No freeze Chicken waterer?

[MIPatriot]

We are new to chickens, will be getting some hens soon. One thing I haven't found is an electric, I assume, waterer for the winter here in Michigan. What do you guys use? Also I am planning on deep bedding them and keeping them in the chicken house during the winter, and not letting them ou into the snow. Does anyone see a problem with that method? maybe something I'm not thinking about.

Thanks in advance!:-D

[smokin]

I started keeping chickens last spring. Got some chicks from my local agway which is where we can buy feed, seed and all around homestead and animal needs.

They sell an electric heated waterer that is self contained. You must keep it out of the wind and severe cold. I just put it in the coop during the winter for them. I think it ran me around $30.

As far as keeping them inside, i can't really say. I have a pen that is attached to the coop for them to get out and about. During the winter i just put some heavy duty clear plastic around it to keep out the wind and bitter cold. I use a plastic tarp on top to keep out the rain and snow. Also have some tree limbs and 2x4 for them to perch on. When perching their feathers will cover their feet and keep them warm.

I also put a heat lamp in the coop during real cold times. My coop is insulated so it tends to stay o.k.

From what i have read chickens can survive cold easier than extreme heat. I did have some issues with their combs and wattles getting a little frostbite. The parts that did just died and fell off. I read that some folks will trim them when the chickens are smaller where they live in cold climates to prevent this from happening.

Go to bookstore or find online a good book on raising chickens and you should find all the info you might need. There are also some chicken info forums on the web you can search on. Good luck and happy chicken raising.

By the way at this time i have 43 chickens. 19 broilers that are being slaughtered for meat this week. 20 egg layers. 4 roosters. A mix of barred rocks, white leghorns, rhode island reds, a couple of bantams, buff orpingtons, and a black jersey giant.

My wife thinks i am crazy, but i always have eggs and i share with friends and neighbors. I give to the neighbors so they don't complain of the roosters in the morning. Ha Ha
Smokin

[Freeholder]

Rather than a heated waterer, I use black rubber pans. You can break the ice out of them without breaking the pans, or have two and rotate them, bringing one indoors to thaw at a time. The silly chickens like to walk in the water; you can make a cone out of plastic or sheet metal, cutting holes big enough for the hens to get their heads through and get a drink. Fit the cone over the waterer, and the water will stay clean a lot longer.

Chickens do not need heated housing even in extremely cold weather (much colder than anything you are likely to see in the Lower 48 ), however, if you know your winters are going to be cold, it's a good idea to choose breeds with small or mounded combs. They'll be more winter hardy than large single combs. Breeds with large body size and fluffy feathers (and no feathers on their feet) are also advisable in areas with cold winters. Buff Orpingtons have the body size and feathering I'm talking about; Wyandottes are a good cold-climate choice -- not the only one, but more common and better layers than some of the others.

Kathleen

[goatlady]

17 winters in western SD with -20 temps and winds didn't seem to bother my Buffs at all. On sunny days with no wind they would literally "plow" their way out to the goat barn for a day of romp and fun, then back to the coop in the evening. The buffs have a large breast bone and it acts as a plow on the front of a train or the bow of a boat and makes neat "Vs" in the snow. 8" was about all they could handle on their own so if it was deeper than than I had to shovel a trail for myself to the barn anyway, a small detour to the chicken house and they were trailing right behind me on the path. Since I was out twice a day anyway doing chores I would just take fresh hot water out to the coop for them which worked out fine all around. No electricity in my coop so heat for the water was not an option.

[Mrs. S]

I don't have heated water containers, just break out the ice. In the coop I have a bare 75 watt bulb. If it goes below -15 then I leave the light on. My chickens went in and out all winter last year with no problems. I have noticed if it is really windy, they don't stay outside. I'm in Northern WI.

[morningstar]

We use the heated bases for our waterers. Also, we generally leave the barn open unless it's below 10 deg. Birds don't seem to mind a bit.

[Summerthyme]

If you don't have a lot of birds, you can get a plug in "dog dish" at WalMart or most livestock supply places (around $20-25 last I looked). They hold a gallon or two, and work GREAT for keeping the water thawed and somewhat warm.

Otherwise, we use a black RUBBER (not plastic) tub which holds about 3 gallons, and add warm water at least twice a day. Every bird manages to get a good drink before it freezes, and if ice builds up, it's easy to knock it out without hurting the water tub.

Summerthyme

[Tweety]

Summerthyme you bet me to it. that is what I use here in Central NM. for my chickens. OH, and I have grown my group to 17. Get good bunch of eggs daily and I also give some to both of my neighbors. I use a heat lamp if I have very young chicks. I noticed mother certainly enjoyed it. She parked herself right underneath it. I had bought a few books and let instinct set it and all so far as worked out well. This winter I'll be better prepared . Have had a yr to learn from mistakes and better for it. Use a real good Mini maglite to check my eggs daily. That is about it. GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR CHICKS

[farmlady]

I didn't know this until I read it in a chicken book, the Storey one I think. Chickens can tolerate cold water much more than they can deal with too warm water. So make sure when you add warm or hot water to their existing water or change the water that you don't get the ending temp more than lukewarm.
Another vote for the black rubber tubs--
" I use black rubber pans. You can break the ice out of them without breaking the pans, or have two and rotate them, bringing one indoors to thaw at a time."
They come in several different sizes; ours are about 20 inches diameter at the top.
Here's what they look like. http://www.vetvax.com/bucketspails.html Ours are Lil Giant; there are other suppliers. Just be sure it's rubber to handle the freezing and thawing. You can bring one indoors to thaw as Freeholder said, or if it's sunny, we'll just turn it upside down and let the sun hit the bottom and thaw it.
We also use the black rubber buckets for the goats. The black rubber is almost indestructible (going on ten years and haven't had to replace the buckets or tubs yet). If it's not frozen solid, we can swing it against a fence post to crack the ice out and not damage the bucket.
We have also used the galvanized 2 gallon waterers for several years with good results. Tried the plastic waterers early on; they crack nicely at -25 degrees :). For best results with the galvanized, bring them indoors to thaw or carry hot water out to pour over them. Make sure the spout side is thawed before trying to break the water seal or you can damage them trying to force them apart when there is still ice between the two walls.

[Limner]

We used the little Giant black rubber dishes last winter too....just carried out luke warm water several times a day. The Ice just pops out. We got ours at Rural King.

[Pyrodon]

Mount a 25-40 watt bulb inside a cookie tin, and set your water on top


http://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=107951&p=1

[MIPatriot]

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[MIPatriot]

Thank you all for your input! One qustion for those of you that use the electric waterers is do the chickens mess with the cord? I have raised hogs in the past and know that you don't dare give then access to anything that can be chewed up. So, do chickens like to peck at wire etc?

[Summerthyme]

Patriot... the "dog dishes" I use have a cord wrapped in a wire coil for a couple feet from the bowl. Presumably to prevent a dog from chewing on it.

Chickens have never bothered cords, in my experience- and I have a permanent extension cord which runs through their coop, and out the window to my small greenhouse. Fortunately, they're a LOT different from hogs in terms of the damage they can do! LOL... our current hog, heading to the butcher in about 3 weeks, has eaten an entire RUBBER FEED PAN. Never had one do that before...

Summerthyme

[poppy]

I wouldn't bother with electric water heaters. Chickens will do fine with one drink a day in cold weather. I have a friend who has raised show chickens for decades. They are on a piece of ground he inherited 12 miles from where he lives and works. He only goes there once a day in the evening to give them feed and water and it takes him well over an hour because he has a LOT of cages and pens. His chickens thrive. I do water mine twice a day in the winter because they are near my house and I gather eggs anyway. I second the rubber pan idea. I ran over one bushhogging the other day someone had put in the weeds. It rattled around the bushhog a bit and emerged unharmed.

[robert]

Mr. Poppy,
with the waterers I understand what you are saying, but up here in Northwest Indiana our winters get mighty cold, and if you do not use electricity, the water freezes right up.


Robert

[Freeholder]

Robert, it doesn't really matter if the water freezes up, as long as the chickens get a drink at least once a day (preferably at least twice, but once will work). We kept chickens where we lived in Alaska, and we didn't even have electricity in our cabin, let alone in the barn. We just broke the ice out of the black rubber pans twice a day and re-filled them with hot water. At seventy below it didn't stay water for very long, but it was long enough for the animals to get a good drink. The chickens actually ate quite a bit of snow when they were outdoors, too. We had goats, chickens, rabbits, and a couple of ponies there.

Kathleen

[poppy]

Robert, it doesn't really matter if the water freezes up, as long as the chickens get a drink at least once a day (preferably at least twice, but once will work). We kept chickens where we lived in Alaska, and we didn't even have electricity in our cabin, let alone in the barn. We just broke the ice out of the black rubber pans twice a day and re-filled them with hot water. At seventy below it didn't stay water for very long, but it was long enough for the animals to get a good drink. The chickens actually ate quite a bit of snow when they were outdoors, too. We had goats, chickens, rabbits, and a couple of ponies there.

Kathleen

Very true. When it gets cold, chickens don't drink much anyway because there is not the loss of body liquid like in hot weather. A chicken can hold quite a bit of water if it is thirsty and can easily drink enough with one good drink a day. One can look at wild birds. When it is very cold for days or weeks in a row, everything is frozen over and they have no access to water at all except for the snow they eat, yet very few die.

[natty threads]

You should be able to drop a water heater- one of those u/loop shaped things- into a rubber tub.

All animals need to get outside in daylight, especially in the winter.

My mom keeps her chicken house pretty warm and well lit in the winter to keep her hens laying, but they still spend most days out, even in the winter. They don't get locked out, of course. We're on the Kenai in Alaska.

Chickens have a pretty amazing tolerance for cold, as long as they have plenty of food and are watered regularly.

I can't argue w/one time a day, as long as they get all they can drink. Watch when they usually drink and try to water them then.

Bless up.
Love,
Natty

[robert]

Natty,

I hate to sound stupid, but you say chickens should go out side in
the winter. I know they are smart enough to come back in. I always thought the cold air was no good for them, when it is 0 degrees, with a wind chill of -30. I am just asking trying to learn more as I go along.

Robert

[Summerthyme]

Robert... they need to be able to get out of any drafts. Aside from that, I pretty well let mine decide what they "want" to do... they will occasionally venture out on a sunny, still day even if it's zero or so, but if the wind is blowing, they're happy to stay inside.

One of the problems with letting them come in and out as they wish (in our very snowy climate) is they bring snow in on their feet and then it melts and the bedding can get soggy pretty quick. Freeze and thaw cycles are even worse. I usually close up the outside door most winters by Christmas, and just keep them in. They lay well (and I don't have as big a problem with eggs freezing and cracking before I can gather them... it stays around 30° inside, and they will freeze, but not as fast as if the door is open and it's 10° or lower!) and I don't have the pen crowded, so they're happy.

Summerthyme