CHICKEN WATERER To Use During the WINTER (No ELECTRICITY Needed)
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- čas přidán 21. 12. 2022
- Frozen chicken water or any livestock water is a big problem during the winter season. Many chicken waterers are made from plastic and when they freeze they will break or not work right. I think I found a good system that doesn't require electricity.
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Make sure to add food coloring into the salt water bottles so if they break or leak it will turn your water color and you can change it!
That’s great! We superglue the cap sometimes to insure a good seal but that would help if the bottle broke anywhere
@@AcresOfAdventure maybe add that in description or pin more ideas?
Wut an awesome idea. Holy cow!! It takes a village!!
Excellent tip!
Great idea
I use those black rubber pans for my chickens for the last 6 year's, another good tip with these rubber pans is that with just a little sun even on a very cold day the sun heats them up and can melt enough for the chickens to get them a drink. I have my chickens come out in to a secure covered run and I place the black rubber pan where the sun will hit it most of the day and even on days in the twenty 's the chickens can drink from it.
have been raising chickens in Wisconsin for over twenty five years. If you don't have electric the black rubber hog pans do work great because they don't crack in the cold like you said. I would build some type of container around it and insulate around it. Spray foam or great stuff work well. Also cover half of the top with a piece of plywood or insulated cover.
Thanks we will have to try that around the bowl
I thought I knew all the tips and tricks, but even I, an old timer, found another good idea to add to my repertoire! But I need to say, that salt water needs food coloring in it so that you can tell quickly if it's leaked into your clean drinking water. You want to avoid any chance of your chickens drinking saltwater.
And.. if you put that bowl on top of your compost in your feeding coop.. the heat from the compost will keep it from freezing.
A pile of compost under the water bowl was an accidental 'win' for me this Winter. All the other waterers are freezing, not the bowl of water on top of the compost! :)
I seem to be incapable of keeping a hot compost pile. 😞
Great idea we have tried this since and it has been much better!
@K,SodenWhat There's a restaurant where we get 5 gal buckets of spent coffee grounds. Mixed into the compost caffeine speeds the process and generates more warmth. I would be inclined to experiment with putting a lot underneath the coups and sealing the bottom sides with insulation and sheet metal. That heat might come up through the floor and help the coup be warmer.
The rubber bowl is a exactly what I use :) I empty it at night so it's not full of ice in the morning and then I fill it with fresh water in the am.
I feel like it has to be the best solution if your not using electricity
Best option we ever used were electric dog bowls. Even came with metal guards on the cords and work amazingly well. We have them in the barn, so get electricity. It gets cold enough here that the only real option is some sort of heating element. I liked the idea of items in the dish to keep the water moving though, that's smart!
Cool tips. I agree with you on the black rubber bowls, the water freezes slower and much easier to get the big block of ice out of it.
It’s just easier, it’s hard to stop water from freezing during the winter but at least the bowl makes it’s easy to deal with
In S. Ga/N. Fla it doesn't freeze hard very often, and most days warm enough to thaw our water out.
But one thing I do is to use the large Hot Hands pocket warmers.
If you can duct tape it to the bottom, the heat rises to the water mass.
They're good for about 12 hrs, which is enough to make it until daylight and it warms up.
Also, you can prolong it freezing by taking that rubber bowl and placing it inside an old tire (one that fits snug). Inside the tire add in some of those air pillows, like what is packed in when you order something. We have been doing this for the last few years, and it works great. In Feb. 21 we had real temps in the negatives for two weeks straight. A massive lake froze over for the first time in decades. Only the very surface of the water froze very thin and it didn't take much as at to crack it. We went out three times a day to check.
Now we have Little Giant green electric water bowl. It's a big open water bowl, but we run an extension cord to the house, and it's been doing a great job this winter at keeping the water from freezing.
So far we've had a few days of real temps in the negatives (-9 to -11) with windchills at -35F and wind at 40mph. Thankfully that cold snap is over for this week.
I use the black bowls in winter and the big 5 gallon waterers in spring through fall.
I’ve tried the salt bottle and ping pongs and they don’t seem to work. I just give my hens fresh water from a gallon jug every morning and sometimes again on afternoon. It’s a good time to also do a chicken welfare check to make sure they’re all handling the cold well
This is such a great tip!
Wut an excellent way to repurpose. Awesome idea. Who doesn't have an old tire living in country...just a moratorium on the toilet or old water heater in the front yard. 😳
Cheap used crock pot plugged in on warm from Goodwill store.
Cheaper than heat plate or electric winter chicken waterer.
@@WarriorGnome this sounds like a good idea
I wish there were more solar options for these types of things. It seems logical that farmers and other folks would lack access to electricity further from their home so it would be cool if brands could start integrating more solar power options. Heaters, warmers, pumps, etc would make so much sense. We have hotwire fencing and lights readily available with solar, I hope more products follow suit in the near future.
I agree, this would be an awesome tool for off grid homesteader's.
The problem is that heating requires a boat load of electricity. You could definitely put a solar array up that would do it, it just might be a bit of a big eyesore. I'm sure they'll become available when the solar tech catches up!
Keep in mind in Michigan, like Canada, you can go 3 weeks without seeing the sun. When the sun does come out it is low in the sky therefore the power is diffused by more atmosphere that the light travels through. Solar isn't a good option for northern latitudes.
We've had chickens for years... If there is powder snow, we just let them eat the snow. Learned that from an old timer and it works great.
Thank you, I figured they would eat snow if they need to
Excellent!
You can also set those rubber tubs on dark colored garden paving stones. The dark colored garden papers will absorb heat all day, then radiate it back through the night.
Thanks Brenda, that sounds like a great tip!
It will help but when the Temps remain below freezing more than a couple of days, expect there will be ice & lots of it. I'm in NW Florida, so we don't see weeks of single digit temperature weather. I'd be looking into insulating the waterers... maybe recycling an old ice chest laid on its side, facing the sun & put the water bowl inside?
There’s another homesteader ion the east coast and he took an old tire, put a round foam board on the bottom , used spray foam to fill the cavity and trimmed it when it dried so that one of those rubber bowls fit in it level to the top. He timed it and the water sat out in 10 degrees I think for 7 hours before a thin layer of ice formed.
Thanks Cindy! That idea sounds great
I have used the black tub and salt water bottle for years, and have good luck here in our cold Maine winters. I have suggested it to several chicken friends, and they have been happy with the results too.
Hi use a large wide rubber bowl. I also have a electric dog bowl but I haven't plugged it in yet. Remember, you only need to keep the water thawed during the day. Dump it out at night and fill it back up in the morning. That will make less work for yourself if you don't have electricity out there.
That is true, thanks!
Great ideas, especially for someone just getting started with chickens and homesteading.
Glad it was helpful!
Thank for this video 🙌🏻 We were “gifted” our 4 Easter Eggers and chicken coop in July 2023…so to say I am a newbie is sooooo accurate. I have been researching and modifying almost every day. Got the automatic door 🎉 and finally got the chickens using the auto feeder 🍾. Now I’m working on the water for this coming NJ winter. Weather here is VERY schizophrenic especially since we live in a low lying area, so we can be warm 🥵or COLD🥶. I think I’m going with your suggestion since I don’t have electricity in the chicken area.
Have definitely subscribed to your channel and check in frequently 👍🏻
PS ❤️ the Bears gear. Dad was a diehard Bears fan since we’re originally from Illinois.
Thank you!!! I’ve been dealing with the same situation! No electricity and frozen plastic waterers! I have a black tub in now and am going to try the salt water bottle!!!
Of course, hope it helps you out!
Great idea with the salt! We add apple cider vinegar to our water it changes the freezing point and helps with parasites. We also make a sleeve of the foil bubble wrap insulation we have had -0 temps and just slush in the plastic waters we do switch to the rubber bowels when our temps stay cold for extended periods. Thanks
Great tip! People should put ACV in their animals water it has great benefits
I've been using the black rubber bowls for a few years now I had extra cuz I also use them for feeding my horses grain. Love them.
They have many great purposes!
I once saw a video from Canada. The chicken had no more water but were „eating“ the snow. Thank you fir your video.
The power of true nature, animals will find a way to survive
Putting things in the Black Bowl is Brilliant! First I have heard of this Technique Well Done!!
Thank you so much for your video! Great alternative for when the power goes out and we can’t use the heated bases!
You are welcome! Glad that it helped you Vickie!
I would suggest the bowl as well. More work refilling daily but very useful. Great suggestions with the bottle of salt water and moving objects. I'm definitely going to try this! Thanks!
Very positive video. Love the words at the end! Warm compost under the water bowl seems be working for me. Accidental 'find' but very useful.
Great ideas . I will use salt water bottle to start..
Thanks for that tip! That sounds very useful
@@nilasspasov8417 In the comments (or replies) l saw a suggestion & that adding a little food coloring in your salted water container so you can tell just if it ever leaks. You’ll know immediately & can put in a new salt water container while changing the water in the bowl to fresh water. GOOD LUCK‼️
@@Sunnytrailrunner Thank you for more ideas . Together we can do better and better . Thank you!!!
I gave the video a "like" because the main idea is good. The idea with floaters is ok, too. It won't really slow down the freezing, but will keep access to the unfrozen water longer. But the idea of a salted water bottle somehow delaying the overall process is nonsense - it contradicts basic physics. Salt water doesn't freeze (it does, just at lower temps), but it will still get colder than freezing, so it doesn't prevent the outside water from cooling down and freezing. You'd be better off filling a plastic bottle with HOT water, then it'll act as a heat source, at least until the temps equalize.
These comments are the best ...so many great tips thank you all!
Glad you like them!
Greats tips! I’m near Lansing and it’s been coming down for almost an hour now. Stay safe my friend!
Thanks! You too! I hope you guys stayed safe during the storm!
We seen videos where they it that bowl in a tire with spray foam under it for chickens and 5 gallon buckets in a box with spray foam all around the bucket and a board with a hole in it for the goats to get to the unfrozen water.
Yours is an amazing idea too!
Thanks!
Thanks for the tips! Will try those forthe sure. The cattle panel run or house with chips or leaves help insulate the bowel underneath and the hoop help slow freezing as well.
Appreciate your encouragment!
Your chicken playlistis amazing, I am hooked! watched all.
Thank you for this information! I live in Western PA United States and I'm constantly going out and checking waterers because they freeze. I paused your video and went out with a salt water bottle. I need 2 more but since we don't drink pop or bottled water I'll have to scrounge to them from someone. Have a great new year and stay warm. 💚
Thank you! Stay warm also and I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
We are in MI as well! This winter has been really harsh! Some of my chickens suffered from frostbite due to the humidity in their coop but they’re still ticking thankfully.
Thanks! For this tip. I do use the black feed bowls in the Winter for water, but I had no idea about the salt water in a bottle. Thank again.
Thank you much for your tested advice! Forst tine watcher, instant subscriber! Bee warm & be well!
Thanks for the sub! And for the nice comment
I've been using the rubber bowls for years. I got mine at Walmart in the pet supplies by pet bowls. They were cheap too. I use the huge one for water takes longer to freeze. The smaller for the food and scratch.
They work great Vicki your right!
Awesome tips. I've been struggling with the frozen water situation. This is my first year raising chickens. I'm in Ohio so not too far away. That 2 day wind and snow storm was tough on the chickies. Dealing with little bit of frostbite on their combs. Got some vaseline on em today. Lol I can go on about chickens all day lol
Take care and subbed!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I had the same stress, first year chicken gal and mine were so unfazed at -19! Electric water heater was awesome but all the other gizmos failed.
@@gaylecorwin3460 It's amazing how unaffected these birds are! And through the bitter cold I still getting 4 eggs a day from my 6 chickies. Yesterday I used 6 eggs for an omelette just trying to use em up! I had no intention in selling eggs but simply can't keep up with production lol. I have a few dozen on hand now at all times.
What breed of chickies do you have Gayle? Mine are Barred Plymouth Rock.
We have been using those black rubber pans for chickens and other animals year round for many years. Best thing we have found for winter.
We live up in Canada. I used the smaller version of the first waterer and I boiled a quart of water in a jar and put it inside of it and that would keep it from freezing for a few hours on really cold days.
Ty for the tips my chickens will play with the bottle on top of bowl but it will work this winter for us ty for sharing❤❤
Great tips! I had no idea you could just put stuff on top to float and that would help!
That was interesting, thanks. We've always had two and switch them out every two to three hours.
Love the black rubber buckets so much! 👍
Those black rubber tubs are what I use in the winter but we have had such a cold snap of winter right now and I can't even get the ice out in the morning to put fresh warm water in. I end up pouring hot water over the top of the ice about an inch or so. The chickens can still drink it even though it is only an inch of water over ice.
Turn them over and hit the bottom with a hammer.
If you pour hot water over the bottom of it you can pop it out.
Pick it up and slam it on the ground that’s what I do it works
You can also put the rubber water bowl into a tire (that you took the tube out if it had one) and stuff the inside and underneath with straw and then put your bowl, into the tire, surrounded by the straw. Make sure you have enough under the tire to keep if off the cold ground! It should insulate the bowl enough to keep it liquid for a good while.
On top of using rubber bowls, I always spray mine with Pam cooking spray or rub it down olive oil after cleaning them in the winter time. They'll still freeze in my area every night but the ice will pour right out 90% of the time
That sounds awesome! Do you fear that the Pam is bad for them at all?
@@AcresOfAdventure No not at all, Pam is mostly canola oil, coconut oil, palm oil and soybean extracts. I'm sure that there's other things in it but it doesn't mix in with the water at all and hasn't bothered them what so ever. Been doing it for years with zero effects.
Thanks!
One other thing that I have learned through trial and error. The more water that is in the bowl, the harder it is to get out. Each chicken has their own bowl (inside of their community pen, given that space allows) so that they aren't competing for bowl time with other semi territorial chickens. I also put each bowl on its own pirch pedestal to keep their water clean from dirt and bedding when they're scratching around. So I only put about 2 to 2 1/2 inches of water in each bowl, again through trial and error each bird has about 3 to 4 hours of drinking time before freezing in the coldest times of the year. Didn't mean to write a book but hopefully it can help someone out. Thanx
Extremely helpful information. I'm in southwest Washington State and didnt think I'd be dealing with frozen water as much but here we are 23 degrees with windchill of 7. Frozen things everywhere more ice no snow! My 24 chickens thank you.
I hope this works great for your chickens!
What if you try filling a thermos with boiling water then seal it up tight and drop it in your chicken drinker. Perhaps the small about of heat seaping out through the walls will help keep the water from freezing just a little longer.
I'm in mid Michigan, many days that never get above 20°. I use a 15 watt light bulb under a waterer. Held up with a 4 inch tall 8 inch dia stove pipe. I have experienced a light skim ice at the very top inside the water container, when I go to refill it, it melts when you add more water. The bulb and socket just lie on the floor, which is concrete. If your floor is wood a 12 inch ceramic tile could be uses to insulate the wood from burning.
The big rubberized flat feed and water bowls work best. Empty it each evening. Fill it in the morning refill twice a day. Plastic water bottle filled with salt water works good to keep from freezing as fast.
We live in Indiana and ran power to the chicken coop for lighting, ceramic heating bulbs, and a bird bath water heater, placed in a 5 gallon bucket with watering nipples It only 25 watts and works perfect.
The light helps in winter egg laying, the heating bulbs were essential for the recent cold blast, and the heated water bucket worked great 👍 Great video and information
Great tip. This would be an awesome short video that I'd gladly share.
Awesome, thank you!
i took your advice and bought black rubber bowls work great
Great tips! I'm using the rubber bowl now, but I'm going to try the bottle of salt water. Thank you for sharing.
Really great advice. Thanks...First time watching your channel. Appreciate it...
Thanks for watching Julie!
These are some great tips. Thanks for sharing!
Glad it was helpful!
This is genius!!! So glad you shared 🎉
Of course! Glad you liked it!
That sounds great thank you so much
I use 2 insulated nipple waters, place them in a large shallow pan or use a plastic oil pan so the water doesn't get the coop floor wet. Put them inside the chicken coop, fill with warm water, on really cold days change out about 1/2 way through the day, take frozen one inside to thaw out. In summer I freeze bowls of water and put in them to keep water cold.
The nipples do not freeze though and break?
@@AcresOfAdventure not in the past 3 years NE Missouri, had -35 wind chills last week, water froze solid, still ok.
Love the bowl idea. The only thing I would add would be hot water to extend the length of time before freezing. Especially at night.
Perfect idea! Thanks
I know this hard to believe but hot water freezes at the same rate as cold water.
It may take a minute longer to freeze, but the chickens don't want to drink hot water. I want them to have a cool refreshing drink to their hearts content before it freezes
@@pizzaguy3645 actually hot water freezes faster than cold water, but I assume that its different if its hot water in an insulated box outside in the freezing cold
I was under the impression that chickens dont drink or eat at night because they have very poor vision in the dark. They roost and sleep, that's it. I've never worried about their water freezing at night. Most chicken keepers I know close their birds up for the night with no access to the outdoors.
These tips are super helpful thank you!!
You're so welcome!
Thanks for the advice! Will definitely be using the large rubber bowl with bottle with salt water idea. Janice from Arkansas USA
Greetings from Holland, MI!
The rubber bowls work great, it's what we used once freezing temps arrive.
Same here David!
Keep a good portion of the water surface covered with maybe rigid insulation to prevent heat loss from convection and heat loss caused by evaporation. Place the rubber bowl in a rigid insulation diy box. You basically put the bowl in an insulated cooler to help reduce the cooling effect to the surroundings.
Do you know about the Compost and bucket trick? bury a bucket in the ground with Chicken Manure around it and under it as you back fill. Manure composting heat keeps the water from freezing.
I have heard about it after posting this, we have been trying it and it seems to work well
@@AcresOfAdventure the tire was a great idea, I won't be trying it as I am just 45 days away from moving to Florida.
Thanks for these tips!!
Of course!
I just had the same exact problems lol! Thanks for sharing the good info 👍 😀. I just subscribed to your channel!
Glad you enjoyed and thanks for following along with us!
Great tips that I will be using!
Glad it was helpful!
Wish I would have seen this earlier. The last two years I have kept extra waterers in house and changed them out every 2 hours during the day and we have a bunch of coops, when we had record cold temps of -17 here in Oklahoma.
The salt water idea sounds good on paper but in reality the temperature in that bottle matches the surrounding temperatures. The fresh water will freeze at 32f and the salt will freeze at 28f. The salt simply prevents water molecules from bonding until lower temperatures. It does not have a heating affect to the surrounding area.
That was helpful. I have both the twist bowls and the nipple cups and I did experience everything you said. I guess Im going to tractor supply, lol.
Brett we struggled all last winter and I did not want to do that again!
God bless. Thanks. Cool idea i saw that im gonna do once the ground thatws is using geothermal heat. 4ft hole, bowl above it. Cheap frame for the bowl. Insulate the frame. Make a food lid for the bowl with inslation foam lined. Saw a dude do it with auccess.
I work at Tractor Supply and we definitely sell those rubber bowls like crazy and they come in so many different sizes.
Thanks for the tip!
@@AcresOfAdventure you're welcome
Great idea, brother
Thank you so much for sharing this!
Super cool@!
Nice! Thanks a LOT! I needed that.😆
Glad I could help!
Yes, we use buckets as well.
Good ideas ! God Bless !!!
My father in law would take a galvanized bucket, cut a hole in the side toward the bottom just big enough to fit the cord through, use a drop light and a metal mixing bowl that fits the rim of the bucket, works great.
The newer light bulbs that feel like plastic don’t give off heat, use the glass bulbs, I found this out trying to keep chicks warm.
GOod idea. Will try too
Thanks a lot
Wow. Thanks for the obvious info bro.
No problem 👍
That s all I use for my hens and geese is the black water pail , Work great , West Coast of Canada and Seatle U SA are having high winds Ice and snow and low temps,
Yes they work great for livestock animals
Excellent info... thanks 👍
What we do in the winter with the water feeder we take it indoors and put warm water on it for about five minutes. Let it Thor out and take it back to the coop.❤❤
An insulated top would be the most effective. With a hole just big enough for a chicken to get a drink. An old cooler would take quite a while to freeze.
Sound advice. Thank you.
Ours is metal and we keep it inside the coop when it gets cold. They have a heated lamp inside lol 😂 big baby's and we love them
You have to spoil your animals sometimes!
Extension cords are made everyday. The house is like right behind you
Those black stock bowls are the way to go. Have 2 I keep switched out and can put a heater in it. I do not put water in my coop. I dont have bad winters 3-5 days freezing at a time if that.
Think of how you keep a hot tub warm in the winter/summer to save on your heating costs. Insulate the crap out of those water bowls. Food grade bowls will keep chemicals from leaching into the water and eventually getting into your farm fresh eggs.
Thanks for the tips!
Michigan here too. And we have come up to the same exact conclusion you have. Using the same waterers.
I thought the cups were going to work this winter. I have a heater in the bucket. But the cups still freeze even though the water in the bucket stays liquid with the heater. Temperatures are just too cold for the lukewarm water in the cups to stay liquid very long.
I love the cups for any other weather but just doesn’t seem to work for the cold weather
Put that black bowl in a 15 inch tire. (Car tire) It helps. You can also put insulation like newspaper and other things inside of the tire before putting the bowl In it.
If you take a small Gatorade bottle fill it with salt and water… the constant movement and salt will help keep it from freezing. We use it with our lamb water… and it worked great!
We're in northern Sweden, our hens are kept indoors all winter but even so, in our unheated building for them, the water bowls freeze within an hour. This is helpful because I'm constantly having to break or refresh the water for the chickens. Already lost two containers as they burst with the expanding ice.
PS minus thirty Celsius here at the moment.
For Winter our number 1 choice is to use heavy duty outdoor rated extension cords. Cut a small hole in the upper wall of your coop. Thread the extension cord thru the hole, attach a Thermocube. Then use an electric heated waterer.. I place it in a corner of the coop where I can easily check it and remove for cleaning and filling. Do NOT place it where perching chickens can poop in it. Another easy option is to have at least 2 black rubber bowls and keep swapping them out. Unbreakable!
I found this rubber bowl to be the absolute best solution as well without electricity. And you can carry a jug out full of water to fill it. My only issue is the bowl flipping and getting water on the wood floor.
Yes, most of the time we keep water outside but if it’s in coop just use a big bowl so it’s heavy and can’t flip easy
I will definitely try this the next time we have a freeze! It was horrible last week all of my animals had frozen water terrible.
Thank you so much!
You're welcome!
I know not all have the ability and this is about without electricity but we have a metal heated platform for our waterer. We keep a small set of solid color Christmas lights on our deck so if the power to that plug goes out we will know. The only time it even started to freeze was when we were negative temps with -35 wind chills but we just personally checked on it those few days several times switching them out.
I should get a big rubber one just in case we ever need it because that was super easy.
If you have it,use it!