Small Trough De-icers

[Hpacres440p]

I have used this method for several years. I actually put new jugs in all my tanks last night. I use 4-6 jugs according to the size of the tank. Cheap.
A 1 gallon jug with maybe 2-3 cups of salt and filled approximately 1/2 full of water. The jug won't freeze below 0 and a small area around it will be open. The cows will push on the jug to get the water

Apparently I didn't add enough salt….our wind chill got down to 3, but the milk jugs didn't make it. One collapsed and the lid popped off, this one did like Mahomes' helmet and shattered. Luckily our pipes thawed a little yesterday and we were able to refill some empty troughs. The kids were thirsty…(the hole is courtesy of pickaxe)

 

[Silver]

A person needs to befriend a chemist that can figure out a recipe for a mixture that provides a slow, safe chemical reaction in those jugs. Just enough to keep the contents a bit on the warm side for several hours. I'd Google it but probably end up with the Mounties at my door.

 

[M.Magis]

Apparently I didn't add enough salt….our wind chill got down to 3, but the milk jugs didn't make it. One collapsed and the lid popped off, this one did like Mahomes' helmet and shattered. Luckily our pipes thawed a little yesterday and we were able to refill some empty troughs. The kids were thirsty…(the hole is courtesy of pickaxe)

Salt stops melting ice below 15F, so any solution of salt water will still freeze solid once it starts getting near single digits.

 

[kenny thomas]

Salt stops melting ice below 15F, so any solution of salt water will still freeze solid once it starts getting near single digits.

I guess a good part of it is how long its cold and how many cows are using it.
My smaller tire tanks have to recover the water more often so done seem to freeze as bad.

 

[kenny thomas]

I guess a good part of it is how long its cold and how many cows are using it.
My smaller tire tanks have to recover the water more often so done seem to freeze as bad.

Today my 900 gallon tire with 15 weaned calves drinking was frozen. A 300 gallon with 17 cows drinking was open. The recovery had to be the difference.

 

[Lisagrantb]

My grandpa could make something from nothin. One time he built a device that would move about 3" when a cow pushed on it. He rigged it to the front of the trough and it was connected to a couple boards inside the trough. When a cow came to drink they would push on it and it would move the boards in the trough causing the water to be stirred and prevented it from freezing. I guess anything you have to move the water around would work in your climate.

 

[elkwc]

Didn't work very good in my experience.

Just dang cold last time I tried it

They didn't work for us either.