New coop is finally done!

[ChickenMomma91]

The frame for the coop itself was free and the waterer is gonna be the cup attached to a pipe. Still brainstorming how to keep it from freezing. I was thinking a bottle filled with basically homemade sea water lol. Or I heard of a metal rod that heats up to keep birdbaths from freezing but I’d be worried it would melt the plastic.

 

[Carol Dee]

That looks GREAT @ChickenMomma91 the chickens are going to love it.

 

[dickiebird]

Looks nice.
They make a heated dog bowls.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=heated+a...v=c&hvqmt=b&tag=mh0b-20&ref=pd_sl_66g0s2iq3_b
There are a few available on Amazon.
I'm sure a local farm store will stock them.

THANX RICH

 

[so lucky]

Now that I have electricity to the coop, I need to figure out something to keep water from freezing, too. For inside the coop. That they can't spill all over the place.

 

[flowerbug]

Now that I have electricity to the coop, I need to figure out something to keep water from freezing, too. For inside the coop. That they can't spill all over the place.

they don't eat snow?

 

[thistlebloom]

they don't eat snow?

Domestic livestock should all be provided water during winter. They can eat snow, and obviously wild animals do, but they are healthier and more productive when unfrozen water is supplied.

I don't remember the statistics anymore, but horses that were offered water from a heated source (water isn't "warm" necessarily but kept above freezing) fared much better than those who were left to eat snow, or even icy cold water. There is a lot less incidence of impaction colic.

 

[flowerbug]

Domestic livestock should all be provided water during winter. They can eat snow, and obviously wild animals do, but they are healthier and more productive when unfrozen water is supplied.

I don't remember the statistics anymore, but horses that were offered water from a heated source (water isn't "warm" necessarily but kept above freezing) fared much better than those who were left to eat snow, or even cold water. There is a lot less incidence of impaction colic.

i am only familiar with aquariums and such and i know they have fully submersible heaters that can be used in those to keep them from getting too cold. do chickens eat power cords (look at that big fat worm!)? anyways, if you took a aquarium heater and put it in a can full of water then you could put that can in a larger container of water to keep it from freezing. the smaller can would just be to protect it from damage from the birdies.

 

[thistlebloom]

There are a lot of livestock heaters specific to each animal type. Being made for different species they have taken into account the necessary precautions.

Chickens are probably not likely to destroy or make unsafe an electric cord, like a horse, goat, or dog would, for instance. I use heated dog bowls for the dogs and chickens, and heated horse tubs for the horses.

 

[Ridgerunner]

For winter I used this in Northwest Arkansas. It's a rubber bowl so if it freezes solid I banged it on the ground until I broke the ice out, then refilled it. If it is outside in the sun it stays thawed into the teens. Not all days are sunny and it obviously freezes overnight when it get cold enough. To keep the chickens from turning it over when they perched on the edge I cut a hole in a piece of plywood and used 2x4's to raise it a little. They will poop in it so you have to dump it daily. It's low-tech but it worked for me.

If I were to try to heat water I'd do what Thistle does, a heated dog bowl. I ran electric cords to my brooder in the coop. Other than the normal things you concern yourself with electrical cords the only thing I worried about was them perching on a suspended cord and unplugging it so I secured the ends or strapped it to the walls.

 

[valley ranch]

Nice trailer, nice coop ```