Wanted Please - Harrogate / York / Leeds area

[Kittycat]

With a return of the cold weather and a trip to London last weekend, I asked a neighbour to check on the chooks while we were away to make sure their water had not frozen over. However, when I mentioned this to my all-knowing (but not about chickens) mum on the phone, she suggested putting a tiny amount of olive oil into the water

 

Old wives tale or not, it seems to work. I put literally a quarter of a teaspoon of oil into the Glug and the next day (according to my neighbour) the water was not frozen (despite -4 overnight). The next night, however, after my neighbour had changed the water and not added the olive oil, the water was frozen in the morning.

 

Could this be a simple solution to frozen water problems? I'm assuming that a tiny amount of olive oil does no harm to the chickens - and may even be beneficial?

[Lewis]

Might be an idea if it works - I'm not sure if it's good for the chooks or not, but I know you can give it for a couple of things, so its not a definate no.

 

I might leave some water out overnight tonight with some in and see if it does work, and by them hopefully we'll know if its ok to use with the chooks or not

[francesca88]

Surely the oil just floats on top of the water though...?

 

Truly baffling if it actually works! I'll have to give it a go...

[Saronne]

What a great idea! Can't see that it would do any harm at all - some chook owners give their girls olive oil deliberately. Mine have had it and seem quite okay.

 

 

Saronne x

[Egluntyne]

Surely the oil just floats on top of the water though...?

 

That is what I thought. Am prepared to give it a whirl though.

[The Dogmother]

I just pop a snuggle safe under the drinker - works a treat.

[sandyhas3chucks]

but plaese anyone, don't try any oil at all in a wild bird bath, it can kill them, cos they bath in it!

[jill the potter]

May be it's because it does float on the surface that it works - wonder if cod liver oil works as well?

[sjp]

I know olive oil seperates when it gets cold didnt know it 's an anti freeze

[prof]

def worth a try. i put olive oil in the pellets when i added flubenvet to make the powder stick to the pellets and it did them no harm

[The Dogmother]

I'd be wary about giving them too much oil of any sort - it'd upset their tums and make them fat

[Hedgehog]

Once the girls have gone to bed take the Glug bowl indoors with you and replace it when you let the girls out in the morning. "Simples" as the infamous meerkat might say.

[BarbaraJ]

Once the girls have gone to bed take the Glug bowl indoors with you and replace it when you let the girls out in the morning. "Simples" as the infamous meerkat might say.

that would only work if it wasn't also freezing during the day too, like it was in the snow!

[bluekarin]

Thats interesting and one I will try when it gets cold again this week.

 

When it was cold a few weeks ago, I put a double layer of corrugated cardboard underneath the drinker. Their drinker is raised up on some bricks, so I put a layer of Hemcore over the bricks but under the card and then put the drinker on top (making sure it couldn't be toppled over). And the water did not freeze! I think it was just having enough insulation to stop the freeze.