Frozen water can be a problem
- Thirsty chickens
- Less resistance to cold if they are dehydrated
- .Possible to slow down the freezing even if there isn’t electricity in the coop
- Cookie Tin heater works well
- Concrete block heaters
- Bird Bath heaters work really well at low power consumption
- Plastic heated poultry water dispensers are available
“If you need a quick solution in sudden freezing weather set a few of the chemical hand warmers under the water dispenser. These won’t last but for a day or so but it does work on the smaller mason jar water dispensers used for quail or chicks..”
A Winter Essential
Preventing Frozen water in the coop
If you live in an area that has cold winters you know it can be a chore to keep the chicken’s water from freezing up. People that don’t have electricity in their coop have even a tougher time.
There is really only four solutions, heat the water, heat the coop, replace the water three or four times a day, or move to Florida.
If you do have power in the coop one of the old standbys is the cookie tin heater where you take a metal cookie tin that is 12” to 15” in diameter, drill a hole to insert a light bulb socket, using the light bulb to heat the cookie tin which in turns heats the water container sitting on top. You aren’t limited to cookie tins, concrete blocks or even flower pots can be used to house the light bulb. Use whatever wattage bulb you think you need depending on the severity of the cold weather in your area. A 40 watt bulb should take care of the water down to around 20 degrees.
There are also electrically heated plastic water containers available if you aren’t the handy type. A two gallon heated plastic water dispenser is going to cost you about $25.00 to $30.00. Check the customer reviews though as some of the plastic dispensers are quite thin and difficult to fill. The heaters that run between $30.00 and $60.00 are going to be more durable but as with all things online shop that brand around for pricing.
Heated dog bowls can work, I actually used this method for a few years but they get filthy fast and I wound up filling mine with water and sitting my galvanized water dispenser on top. They will run $25.00 to $40.00 at most pet departments or farm store
Heat tapes that are used to protect pipes and faucets will work as long as you wrap some insulation around the container to hold the heat in and protect the heat cables. There are also gutter de-icing tapes available. Most will turn on only when it gets close to freezing to avoid wasting power.
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Coops up north will insulate the coop and the combination of ground heat, heat from the chickens, and a cookie tin heater will suffice. Others will use stock tank heaters in larger containers that use the nipple watering devices and reports say that it works as low as -22 degrees even if kept outside. A 250 watt stock tank heater will keep thirty gallons of water thawed out in the worst of weather.
You can buy fish tank heaters sold in the pet section of any Walmart or department store although they are more suited to the less frigid areas of the U.S. Most of these small aquarium type heaters are quite small, some as low as 5 watts but if one shatters there is a shock hazard. Look for a shatter proof aquarium heater if you go that route and pay a little more for peace of mind. Or look for a bird bath heater as they are actually made for outdoor use. Steer away from the cheaper models and expect to pay around $70.00 for a durable bird bath heater.
Frozen water can be a problem
- Oil pan heaters
- Aquarium air pumps can keep the water moving and slower to freeze
- .Salt water bottles
- Chemical hand warmers
- Larger tubs of water freeze slower
“Years ago before farm electrification farmers had kerosene heaters, even kerosene brooders. Even something as simple as an insulated hole with a hot rock dropped into the hole, sitting the metal water dispenser on top will prevent water from freezing for many hours.”
Another method of slowing water from freezing is to keep the water moving. Water that is cold is also dense so the water on top of a bucket of water will sink, bringing the less dense water to the top of the bucket. That thinner layer of less dense water will actually freeze faster than the larger amount of dense water at the bottom which is why we always see lakes and buckets of water freeze from the top down instead of the bottom up. If the water is moving the water is mixed, requiring more heat to be transferred out of the water before it can freeze. Something like an aquarium air pump can help lower the freezing point of the water by as much as 7 degrees.
There are also electrically heated plastic water containers available if you aren’t the handy type. A two gallon heated plastic water dispenser is going to cost you about $25.00 to $30.00. Check the customer reviews though as some of the plastic dispensers are quite thin and difficult to fill. The heaters that run between $30.00 and $60.00 are going to be more durable but as with all things online shop that brand around for pricing.
A lower tech method if you don’t have power in the coop is to use the heavy rubber tubs that can be flipped over and the frozen water popped out. Insulating the water container helps, something as simple as a small bucket fitted inside a larger bucket with leaves or sawdust used as insulation.
Another way to prevent freezing if you don’t have power is to use large tubs of water. The larger the tub, the slower to freeze, a 40 gallon tub of water will stay liquid much longer. Be sure and partially cover the top to prevent birds from falling into the water.
If you need a quick solution in sudden freezing weather set a few of the chemical hand warmers under the water dispenser. These won’t last but for a day or so but it does work on the smaller mason jar water dispensers used for quail or chicks.
Another method that some people swear by is adding jugs of salt water to a larger tub of water. The salt water inside the plastic jugs has a much lower freezing point so as the larger tub of water cools down it the jugs of salt water also soak up some of this “cold”. Water freezes by heat being removed from the water so there is actually no such thing as “cold” but it is a lack of heat. Still the heat is harder to remove from the salt water so the trick will work.
A wooden floating top will help slow down the freezing and keep combs and wattles out of the freezing water
Concrete block heater
“Moving water freezes slower by preventing stratification, keeping the colder, more dense water from sinking.”
If your temperature just barely swings below freezing you can try using black rubber water dishes kept outside with a few ping pong balls floating on top. Some flock owners from the South claim that the slightest breeze will move the ping pong balls around, stirring the water and slowing down the freezing of the water. No doubt the black water dish absorbs more sunlight too.
If you have another solution or want to share your experiences on preventing water from freezing please make a comment below.