How to Keep Farm Animals Water from Freezing in Winter

Providing adequate water for livestock and poultry is straightforward during warmer months. However, winter presents a significant challenge: keeping water accessible and unfrozen can become a demanding, time-consuming, and often cold task. Ensuring your animals have constant access to liquid water is crucial for their health and well-being, especially when temperatures plummet below freezing. For years, the nightly weather forecast brought a sense of unease, wondering if water troughs would freeze solid overnight, necessitating early morning trips with buckets of hot water. Fortunately, through practical experience, effective methods have been developed to keep water thawed and animals hydrated throughout the winter. This guide explores proven solutions for various farm animals.

This post was updated in August 2024

Understanding Livestock Water Needs in Winter

Before diving into solutions, it’s essential to understand the daily water requirements of common farm animals, as dehydration can occur quickly in cold weather.

• Goats: Need 2-3 gallons per day, increasing if they are lactating.
• Horses: Require 5-10 gallons of fresh water daily. Dry forage intake increases in winter, making sufficient water crucial to prevent impaction colic.
• Dairy Cows: A cow in milk can consume an astonishing 30-50 gallons daily.
• Chickens: Laying hens need about two cups (16 oz) each day, while meat birds require more. Water is vital for digestion, egg production, waste elimination, and temperature regulation.
• Farm Dogs: Generally drink about one ounce per pound of body weight daily, but active livestock guardian dogs working outdoors may need more.
• Barn Cats: Need approximately 3.5-4.5 ounces per five pounds of body weight each day.

Meeting these needs when water sources readily freeze demands proactive measures.

Preventing Frozen Water for Poultry (Chickens & Ducks)

Chickens and ducks sip water frequently throughout the day. Frozen water severely restricts their intake, impacting digestion and overall health.

Using Electricity: Heated Waterers and Bowls

If your coop has electricity or is within safe reach of an extension cord (following safety precautions outlined later), several electric options exist:

• A heated pet bowl can keep water liquid.
• Specialized heated poultry waterers are designed for this purpose.
• For metal waterers, a heated base can be effective.

Non-Electric Solutions for Chicken Water

For coops without electricity, alternative methods are necessary. Hauling hot water multiple times a day is one option, but it’s labor-intensive. Standard plastic waterers can crack when water inside freezes solid. Switching to black rubber feed dishes in winter allows for easier ice removal; these flexible pans can be turned over and struck against the ground or twisted like ice cube trays to dislodge ice. However, chickens might perch on the edge, potentially tipping the pan, spilling water, getting wet (risking frostbite), or fouling the water.

A more efficient non-electric method involves using saltwater bottles. Fill an 18-oz or 20-oz plastic bottle with a highly concentrated salt solution (use 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cheap table salt dissolved in hot water) and seal it tightly.

A gloved hand places a sealed plastic bottle filled with salt water into a red plastic poultry waterer to prevent freezing without electricity.

Submerge this sealed bottle inside a larger poultry waterer (like a 3-gallon or 7-gallon model) and keep the waterer full. The saltwater inside the bottle has a much lower freezing point and helps keep the surrounding drinking water liquid for longer. Regularly check the salt bottle to ensure it isn’t leaking, as salty drinking water is harmful to chickens.

Addressing Duck Water Needs

Ducks require water deep enough to immerse their heads to clean their nostrils and eyes. The saltwater bottle method can be used in their primary waterer. Additionally, provide a shallow black rubber feed pan filled with fresh water twice daily (morning and late afternoon) for head-dipping and preening. The pan should be shallow enough to prevent them from attempting to swim, as a wet duck in freezing temperatures is susceptible to frostbite or freezing to the ground.

A durable black rubber feed pan sits on a metal stand, suitable for providing water to ducks or other livestock in winter.

Keeping Water Thawed for Goats and Sheep

Goats and sheep also need reliable access to unfrozen water.

Electric Heated Buckets

If electricity is available near the pen, an electric heated bucket is an excellent solution. Look for models with chew-resistant cords (often metal-wrapped). Even with protection, route the cord safely out of reach, perhaps through a fence panel directly behind the bucket, to minimize any chance of chewing. Securing the bucket to the fence prevents tipping and spilling. Prior experience with a barn fire potentially caused by chewed wiring underscores the importance of extreme caution with electrical cords around livestock.

Safety Considerations with Electricity

Ensure any electrical setup is safe. Use only outdoor-rated equipment and follow extension cord safety guidelines rigorously.

Solutions for Horses, Cattle, and Larger Livestock

Horses and cattle consume large quantities of water, making frozen troughs a significant problem, especially considering their increased intake of dry hay in winter. Providing a salt block encourages adequate water consumption.

Electric Tank De-icers / Heaters

For large troughs near an electrical source, a tank de-icer or heater is often the most effective solution. These devices are submerged in the water and use a heating element to prevent freezing. Although initially hesitant due to the combination of electricity and water, using a properly rated tank de-icer has proven to be a reliable way to eliminate the chore of manually breaking thick ice.

An electric tank de-icer with a protective metal guard submerged in a large black plastic livestock water trough, keeping the water liquid in cold weather.

Choose the correct type of de-icer for your specific trough. For plastic troughs, like a Rubbermaid stock tank, use a de-icer with a protective guard to prevent the heating element from melting the plastic sides. Moving the trough closer to an accessible outlet might be necessary but is often worth the effort.

Important Safety Checks for Tank Heaters

While designed for underwater use, it’s wise to periodically check the water for stray voltage. Carefully touch the water every few days. A slight tingle indicates the heater may be malfunctioning and needs replacement. While usually not harmful to humans, even a mild shock can deter sensitive animals like horses from drinking.

Non-Electric Methods for Large Troughs

If electricity isn’t an option for your main water trough, consider these strategies:

• Location: Position the trough in the sunniest available spot.
• Salt Water Bottles: Add several sealed two-liter bottles filled with concentrated saltwater (as described for chickens). Even if the trough water surface freezes, the floating bottles can be pushed around by animals, helping to break the ice.
• Insulation: Place the water trough inside a larger container (like an old trough or wooden box) and pack the space between them tightly with straw for insulation.
• Partial Cover: Cover about half of the trough’s surface with a sturdy piece of clear plexiglass or wood. This creates a mini-greenhouse effect, reducing heat loss while still allowing animals access to the open portion.

Essential Safety Tips for Using Extension Cords Outdoors

When using extension cords for heated buckets or de-icers, safety is paramount:

• Use Outdoor-Rated Cords Only: These are built to withstand moisture and temperature fluctuations. Never use indoor cords outside.
• Keep Cords Dry: Avoid running cords through puddles, mud, or snow. Elevate connections if possible.
• Protect Connections: Use a cord-lock or waterproof safety cover where the appliance cord plugs into the extension cord to keep the connection dry and secure. A plastic bag and duct tape can work in a pinch but are less reliable and safe.
• Avoid Damage: Do not drive vehicles or run heavy equipment over cords. Protect cords from chewing animals.
• Inspect Regularly: Check cords for any signs of damage (cracks, fraying) and replace them if compromised.

A person demonstrates how to use a green plastic outdoor extension cord safety cover to protect the plug connection from moisture.

Close-up of a green plastic cord lock securely covering the connection point between two outdoor extension cords on the ground.

Consult resources like Safety and Health Magazine for comprehensive extension cord safety guidelines.

Choosing the Right Buckets for Winter Watering

Material matters when it comes to how quickly water freezes. Comparative observations show:

• Metal Buckets: Freeze the fastest due to high thermal conductivity.
• Plastic Buckets: Freeze more slowly than metal.
• Black Rubber Buckets: Retain heat the longest, keeping water liquid for extended periods compared to metal or plastic. Their flexibility also makes ice removal easier.

Watering Other Farm Animals (Dogs, Cats, Rabbits)

• Dogs and Cats: If outdoor dogs or barn cats need unfrozen water, a heated pet bowl is often the simplest solution if electricity is nearby. Livestock guardian dogs may drink from heated goat or sheep troughs if accessible.
• Rabbits: Keeping rabbit water bottles or crocks from freezing is particularly challenging. One common method is to have two sets of water bottles per cage. Keep one set indoors, filled with warm water, and swap them out with the frozen ones several times a day. Heavy-bottomed ceramic crocks are harder to tip but will still freeze; these also need frequent changing with warm water.

A useful tip for any trough susceptible to freezing solid (especially during power outages) is to store an ice-breaking tool like a small sledgehammer, hatchet, or sturdy metal scoop nearby, perhaps under the trough if it’s raised on blocks. This keeps the tool accessible even after heavy snowfall.

A bay horse walks through a snow-covered pasture towards a partially frozen pond, illustrating the need for accessible, unfrozen water sources.

Conclusion

Knowing How To Keep Farm Animals Water From Freezing is a critical aspect of winter livestock care. Whether utilizing electric solutions like heated buckets and tank de-icers, or employing non-electric methods such as saltwater bottles, insulation, and strategic trough placement, the goal remains the same: ensuring consistent access to liquid water. Proper planning, understanding animal needs, prioritizing safety (especially with electricity), and choosing appropriate equipment like durable rubber buckets can significantly reduce the workload and worry associated with winter watering. By implementing these strategies, you can keep your diverse range of farm animals healthy, hydrated, and thriving even through the coldest months.