Water freezing in winter - didn't freeze last year

[lagrange chicks]

I'm cheap , I use Folgers coffee cans for the winter. In the morning I fill one snap the lid on and take it out to them and bring the froze one in to thaw. I only have 7 chickens.

 

[FourintheRun]

I’ve had success wrapping the 5 gallon bucket in a big thick wool blanket, bungee cord around it and blanket over the top and put plastic over the top of the lid that screws on the bucket. I fill the bucket half full with super hot water, then put it in its place in their run, (on a towel on top of three stone pavers to lift it up off the ground), and bring a Watering can full of super hot water and fill the remaining 5 gallon bucket with the hot water and cover back over with the blanket and plastic to keep the blanket clean from the chickens sitting on it. Last winter that worked well and I’ve just got it set up for this winter. (I have the horizontal nipples that come out the side, near the bottom). The blanket seems to be enough to keep it insulated from freezing, but usually our temperatures only go to mid 20s here in the Pacific Northwest.
I’ve also filled a plastic water bottle with hot salted water and let it float around inside the 5 gallon bucket. This seems to work well.
Have any of you tried that and has it worked for you?

 

[Krugerrand]

I’ve had success wrapping the 5 gallon bucket in a big thick wool blanket, bungee cord around it and blanket over the top and put plastic over the top of the lid that screws on the bucket. I fill the bucket half full with super hot water, then put it in its place in their run, (on a towel on top of three stone pavers to lift it up off the ground), and bring a Watering can full of super hot water and fill the remaining 5 gallon bucket with the hot water and cover back over with the blanket and plastic to keep the blanket clean from the chickens sitting on it. Last winter that worked well and I’ve just got it set up for this winter. (I have the horizontal nipples that come out the side, near the bottom). The blanket seems to be enough to keep it insulated from freezing, but usually our temperatures only go to mid 20s here in the Pacific Northwest.
I’ve also filled a plastic water bottle with hot salted water and let it float around inside the 5 gallon bucket. This seems to work well.
Have any of you tried that and has it worked for you?

Do you ever worry that the water can be too hot for them when you first set it out?

 

[Qwerty3159]

Do you ever worry that the water can be too hot for them when you first set it out?

I’m not sure if you’re using an insulated container.

If you’re just using very hot water to break ice out of a jug, it doesn’t stay dangerously hot for more than a couple seconds when exposed to the freezing air/dumped into a frozen waterer. I do this for my pigeons and just keep their face away from it for a few seconds when I refill. I’ll stick my finger in to test and you can actually feel the temperature of the water rapidly dropping. My birds definitely prefer warm (not hot) water vs cold water when it’s cold. Vice versa when it’s hot.

I’ve heard of users who chose to bury the waterer in their coop or run to take advantage of the ground insulation, and also they put chicken poop in the bottom of the hole to act as a warming compost.

 

[Yardmom]

I know you said the base feels warm, but a 5 gallon gravity waterer in 20 degrees that has chickens drinking from it would take a long time to freeze solid. I doubt your base is doing much if anything.

 

[AGeese]

I believe the heating elements do wear out over time. I've had one for a two or three years, and it might be getting a little tired. I've also noticed it doesn't appear to automatically shut off even though it's supposed to have a built in thermostat for that purpose. So the longer it runs the shorter it's life I can only assume.

That said it's still working so I just bought another:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Manna-Pr...-Waterer-Heated-Base-Poultry-Drinker/35193931

I have termostat recepticle plug I use with it.

 

[Timmytoogood]

I have a 5 gallon galventized waterer with a heated base. Last year my water stayed thawed even in the - 20 f weather we had for a week. This year the water is half frozen at 20f. To the point I have to lug it inside the laundry room and run hot water over the waterer to thaw it to where I can even open it. Any suggestions as to what is different? Base is warm to the touch like it was last year in the cold, but not hot.

I've had a Little Giant water heater since Nov 2021 and it's still working today. You could take it apart and see if some wiring has come loose. Or using a multimeter or circuit tester: touch one probe to an element terminal & the other to the metal tank, it there's a reading there's a short & the element needs replacing.