# best way to keep goat water from freezing



## my2goats

My wife and I are having a debate over the best way to keep the goat water from freezing this winter (in Maine). She thinks heat lamps would serve two purposes heating the water and keeping the goats 'somewhat' warm. I'm thinking a heated bucket would be more practical and economical. The goat shed has 4 sides and a solid floor but has an open grated window and open vents at top of the walls so would a heat lamp really be able to heat the water, let alone warm the air temp when it is 5 below zero? This is our first winter with our two ND wethers, does anyone have experience using these devices?


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## liz

I don't use heat lamps or a heated bucket...my girls have an area large enough to hang a water bucket on an inside wall never freezes solid but does end up with a thin layer on top, my boys have outside rubber buckets that are easily bumped out when froze, I also fill buckets with hot water 3 times a day.


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## freedomstarfarm

Heat lamps can be a fire hazard. Heated buckets are safer IMO. That is what I use but my buckets are outdoors.


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## KW Farms

I agree with Logan. Goats like to get into mischief and a heat lamp close to the water could make a "toy" for them. I'd go with heated buckets or a trough de-icer if you have power. I just have a small rubber tub that gets filled morning and night and dumped as needed if it freezes.


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## my2goats

thanks all for the prompt replies... does a rubber bucket prolong the water from freezing in cold temps? Right now I am using a flat back plastic one.


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## freedomstarfarm

my2goats said:


> thanks all for the prompt replies... does a rubber bucket prolong the water from freezing in cold temps? Right now I am using a flat back plastic one.


Can't imagine that would make a huge difference. I have heard of putting the bucket into a rimless tire to help insulate it but have never tried it.


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## RMADairyGoats

I agree that using a heated bucket would be safer :thumb: We don't have heated buckets for the does/bucks but we do have one in the horses tank and it works great! We just dump hot water in for the goats when it is really cold. They love a nice warm drink :greengrin:


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## goatsnmore

Winters here, -20 to -30 is common, during January and into Feb. We've used the black rubber tubs...they freeze solid. We put the tub into a tire and packed old hay around it....water froze solid. However, I will say that it's easier to get the frozen water out of the black rubber tubs vs the plastic buckets. For the past couple years, we've been using a 16 gallon heated, plastic bucket and it works great.


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## lissablack

I use the plastic buckets. I keep two sets, and take out the frozen one in the morning and put fresh water in the second set. But it is warmer here, by the end of the day the frozen buckets are thawed enough to empty. Last year for a week or so it was colder than that and I had to bring them in the house to thaw, as well as change the water in the middle of the day. I was taking them hot water several times a day then. That is not very practical, I recommend heated buckets. But you need to be able to keep the cords where they can't get them. I have one but don't use it because of that. It's a tough problem.


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## lissablack

Plus heat lamps are a scary fire hazard even if they aren't close enough to the floor to keep a water bucket thawed.


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## Willow

We have a large heated bucket that we fill 2/3 full and then we have a smaller bucket that we hand inside the larger bucket. THat way they dont mess up the large heated bucket and we can keep it pluged in and only change/refill the inner pail.


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## Steph

We use the heated buckets from Tractor Supply. They work great as long as we keep them about butt height. Biggest problem was hay in the bucket because they would go to the water while chewing hay and drop it to drink. We would fish the hay out with a large aquarium net.


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## mommaB

Trough warmers are worth their weight in gold!!! They make life soooooo much easier!!


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## Jessaba

Not sure exactly what it is called *drawing blank* but you put it in trough and it basically comes on when the water gets close to freezing and shuts off when it is above freezing temperature...we are using this for the first time this year as I don't want to be outside constantly unfreezing water like last year. Have heard good things about it so we shall see


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## Breezy-Trail

I live in NY State and know how the winters are like (its similar to Maine).
They are very cold with winds and lots of snow.
We usually get at least 2 weeks of sub zero weather.

Unless you have a heated bucket or something there is no way you will be able to keep it from freezing when temps get to -20.

I don't use a heated bucket (as I think its a waste of money and electricity) but it may suit you better.
Make sure if you go this way that you get heated buckets and not bucket heaters (barn fire).
Tank heaters work good, as they are in a tank and can't be tipped over like buckets.

My goat pen is insulated with no drafts. It used to be a drying room for wood and has a big 4 ft insulated door.It has a 1ft opening at the top to let air in from the barn side.
This morning when I went in there I was surprised to find that it was the warmest room in the barn (4 does) when it was 30F outside.
It has been down to 20F with no water freezing yet.

I take out water 2 times a day (morning and night). If its cold I take out warmer water. It is just 2 one gallon (apple juice) jugs with handles so its is easy to do.
On extra cold days I might have to take it out 3 times a day. Being as I am already going out there 2 times a day (for hay and grain feeding) I might as well bring water out in my otherwise empty hands.


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## JessaLynn

We have a heated 5 gallon bucket and water trough de icer.The heated water bucket is SO worth it.I have spoiled goats who like fresh warm clean water twice a day and this serves it's purpose for sure. I used the rubber buckets in the past and I still use a rubber hog dish for our chickens.It's easy to pop the ice out compared to a hard plastic bucket.


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## wvaleries

*Keeping water from freezing*

A friend of mine says that he uses an old cooler with the lid removed to put water in for his animals. He says it never freezes. I haven't tried it yet. Has anyone else heard of this?


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## ksalvagno

You could certainly try it.


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## canyontrailgoats

I would just bring hot water out twice a day, so they could drink their fill. My goats would usually only drink the evening bucket, and they'd drink 1-2 gallons each! You can add acv or molasses to give them an energy boost.

This method would be easy for you, having just two goats. It might be more difficult with a whole herd!


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## lottsagoats1

I just make sure they are watered 3 times a day. I rotate water buckets, one set in the stall, one set with ice in my kitchen by the wood stove (the dogs LOVE them) and one set with room temp water waiting to go down to the barn. 

I will not have electricity in my barn because of fear of fire. Last winter 4 farms in my immediate area burned down because of heat lamps and one because of a short in the water bucket. Heat lamps and electric water buckets make me very nervous. I would rather haul buckets back and forth 3 times a day (4 when it's very cold) than take a chance with electricity. I lost my entire herd to a fire a few years ago (neighborhood kid set it) and do not want to ever go thru that again.

I have found that adding molasses to the water will let it stay fluid for a little longer than just plain water. Same goes for electrolytes if they are something that you need to use.

I live in central Maine and have dealt with -40 or so temps many times. The animals learn to drink when the water is fresh and liquid.


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## harleybarley

I like for my girls to have warm water, not just cold but unfrozen. I stick a 1000-watt bucket de-icer in the small trough when I start chores, and pull it out before I leave. They also have a heated bucket, but it died within a week after the goats drank most of the water. The other barn has a tank warmer (250 watts is enough here!) because there's room to sneak the power cord out of reach from the goats. Don't forget a beefy cord if you have to use an extension (they all say "no extension cords" to CYA); and careful if the barn doesn't have GFCI. It's about $30 for a plug-in GFCI (like a short extension cord, but with circuitry). Nice thing about heated buckets - the electric stuff doesn't touch the water, so hard to electrocute a goat, and nothing visible for them to play with. As long as the bucket works.

Last year, we hauled boiling water out to melt ice & warm up the buckets, and we used small coolers and a round jobsite type water cooler. They held heat pretty well, but you can't hang them and we didn't get a good system for totally preventing berry contamination. The barn water is off during freezes (not weatherproof enough), so washing out the coolers meant another hike back to the house. :-(

I like having a filled tank/trough in case power goes out, since our well pump is electric. A heat lamp doesn't warm the water enough to keep it warm through an outage, and it's not good for goats to go out in the cold and come in to warm up. Better for them to warm themselves from the inside.


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## Ryann

we use rubber buckets (easier to stomp on and break the ice out without breaking the bucket) and bring hot water out at least twice a day more often if we are home this year I bought 2 heated buckets for the prego pen but they are plugged into a GFI power strip and that is plugged into a GFI outlet.... I was nervous about the water/electricity and figured this way the power was sure to get cut off NO FIRE if one of the buckets gets dumped I am also in the process of getting a new outside freeze proof spickot that is tapped into a hot water line put to the outside of the house so I can use a "pocket hose" and won't have to carry as many buckets. I have Severe RA and carrying all those buckets is really hard on my body!


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## harleybarley

Ryann said:


> ... I am also in the process of getting a new outside freeze proof spickot that is tapped into a hot water line ..


 That's the best barn improvement EVER!


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## NyGoatMom

We bring out warm water 2-3 x a day...but we are home a lot and able to  I also find in winter they tend to drink only one of the times we bring it out....some of mine like to eat snow too


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## Stonewall

I live in West Virginia so it’s not as cold as northern states but it common to be in the single digits. I have a barn on the hill and not close enough for electric. It’s a real chore to get enough water there to replace the frozen cubes in the morning, before work,and at night, after work. I know heat transfer takes a lot of juice but is there a solar heating system out there that helps?


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