[Jane-M]

Sorry to be depressing when we've just survived such a nasty summer, but here in north west Northumberland the frosts have started. We always get very hard frosts, sometimes prolonged without a break for a week or more. My girls have a an 8 litre plastic drinker suspended in their run and I am concerned about keeping it frost free, especially on days when I am at work and away from the house for 11 hours.

Wrapping in bubble wrap won't cut the mustard for the hard frosts, although fine for general winter weather.

I have a paraffin cold frame heater that I thought I could put under it at a tiny flame - have to be careful not the get the plastic drinker hot of course  :shock: - but will this be safe for the girls? will they have the sense not to touch it? I intend to place it in a solid container so they can't get to it directly. If it does get tipped it goes out. It is about the same diameter as the drinker so wont impede their access to the water.

[karlooben]

hello , i have read your post and wandered if u could maybe try wrapping the drinker in garden fleece an then bubble wrap an then garden fleece again , there is a fleece  thats very thick am sure u could get it at any garden centres . i use it for my cat as she now sleeps in my greenhouse { dog scared her out the house } an when i pick her up after a cold night laying on this fleece she is actully more then very very warm .,i know thats a totally difference in the topic but maybe its worth trying .

i am going to be worried sick about my girls during the winter .

[Aunt Sally]

I used an idea of Munty's last winter and put a fish tank heater on an RCD in my girls water, it  worked a treat.  I use an open top (omlet) water holder rather than a bell one.

[karlooben]

wicked idea , i must totally admit that the water freezing over is something i hadnt thought of yet i normally worry enough about the horses tough but now i will have to worry about the girls water    although they are checked about 10 times a day by so many ppl am sure any of them will help keep the water unfrozen .

[Kate and her Ducks]

Hail here today :cry:

[too many girls]

we put tennis balls in our water troughs, it stops them freezing over, maybe a ping pong ball would do the same, only a thought.

[sunshinemedic]

Tennis balls?? How does that stop freezing?

Anybody ever heard of "No Ice for Bird Baths"? A bit pricey though.

[nnbreeder]

What is a typical winter like where you are at? I know that you are much further north then we are here So it seems that you would be colder longer than we are. Typically our first frost is about mid to late Oct but it starts to warm back up about mid March. The extremes are -15F in winter and up to 115F in summer. Here is a pic of my Malay that broke through a snow drift a few years back. I had to go rescue him.
 

[Knight Family]

The Joy of the Gulf Stream keeps us warmer in the UK, but unfortunatly it also means we tend to get the same weather all year round dodo!

But wet, wet, some frost but very little snow, well thats on the North west side of the UK.

P.S. I like the idea of the fish tank heater!

[Foxy]

could you pop a small drinker in the henhouse for emergencies?

[Jane-M]

Foxy your solution is so simple - thank you! The big drinker had ice in the trough bit this morning, puzzled hens! But I will do the triple layering bubble and fleece too. Many thanks all.