Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: desandchez on January 01, 2009, 00:39
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how do you stop the drinking water from freezing?
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That's not an easy one :lol:
I think I have read some info on here somewhere about using a water heater from a fish tank :? Although that will need electricity :(
I shall go have a look around :D
Sarah :)
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Found a couple of things on here, there is a link from Foxy to some heater pads (5th post down) & Aunt Sally(even further down) mentions the fish tank heater :D
http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?t=26974
Sarah :D
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Failing that, it's a case of filling the drinker when you let them out and keep an eye on it best you can. Warm water will obviously be better.
Rob 8)
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thanks for the replies the only trouble is that the chickens are on the allotment and we have no electricity, seem to remember that warm water freezes quicker than cold :? just trying a tennis ball in a bowl of water,we were wondering about putting sun flower or corn oil into the water,we would appriciate your views on this
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Not knowing anything about chickens, I'm a bit reluctant to offer a solution but here goes. Please take it as a possible answer needing checking. As children we used to keep rabbits and in the winter to stop the water freezing we added a little glucose to the water to lowered the freezing point. It didn't appear to harm the rabbits. It might be worth a try. Can't see that a little sugar water can harm chooks, might be better than being thirsty or constant trips to the allotment.
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If you've got enough space try putting the drinker in the hen house. The warmth from the chickens should keep it unfrozen.
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I have this anxiety too. I have tried keeping a small (2litre) drinker inside the house, but that froze too! and one of the hens wet her tail in the trough and her feathers froze! We have lots of freezing days and I worry on work days as I am out 7.30 - 6.30 so they are asleep when I get home. I have no way of knowing how long their water stays liquid - so far they haven't come to any harm, but it is worrying.
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Whereabouts are you Jane-M ?
Is there any electrical supply near your coop ?
Rob 8)
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Hi Rob - I'm in North Northumberland 500 feet up - chilly winters. Our house is near the coop, but OH is most reluctanct (ie has put down his foot) to drill through an exterior wall to bring electricity to the outside. I had wondered about constructing some sort of framework to allow me to burn a paraffin cold frame heater under the water container, although I'd have to replace the plastic one with a metal one of course :)
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I had heared that a drop of glicerin(not sure on spelling ) in the water would help stop it from freezing
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i know that you can get solar powered lights/battery chargers etc...you do you think it would be possible to fiddle about with one enough to charge a fish tank heater???
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we're filling daily and adding some hot to keep temp up now and then...
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I'm not sure that adding sugar is a good idea. I've always been told that you should not give anything with sugar or salt.
It would take quite a bit of sugar to stop the water from freezing during these cold spells.
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Movement slows down freezing, a solar water fountain like you get for ponds/water features might work if there is enough light this time of year. Or could run an air line to it, that might be enough. put the pump inside then run a long airline (about 5mm tube) into the bowl to bubble near the surface. It would mean no electric cables outside.
A floating ball can work to leave a gap in a pond, a ping pong ball or two in the bowl maybe? If they nudge it enough when they drink it might stop the surface freezing.
Tam
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Oh Tam - if only! Surface freezing yes the plastic ball works well as they like to peck it, but I can have a full washing up bowl of water freeze solid in half a day when it's cold.
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I've found a couple of links to ideas. The first seems a bit elaborate and I've no idea if the 2nd one would work or not...
LINK1 (http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/popular-mechanics/The-Boy-Mechanic-1000-Things-for-Boys-to-Do/To-Prevent-Poultry-Water-From-Freezing.html)
LINK2 (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/143167/how_to_prevent_your_horses_stock_tank.html?cat=53) Option 2, digging holes.
Good luck ! :wink:
Rob 8)
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thanks for all the great replies we have placed a tennis ball in the bowl as for ther drinker we take it down each night and place it in the green house with a parafin heater. with the weather about to get colder we will have to wait and see
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Oh Tam - if only! Surface freezing yes the plastic ball works well as they like to peck it, but I can have a full washing up bowl of water freeze solid in half a day when it's cold.
Eep, sounds chilly! Doesn't usually get that bad here luckily. My water rabbit bottles usually stay okay with just an insulated cover.
Tam
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thanks for all the great replies we have placed a tennis ball in the bowl as for ther drinker we take it down each night and place it in the green house with a parafin heater. with the weather about to get colder we will have to wait and see
If you're in Leatherhead, chances are all you will need to do most of the tme is have a small drinker in the coop itself. So far the temperature has gone down to minus 5 degrees C in my part of surrey and the coop has kept my water supplies from freezing.
I obviously cannot comment on the conditions in further north!
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well it was -8 this morning the water in the bowl with the tennis ball was a complete failiure the water in the greenhouse saved the day,still with the temp this low we will just keep checking through out the day
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I have tried veg oil..no success...I remember when I was younger that and old guy used to add something called liqiud parrafin...I think it was a medicine of some kind but I have'nt tried it, my father in law says you used to get it as a LAXATIVE
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well nothing has worked well so far. so now i think its time to develope one of the links from a previous message, my plan is this, we have two wooden plant tubs which were half beer barrels,i'll empty one out when she is not looking invert it cut out a piece like a mouse hole, place it on a platform about 9-12 inches off the ground put a container of water water close to the mouse hole cut out, and a parafin hurican lamp the other side the barrel is placed over the whole lot might have to drill a few air holes i'll let you know how i get on
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Be careful. Don't want any fires :shock:
If you can take photos, it might be of use to other members. Well done for giving it a go :D
Rob 8)
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Ive been using one of these..
http://www.oscardehn.com/motherandchild/handwarmers.asp
I top the water up in the morning, then late morning I activate the handwarmer and pop it into the water container. It seems to keep it from freezing, then when I shut them up for the night, I take it out, and re-activate it ready for the next day. Seems to be working, the water was still clear when I went out tonight to shut them in. :D
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Ive been using one of these..
http://www.oscardehn.com/motherandchild/handwarmers.asp
I top the water up in the morning, then late morning I activate the handwarmer and pop it into the water container. It seems to keep it from freezing, then when I shut them up for the night, I take it out, and re-activate it ready for the next day. Seems to be working, the water was still clear when I went out tonight to shut them in. :D
what a fantastic idea! Do you mind reposting in the winter tip sticky??? stop it getting lost :D :D
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there is another solution to try and reading your posts made me think of it although i havent tried it yet .
for those who can get hold of horse manure or even compost soil, place it in a bucket an then somehow place your water over the top so that niether the water container or the chocks cant push it in or over an then let the natural heat from the source keep the water from freezing .maybe wrap the bucket in an old blanket or sheet of materail that will keep the warmth in more , and u know what i am going to try this tmorw although i havent really had a probelm with my water freezing all that much an we have been down to -3. i used to do this sort of thing many years ago at the stables to stop our main taps an pipes from freezing .
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Ive been using one of these..
http://www.oscardehn.com/motherandchild/handwarmers.asp
I top the water up in the morning, then late morning I activate the handwarmer and pop it into the water container. It seems to keep it from freezing, then when I shut them up for the night, I take it out, and re-activate it ready for the next day. Seems to be working, the water was still clear when I went out tonight to shut them in. :D
what a fantastic idea! Do you mind reposting in the winter tip sticky??? stop it getting lost :D :D
all done :wink:
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Sorry to be a worry guts - the handwarmer contains sodium acetate. If it leaked into the water would it harm the birds? It does look a very elegant solution though. Unlike mine - I am testing it over night to see if I can use it tomorrow while I am at work. Will post pics and explanation if it is successful.
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Ive been using one of these..
http://www.oscardehn.com/motherandchild/handwarmers.asp
I top the water up in the morning, then late morning I activate the handwarmer and pop it into the water container. It seems to keep it from freezing, then when I shut them up for the night, I take it out, and re-activate it ready for the next day. Seems to be working, the water was still clear when I went out tonight to shut them in. :D
what a fantastic idea! Do you mind reposting in the winter tip sticky??? stop it getting lost :D :D
all done :wink:
thanks! :D :D
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Sorry to be a worry guts - the handwarmer contains sodium acetate. If it leaked into the water would it harm the birds? It does look a very elegant solution though. Unlike mine - I am testing it over night to see if I can use it tomorrow while I am at work. Will post pics and explanation if it is successful.
I think the handwarmers should be OK they are designed to EU safety standards and are used for children -but wise to check they are patent every time used.
Be interested in your idea -there are a lot of peeps here with horses! :D :D
My OH has just suggested putting bricks in the oven and then placing the drinkers on top :shock:
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Am I right in thinking re the horse manure/compost idea that it would have to be already well on its way to breaking down to have the necessary heat? Also wouldn't you need a very large pile of it to maintain the heat?
Sorry to be a pain but I poo pick my paddocks daily and you could use the poo to play golf with at the moment as its well frozen. Its great as the job is a lot easier!!
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i would use manure of the muck heap as its already nicely heated and i should think that a bucket full should do for now { place wood ontop of the bucket then the water container on top } , i could not do mine today as we had probs down the stables, the main water tap burst at the seems an water was going everywhere another slippery morning tomorw at 5,30 am :cry: :cry: as well as 8 ton of hay being deleived :lol: so it was chaos for me and i did not get back tell its was getting dark. i cant see no reason why it would not work
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how do you stop the drinking water from freezing?
are you on a water meter,if not flowing water may help
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I've got the fish tank heater my chooks water now (a la Munty) :D
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we are on an allotment and the council have turned off the water for the winter anyway I dont think Icould justify the waste