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

[sootem]

Hello everyone - haven't been here for ages. Had my girls for 10 months now and they are wonderful. Feel really bad that yesterday OH forgot to give them fresh water during the day and when I got back from work they were in bed so they hadn't had any water for hours. This morning it was apparent that they were really really thirsty. (OH given a real telling off)!

 

Has anyone any tips for stopping their water from freezing in this really cold weather?

 

All tips welcome.

 

x

[Gamebird]

There has been a recent discussion about this here where I'm sure there must be some good tips.

 

I only work part-time so I can keep changing the water during a freezing day - making sure they have water last thing before bed.

[Egluntyne]

There are a few threads about this.

 

I recently bought a **Snugglesafe** and perch the drinker on it and find that it works reasonably well. I just have to heat it up twice a day. I do have to prop the drinkers up with a couple of heavy rocks as the Snugglesafe is a bit slidey. I expect that you could do the same with a Glug.

[Larkspurs]

We don't leave the water out over night, we put fresh water out each morning when we let the girls out.

 

Although other members have suggested placing ping pong balls in the water.

 

Dave

[mccroft]

We don't leave the water out over night, we put fresh water out each morning when we let the girls out.

 

Although other members have suggested placing ping pong balls in the water.

 

Dave

 

Me too, When I lock them up for the night I take the drinker indoors and the feeder. I fill up the feeder with pellets in the evening (to make it easier in the morning) and fill the drinker with fresh water and a garlic clove or ACV.

[Purplemaniacs]

I empty the glug each night but don't take it in, I fill it in the morning when I open up the eglu and so far it hasn't frozen during the day.

 

Chrissie

[Barkisland]

I can't remember who posted this link a couple of moths ago, but I am indebted to them. I've now got two of these and they are fab, fab, fab! I sit my fountain drinkers on them, (with the legs folded under) and my frozen water worries are over. They only use 24watts of electricity too.

http://www.chicken-house.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh011111.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww.chicken-house.co.uk%2f&WD=heater&PN=Electric_Heater_for_animal_drinkers.html%23a151#a151

[Guest]

I have read something recently about adding glycerine to the water - must look it out again and get proper instructions.....

[megger]

Hi,

Along the same lines as the electric heater for animal drinkers mentioned previously, someone lent me a small fish tank heater (25Watts) which is about 175mm (7") long and lays in the water in the SuperGlug drinker. Has thermostatic control which I've set to its lowest setting and then it's plugged in via a timer to operate overnight (have had it on during day with the recent cold snap!). Has worked perfectly for me.

Sometimes I see there are 15w versions on ebay for £11 or so.

[Rock N Rose]

I usually put a short plank of wood over the Glug, this prevents the frost getting in and find there is only a slight skin of ice even on the coldest nights.

 

Add a bit from the kettle or just scoop it out and hey presto!

[feemcg]

I smash the ice in the glugs with a screwdriver before i go to work

[Olly]

Trouble is, I can pour hot water in (having distracted the chooks with a treat or two, to make sure they don't try and drink from the watering can, as they usually do! ) and this will clear the ice on top. However the metal drinking nipples on the Superglug are usually frozen solid too, and the warm water doesn't defrost them.

 

I have been taking the Glug in at night recently, and closing the door, in the extremely cold weather we had, but usually I don't close the Cube door so it's a bit of a nuisance to do in the dark and mud. I'm mentally pondering something involving bubble-wrap which might just shield it enough to stop it freezing.

[katieandnick]

Ummm, wouldn't use bubble wrap - we did this and the little sods ate it

[raffik]

Ummm, wouldn't use bubble wrap - we did this and the little sods ate it

Tasty!

 

I usually smash the glug using the pole that secures the door in. However, I am going to start taking them in at night and giving them fresh water every morning.

[Olly]

Ummm, wouldn't use bubble wrap - we did this and the little s*ds ate it

 

Oh dear, I wondered about that!

 

Did they keep burping all day every time another bubble burst?

[sandyhas3chucks]

my wild bird feeder has a small size stainless dog bowl for water.(5 or 6 inches across.)

At 1st light 7am ish now I bring it in, put off cold water in it. In the middle I place the smallest jam/apple sauce jar I have filled with boiling water straight from the kettle. Lid on and placed in the center.

at 3pm it is still drinkable ie only the thinest thin ice top starting. (this was our coldest time -5 /6?

The robin loves it & is first there.

Hope this helps.