Elderly cat breathing difficulties when purring

[ChickNic]

Hello,

 

I'm after some advice. I'm going on holiday next week and typically the weather looks like it's going to be below freezing all week at night. At the beginning of this month I had to break the ice on the water everyday for about a week when it was that cold.

 

Normally this isn't a problem, but as we're not around I'm a bit worried. The first few days are fine, my parents are coming to stay from Sun to Tues, and then my brother is popping in Thursday evening to check on them. However, I'm worried that on the other days if it is really cold the water will freeze and they will go thirsty.

 

Any ideas on how I can freeze proof the water?! I'm clutching at straws a bit as I'm sure if it's that cold there's not much I can do. Suggestions welcome. They have a glug and a water bottle, but both were frozen solid last time.

 

Thanks,

Nicky

[Forge Cottage]

Antifreeze might be out of the question... but the common advice is to drop a ping-pong ball in there.

 

If you are away that long, I would recommend you drop them off at a chicken BnB. There are several around and not expensive (some with links on this site). Might save hardship for the girls (and using up too many favours with friends and family).

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I seem to remember someone asked this recently and a forum member said they'd put some kind of cover just over the glug. This was enough to prevent it freezing solid, I think.

 

Not sure where I read it, but here's a thread (with a few links to other threads) that might help you?

[Phoebe]

actually my glug was n't too bad in the last spell of very cold weather and that is possibly because I have the large Omlet cover over the top of the run and all down the side where the glug is attached - mostly to shelter the girls from the wind because its often like kansas (wizard of oz reference) in their field. So sheltering the glug (probably from above and from the side) can make a difference to whether or not the water ( or the nipples ) freezes.

 

insulation is probably the technical term for this, it occurs to me !

[Barkisland]

There have been several threads about freezing water since I joined the forum last summer. As far as I know, we have pretty much decided that there is little you can do to stop it freezing if the temperature drops below about -2 for any prolonged period. It is a big (and common) problem for those of us who go to work early in the mornings and come home after dark.

The ping pong ball and glycerine tricks don't work.

Neither does that Ice Free stuff for bird baths.

Rechargeable hand warmers seem quite successful, but you need to be around to recharge them every day.

I bought an electrically heated base to sit a mushroom drinker on, and that works well, but obviously it's no use if you don't use that type of drinker, and you need a power supply, which isn't ideal.

I would be very worried about leaving the chickens in freezing weather without someone to do a regular check on their water supply. Could you ask a neighbour?

[Egluntyne]

I bought a couple of **Snugglesafes** to stand their water containers on a few weeks ago.

 

I'd no sooner ordered them than the weather warmed up again.

 

Looks like I shall be putting them to the test quite soon. I shall report back!

[JEAN]

I just got a bottle of 'ice gaurd' at Dobbies designed for wild bird baths. Haven't had cause to try it yet but it does claim to prevent water freezing down to minus 4 degrees C. Claims to be made from natural products (glycols & glycerol) and be safe for birds to drink. It did, however, cost £6 for 250ml and you need to use 30ml per litre of water.

[teee]

Hi, only had my girls 4 week, and they are settling down great,Question worried about them getting cold at nite while we are tucked up in our cosy beds i saw this `snugglesafe heat pad on omlet....... what does every one think its like for keeping the girls warm, cos i can see its useful for other things to would love to here what you think of this product, and if it works well.love

I bought a couple of **Snugglesafes** to stand their water containers on a few weeks ago.

 

I'd no sooner ordered them than the weather warmed up again.

 

Looks like I shall be putting them to the test quite soon. I shall report back!

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I think the general feeling is that they really aren't necessary . Chickens' body temperatures are a couple of degrees higher than ours, they have their own personal feather duvets, the eglu is double insulated so won't get too hot or cold and they have each other for warmth .

 

For preventing drinkers freezing they could certainly be useful but I wouldn't use one in the eglu .

 

(Where do you live, by the way? If you're somewhere freezing it might be a different matter .)

[Budgies]

I used a Snugglesafe for the chooks when it got down to -14 degrees C last winter. I popped it under their roosting bars in a carrier bag so I could keep it clean. Just kept the temp up a wee bit.

 

Adding a few drops of glycerine (or even Citricidal) to their water helps lower the temperature at which the water freezes.

[Egluntyne]

Not a topic one expects to read about in June in the UK!

 

I bought them to stop the water freezing, (that worked quite well) and they are useful if you have a poorly hen, but in the ordinary way, there is no real need as ANH says.

[teee]

Arrrr ...thanks guys for that advice, im just soft i guess were from hampshire, portsmouth, so its not freezing.

[*mummy_hen*]

I bought a couple of **Snugglesafes** to stand their water containers on a few weeks ago.

 

I'd no sooner ordered them than the weather warmed up again.

 

Looks like I shall be putting them to the test quite soon. I shall report back!

 

I have seen these in the omlet shop recently and could have done with one back in February when the temperatures were freeeezing!!

Will definitely be investing in one for when the colder weather comes later this year though