Frozen Drinking Water

[kitty]

Hi all, I have to be away for the whole day tomorrow so I will be unable to make sure that my chooks drinking water will not freeze over as I currently have to do so about 4/5 times a day.
Last winter I did try the addition of glycerine, but found that it had little or no effect. Can anyone give some advice urgently as I don't want my chooks to be without water and I do not have anyone to look after them either.
PS, I did notice on occasions last year the hens did eat some snow and we still have a reasonable amount still down in their run.
Thanks in advance

 

[elmwood]

Hi,

I am trying to rack my brains and I am sure the more seasoned keepers will have an idea. All I can say is can you somehow keep the water moving? .....

Our fish have a small pump in their barrel which thankfully, is keeping the water flow circulating albeit it rather pathetically given the fact the barrel is 3" thick in ice. I know buying a pump and rigging it up in some kind of water container is a bit far fetched..... Mine arn't even drinking at the moment, and like you I keep popping into the shed, with a pan of warmed water to replace the frozen bowls. I have given up completely on the proper water feeder-as it is frozen solid.

Hope you sort something out.......

 

[kitty]

Thanks for that , I am giving the water feeder a twist about every hour which keeps it from freezing over and thats fine when I'm here, but I can't think of any quick fix especially as I'm away from home from 6.00 a.m. until 6.00p.m. just for tomorrow.
I guess I'll have to try and up the amount of glycerine in the water and hope for the best.
I notice you say your water is in the shed, but due to the small size of my coup, this would be impossible and even so would still freeze up in these temperatures. Also, my chooks rarely go in the coup during the day except to lay as long as its not raining very heavily.

 

[Tim]

Put some water in their house - it shouldn't freeze over quite as quickly. If you give them water first thing, they should have a little while to drink, then give them some when you get home - you can leave a small torch in the coop and if thirsty, they will come down and have a drink before going back up to roost.

Glycerine should also work.


No use for tomorrow of course but this water heater keeps the chickens water container from freezing: http://tinyurl.com/2cgqtpl

 

[Blue]

somebody I know recommended putting a drop of veg oil in the water.
Have tried it tonight with my goats - they have a washing up bowl for water so Im hoping the large surface area will be broken up by the oil.

If it works, I'll try it with the chicken drinkers & let you know!

spent ages wrapping the rabbits' & guineapigs' water bottles in bubble wrap too...

11

 

[charlielavin]

I've heard putting some sugar in will help prevent it freezing, but also using warm water makes it freeze quicker.

I have no scientific proof of these and for all i know they might just be old wives tales! 11

 

[kitty]

Thanks all, some interesting ideas there, will try some of those out, let you know how I get on.

 

[Lucylou]

Glycerine does work. What I don't know though is exactly what the ratio of glycerine to water is.

On Sunday once I'd defrosted the water container & filled it with about 2 pints water, I added a few drops (well, its thick, so a glob )of glycerine. On Monday morning it was a bit frozen in the dish but the main bucket part was OK. So, this morning I've added another 'glob'. I'll let you know if its better tomorrow!

 

[victorias poultry]

I use glycerine. Seems to work okay

 

[kitty]

Just to let you know I did put an extra glug of glycerine in and it certainly helped although when I got home there was just a very thin layer of ice on the surface, but it was'nt frozen solid as it was previously.
Thanks again for all your suggestions.

 

[jimred]

I run out my extension lead,plug in my mini propagator (which is water proof) turn it upside down and put the drinker on it, work great, the girls all try to stand on the edge of the propagator keeping their feet warm!

 

[karlooben]

i would say place the water wintin the house in the furthest corner away from an doors , so far only one of my water containers froze and that was the plastic one with the red base the water in the china bowl hasnt frozen yet .

 

[Tim]

The only thing I would mention regarding Glycerin is that it shouldn't be used in bathing water (eg for ducks) as it gets onto the feathers and can damage their waterproof qualities.

This is apparently why the RSPB tell people not to add it to water.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi All - joined just this evening. New to forums, chickens and posts! However delighted there is some info on preventing water freezing - going to try the glycerine and let you know.Also read about putting polystyrene container around drinker.
Our hens are ex-batts so have had some trouble with pecking - one poor bird was almost pecked to death one night - however feathered again and seems none the worse - tried putting her back but no joy. Hey Ho!
Really loving looking after them though - warm bran mash every day during this cold spell and they also go mad for mealworms - anyone found anything else they enjoy.
17

 

[Anonymous]

hi,really glad you're enjoying the the forum.Do let us know how you get on with the polystyrine,all my hens eat polystyrine.They love it for some peculiar reason.
I did find this out by accident,when insulating my p.h.q.(poultry head quarters)which is my silly name for my poultry shed,I used large polystyrine squares that are about 2" thick.Before geting the wood plyboard stuff over the polystyrine all the hens attacked the polystyrine with vengence,eating it as quick as poss.The rotters took off round my garden with big chunks of it,with me in hot pursuit.

 

[karlooben]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[Tim]

Yes, be careful with polystyrene. It needs to be boxed without any of it showing or they will peck at it and eat it.

It's obviously not too good for them and I have heard of growers killing themselves after stuffing themselves with it.

Even with polystyrene, I think the water in the drinker base where the chickens drink will still freeze being in contact with the cold air.

A heat pad works of course...

 

[Pony Girl]

I've cut the legs off a pair of tights and pulled these over the main body of the drinker, then wrapped a layer of bubblewrap round it and put another pair of tights over the top so the plastic is sandwiched in between the two layers of tights. Do you think that's ok? I've added a glob of glycerin as well, and on really cold days am leaving them water upstairs in their perching area. There's not enough room up there for a drinker so I've left them water in a plastic bowl.

Is water in a china bowl less likely to freeze than in plastic?

 

[karlooben]

i have to admit my china bowl in one of the hen houses hasnt quite froze as solid as the plastic one in another of my houses but i just keep taking down warm water those 5 litre plastic milk bottles come in very handy for chicken water bowls ,1 does my two houses for one day 10 i dont go anywhere without them in the winter i use them on the car , horses , chickens

 

[darkbrowneggs]

i have to admit my china bowl in one of the hen houses hasnt quite froze as solid as the plastic one in another of my houses but i just keep taking down warm water those 5 litre plastic milk bottles come in very handy for chicken water bowls ,1 does my two houses for one day 10 i dont go anywhere without them in the winter i use them on the car , horses , chickens

You have just given me an idea - I might fill one of those milk containers with really hot water and use it as a hot water bottle in the water container. I'll let you know how it works

All the best
Sue