4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[littlegem]

Hi Everyone

 

Not posted for a while but everything is going fine, except my Gingernut Ranger Wilma is pecking poor Betty and pulling out all her feathers. Have sprayed her with Genitian Violet spray and bought them a pecking block so hopefully she will leave her alone. Just wondered if anyone has a tip for stopping their water freezing in the Glugs??? I'm sure I read some tips on here but can't find them and as it is now really frosty should I be putting Vaseline on their combs??? Also can a make a porrige with their layers pellets..........do you just mix them with hot water. Sorry for all the questions and Happy New Year to you all in case I don't get back on tomorrow

[sandyhas3chucks]

yes just add the water. you can give ready brek too made with water & the real oats made wth water I think lots just take water in at night & put out again. I would try a bottle warmer(those polestyrene things) or flask with water.but mine practically live indoors so not a problem. YET

[chelsea]

I've never applied vaseline to my girls combs and they've survived

[Egluntyne]

I never bother with the vaseline to the combs and one hasn't dropped off yet.

 

Yes to the hot water and pellets.

 

Try a ping pong ball in the glug....that is supposed to help stop the water freezing.

 

I do the early morning pyjama and kettle walk myself.

[Olly]

Only problem I found is that although I was pouring hot water into the Glug and breaking the ice, the metal nipples were frozen solid. I had to bring the whole bloomin' thing indoors this morning to defrost it!

[Tiggy]

my girls are cheeky monkeys & chase eachother around for the slivers of ice they pull out of the glug

[sandyhas3chucks]

hot and or boiling water freezes faster than cold.

think just as well bring it in doors. less work!

[Barbara Thatcher]

Just wondered if anyone has a tip for stopping their water freezing in the Glugs??? I'm sure I read some tips on here but can't find them and as it is now really frosty should I be putting Vaseline on their combs??? Also can a make a porrige with their layers pellets..........do you just mix them with hot water.

 

 

I just found the post you were looking for and it says to put a ping pong ball in the Glug to stop the water freezing solid. I usually just break the surface with my fingers but I think I will try the ball if it going to be really cold.

 

I haven't tried making a porridge with the layers pellets but I often give my girls porridge oats made with water. they love it and the carbohydrate (low glycaemic index) helps to keep them warmer at night.

[Trish]

Citricidal in the water the can help stopping it freeze as can a little bit of glycerine, lowers the freezing point.

[AbigailGrace]

I didn't know you could use pellets to make porridge..

 

I thought it was only mash..

 

I'm going to buy some of this as it has been recomened by nearly everyone who has used it..

 

http://www.longcroftsoap.co.uk/catalog.php?item=37&catid=8&ret=catalog.php%3Fcategory%3D8

[Chook n Boo Mum]

What pampered little princesses you will have AbigailGrace!

 

My 3 don't get their combs rubbed with anything yet - if the temp dropped drastically for a long time I may reconsider, but they are ok at the mo.

 

I always get whichever slave is detailed to shut the chooks up of an evening to bring in their porridge bowl, pellet peanut & water peanut, then they are all taken back out the next morning topped up & ready to go with warm porridge (which may be last nights leftovers with some extra hot water added ) fresh water with cider vinegar added if I'm on duty, and a top up of pellets if they've snaffled them the previous day. They give me "what for" if I take too long putting the feeders back in the run "hurry up mum, get a move on we want to come out....NOW!!!"

 

Sha x

[HENthusiastic]

.but mine practically live indoors so not a problem. YET

Your girls live indoors? Do they snuggle in on the sofa for a good film and a pizza on an evening?

[sandyhas3chucks]

you missed the "practically". My cheeky moe has taken to sitting on my lap whilst I am on pc, or last night roosting on my shoulder until I put her to bed, and yes she is one of 2 that has been sleeping "in the house" for months now, still struggling to grow her new feathers since arriving, smallest, bullied & "Mummy broke her leg girl" bare bummed, egg a day girl!

def not spoilt or favourite

[helenmb]

I do the early morning pyjama and kettle walk myself.

 

Me too! I also do the bird baths as the same time on the way to the girlies. Or I just take out a clean glug and replace the frozen one with it. So far it hasn't frozen too much during the day but today I will have to keep an eye on things as its still not above zero yet .

 

I often make a sort of porridge with bio-yoghurt (I make my own in a thermos flask) and some water too with either layers meal/mash or pellets. They love it, particularly if you add in extras too like a few seeds or raisins.

[Tessa the Duchess]

The ping pong ball solution does NOT work, I tried it yesterday, Glug frozen solid this morning I think I will go back to using glycerine in their water as I found this worked as long as the temp doesn't drop below about -2. Hope I don't have to resort to the early morning kettle in my pjs method

 

Tessa

[frenchlayer]

Hi Ladies.

 

I knew I could come here and find lots of ideas for stopping the water freezing. I have been back in the UK on hols and my neighbour has been doing the chooks whilst I was away.

 

We have two water feeders, one outside and one inside their house. Even the one in their house has been freezing with the cold. So he put several large water bottles filled with hot water in their house, and said that that seemed to stop it freezing overnight.

 

I was thinking of getting and old blanket and putting over the house too. I think I am going to bring the outside one in, that sounds the easiest.

 

Wishing you all merry Christmas and happy new year.

 

Julie

[Plum]

I've moved the superglug down low today and just put water on top of the ice. Was late and had to get to work. It was still defrosted tonight though temperatures are -2C.

[Bohochic]

Anymore ideas for stopping the glug from freezing during the day?

 

I leave it defrosted in the morning and when I get back in the evening it's completely frozen....bit worried the girls aren't getting enough fluid in the day....

 

So far we've had:

 

Ping Pong Ball

Glycerine/Citricidal

Hot Water in Bottles in Glug

[helenmb]

There is a thread with some ideas already running here with a link further down to a heated pad you can put underneath a water drinker (scroll to the bottom of the web page).

 

It looks like you have tried most of the usual options though. Lets hope the cold snap clears up pronto.

[sandyhas3chucks]

Someones put a heated plant propergator pad underneath. & worked a treat!

[Yolko]

My winter temperatures frequently dip below -10 and I've found that covering the Egloo with a doubled over duvet and a ground sheet helps keep my girls nice and warm. They love porridge and I give them a sprinkle of Chicken Spice in it also a codliver oil capsule which seems to perk them up a bit in the snowy weather. In the winter I cover their run with a large ground sheet it keeps the snow off them and they like to shelter under it. I also fill their run with straw - am thinking of bobble hats and scarves as well!! or do you think that's a bit too far!! We've currently got loads of snow here on my valley side, and more predicted, but girls still laying and chasing off the dog - it gives them some exercise and shows the dog who's boss.

 

Yolko clarrisa, Nigella, rip Delia 10.7.09 , Billy (admin)