Chickens, ducks and geese

[blades]

I know it's not really arb related but I'm sure a lot of you have a few chickens or ducks pottering about. Arborculture for me is more of a hobby, sadly I have a day job and before I leave for the 1 hour drive to the office each day, I have to defrost all the drinking water for my chickens, ducks and geese.

I have no power close to where I keep them but I'm wondering.... how hard could it be to produce a wee gadget that is solar powered that would just be enough to stop the water freezing? I remember caravan shops used to sell a small element that would drop into a mug and plug into the 12v cig socket to boil water??

 

Just wondering what you guys do... have you found any solutions?

 

Heres a pic of the girls in summer

[Paul Smith]

There is a solar powered heating Matt that will keep the water from freezing.

[blades]

There is a solar powered heating Matt that will keep the water from freezing.

 

Thanks for that Paul... do you know where I can buy one?? Did a search in google and it all seems to be household systems??

 

I assume people that keep horses etc must have similar issues??

[Woodworks]

I found living down in the south west helps stop the water for our ducks freezing . If you want to go down the solar route might it be cheaper to buy a tiny polly tunnel to put the water in bypassing the complications of electricity and heating elements?

Like the picture of the geese by the way

[Andy Collins]

Many many years ago, we used to have ducks geese goats and so on, we'd raise the drinkers on bricks and put nightlight candles under them, it was just enough to raise the temperature. Dunno if the modern tea lights last as long as they used to.

[Paul Smith]

I think you find them in garden centres or home brew shops.

[Yorkshireman]

old farm hand trick ,drop a ball [which will float , tennis ball or larger ] into the water it wont stop a hard freeze but can help

 

if you have an old bale you can take some straw & wrap the outside of the container & secure the loose straw with twine, this acts to insulate

iain

[Guss109]

Have a look at maplin ect as I'm pretty sure they all do little solar panels ect

[blades]

I found living down in the south west helps stop the water for our ducks freezing . If you want to go down the solar route might it be cheaper to buy a tiny polly tunnel to put the water in bypassing the complications of electricity and heating elements?

Like the picture of the geese by the way

 

Thanks.... I like that idea; hadn't considered it!!

[blades]

Thanks everyone