Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[pistachio]

just found something on internet - you can put near boiling water into glass bottles and stick them into the glug and that apparently helps by moving around in the water and by providing a slow(ish) release of warmth - will keep looking

[pistachio]

vodka won't freeze

[AbigailGrace]

I use one of these at the moment. I refil the Glug everymorning with warmish water, then after a couple of hours I activate the handwarmer and pop it in. Then at night, I empty the glug out, remove the gel pad and re-activate it by boiling, ready for the next day.

 

http://www.oscardehn.com/motherandchild/handwarmers.asp

 

It seems to be working okish as it keeps one side of the glug free from ice, may get a second one for the other side.

 

Yeah thats a good idea..

 

They have them at Aldi..

[Egluntyne]

I've seen suggestions on other forums about adding sugar, honey or molasses to the water to stop it freezing.

 

Trouble is...no-one gives specific measurements, and I'm not sure how good these would be for the hens.

[The Dogmother]

I would think that they are too sweet myself.

 

There was a debate on here a few years back about using glycerine, but Louise worked out that the quantities needed to be effective would be detrimental to their health.

[sandyhas3chucks]

I would think that they are too sweet myself.

 

.

yes then would they not be inclined to drink too much? that I am guessing wouldn't be so good for them either.

would I be right or wrong in thinking that they don't need to drink AS much in this weather though someone told me if they don't get enough they are more likely to get crop bound?

[mostin]

I've seen suggestions on other forums about adding sugar, honey or molasses to the water to stop it freezing.

 

Trouble is...no-one gives specific measurements, and I'm not sure how good these would be for the hens.

 

Other forums !!!, how very dare you

[Happy chickens!]

Couldn't resist passing this on to you all:

 

The freezing point of sugar water is calculated as follows:

 

delta temp= kb times molality(concentration of the sugar water). kb is the freezing point constant for the particular solvent, in this case water.

 

Now I hope that makes perfect sense to everyone...

[sandyhas3chucks]

oh yes... clear as... well mollasses in water

now in English please

[Snowy]

I only realised today that all my glugs were frozen solid! Not just on the tops!

I emptied them this morning and the lumps of ice are STILL sat in my sink

[Lewis]

How about popping a table tennis or gold ball in the water?

It works in ponds so that the fish can breathe, but I think that's just so that there is a hole in the top.

Could be worth a try, but the handwarmers idea is a good one

[DorianGray]

We have two Glugs to cater for our 4 birds in their Eglu + Extender, and like one of the earlier posters I got tired of scrabbling around on my hands & knees to refill them.

 

My simple solution was to cut a short piece of garden hose & poke this through the run so it reaches both Glugs. With the simple attachment of a small funnel both drinkers can be refilled from outside the run.

 

Also, in this cold spell the girls only have one Glug in their run at a time, the other is kept emply so it can be filled & given to them when the other one is frozen.

[helenmb]

I only realised today that all my glugs were frozen solid! Not just on the tops!

I emptied them this morning and the lumps of ice are STILL sat in my sink

I took my Glug out of the run the day 3 days ago as it was frozen almost solid. Tipped it upside down on one of the raised beds to try and get it to defrost and only today have I managed to break the remaning glug shaped piece of ice out of is so I can shove it in the dishwasher .

[Toots]

Haven't got a link but there are home brew shops online that sell thermostatic bands

 

Kinda like a bandage that heats up. you could wrap it round the glug and turn it on for a while. as wine/beer can be brewed at different temperatures they may have a temp dial that you can alter??

[BarbaraJ]

I only realised today that all my glugs were frozen solid! Not just on the tops!

I emptied them this morning and the lumps of ice are STILL sat in my sink

I took my Glug out of the run the day 3 days ago as it was frozen almost solid. Tipped it upside down on one of the raised beds to try and get it to defrost and only today have I managed to break the remaning glug shaped piece of ice out of is so I can shove it in the dishwasher .

 

wouldn't it have been easier to pour some hot water in it!

[Happy chickens!]

Sandy, I was hoping no one would ask that!

 

Had a vague idea from school science that there was a formula about it, amazing what you can find on google!! - It just means the more sugar you add, the lower the freezing point is. I think it needs to be at least a quarter sugar to make much of a significant difference and I don't suppose that's much good for the chooks.

 

At least it's getting warmer at the moment!

[Barkisland]

The drinker heater from Wells Poultry Housing, as per link posted by Happy chickens!, works a treat. Thanks again for the link

[sandyhas3chucks]

Haven't got a link but there are home brew shops online that sell thermostatic bands

 

Kinda like a bandage that heats up. you could wrap it round the glug and turn it on for a while. as wine/beer can be brewed at different temperatures they may have a temp dial that you can alter??

Interesting any more info?

[helenmb]

wouldn't it have been easier to pour some hot water in it!

Well of course that was the other option but I had hoped it would sort itself out without me carting even more stuff down to the run.

[sandyhas3chucks]

blast I meant to check adain. at 11 am I put a small sealed jamjar of boiling water in my bird water. It is small metal dog bowl thing. at 3 it was still liquid, then forgot . sorry not going out to check now though

[fowlbird]

OH goes out with a kettle of boiling water each morning - by the time he gets to the glugs the water is ready to pour in... just enough to thaw what's in there

[Happy chickens!]

Glad the heater works: will have to get saving!

[sandyhas3chucks]

well at 7am I redid the bird water. intersting that whilst the water in the stainless wee dog bowl was frozen the jar (apple sauce size sealed) was not.

Anyway 11.15 it is still liquid & stillminus 2 or 3 outside.

[Egluntyne]

I conducted a little experiment last night.

 

I put 4 plastic bowls. with the same amount of water outside overnight. The 1st had 1 oz sugar, the 2nd had 1 fl oz unflower oil, the 3rd 1 fl oz codliver oil and the 4th had 1 fl oz honey added.

 

It made not a jot of difference.

 

They all froze solid.

 

Ice lolly anyone?

[helenmb]

I conducted a little experiment last night.

 

I put 4 plastic bowls. with the same amount of water outside overnight. The 1st had 1 oz sugar, the 2nd had 1 fl oz unflower oil, the 3rd 1 fl oz codliver oil and the 4th had 1 fl oz honey added.

 

It made not a jot of difference.

 

They all froze solid.

 

Ice lolly anyone?

I'll bags the one with Honey please