Tip for drinkers in freezing weather

[Icemaiden]

For the benefit of anyone out there looking after hens (or other poultry) through their first cold winter, I thought I'd share a tip for when drinkers freeze.

Each day when I feed the hens & take them clean water, I bring their (second) dirty drinker back indoors. If the contents are liquid, I empty the drinker on the garden or down a drain. If it’s frozen, you can leave it in the bath or shower to defrost (we've got an outbuilding with a sink that I leave the drinker in to drain as it slowly defrosts).

This means that I've got a non-frozen drinker to clean & refill for the next morning. Having a second drinker also means that you've got a spare if one of your hens is kept away from the drinker by others higher in the pecking order.

 

[bigyetiman]

Exactly our routine, we empty the drinker at night, refill in morning. We have a couple of spares of various sizes. Ditto feeders, as you know that if you need a replacement it will be when the shop is shut

 

[Hen-Gen]

Well that sounds sensible. I’ll do that one. Second problem is snow on the roof lights. I reckon as domesticated jungle fowl they’re used to moving about in Stygian gloom. Nevertheless it’s all due to be over on Sunday. Walking about in 8 inches of snow is very tiring.

 

[Icemaiden]

Glad the snow melted in time for your festivities tonight. Or is that just on Shetland?