How can I stop the chickens water freezing?

Rockmusician · Golden Oldie Joined: Dec 25, 2013 Posts: 1146

If you pop down to your local market or car accessory shop, you should be able to pick up a sump heater. Back in the days when single grade engine oil got very thick in the winter, you'd pop the sump heater under the sump overnight to keep the oil warm. The heaters have fine mesh on the top, so very safe.
If you pile up some bricks in a square, probably two high and leave some small gaps for the air to get in and out, putting the metal water bowl on top and the sump heater at the bottom, that should prevent it freezing up. Sump heaters use very little fuel as it's only one small paraffin wick.
They are also sold in garden centres to keep cold frames warm, so that's another place you maybe can get one.
Here's a link so you can see what they look like
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Small-Paraffin-Cold-Frame-Heater-Greenhouse-Garden-Anti-Frost-Plant-Soil-Warmer-/272439421773?hash=item3f6ea7ab4d:g:fAkAAOSwA3dYHjte

Xanthos · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 2:47 am Post subject:

Plenty of ideas here -
https://uk.pinterest.com/explore/chicken-water-heater/
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chrisarvor · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 12:21 pm Post subject: chicks

Simple get a metal biscuit tin fit a light socket in it and wire it up you can buy sockets here white ceramic ones,they even have a bracket on them , put in a 40 w bulb stand the water pot ontop and it dont freeze
i had over 100 chickens here a few years ago and it works fine
main problem is the bulbs a crap i did you the 100 watt low energy ones as well but not as good , 40 or 60 put a timer on it if you like

Seedy · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 1:34 pm Post subject:

No power in his barn.... Wink

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Moscow_Wolf · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 4:20 pm Post subject:

Seedy · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 4:31 pm Post subject:

When I were a young'un there wasn't enough pot in the city to last me for 100 hours.... Cool

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Passer sa vie à lutter contre la connerie est le meilleur procédé pour mourir épuisé

sonnyb · Posted: Tue Jan 10, 2017 9:27 pm Post subject:

Thanks for that advice Mrs Jake, I wouldn't have thought of that.

I think some sort of design like that would work TD, thank you.

Thanks Rockmusican I'm not sure I'd fancy paraffin in the barn no matter how safe they say it is. I had a thought today
about buying one of those microwave to heat wheat cushion things and trying that.

No minions I'm afraid MW, I could always train the chickens to use a treadmill I suppose, could be the way forward! I shall stay away from flames of any kind in the barn though.

tumblindown · Golden Oldie Joined: Jan 02, 2014 Posts: 4627

How about those hand warmer things that you reboil to reactivate them. They have a little metal clicker inside them to make them work?

http://tinyurl.com/jjp4cj5

sonnyb · Posted: Wed Jan 11, 2017 12:58 pm Post subject:

Maybe TD, thanks for the link and thanks everyone for all your ideas

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