Freezing drinker

rick

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Warwickshire UK
I've just realised I have a flask that will fit in the drinker. Has frozen over twice today but I must remember to take it out this evening or it might freeze solid in the night and knacker it.
flask.jpeg
 

rick

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Warwickshire UK
My mistake was filling the flask to the top with hot water. It now has the top vacuumed on so tight I'm going to have to boil the thing for an hour to get it off!
 

LadyA

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Was a good idea, though. Thankfully, we didn't get it quite so cold here. Our corner even escaped snow. We had torrential rain, while other parts of the country were blanketed in snow!

Sent from my SM-A415F using Tapatalk

 

bigyetiman

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2,401
Definitely the worst think is freezing drinkers. We just fill ours up with the minimum amount each day and top up as necessary. Empty out at night. Which is ok if you are about in the day. Could be worse, our neighbour had the sheep and cattle troughs freeze, that's a lot of buckets to cart back and forth
 

Hen-Gen

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Island of Fetlar, Shetland Islands
My outside tap seemed to be the only one not frozen last week. So endless visits from a crofting neighbour for water. And though sheep don’t seem to be bothered about water at this time of year about a dozen pigs and forty odd cows need a hell of a lot. Quad bike trailer full of 25litre drums uses a lot of water!
Even so my chicken drinkers remained unfrozen.
Years ago I saw someone’s arrangement where metal water troughs were positioned over a tea light candle which kept the water unfrozen. I’m sure it worked but the fire hazard aspect would witter me to death.
 

LadyA

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Hen-Gen said:
My outside tap seemed to be the only one not frozen last week. So endless visits from a crofting neighbour for water. And though sheep don’t seem to be bothered about water at this time of year about a dozen pigs and forty odd cows need a hell of a lot. Quad bike trailer full of 25litre drums uses a lot of water!
Even so my chicken drinkers remained unfrozen.
Years ago I saw someone’s arrangement where metal water troughs were positioned over a tea light candle which kept the water unfrozen. I’m sure it worked but the fire hazard aspect would witter me to death.

I've seen that done. Drinker mounted on a concrete block encosure with a candle in the centre of the enclosure.
 

Icemaiden

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Kent
I have two drinkers for this time of year. When I feed the hens & poo pick in the morning, I swap the frozen drinker for a fresh one. The frozen one comes indoors to defrost, ready to clean and refill for later on or the next day (depending on how quickly it freezes).
 

rick

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Location
Warwickshire UK
I'm imagining the inky black soot circle on the bottom of the metal trough. That's how nano carbon 'buckyballs' were discovered - if only they had known!
Well no more freezing drinkers - a friend commented today that it was spring! A bit optimistic but double figurers and sunshine!
 
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