How to raise Backyard Chickens: Re: [CHICKENS-101] Re: Chicken Water'r

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Re: [CHICKENS-101] Re: Chicken Water'r

Why not use a water dish?  I'd never put wood in my chicken's water because of slime bacteria and other bacteria. The bucket with the wood is on a heater base which would encourage bacterial growth in the water. I use a plastic dish in case of a short in the heater base. When it is bitter cold out I take a feed sack and roll up the sides in such a way it fits my 3 gallon water dish. This helps keep the heat in and the top of a very large water dish from freezing. 
Cathryn     rainbowsilkiesTM Michigan

    From: Sharon Ledford <trackmanagers@yahoo.com>
 To: "CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com" <CHICKENS-101@yahoogroups.com> 
 Sent: Saturday, September 1, 2012 8:57 PM
 Subject: Re: [CHICKENS-101] Re: Chicken Water'r

 For the winter I use a squat galvanized bucket on a heater base with a chunk of firewood in it (just in case something small falls in so they can get out by jumping onto the wood and not drown).  Also, for some reason wood in water keeps it from freezing for a while in case of power failure.  When temps drop very low and ice starts to form (when the heater can't keep up) I carry a boiling teakettle out to refill.  The heater base is found at farm stores.  I put the base on an elevated concrete block platform and keep the area near the electrical connections swept away in case of spark hazard.   Since I only winter about a dozen small breed chickens this is adequate for me.  I kick a little snow indoors each day (they love to eat snow, I don't know if they are attacking   it  or if alleviates boredom), and change the water only if it is fowled.  I keep the watering area under a shelf in a corner away from the roost and feeding area and It usually is fine for a week or so at a time, unless a silly chicken decides to sleep on the chunk of firewood   