One of the biggest chores that you will have on the homestead is making sure your animals have water. Water is life and so important to an off grid homestead that is not hooked up to municipal services. We rely on rain catchment and well water to get the resources we need for our livestock and flocks.
The winter months become especially hard as temperatures drop and we need to constantly break up the ice or replace the ice with new water so that our animals can get the drink they need to stay healthy.
Recently, Tim (@hansjurgen) had heard online that by simply placing a container with salt water within your container of fresh water is a great way to keep your water from freezing. So we gave it a try. @hansjurgen added a full quarter cup of salt to a small water bottle and filled it with water. The next morning, the temperature was 15 degrees and the fresh water container holding the salt water bottle was laser measured to be at 22 degree Fahrenheit with very little signs of ice. The fresh water container next to it had a very good layer of ice on top.
We posted the following video on facebook and the reviews were mixed with folks reporting back that the methods works well for them and some that reported back that it does not work. Keep reading below to maybe find out why.
vimeo.com/252034972/acb1e71ca7
Naysayers
Now, obviously if the temperature is getting down to ridiculous levels, it may not matter and will not work. But we have proven it will work at temps down to 15 degrees. If it is not working for you, you probably did not add enough salt. The higher the salt content, the lower the level of temperature that the water will freeze keeping the surrounding water from also freezing.
So give it a try and add a lot of salt to your water container. @hansjurgen used a quarter cup to an 8 ounce bottle. WOW! So yeah, that is a lot of salt but if it keeps your water from freezing this winter and your livestock watered, I would consider that to be worth it!
THE SCIENCE
The amount of salt in the ocean is about 3.5% and that will lower the freezing temperature to about 28 degrees Fahrenheit. But you can add more salt to the water and the freezing temperature will be lower. Most of the information on this is in Celsius and so it may be hard to interpret for Americans. But here is the bottom line. If the method does not work, add more salt. If you reach the point where salt will no longer dissolve, then the temperatures of the water is too cold.
DRUNK CHICKEN
Additional Methods If you really want to go to extremes on keeping your animals water from freezing, you could fill a bunch of plastic water bottles with vodka where the freezing point now becomes 11 degrees Fahrenheit! But make sure your caps are on tight...you don't want to come check on your animals and find that they have been having a party with your vodka!
Have you tried this? If it didn't work, did you give up or did you try adding more salt?
Leave a comment below.
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I have been wanting to do a video on this. Living in Idaho, we have had a time with freezing water, and this is a great solution. Great post.
Thanks for this Tip.. We been carrying the chickens water twice a day.. And for down here in Mississippi 15 deg should cover us all year.
You know, the vodka idea isn't bad - vodka's pretty cheap and it's certainly less expensive than paying for electric heat.
I've had "drunken chicken" at a Chinese restaurant before. Maybe this is how they make it?
Why not go all out and just use rubbing alcohol, though? Freezing point is -89 C !
If this way works, why would anyone want to pay for the electric heating option?
I upvoted this just because of the photo.
You and I must be cut from the same block. :)
If this information gets out, the price for heaters will drop and the price for salt will skyrocket! Ha Ha thank you for sharing!! Re-steemed to get the message out!!
I saw this on @hansjurgen and will be trying this one out. Also saw it on Facebook so thanks Zack.
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I did see the post from @hansjurgen on this brilliant way to keep the water from freezing. We decided yesterday that we are going to give this a try. Still a few more weeks of cold here so it will be a good test indeed. At this point I can't see how it could not work. Love the idea of the vodka but it probably wouldn't make it to the hen house LOL
What a great hack. Keep us updated with your trial. Even if it works for some of the time except for extreme temperatures.
What a great idea! And being a homeschooling family, also a valuable lesson for my kiddos! Thanks so much!
I use tank heaters. I have to this far north. I have a little kid wading pool that is filled with water and a tank heater. I rarely have to fill the chicken water all winter long since the snow and rain keep it sufficiently full.
That there beard must be giving you extra good fuel for your brain. Nice idea.
Great information. We used to do this when we lived up north. Worked great until the temperature dropped to those ridiculously low numbers. Then I don't what will prevent the freezing.
I saw your video shared on FB. I am grateful to follow you on Steemit!
Neat idea. We have had some extreme temps here in MO this year. Hows this working out?
Finally a solution! Thank you, my poor backyard chickens water freezes on its way out the door.! Thank you!
We typically get down to -25F here each winter. Not much works in those temps. Just have to go out and thaw the water several times a day.