# Glycerin to keep water thawed?



## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

I was just over in the rabbit forum & someone was suggesting to another poster to put glycerin in hteir rabbits water crocks to keep the water from freezing.

My ducks have an electric water dish for winter but it would be nice to give them their swimming pool more often. I was just wondering if glycerin in their pool would hurt them if they drink it which of course they will or affect their feathers at all?

Not sure how much glycerin I'd have to use either, For the rabbit crocks the poster suggested 1 tsp. per dish.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

It would be cost prohibitive to put enough in there to do any good. I doubt a tsp would help with a rabbit dish either. If you check the figures, it really takes rather a lot to lower the freezing point significantly.


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## BackfourtyMI. (Sep 3, 2007)

Thanks Cyngbaeld, I was going to try it in the rabbits water but I'll have to decide how much it will cost, etc. I do remember someone talking about the same thing over in the rabbit forum last winter too but your probly right about the amount for the ducks swimming pool.

Guess they'll just get the pool when it's going to be above freezing for a couple days like last year.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

http://www.dow.com/glycerine/resources/table7.htm
Here is a table to give you ideas of amounts needed to lower the freezing point of water. A tsp in the crock won't do any good at all. Not sure that the quantity needed is healthy for animals to drink. 

Probably better to carry fresh water to the buns a couple times a day.


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## Caprice Acres (Mar 6, 2005)

I get pool water to the ducks every 2 days or so, even if it's below freezing. I remember someone saying on this forum last year that a dirty duck is a cold duck - so it's a priority that they get to wash regularly. 

Of course, I have a hose that I can keep in a heated area of my barn, so actually getting them water isn't a problem. I probably would do it at least once per week if I had to haul buckets of water from the house.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I'm fortunate in that there is a freeze proof spigot in my duck yard, most of the winter filling a contractors tub with bath water is just a matter of turning on the spigot, the tub sits right under it. Since it can get really cold here, its nice to be sure they have bathing water at least every few days. 

My drinking buckets have heaters and we need to carry water for those, but I don't have THAT many ducks, once a day is enough.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

if you can run electric to the coop get you one of the electric skillet things with the 3 inch sides or so, put it on the lowest setting possible and keep it up on blocks so they cant kick it around and fill it with mess, this is what my grandpa did for as long as i can remimber,


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## Sanza (Sep 8, 2008)

Lol KSalguy I bought a slowcooker last year with that in mind but I still haven't taken it out there. Slow cooker $15.00 compared to $50.00 for a heated dog bowl. I do have an old electric frying pan I might try now that you mentioned it. Thanks! The temperatures are in the -20 range at night but a couple weeks ago we had down to -35 and even with the heat lamp the water froze.


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## lilachill (Apr 2, 2006)

Katie,
How many ducks do you have? I use large rubber feed dish (it is about 3 gallons and easy to pop out the ice)every other day, filled from a 5 gallon bucket, and a larger , hardware store trough, on the days I drag out the hose to fill the cow's trough. The 3 ducks are happy with that. The 6 geese use a low Rubbermaid livestock tank. I fill that everyother day. They swim and groom when the water is fresh and use their drinking water bucket on other days. A this point their feathers are in very good condition.
I do have a frost free spigot in the barn and a slight slope to the barnyard that drains the hose easily as I roll it up for storage. If we get below 10' temps without snow I will be hauling from the shower in the house.


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