glycerin in water to prevent freezing?

[yammafarmer]

I just read in a chicken raising book that I can add glycerin to your chickens' drinking water to keep it from freezing. Anyone have any experience or thoughts on this? Would it be a bonus and soften any potential crop issues? Or just a bad idea?

 

[chfite]

I read that you can add up to 6% glycerin overall to their water without ill effect http://ps.fass.org/content/88/3/615.full I also read that you have to add glycerin 10% to water to reduce freezing temperature by 1.5 degrees C.

I don't know how much glycerin costs, but adding 10% to a gallon of water would be 12.8 ounces. Per a CVS pharmacy advertisement, 6 ounces of glycerin costs $5.49.

That might become expensive after a while.

Chris

 

[yammafarmer]

That does sound pricey. I was hoping it was more like a tablespoon.

 

[Eaglecrone]

I have read that about 1 TBSP per gallon is enough to keep water from freezing down to 0 degree. More after that. Remember, it must be "food grade" glycerin. then there is the 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar to a gallon of water for a supplement. Have tried both and so far, so good. Kate

 

[dirkfour4]

http://www.dow.com/optim/optim-advantage/physical-properties/freezing.htm

 

[Suemitch1]

I read that you can add up to 6% glycerin overall to their water without ill effect http://ps.fass.org/content/88/3/615.full I also read that you have to add glycerin 10% to water to reduce freezing temperature by 1.5 degrees C.

I don't know how much glycerin costs, but adding 10% to a gallon of water would be 12.8 ounces. Per a CVS pharmacy advertisement, 6 ounces of glycerin costs $5.49.

That might become expensive after a while.

Chris

You put one tablespoon in a gallon of water. I bought mine on Amazon. It wasn't that pricey.

 

[saysfaa]

http://www.dow.com/optim/optim-advantage/physical-properties/freezing.htm

Your link comes up with a 404, page not found error when I click on it.

 

[saysfaa]

You put one tablespoon in a gallon of water...

I'm interested in how this has worked in real life. Have you measured the temperature of the water below 32 F (0 celsius)?

 

[Iluveggers]

 

[saysfaa]

A 10% solution moves the freezing point to -1.6 Celsius (29 F).

There are 256 Tablespoons in a gallon. Glycerin is 1.2something times heavier than water, certainly close enough to know you would need a lot more than 1 tablespoon to get a 10% solution.... about 20 tablespoons if I did the math right.

A 5% solution by weight (about 10 tablespoons per gallon) has a 0.6C (31F) freeze point.

So. Ten times the recommended amount moves the freeze point by 1 degree F (a half degree C).

Unless I did the math really, really wrong, I don't see a point to trying.

Maybe 1 T per gallon is the safe amount? Not what has worked?

Edit to add: or the dosage when used as treatment? The effects (side effects?) look kind of concerning if it acts the same way in people and chickens.

Edit to add... or maybe there is something helpful in it having a gradual freezing point? I hope if someone has tried it, they let us know what happened.