Chicken Memorials

[Pipichick]

Hi,

 

I apologise in advance if this has been asked already (I have quickly scanned the forum).

 

I know this is a stupid question but does anyone have any tips on stopping the chooks water from freezing in this cold snap ??? The only thing we have thought of is going out on ice duty to break things up, but am worried in case the girls fancy a night time drink

 

Thank you x

[beach chick]

they wont want to drink til they get up in the morning, so as long as you can get out there with your icepick first thing they should be ok!!

I 'think' someone said you could put a drop of glycerin in the water to help stop it freezing, but I wouldnt swear to that - best check it out I think.

[Bramble]

I'm having exactly the same problem. I tried putting cod liver oil in the water - no effect! I have also tried whiskey (about cap ful to a glug) which has sort of worked previously, but then this morning the glug was absolutely frozen solid. I've got a spare, so can swap them over, but it's a bigger problem during the day, as I'm out all day and am worried that the glug will refreeze pretty quick. Has anyone got any suggestions? (Ive thought about using a battery air pump to try to keep the water moving, but doubt the batteries would last all day).

[migsy]

I just use my foot to break the ice in the morning. It had not occurred to me that it might freeze during the day.

[Shirl]

Putting warm water in will slow it's freeze. I'm sure I read that the amount of glycerine needed to stop the freezing would be poisonous.

[Bramble]

I have bought a small "ordinary" chook drinker (a mushroom drinker - flytesofancy sell them, about £4), am going to experiment with putting that actually in the eglu in the hope it won't freeze. The danger is that the chooks will knock it over, (or even won't work out it's there/or how to use it) but I can but try. Will let you know how it goes ...

[balti]

I hang mine. Use an s hook and thick string and hang it about 4 inches from the floor - mine dont even bump into

it anymore... but they also freeze too, its just a case of keeping your eye on it this time of year...

[lillybettybabs]

I put a jiffy bag over my gravity drinker (it is suspended) i also use heat pads you get for back ache

on the underside, Cheapest and best are from Poundland.

[green]

I've started emptying the drinker out when the chooks have gone to bed and bringing it in (might as well as I'm already bringing the feeder in) and filling it up in the morning when I go to let the girls out of the coop. I'd rather do this than try to break the ice every morning and at least they'll get a clean drinker and fresh water every morning.

[scarlettohara]

Take a kettle with you when you let them out and just add hot water to the glugs

[sage]

I've started emptying the drinker out when the chooks have gone to bed and bringing it in (might as well as I'm already bringing the feeder in) and filling it up in the morning when I go to let the girls out of the coop. I'd rather do this than try to break the ice every morning and at least they'll get a clean drinker and fresh water every morning.

 

I'm the same, get in from work 5.15, check for eggs, check chickens and crops, poo pick what I can. Tell them nighty nighty sleepy tighty then close the door. Quick tidy of the run remove water and breakfast bowl.

In the morning, fresh warm water and warm mash/prooidge. Top up pellets then open the door and watch the squabble over breakfast whilst I try to clean the night poo out . Head count and a quick cuddle then off to work again.

 

Sage

[The Dogmother]

I just unhook my drinkers, and stand them in a brick with a snugglesafe underneath. I reheat it when I pop back at lunchtime. That worked through the cold snap at the beginning of the year.

[Redwing]

the best solution I tried last year was to use the round tubs you get the Marks and Spencers munchy cake bites in, the tubs that washing tablets come in are good too

 

Put some cable ties through the wire to make a loop that the pot sits snugly in

 

Use a ping pong ball to keep the water surface moving

 

The benefits of the pots is that they are wider at the top so if they do freeze they are eay to empty and also it doesnt matter if they split in the frost

 

Another thing I found useful was to buy another lot of drinkers to swap them in regularly

[Perfectspace]

I asked the same question a few days ago - I'd love to find a practical way of stopping the water freezing. I'm also trying to plan ahead to when we might have a night away, and not be around first thing in the morning to de-ice the Glug. (By the way, putting in warm water won't help freezing time. Hot / warm water actually freezes quicker than cold.)

 

I can't think of anything to put in the water that the chickens wouldn't try to eat! And some sort of bespoke candle heating system isn't an option. Haven't found a workable solution yet.....!

[scarlettohara]

Hot water works for me as I am at home all day, I work nights.

[Patricia W]

Last year someone ( Angel4?) devised a water heater thingy. From memory it was a biscuit box with a light in and you sat the water container on that... just enough heat to keep the water liquid. Or am I having a senior moment??

[Redwing]

yes it was a quality street type tin (other chocolate confectionary products are available......) with some sand in and a tealight, lid put back on top and drinker stood on that

 

Personally I wouldnt try it but others have with some success

 

Not sure if you'd have to drill some holes in the tin to let air in as the flame shouldnt be able to survive otherwise

[Patricia W]

Pleased I didn't dream it! Yes, I'm sure you'd need air holes

[gongladosh]

Like Redwing, I tend to use a ping pong ball in my glug - the wind tends to blow it around the glug a bit.

 

I read somewhere that hot water can actually freeze more quickly than cold water (or perhaps I watched it on QI or something...) - it's known as the Mbemba effect, or so Wikipedia says.

 

There again, I suppose it depends on how hot 'hot' is.

[Chortle Chook]

I use one of those Omlet drinker / feeder stands for my Glug and Grub and just pick the whole thing up when I shut up the girls and take it inside. During the day I then put it out in a sunny spot which at the moment is just warm enough to keep the water from freezing. (Of course I wouldn't put it in the sun during the summer though).

[gongladosh]

also, I like the idea of the heater, but I'd be a bit nervous of leaving a flame (even a covered one) with hens.

 

I'd be more tempted to put a glug on a hot water bottle

Edited November 27, 2010 by Guest

[Pipichick]

Thank you everyone for your help and replies, am relieved there is no simple solution that had been evading me

 

I know it's been v v cold as the canal at the end of my road has been frozen for the past 2 days as well as the glugs

[TAJ]

I empty at night when they go to bed and refill with tepid water in the morning - for my larger drinkers I just put them in the garage over night.

 

Tracy

[Mars]

I will put aquarium heater in 30 Litres of water today, wish me good luck

[Dizzy-Deb]

Saw a mention on another forum about a product that can be added to water for wild birds water to stop it freezing, so did a bit of a search and found this product.

 

Anyone ever used it or similar ? what do you think, would it be ok for hens ?

 

Chapelwood no ice