Never Let Your Poultry’s Water Freeze Again! Winter Coop Hacks Revealed

Ensuring your poultry have liquid water in cold weather is quite important. If the water freezes, they can’t drink or digest properly. But don’t worry! There are easy ways to stop water from freezing in their coop.

But, how to keep water from freezing in poultry coop? One way is to use special heated water bowls or buckets. Another idea is to wrap their water containers with stuff like foam or blankets. This keeps the heat in and stops freezing. Also, it’s good to change the water often. Fresh water doesn’t freeze as quickly.

With these tricks, poultry owners can keep the water in good condition rather than freezing. Let’s learn more about wintertime water management in Coop!

How to Keep Water from Freezing in Poultry Coop? (6 Ways With or Without Electricity)

Before we talk about keeping the water from freezing, learn what causes water to freeze in the poultry coop.

When the surrounding temperature drops below the freezing point of water, it starts to freeze. The freezing point is 0°C (32°F).

Here are some other facts to know about water freezing in the coop –

• Inefficient insulation: If the coop is poorly insulated, it allows heat to escape more quickly. So, it causes the inside temperature to drop closer to the freezing point.
• Exposure to wind: Wind can further accelerate heat loss from the coop. It makes the water to freeze.
• Small water volume: Smaller volumes of water lose heat faster than larger ones. So, you see water freezes quickly!
• Material of the waterer: Metal waterers tend to lose heat faster than plastic or insulated containers. And this is why the water gets frozen!

Keeping your bird’s water unfrozen is important! Frozen water can make them dehydrated and sick. Luckily, there are ways to keep their water unfrozen, even in winter!

1. Using Heater and Waterer

Use a heated waterer. But it uses electricity and costs money. People consider K&H Thermo-Duck Waterer as the best no-mess waterer. You can also get Farm Innovators Model HP-125 Heated Base.

Put a heater in the water. This is cheaper than a heated waterer, but it still uses electricity. However, you can get a special waterer that keeps the water warm. It’s good during mild winter.

Remember to wrap the waterer in something warm. It could be towels, blankets, or straws to keep the water from freezing.

2. Ping Pong Balls

Put something like ping pong balls on the water. This helps keep the water moving so it doesn’t freeze as fast. But it only works in mild winters.

Use enough ping pong balls to cover a good portion of the water’s surface area. Any lightweight, buoyant object like plastic balls can work similarly.

Also, ensure the balls are clean and non-toxic for ducks and chickens.

3. Make Saltwater

Saltwater freezes slower than regular water. Put some salt water in a sealed bottle and float it in the water. Be careful, they can’t drink saltwater! Saltwater can harm them.

However, if you wanna try this method, here’s a guide –

• Step 1. Fill a small, clean plastic bottle (e.g., 20 oz) with fresh water.
• Step 2. Add 1/4 cup of non-iodized table salt to the bottle.
• Step 3. Securely tighten the cap and shake well to dissolve the salt completely.
• Step 4. Place the sealed bottle in the waterer, ensuring it floats freely.

Note: Iodized salt isn’t harmful, but non-iodized is generally preferred.

4. Electric Pet Bowl

This kind of bowl can automatically maintain a temperature just above freezing. Available in various sizes and thermostatically controlled models. You can opt for this idea as well!

But chewing cords can be a potential hazard. So choose models with chew-resistant cords. Or it may not be great for large flocks, So, get the one perfect for your chicken. For example – using the dog water electric bowl.

5. Boiling Water

Trying to boil water doesn’t involve purchases beyond your regular energy use. Boiling water is a readily available method for anyone with a stove or kettle.

But it’s a temporary solution and time-consuming. But you can try this out.

6. Using Old Car Tire

How about getting an old large black rubber tire? It’s an amazing no-electricity solution! For this idea, you need a tire, rubber tub, styrofoam, packed bubbles and insulating materials.

To utilize, follow the steps –

• Step 1. Place the black tire in a sunny spot in your coop. The black color absorbs the sun’s warmth.
• Step 2. Use wood, bricks, or pavers to raise the rubber tub so its top reaches the tire’s rim.
• Step 3. Fill the tub with fresh water for your fowl birds.
• Step 4. If your tire has a rim that collects water, poke a few holes in the bottom to let the water drain out.
• Step 5. Toss some ping pong balls in the water. As they move around, they help prevent the water surface from freezing.

Here are some other things to do:

Except for the solutions I included, here are some additional tips –

• Make sure your poultry coop is well-insulated and doesn’t have any drafts.
• Put the waterers in a sunny spot so the sun can help warm up.
• Check the waterers often, especially in cold weather.
• If it’s frozen, break the ice and add fresh water.
• You can use lukewarm water to help slow down freezing.
• You can also wrap water containers with foam or blankets. Easy peasy!

However, keep the following things in mind during winter –

1. How cold is the area you live in?
2. How much money do you want to spend?
3. If you like to do a DIY project.

The following video can be more beneficial to keep water from freezing.

People may suggest you use glycols like propylene glycol and ethylene glycol. But they never know the toxicity! It’s a type of toxicity that can cause –

• Central nervous system depression
• Kidney failure
• Liver damage
• Coma
• Death

Do Poultry Birds Need Water During Winter?

Yes, poultries need access to fresh, unfrozen water all year round, even in winter. Here’s why:

• Hydration: Just like all living creatures, poultries need water to survive. They use water for digestion, regulating body temperature, and other vital functions.
• Preening: Fowl birds spend a significant amount of time preening their feathers. Water is essential for keeping their feathers clean and waterproof.
• Health: Dehydration can lead to a variety of health problems for them. It includes weakness, lethargy, and difficulty regulating body temperature.

Winter Challenges

While they need water year-round, winter presents a challenge. Water tends to freeze more readily in cold weather. So, it makes things difficult for ducks and chickens to access the water they need.

However, if they often visit the pond, a koi pond pump can help delay freezing.

How Often Should I Check the Water in the Coop During Winter?

The colder the temperature, the faster the water will freeze. In extremely cold weather, you might need to check it several times a day. 

Here’s a general guideline:

• Extremely cold weather (below freezing) needs to the checked at least twice a day, and more frequently.
• Moderately cold weather (around freezing) needs once or twice a day of checking.
• Mild winter demands daily water checks. It’s especially true if using a basic waterer.

Related Articles:

• Steps to Build a Chicken Playground
• 13 Guides to Winterize the Chicken Coop
• 11 Must-Do’s to Keep Chickens Happy in Winter Time!

FAQs

Look at the following queries about the wintertime water freezing problem in the coop.

Conclusion

Keeping water unfrozen in a coop is essential for the health and well-being of poultries. It’s especially during winter. By using methods like heated waterers, insulation, and ping pong balls, poultry owners can ensure the liquid water remains. Regular monitoring and adapting to weather conditions are also key.

Remember, providing fresh, unfrozen water is crucial for hydration. So, be sure you follow the guidelines I included.