Do you remove ice from waterers

Minelson · #21 01/15/11, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esteban29304

Try putting in a chunk of firewood in the trough. Nice clean split oak or other hardwood works pretty good but I am unsure how well in extreme temps. The water stays a little warmer next to the wood,,, the wood will bobble around a little, too . That helps keep it from freezing. The animals will find the unfrozen water next to the wood & drink it. That helps to keep the wood moving around, too.

This is good to do all year round. That way if a small critter (kitten, squirrel) falls in while trying to drink it can hang on to it and won't drown.

Maura · #22 01/15/11, 02:07 PM

I'd like to know more about the black balls that keep water from freezing.

jd4020 · #23 01/15/11, 02:59 PM

We have heated water tanks for the cows. Fil used one hooked up to the lp tank, when they needed to be replaced, he bought electric ones.
When we had rabbits, I just took out a 5 gallon bucket of water from the house, set their frozen metal water bowl to float in the bucket. The ice would melt enough to pop completely out and we'd re-fill the bowl. Happy bunnies.

We did this 2x--morning and evening.
On a rotational note, we have three (sometimes more if needed) 5 gallon buckets that we fill in the basement. I fill the buckets at night, 1. so if the power goes out, I at least have water for them in the morning and 2. the water warms up a bit more. In the morning, I just switch out the buckets in the pens, bring them in to thaw out and then fill up for the evening chores.
I use those black rubber bowls for the fowl and just throw them on the ground to bust out the ice, but I have found if I empty them in the evening, it hasn't got a thick layer of ice on it so it's not as hard to dump out then rather than doing it in the morning.
I've done this for many years as I don't use electric in any of my critter houses, and it's worked rather well.
Would a basketball or one of those jolly balls they sell for horses work in the water tank, as opposed to a chunk of wood?
jd

Jalopy · #24 01/15/11, 03:14 PM

Just a word of caution on using the hot water in the troughs/waterers. Some animals especially pigs are subject to scalding. So if they are thirsty because the water was frozen and then you remove the ice and add hot water they may drink the water before it equalizes in temperature with the water that was in the tank/trough. So use warm water instead of hot or restrain the animals from drinking until you get it stirred in and equalize the temperature.

Esteban29304 · #25 01/15/11, 04:12 PM

A ball will just lay in the water near the top & when the water freezes, it will just be pushed up. I have also heard of using 2-3 liter soft drink bottles partially filled 1/2 full of old motor oil. Be SURE it is not leaking !

prairiedog · #26 01/15/11, 05:31 PM

We don't have that many critters so I just take buckets of warm water out several times a day to replace frozen ones. Same with the rabbit bottles just replace with warm ones

Hank · #27 01/15/11, 06:14 PM

With this cold winter so far here in upstate SC (snow still on ground after a week and night temps in the teens) keeping water in the barns has been a chore for everyone here.
I had an idea!!!! I know, I know...LOL. We use the "deep bedding" practice during the winter so.....

I use 5 gal. buckets in each stall for water. I put the buckets in the most interior corner of each stall, digging out the bedding and setting them down in it and then banked the stall bedding up around them, almost to the top. The deep bedding has kept them from freezing! On the coldest morning this week (12F) one bucket had only a thin sheet of ice on the top that one of the goats had already broken before I got there. It has been great! I was worried that the goats may drop "berries" in the buckets but so far so good.
O, I do remove the ice from the buckets.

Hank
http://www.doublemfarmandchuckwagon.webs.com

MO_cows · #28 01/15/11, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ErinP

Two tools go with every cattleman that I know of in the winter--An ax and a pitchfork.

The ax breaks up the ice, the pitchfork scoops out the loose pieces.

Yep, that is how we did it before we put in a stock tank heater. The pieces too small for the pitchfork to catch were left in.

sheepish · #29 01/16/11, 07:38 AM

In our unheated Ontario barn we have some electric heated water bowls and one stock tank that is insulated and has four holes in the top for stock to drink through. These holes have balls that rise up and plug the holes until an animal pushes down to drink. It has running water supplied to it. It works well as long as we have sufficient stock drinking from it to keep new water coming. If that pen gate is shut off from most of the animals, the balls will freeze in.