How much to feed? And frozen water tips?

[treeclimber233]

Can you set your water bucket somewhere where the sun will shine on it during the day. Even in freezing weather (if the bucket is black) the water will thaw (or at least not refreeze). Something I used to do with my rabbits was not fill the water container up completely. THat way I could add hot water in the morning so they could drink and melt some of the ice and at night just a little hot water again. If I filled the container up completely at night I could not add any in the morning. The way the cages were set up the sun would shine in the cage most of the day so that helped melt the ice some too. My goats water bucket is black and sitting in the sun so it melts on the side where the sun shines and they can drink.

 

[SuperChemicalGirl]

We're too cold up here to not use a heated bucket. I bought one for the goats that has heavy wire around the cord so it can't be chewed to danger. We ran an extension cord high up off the ground (so we can walk/drive/plow under it) to both the goat and chicken house and then up into the rafters and down to the buckets. Before we did that I brought out warm water in the morning and evening.

For the ducks they don't get water at night so each night I dump their heavy black rubber bucket and each morning I bring out a bucket of hot water to fill it. They play in it most of the day so it doesn't freeze too bad. If it does, they have to wait for me to come home from work to break up the ice or refill with hot water.

 

[SassyKat6181]

I just bought a blue heated bucket from Tractor Supply. It has metal wrapped around the cord so they can't chew it. $29