Water at allotment!

[Snadger]

Luckily I have loads of full barrels of water at the allotment as the main piped water system is frozen solid.
I have to break the ice to get to the water (I know what these Eskimo fishermen have to go through now!), but without this readily available water supply I would need to bring water from home for my chooks.

I'll be glad when this cold snap is over though cos it doesn't half play havoc with the paws ...............fishing ice out of the water containers!

[pdblake]

I'm having to attack my water butts with a metal bar at the moment

[dexterdoglancashire]

Way back when I first got my allotment and we had a decent summer (well half decent!) in order to fill up my water butts, I got an old suitcase trolley and bought a 5gallon water container, then filled it up at home and wheeled it from my car to my lottie. It worked very well and I soon filled up my containers (we have no direct water supply). Could you try something similar? Also, though I havent tried it, glycerine in the water should stop it from freezing.

[minskey]

If you can't beat the weather....................

Chooks water froze yet again, turned it upside down for a designer water bowl when I trecked back to get more

[RichmondHens]

This may sound unacceptable to some of you, but if there is enough loose clean snow in their pen they will eat that for water and there is no need to provide extra water. I have not actually provided drinking water for some of my pens as the birds have come out into the snow and eaten that. The temp has been so low that drinkers have refrozen in less than an hour. I have only given drinking water to the birds that are housed inside, with no access to snow. All my birds have stayed very close to their houses, just milling around the ramps really, and I have been placing the feeders very close to the ramp. They come down for a feed, go and peck at the snow for a drink and then return inside.

[Flummery]

Mine were eating snow a couple of mornings ago. They'd been up about half an hour when I went out and the bucket was frozen over. They don't get much snow in there though, as the run has a roof. I've found that, as the garden is a bit sheltered, the bucket doesn't freeze up in the day, but it's frozen over in the morning.

[minskey]

Mine were eating snow today, I thought it was because they thought it was food I was just going to ask if it was ok or would give them a chill. Question answered, Cheers!

[MaureenHall]

But I haven't got snow!!!!! Just everything frozen solid to the ground I've started bringing the water containers into the conservatory (unheated) at night, then defrosting them with hot water next morning (they're still frozen). I've been taking them out 1 at a time filled with hot water and bringing the newly frozen ones back in. I really feel for all of you who've got to cope with tending chooks on your allotments

[RichmondHens]

I was about to say if it's just endless ice and no snow then unfortunately you will have to go through the defrosting routine. I know, it's a real pain. I love the snow although the chooks hate it big time.

[Suechooks]

I've left my drinkers upside down with bases loose and buried in the straw. Just a thin layer of ice in the morning easily defrosted and tonight I found some bubble wrap so used that too.
I normally take water from home for the chooks as we have dip tanks but I'm always worried about rats contaminating it. At the moment I take 3 or 4 flasks of hot water every time I go and a big 20 litre container always in the car.