Glycerin

[Arnie]

Hi everyone

I have been told that I can use glycerin in my Hens water, it is used to stop the water from freezing now how true this I am not sure.

Has anyone used this method before and how much glycerin do you use per liter of water, and does it work

Regards

Arnie

[farmer jon]

we use glycerin at the cemetery to stop the water freezing around the flowers in the vase. usually about half a teaspoon to a vase. sorry I can't help you about the hens water but it definately stops the water freezing as it lowers the freezing point.

[Nature's Babe]

LOL, watching this with interest, as I don't know either. A little glycerine in icing sugar helps to stop icing going rock hard too !

[Arnie]

Hi NB

Does this mean i will only ever get soft boiled eggs

Regards

Arnie

[Chantal]

I was wondering the same thing this year having had the drinkers turning into giant popsicles.

I looked on a poultry forum and it says

Drinkers in Winter - how to stop water freezing

I imagine you are all worried with the weather getting colder as what to do with your drinkers to stop the water freezing inside.
A handy tip it to add a few drops of glycerine into the water, as it is oil based the water does not freeze and is completely harmless to poultry. It works on temperatures to -8c.

Available from the baking dept in supermarkets.

I'm going to give it a go.

[Arnie]

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for this, I too like Chantal will be giving this a go I bought my glycerin from Boots for less than £1-50 for 200ml so it should last a while.

Regards

Arnie

[PLUMPUDDING]

I was reading through some other sites for suggestions to stop the water freezing and none said how much glycerin to use, or whether it worked.

Other suggestions were:

Standing the drinker on an upturned biscuit tin with a couple of air holes in it and lighting one or two tea lights inside the tin.

Adding a teaspoon of olive oil with garlic (from Morrisons) - she said the water didn't freeze and the hens liked it.

Having two drinkers and just swapping them over if one freezes.

Putting a bottle, jar, or other lidded container filled with boiling water inside the drinker.

An American one suggested using a heated dog bowl! Do we have them in this country? - and how warm does the water get?

[oldherbaceous]

I wonder if the glycerin would help with the laying of large eggs, too.

[Diane]

Never tried adding glycerin to my hens' water - might give it a go.

I do know that giving them a drinker containing hot(ish) water to drink is a waste of time - as hot water will freeze quicker than cold water.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/waterchem ... -Water.htm

[Arnie]

Hi

Spent a couple of hours this morning cleaning the hen's drinker's and refilling them but this time I've added some glycerin which hopefully will stop them freezing when this cold weather turns up mid week.

Will report back to see if this really works.

Regards

Arnie

[Arnie]

Hi everyone,

What a waste of time that was it did not work drinker's frozen solid

Not sure as to what I can do to stop the water from freezing any body got any idea's

Regards

Arnie

[Chantal]

I put glycerine in the chickens' water yesterday and it didn't freeze even though it was registering -5C when I got home. It froze the day before without the glycerine, it was one big popsicle.

It is in one of those special chicken drinkers though, don't know if that makes a difference as there's not much surface area to freeze.

I'll report back after today's freezing weather.

[Johnboy]

Hi Arnie,
My mother used to add one lemon table jelly to about half a gallon of water and used to keep it in doors and if what was already out had managed to freeze over night she used to put out some of her 'liquid' which didn't normally freeze during the day. That which had frozen was brought into the kitchen to thaw out and put out the following day if it had frozen over night again.
Chickens do not have access to water overnight normally so her system worked quite well. That is if I remember correctly! (very many years ago)
JB.

[retropants]

does the glycerine method apply for bird bath water too? my blackbirds and robins have trouble when their drink is frozen!

[Arnie]

Hi Retropants,

I would say yes, but I am not sure what effect the glycerin would have on their plumage if they had a bath in it

Regards

Arnie