Water in Winter

[Jean]

Three weeks ago we had severe cold weather and lots of snow.  I was taking warm water out morning, noon and night.  Nothing near as extreme as we are seeing in the Great Lakes region.

This past week we have the \"pineapple express\" that has shot through.  It\'s been unusually warm, in the 40\'s this week.

I just want it to freeze just a bit so I don\'t get stuck out in the muck......  :rolleyes:

[Beth C]

I just want it to freeze just a bit so I don\'t get stuck out in the muck

Amen on that - one of the few perks of this cold weather is being able to walk on solid ground again!

Glad I\'m not the only one dragging jugs of water every few hours. The horses & goats have a stock tank heater, but haven\'t figured out an economical solution for the birds. Those big heated waterers are overkill for the number of birds per pen, not to mention expensive. What do you guys up north do?

[Mike Gilbert]

I take them warm water in the morning, break the ice out of the dishes when I do chores in the evening.  If they are frozen solid I bring them in to thaw overnight.

[John]

Those big heated waterers are overkill for the number of birds per pen

I use bird bath heaters in large rubber pans for in my larger pens with LF.  They are $32 each.
I\'ve ordered some quart size heated water pans for the bantam pens. They are about $18 each and there is a 1 1/2 gallon size available for about $21.  The small one is only 25 watts so it shouldn\'t use much juice.

http://www.cutlersupply.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=11_120

[faith valley]

John, does the bird bath heater melt the plastic or rubber pan that you submerge it in, or do you have it sitting on a brick in the pan so that it does not touch the sides or bottom of the pan?

[bryngyld]

Back in Montana I had a small light bulb over a waterer for the chicks.  The bulb has to be protected from splatter, but the chicks don\'t splatter much.  I used the blue bowl type heater that John pictured for the bigger birds.

Now, I\'ll take the mud.  I have boots.  ^_^  Maybe I\'ll make cobblestone paths like I have in frontierville.

[bryngyld]

Dang, John\'s GREEN bowl.  I think mine were blue.  That\'s gotta be it.  I\'m not getting old.  

[John]

does the bird bath heater melt the plastic or rubber pan

No.  Just keep it covered with water.  Sometimes I add snow to the water pans/dishes instead of carrying out water to fill them.

[John]

GREEN bowl. I think mine were blue

I wish they were BLUE...the green reminds me of my brother\'s tractor, lawn mower and UTV.  The kid never did have good taste.

[Mike Gilbert]

Heated water bowls??? You\'re spoiling them.   How do you expect natural selection to place?  :p

[QUADCH]

I\'ve used the heated bases before and then you set the rubber or plastic buckets or bowls on top of them, but they don\'t last for years and years, and the mice like to live in the nice heated condos they provide underneath. I was just digging through the old horse stuff to pull out the kind of water heater that you stick right in to the water. I don\'t like them though. I\'ve been bringing out hot water to top off the ice twice a day too. The birds huddle around the steaming bucket like its a campfire. They do seem to like warm water. I might try those heated bowls, but I\'m running out of electrical outlets! I was concerned about the moisture the hot water was causing. This morning I found dark tips on my Faverolle\'s combs already and its not even Christmas yet! I just can\'t seem to get single combed birds through the winter without frostbite damage to their combs, makes it hard to show old cocks. Makes me appreciate my Ameraucana even more.  

[dak]

 :rolleyes: I just bought a flat panel wall mounted heater for my coop. I know... I\'m a softee.

[Mike Gilbert]

I might try those heated bowls, but I\'m running out of electrical outlets! I was concerned about the moisture the hot water was causing. This morning I found dark tips on my Faverolle\'s combs already and its not even Christmas yet! I just can\'t seem to get single combs birds through the winter without frostbite damage to their combs, makes it hard to show old cocks. Makes me appreciate my Ameraucana even more.  

Ameraucanas and Chanteclers.   They can take the cold.  My  pullets are laying right through this cold snap, it does not faze them.  And they will not be getting any heated water bowls.   I had a Silver Laced Wyandotte bantam cockerel running with a group of Ameraucana and Chantecler extra males in the pole barn, both large and bantam.   I think if I had not brought him in he may not have made it.  Frozen wattles, portions of his rose comb shrunken and frozen, and he looked miserable.   He\'s doing fine now.   To be fair, there is one bantam SLW pullet laying, but only one out of three.   Guess which will be the primary breeder?  

[John]

I was concerned about the moisture the hot water was causing.

It sounds like you are watering them inside.  Mine are outside.  There is less mess by keeping the waterers outside and no problems with mice, so far.  Some days we take water and just let it overflow the waterers and some days I shovel show on top that melts.
Once I setup birds in individual breeding coops, where they can\'t go out, I\'ll use the pint size plastic cups that hang on the coops for them.  Since my barn isn\'t heated they will sometimes freeze like Mike\'s.  Some days I use a knife to break thru the crust of ice and some days I pop the solid ice cubes out.  

[QUADCH]

Ameraucanas and Chanteclers.    

well, seeing as I have 15 \"surplus\" chicks coming from John next year, I just may have some Chant\'s in my barn next winter.