Ideas for frozen water bowls..?? Ever try these???

[Guest]

Me and a friend was talking here while back and was trying to figure out a way to keep the water from freezing in our kennles without buying a heated buckets. We came up with three different things to try although I did read about one of them on another board somewhere a couple years ago. The one I read about was dig a hole big enough for bucket to set in without falling in and leave 6 inches space underneath bucket. A bucket that is 6 inches deep would take a hloe that is a foot deep and the warm air from good 'ol earth will not be as cold nor freeze as quickly as on top and therefore will not freeze water in bucket as fast either. THIS WORKS cause I have it in use with my coonhounds where they decided to dig and I just "finished" the hole for them. Been below freezing for 6 straight days and night here (TN)and all I do is get a light crusty film off top. May not work as well for you northern folks with lots of sub-zero weather though. Next we were thinking of the "greenhouse" effect. Take some plexiglass and build a small room outside where it will be in as much sun as possible. Have some sort of doorway where dogs can go in and out and the room will hold heat from the sun like a greenhouse. Don't know if this will work but it sounded pretty good but also could be quite expensive depending on how many you had to build. Finally we wondered if fixing a small box to put a bowl in without tipping over inside their doghouse would work. It would be out of the extreme weather and conveniently in their living quarters and hopefully they would generate enough body heat to keep it from freezing as quickly. I mean I have stuck my hand in the box they slept in and it is quite a bit warmer than outside temps are. But again I haven't tried this one although it also sounds good to me but it may not work either. What are some things you guys and gals have tried. I guess for now I'll just keep busting ice for my beagles and skimming the crust off for my coonhounds.

[BlueJack]

DIRTY WORD !!!!! It did it again...why do I keep getting kicked off line when I submit something..I sign in when I visit each time but the first time it always shows me as a guest...Stupid computer.....operator...ROFL Maybe someday this ol' hick will figure this thing out...someday?!?!

[Dave]

I just use the small sainless dishes in the winter. When I feed and water, a couple of drops of warm water(i pour this over the food anyhow) and the ice snaps right out of the dish. Doesn't take any longer than throwing the water out to replace with fresh in the warmer months

[fat head]

a buddy of mine uses this one i havent tried it he digs a hole puts a small oil lantren in turns it on where it is lightly burning and puts water dish over top hole he says his never had a problem no mater how cold it gets aprox 6 in. from top of lantren to bottom of bowl

[Alabama John]

All this talk about cold weather and freezing water is something we never have a problem withexcept for a very few days.

If I had the frozen water problem you have and my pens were somewhat close to the house I would run a 1/2 inch waterline to the pen and back in a continuous pipe and hook it up to your hot water heater. It will continuously flow to the pen and back, thus keeping the water at the pen hot. You could then attach a spigot and run hot water over your buckets and thaw out the water. Have a cut off so you can switch from hot water to regular cold water at the hot water tank for use the rest of the year.

You could have it continuously drip or run a small stream of hot water on to the frozen water.

I have water from the house water main line branching off and going to the pens (not hot water) water buckets, but except for a few days, when it is a hard freeze, it is left on. All year.

Just a suggestion.

[Taitor]

I just water them three times a day and they have figured out to get a drink before it freezes. I also use the stainlees bowls and just bang out the ice. The ice cubes have started to accumulate to the point I think they will still be here in June. Today was pretty cold but no bad it made it to 19 degrees. High of 12 for Wednesday, doesn't seem to be any end in sight for the cold.

[Bev]

It's going to be fun to look back on these posts about August when it's drier than a popcorn fart and 95 degrees out.

[Vickie]

I have a friend who got this idea from someone that came from Alaska with miniature horses. They used little 2.5 gallon coolers. Fill them with water and all they have is slush on the top in the morning (without the cover on). That's in near 0 degree weather. Just add warm water and it's good for another night. They said it even worked in 50 degree below zero weather in Alaska. I just have a couple pens, so I have heated water dishes for the dogs and tank heaters in the water tanks for the horses. Boy does my electric bill go up in the winter, but it's worth it when the wind and snow is blowin!

[bosstom3]

i use sheet metal bent around my dog pans (stainless) and put a light bulb underneath the pan works great wont freeze unless you blow a bulb ive used this for 3 years now.