Last year was my first winter with backyard chickens. Now, my chickens are illegal so I don't know if it makes them any different than legal chickens or not, but these things just couldn't get enough drinking in.
You'd think being illegal, and kind of on the down low, they'd want to abide by all the rules. Fly under the radar and all that. But no, all they wanted to do was drink and they were LOUD about their desires.
Every time I turned around one of them was screaming that they wanted a drink. Straight up. No ice.
Which in the middle of winter in Canada is a difficult thing to serve. Ice kindda comes naturally to us.
Every morning I'd have to go outside and replace their frozen water. Every morning I cursed about this to the chickens, the neighbours, the fella and some of my more sympathetic indoor plants.
Then someone, somewhere mentioned something that sparked an idea. I can't remember who it was or what they said, but I thank them because now I have water for my chickens that never freezes and always stays in it's original liquid form.
FOR FREE! There was absolutely NO cost at all to this homemade water thawer.
Just take a look at this snappy, 30 second video to see the breaking news about how you can do it too.
You can buy heated chicken waterers but they aren't cheap. Plus it's another thing to have to store. When you live in a house built in an era where closets weren't actually invented yet, storage is a high priority.
Up until World War 2 the only thing the gays had to come out of was the root cellar. It was a difficult time.
The only precautions you have to take are making sure the lights and the extension cord you use, are specifically for outdoor use.
Also, don't use a heated base like this with a plastic waterer. Only the galvanized steel type.
Now fly, be free of the shackles of ice this winter.
Your chickens, neighbours and indoor plants will thank you for it.
actually....string lights are not free unless you shoplift them? lol lol just sayin' Merry Christmas everyone!
Hi Toni - Yes. I get it, lol. But most people have a box of them in the basement. Also it's a great use for those strings where only half of the string lights up! ~ karen
I have a quick question - what do you do with the cord that hangs out to the outlet? Do the chickens peck at it? This is the first winter for the chickens and I'm worried about how to keep them alive and watered! (We have 5 in the little coop house that TSC had on sale quite a few times this year.)
Thanks!
Hi Lynette - Congratulations on your new(ish) chickens! I run the cord to the back of the waterer, down the ground and out the door. I keep the cord covered with some of the pine shavings. They seem to leave it alone, but definitely make sure not to make it terribly obvious to them. Hide it as best you can. ~ karen!
Thanks Karen! That'll be our weekend project, along with trying to "winterize" their little coop as best we can. Hopefully they survive this winter. The forecast is for a very cold winter...but then again environment canada hasn't been very accurate this year, have they?! (We're about an hour north of Toronto, by the way!)
Ahahaha. I had to read over this a few times.
"You can buy heated chicken waterers but they aren’t cheap. Plus it’s another thing to have to store. When you live in a house built in an era where closets weren’t actually invented yet, storage is a high priority.
Up until World War 2 the only thing the gays had to come out of was the root cellar. It was a difficult time."
That's quality right there.
Do the chickens not knock this over? I do keep our water in a plant pot to raise it and they tend to topple it over from time to time. Also, if the lights get wet is there any danger?
Hi Cindy - Nope, the chickens have never knocked this over. And as long as you use Christmas (twinkle, mini) lights that are meant for outdoor use you're fine if they get wet. That's what they're designed for. Although mine haven't ever got wet that I know of. Good luck! ~ karen
Hey Karen: Got another question for you. What is the best way to clean my fresh eggs? Mine are piling up and I want to either sell or give them away. There is lots of adviice out there, but I wanted your suggestion!
Thanks again, Kit
Kit - The best thing is to *not* clean the eggs. The chickens lay them with a "bloom" on them, which is the clear, moist substance you see on the egg when it's has *just* been laid. This creates a membrane that keeps bad stuff out of the egg. Like bacteria etc. Washing the eggs will take that membrane off and make the egg more susceptible to getting bad stuff in it. It's because of this bloom that you can leave your eggs on the counter without refrigeration. If you wash it off, the eggs should be kept in the refrigerator. If there's poop in the egg, you should not sell, give away or eat it. (I sometimes do, but I make sure to be very careful about cracking the egg on the side of the egg that does not have poop on it. ) That's it. Those are my suggestions. ~ karen!
Karen: first time flock owner in the northeast US. Starting to get chilly wondering how to keep the water from freezing this winter in addition to myself as I go out and water early morning before going to work. Great idea. I am going to try it! I love the root cellar comment. Big chuckle from me. Lol. Do you have any tips for keeping the hen house insulated? I have 10 hens, 1 rooster and I don't want them to freeze this winter.
Thanks. Kit
Hi Kit - Don't worry. They won't freeze. The only thing on them that *might* freeze is their combs and waddles if they're big. I have Rhode Island Reds x Ameraucanas and they definitely prefer the middle of winter to the middle of summer. Depending on the size of your coop, the hens and rooster could keep it warm all on their own! For extra protection, I put up that board type of styrofoam insulation in the coop. It's just enough to keep their combs and toes from freezing. Honestly, we as humans are more worried about the cold than they are. :) ~ karen!
Hey Karen: Thanks for the tip! I can get the board at the nearby HD. My breeds are Orpington, RI Red, Australorp and the rooster.. well your guess is as good as mine! The farmer where I bought the hens, threw him in as a bonus..LOL I think he is a Bantam??
Thanks again!
Kit
I used a very high tech device, the heating pad, underneath my plastic waterers. No freezing issue. And no DIY effort.
Thanks for the laugh! We do have a regular warmer for ours. And closets: I miss 'em. I also miss having an indoor dryer. And....well a lot of conveniences from my old suburban life! But I'd still rather be here in the middle of nowhere.
Hey Karen,
Thought of you this morning! our chickens may not exactly be "by the book" in our city either.. I have never been too worried about it until now--- we have to have city sewer and water hooked up and of course that means pulling a permit and the city coming to inspect when work is done. I am hoping they don't notice the cute little red coop in tucked in the back of the property with 3 little black ladies hiding out inside of it being bribed by treats!!! HA!!!
You certainly do have a LOT of uses for those little mini lights! Great idea - I will put it to use! Thanks!!!!
We use a birdbath heater
http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_043V063732393000P?sid=KDx01192011x000001&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=31-55829049-2
Yup. You can do that too! It's just not quite as free as using string lights. ;) ~ karen
I bet you could use one of those big popcorn tins that populate the thrift stores, too, if you don't have a metal bucket. I've been meaning to try something like this (but with a regular light bulb- it never occured to me to use christmas lights).
Have you thought of using an aquarium heater? It's roughly the size of a smaller curling iron.
Nikki Kelly @ the ambitious procrastinator
Man, I read this one day too late! i was just out at the local farm store yesterday buying a heated waterer--although I opted for the cheaper dog version bowl. I hear ya about the squaking hens when they want a drink!!!
Do yours spend much time outdoors? I tried to lure/reward mine today with yummy treats to go outside but they were not going for it one bit
Melissa - I can't get my chickens to stay indoors. They love it outside no matter how cold, but I have their area filled with straw, so they each make a deep nest and snuggle down. ~ karen!
growing up in Idaho we had pasture creatures to keep watered including during the frozen winter. Our watering trough was a large old enameled cast-iron bathtub. In the fall we raked up leaves and pushed them under and around the tub and kept pushing them under and around the tub as long as they fell. possibly my dad pushed a bit of dried manure into the mix but some manure went with the leaves becuase it came from the orchard where the cows and horses liked to hang out. anyway - that pile would begin decomposing (breakdown of vegetative matter into compost)- a process that releases a lot of heat; that pile actually steamed on the cold fridgid days and nights and kept the water from freezing all winter long. Of course, we had to add water, but we didn't have to break ice for our animals to get a drink.
very cool idea from this new-to-idaho-farmgirl!
Great idea. My husband just made a heated, automatic refilling water bucket for the chickens. It's plugged into a thermostatic outlet that turns on when it gets to 35 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat lamp in their coop is also plugged in there. We are just trying to figure out how to keep the hose to the bucket from freezing. It's our first winter with chickens so we'll see how it goes.
Suesan - 2 words. Heat Tracing. ~ karen
Excellent suggestion. I'll let the man know (not that I can't do it myself, just that I'm swamped with my own projects :D)!
Can I ask a ????. what is a chickens waddle, I know I could 'google' it but your answer will be funnier I sure.
Oop. It's actually a wattle, not a waddle. It's the wiggly thing that that grows under their beak. It's what their Auntie Chickens grab and say "ohhhhh you're such a cute chicken! Just look at that big fat wattle!". ~ karen
My parents always had an outdoor dog and my dad (tinkerer of all things) made a waterer for the dog. His was a similar idea but he used a regular incandescent lightbulb and put it under an old metal dishpan on on the ground with a galvanized pan (like the type that you caught the used oil in when you changed your oil) on top. Then he put mulch all around the lower pan. Then he had to make a second one for the songbirds. (He was an old softie.)
Genius!
Genius! Thanks!