water.
Nice! Thanks a LOT! I needed that.😆
Glad I could help!
After seeing such videos I mean poultry in winter snowy season. I only thought one thing that how their chickens are not getting flu or cold. Because in my 10 chickens flock, my chickens start sneezing after just a little bit change in climate like few days ago in my area suddenly rain starts with little bit cold air for just 1 hour and with only just that change in climate my 2-3 chickens starts sneezing and 1 or 2 got flu and I had to give them meds. So I wonder how these guys chickens are looking healthy in this type of snowy season.
Thank you so much for sharing this!
Sound advice. Thank you.
Personally I have had no issues with the heated font we live in Manitoba and we definitely get our share of extreme colds those nipple and cup ones tho are absolute garbage I found if u shelter the waterer it doesn’t freeze up as much around the rim but yes every morning. I still have to go out and pick some ice off your idea of alternating two of them is actually your best bet
The only issue I really get frustrated with is the stupid plug on the bottom they put to fill it. I won’t use it I just take it apart. Because eventually those plugs stop working the rubber bowl idea is smart but doesn’t work for myself as my partner and I are gone 8 to 10 hours a day and aren’t around to change the water every couple hours
That is true if your gone for a long time it’s hard to keep up with
Chickens with blue legs lay blue/green eggs.
No no no ppl. Just shovel alot of snow into a big water feeders. All animals nibble snow for water. Plus its not hot where they demand alot of water to stay cool.
That salt water bottle is actually going to make the water freeze faster because it can get colder than the water can get.😂😂😂
Good stuff. Thanks. 👍
No problem 👍
Why not just run a couple of extension cords for a heated bowl? Cheap fix and can use them elsewhere out side of winter.
We don’t have any outdoor outlets
What does the door opener run off of?
Where you live I'd just trench power out there you won't regret it!
I’m in Ohio and this what I do
"Chicken Dad" here. 1st great on black (absorbs UV (heat) energy) and is easy to empty. 2nd: The salt-water-bottle is NOT effective. The salt water inside the bottle won't freeze, but it's still below breezing, so won't stop, or even slow, the water it's floating in. It's actually dangerous if it does get low enough to freeze the bottle and results in rupturing the bottle - dead chickens. Bad idea.
have been raising chickens in Wisconsin for over twenty five years. If you don't have electric the black rubber hog pans do work great because they don't crack in the cold like you said. I would build some type of container around it and insulate around it. Spray foam or great stuff work well. Also cover half of the top with a piece of plywood or insulated cover.
Thanks we will have to try that around the bowl
I use those black rubber pans for my chickens for the last 6 year's, another good tip with these rubber pans is that with just a little sun even on a very cold day the sun heats them up and can melt enough for the chickens to get them a drink. I have my chickens come out in to a secure covered run and I place the black rubber pan where the sun will hit it most of the day and even on days in the twenty 's the chickens can drink from it.
Great tip thanks
I wish there were more solar options for these types of things. It seems logical that farmers and other folks would lack access to electricity further from their home so it would be cool if brands could start integrating more solar power options. Heaters, warmers, pumps, etc would make so much sense. We have hotwire fencing and lights readily available with solar, I hope more products follow suit in the near future.
I agree, this would be an awesome tool for off grid homesteader's.
The problem is that heating requires a boat load of electricity. You could definitely put a solar array up that would do it, it just might be a bit of a big eyesore. I'm sure they'll become available when the solar tech catches up!
Keep in mind in Michigan, like Canada, you can go 3 weeks without seeing the sun. When the sun does come out it is low in the sky therefore the power is diffused by more atmosphere that the light travels through. Solar isn't a good option for northern latitudes.
And.. if you put that bowl on top of your compost in your feeding coop.. the heat from the compost will keep it from freezing.
A pile of compost under the water bowl was an accidental 'win' for me this Winter. All the other waterers are freezing, not the bowl of water on top of the compost! :)
I seem to be incapable of keeping a hot compost pile. 😞
Great idea we have tried this since and it has been much better!
@K,SodenWhat There's a restaurant where we get 5 gal buckets of spent coffee grounds. Mixed into the compost caffeine speeds the process and generates more warmth. I would be inclined to experiment with putting a lot underneath the coups and sealing the bottom sides with insulation and sheet metal. That heat might come up through the floor and help the coup be warmer.
I thought I knew all the tips and tricks, but even I, an old timer, found another good idea to add to my repertoire! But I need to say, that salt water needs food coloring in it so that you can tell quickly if it's leaked into your clean drinking water. You want to avoid any chance of your chickens drinking saltwater.
I gave the video a "like" because the main idea is good. The idea with floaters is ok, too. It won't really slow down the freezing, but will keep access to the unfrozen water longer. But the idea of a salted water bottle somehow delaying the overall process is nonsense - it contradicts basic physics. Salt water doesn't freeze (it does, just at lower temps), but it will still get colder than freezing, so it doesn't prevent the outside water from cooling down and freezing. You'd be better off filling a plastic bottle with HOT water, then it'll act as a heat source, at least until the temps equalize.
Cool tips. I agree with you on the black rubber bowls, the water freezes slower and much easier to get the big block of ice out of it.
It’s just easier, it’s hard to stop water from freezing during the winter but at least the bowl makes it’s easy to deal with
Hi use a large wide rubber bowl. I also have a electric dog bowl but I haven't plugged it in yet. Remember, you only need to keep the water thawed during the day. Dump it out at night and fill it back up in the morning. That will make less work for yourself if you don't have electricity out there.
That is true, thanks!
In S. Ga/N. Fla it doesn't freeze hard very often, and most days warm enough to thaw our water out.
But one thing I do is to use the large Hot Hands pocket warmers.
If you can duct tape it to the bottom, the heat rises to the water mass.
They're good for about 12 hrs, which is enough to make it until daylight and it warms up.
Best option we ever used were electric dog bowls. Even came with metal guards on the cords and work amazingly well. We have them in the barn, so get electricity. It gets cold enough here that the only real option is some sort of heating element. I liked the idea of items in the dish to keep the water moving though, that's smart!
Very positive video. Love the words at the end! Warm compost under the water bowl seems be working for me. Accidental 'find' but very useful.
Great ideas . I will use salt water bottle to start..
Thanks for that tip! That sounds very useful
@@nilasspasov8417 In the comments (or replies) l saw a suggestion & that adding a little food coloring in your salted water container so you can tell just if it ever leaks. You’ll know immediately & can put in a new salt water container while changing the water in the bowl to fresh water. GOOD LUCK‼️
@@Sunnytrailrunner Thank you for more ideas . Together we can do better and better . Thank you!!!
The rubber bowl is a exactly what I use :) I empty it at night so it's not full of ice in the morning and then I fill it with fresh water in the am.
I feel like it has to be the best solution if your not using electricity
Also, you can prolong it freezing by taking that rubber bowl and placing it inside an old tire (one that fits snug). Inside the tire add in some of those air pillows, like what is packed in when you order something. We have been doing this for the last few years, and it works great. In Feb. 21 we had real temps in the negatives for two weeks straight. A massive lake froze over for the first time in decades. Only the very surface of the water froze very thin and it didn't take much as at to crack it. We went out three times a day to check.
Now we have Little Giant green electric water bowl. It's a big open water bowl, but we run an extension cord to the house, and it's been doing a great job this winter at keeping the water from freezing.
So far we've had a few days of real temps in the negatives (-9 to -11) with windchills at -35F and wind at 40mph. Thankfully that cold snap is over for this week.
I use the black bowls in winter and the big 5 gallon waterers in spring through fall.
I’ve tried the salt bottle and ping pongs and they don’t seem to work. I just give my hens fresh water from a gallon jug every morning and sometimes again on afternoon. It’s a good time to also do a chicken welfare check to make sure they’re all handling the cold well
This is such a great tip!
Wut an excellent way to repurpose. Awesome idea. Who doesn't have an old tire living in country...just a moratorium on the toilet or old water heater in the front yard. 😳
Cheap used crock pot plugged in on warm from Goodwill store.
Cheaper than heat plate or electric winter chicken waterer.
@@WarriorGnome this sounds like a good idea
I'VE WATCHED A LOT OF VID'S PERTAINING TO CHICKENS. I'VE LEARNED NOT TO PUT THE WATER INSIDE THE COOP, IT CAN CAUSE THE CHICKENS A PROBLEM. ALSO THEY ACCLIMATE TO ALL SORTS OF WEATHER, FREEZING TOO, BY GETTING THEIR WATER OUTSIDE RATHER THAN IN THE COOP. I'M WONDERING IF YOU WERE TO PUT A BIT OF OLIVE OIL WHICH WON'T FREEZE, ON TOP OF THE WATER, AS IT'LL CAUSE A FILM TO BE ON TOP. I HAVEN'T TESTED MY THEORY AS I DON'T HAVE MY COOP COMPLETED AND NO CHICKENS LOL. BUT SINCE OLIVE OIL IS HEALTHY I WOULD ASSUME IT IS FOR THEM TOO. IF YOU TRY THIS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. TC AND THANKS. :) OH AND LOTS OF FOLKS HAVE LOST THEIR CHICKENS AND COOPS BY PUTTING ELECTRICITY IN THEM, NEVER KNOW WHEN THOSE LAMPS WILL GO BAD, OR WIRE. TC
Thanks for that tip!
@@AcresOfAdventure YOU'RE WELCOME. HAVE A BLESSED DAY. IF YOU WILL, LET ME KNOW IF YOU TRY IT. THANKS
Those black rubber tubs are what I use in the winter but we have had such a cold snap of winter right now and I can't even get the ice out in the morning to put fresh warm water in. I end up pouring hot water over the top of the ice about an inch or so. The chickens can still drink it even though it is only an inch of water over ice.
Turn them over and hit the bottom with a hammer.
If you pour hot water over the bottom of it you can pop it out.
Pick it up and slam it on the ground that’s what I do it works
You can also set those rubber tubs on dark colored garden paving stones. The dark colored garden papers will absorb heat all day, then radiate it back through the night.
Thanks Brenda, that sounds like a great tip!
It will help but when the Temps remain below freezing more than a couple of days, expect there will be ice & lots of it. I'm in NW Florida, so we don't see weeks of single digit temperature weather. I'd be looking into insulating the waterers... maybe recycling an old ice chest laid on its side, facing the sun & put the water bowl inside?
What if you try filling a thermos with boiling water then seal it up tight and drop it in your chicken drinker. Perhaps the small about of heat seaping out through the walls will help keep the water from freezing just a little longer.
If you are going to bring out fresh water or break the ice twice a day..wouldn't it be better to bring the waterer into your house at night. They don't drink at night. Plus, they will drink a half days water the first time they drink in the morning. Bring it back in after they drink (5 mins). Bring it back out before penning them up at night.
Do you know about the Compost and bucket trick? bury a bucket in the ground with Chicken Manure around it and under it as you back fill. Manure composting heat keeps the water from freezing.
I have heard about it after posting this, we have been trying it and it seems to work well
@@AcresOfAdventure the tire was a great idea, I won't be trying it as I am just 45 days away from moving to Florida.
We've had chickens for years... If there is powder snow, we just let them eat the snow. Learned that from an old timer and it works great.
Thank you, I figured they would eat snow if they need to
Excellent!
With the shhhhstuff being sprayed in the sky you should not let the chickens eat if you can help it! Do you know what Chemtrails are?
Not eat snow!!!
Great idea with the salt! We add apple cider vinegar to our water it changes the freezing point and helps with parasites. We also make a sleeve of the foil bubble wrap insulation we have had -0 temps and just slush in the plastic waters we do switch to the rubber bowels when our temps stay cold for extended periods. Thanks
Great tip! People should put ACV in their animals water it has great benefits
I honestly just use a metal bowl so I can just set it on my tree and pour a little bit of fresh room temp water on it and the ice will bust off by itself
Using PLASTIC bowls it'll bust the bowl because ice expands
Using METAL bowls freezing water will warp the metal but not bust it. It also freezes faster because the metal takes to temperatures it's touching faster than anything
Using RUBBER bowls very rarely it'll bust it but that's usually due to a manufacturing issue but they don't freeze as fast since rubber is a bit of an insulator
I can't use a rubber bowl because my coop is to small and I can't find any smaller than two quarts
Great break down, thank you!
Heated dog bowl on a timer. I only have mine on 15 minutes every hour.
It has to be battery operated if there is no electrical supply.
That would work good but it would take a lot of work to get electricity out to our coop area
@@AcresOfAdventure I used to run a long electrical cord from my house to the coop with a heat lamp during the coldest months (before I had underground electricity professionally installed).
I use 2 insulated nipple waters, place them in a large shallow pan or use a plastic oil pan so the water doesn't get the coop floor wet. Put them inside the chicken coop, fill with warm water, on really cold days change out about 1/2 way through the day, take frozen one inside to thaw out. In summer I freeze bowls of water and put in them to keep water cold.
The nipples do not freeze though and break?
@@AcresOfAdventure not in the past 3 years NE Missouri, had -35 wind chills last week, water froze solid, still ok.
On top of using rubber bowls, I always spray mine with Pam cooking spray or rub it down olive oil after cleaning them in the winter time. They'll still freeze in my area every night but the ice will pour right out 90% of the time
That sounds awesome! Do you fear that the Pam is bad for them at all?
@@AcresOfAdventure No not at all, Pam is mostly canola oil, coconut oil, palm oil and soybean extracts. I'm sure that there's other things in it but it doesn't mix in with the water at all and hasn't bothered them what so ever. Been doing it for years with zero effects.
Thanks!
One other thing that I have learned through trial and error. The more water that is in the bowl, the harder it is to get out. Each chicken has their own bowl (inside of their community pen, given that space allows) so that they aren't competing for bowl time with other semi territorial chickens. I also put each bowl on its own pirch pedestal to keep their water clean from dirt and bedding when they're scratching around. So I only put about 2 to 2 1/2 inches of water in each bowl, again through trial and error each bird has about 3 to 4 hours of drinking time before freezing in the coldest times of the year. Didn't mean to write a book but hopefully it can help someone out. Thanx
Great ideas, especially for someone just getting started with chickens and homesteading.
Glad it was helpful!
I would suggest the bowl as well. More work refilling daily but very useful. Great suggestions with the bottle of salt water and moving objects. I'm definitely going to try this! Thanks!
I've been using the rubber bowls for years. I got mine at Walmart in the pet supplies by pet bowls. They were cheap too. I use the huge one for water takes longer to freeze. The smaller for the food and scratch.
They work great Vicki your right!
I have used the black tub and salt water bottle for years, and have good luck here in our cold Maine winters. I have suggested it to several chicken friends, and they have been happy with the results too.
Love the bowl idea. The only thing I would add would be hot water to extend the length of time before freezing. Especially at night.
Perfect idea! Thanks
I know this hard to believe but hot water freezes at the same rate as cold water.
It may take a minute longer to freeze, but the chickens don't want to drink hot water. I want them to have a cool refreshing drink to their hearts content before it freezes
@@pizzaguy3645 actually hot water freezes faster than cold water, but I assume that its different if its hot water in an insulated box outside in the freezing cold
I was under the impression that chickens dont drink or eat at night because they have very poor vision in the dark. They roost and sleep, that's it. I've never worried about their water freezing at night. Most chicken keepers I know close their birds up for the night with no access to the outdoors.
You can also put the rubber water bowl into a tire (that you took the tube out if it had one) and stuff the inside and underneath with straw and then put your bowl, into the tire, surrounded by the straw. Make sure you have enough under the tire to keep if off the cold ground! It should insulate the bowl enough to keep it liquid for a good while.
For Winter our number 1 choice is to use heavy duty outdoor rated extension cords. Cut a small hole in the upper wall of your coop. Thread the extension cord thru the hole, attach a Thermocube. Then use an electric heated waterer.. I place it in a corner of the coop where I can easily check it and remove for cleaning and filling. Do NOT place it where perching chickens can poop in it. Another easy option is to have at least 2 black rubber bowls and keep swapping them out. Unbreakable!
I'm in mid Michigan, many days that never get above 20°. I use a 15 watt light bulb under a waterer. Held up with a 4 inch tall 8 inch dia stove pipe. I have experienced a light skim ice at the very top inside the water container, when I go to refill it, it melts when you add more water. The bulb and socket just lie on the floor, which is concrete. If your floor is wood a 12 inch ceramic tile could be uses to insulate the wood from burning.
Hint #1: Buy two waterers, when the one in use freezes take it inside to thaw out and replace it when the second waterer. This is much faster and your not wasting water.
Hint #2: Use a marine grade extenion cord the run to where your heated waterer is located.
Hint 2a: Buy a heated waterer with a preset thermostat.
Hint 2b: Use a Thermo Cube just before the waterer. It acts like a preset thermostat.
Good luck!
Great ideas!
This is why I do not have them! lol
I’d be worried about there waddles getting wet and freezing. Have you had any issues with that?
This is my problem… 2 of my poor roosters got frost bite on their waddles from using a open bowl. Even with trying to keep water to few inches (which means emptying ice and refilling 6 times a day in negative temps!!)
Maybe you could cover the top with some tape so only a small portion is open so it’s not all opened up?
@@AcresOfAdventure that has me thinking if I could find a container, one that won't bust from ice but comes with a lid of sorts... cut holes in the lid large enough for beak but holds back waddles...hmmmmm
The salt water idea sounds good on paper but in reality the temperature in that bottle matches the surrounding temperatures. The fresh water will freeze at 32f and the salt will freeze at 28f. The salt simply prevents water molecules from bonding until lower temperatures. It does not have a heating affect to the surrounding area.
Thank you!!! I’ve been dealing with the same situation! No electricity and frozen plastic waterers! I have a black tub in now and am going to try the salt water bottle!!!
Of course, hope it helps you out!
If you dig a3 to 4 for hole with these rubber bowls on top of it it will never freeze! The earths heat keeps it from freezing but you need to have a rim 3in above the rim of bowl if that makes sense! Most build a box around it with 2x10 sticking up past the bowl rim! Use a plastic covert pipe to line your 4ft deep hole
Great tip!
Any bird can get plenty of moisture from snow
This is true!
Or you could just use rubber dishes all year long…
Hey my sted dad has a company that sells high quality water nipples can cups for chickens and small pets if your interested the company is called northwest Quail farm
We would love great quality ones!
Well, if you keep your coop above freezing you have nothing to worry about. DUH! Heat the coop, NOT the water! Been there, done that.
We don’t like heating the coop, the chickens do fine without extra heat
Take care with roosters. I used a bowl with a water bottle full of salt water. It worked great but my roosters would get their waddles wet when they drank and then they got frostbite.
Thanks I haven’t thought about that
I just want to put this out there, bro you're not the first to raise chickens so why you got to go through the process of showing people how to chip ice from a water dish baffles the leading scientists as they scratch their heads wondering why you think people need every step of the way guidance. lmao
Take a 16 ounce empty disposable water bottle put 1 cup of salt in it then fill the rest with water, cap it off then put it inside the chickens water dish will also protect the chicken water from freezing above 0 degrees
Great tips! I had no idea you could just put stuff on top to float and that would help!
I bring waterer in at night... and swap when I gather eggs a couple times a day before the eggs freeze.
That always works too
We are in MI as well! This winter has been really harsh! Some of my chickens suffered from frostbite due to the humidity in their coop but they’re still ticking thankfully.
The black rubber bowel smells so bad. I don’t think it will be safe for ur chickens
Yeah we do a good clean of it when we first get it but I can hear what your saying
I bring fresh water out every morning....it stays in my coop ( about 7 degrees warmer than outside)....& if it's very cold I change it a couple of times a day....bring in every evening.....why would you try to chip out ice...have 2 or 3 waterers...lol...if mine is frozen I put in my garage it thaws in a few hours....common sense
Sounds like a great plan you have!
Exactly how long does it last please before freezing over?
Half the day probably
What I do is at night when I put the girls in I take the water dishes in and fill them and take them out after letting them out in the yard
That’s a great ide!
That salt water bottle did not work for my water dish in my quail bowl
It just helps slow down the freezing, won’t stop the freezing
After Everybody Gets a Drink Pour Water out of Waterer So next time U Water them U don't Have to Break Ice... I have Racing Pigeons now for 65 Years & this Works for Me...
Thank you for that tip
That bowl fits inside a tiresnug insulate inside tire. 💯
Good call!
I’m in Michigan too so I feel your frozen water frustrations. I’m going to try the salt water bottle in my rabbit bowls. I use the 2 quart rubber bowls for them, but they still freeze too. I’m trying to think of what container I could use to put salt water in for my cattle and pig tanks 🤔 Lorie 😊
2 liter soda bottles or 1/2 or 1 gallon juice bottles might work. I don't think the salt water bottle idea works well where there are months of freezing temperatures, like Minnesota or Wyoming, but should be helpful in places where there's just a week or so of below freezing temperatures.
Glad that this has helped you Lorie!
Good advice thank you for sharing this with us. 💕NonnaGrace 🐓
My father in law would take a galvanized bucket, cut a hole in the side toward the bottom just big enough to fit the cord through, use a drop light and a metal mixing bowl that fits the rim of the bucket, works great.
The newer light bulbs that feel like plastic don’t give off heat, use the glass bulbs, I found this out trying to keep chicks warm.
Keep a good portion of the water surface covered with maybe rigid insulation to prevent heat loss from convection and heat loss caused by evaporation. Place the rubber bowl in a rigid insulation diy box. You basically put the bowl in an insulated cooler to help reduce the cooling effect to the surroundings.
There’s another homesteader ion the east coast and he took an old tire, put a round foam board on the bottom , used spray foam to fill the cavity and trimmed it when it dried so that one of those rubber bowls fit in it level to the top. He timed it and the water sat out in 10 degrees I think for 7 hours before a thin layer of ice formed.
Thanks Cindy! That idea sounds great
Michigan here too. And we have come up to the same exact conclusion you have. Using the same waterers.
I thought the cups were going to work this winter. I have a heater in the bucket. But the cups still freeze even though the water in the bucket stays liquid with the heater. Temperatures are just too cold for the lukewarm water in the cups to stay liquid very long.
I love the cups for any other weather but just doesn’t seem to work for the cold weather
The big rubberized flat feed and water bowls work best. Empty it each evening. Fill it in the morning refill twice a day. Plastic water bottle filled with salt water works good to keep from freezing as fast.
We live in Indiana and ran power to the chicken coop for lighting, ceramic heating bulbs, and a bird bath water heater, placed in a 5 gallon bucket with watering nipples It only 25 watts and works perfect.
The light helps in winter egg laying, the heating bulbs were essential for the recent cold blast, and the heated water bucket worked great 👍 Great video and information