How long til it feezes contest.

I got tired of constantly bringing water to my chickens in the winter because of the freezing problem. So, I used my inventive mind to try to solve the problem, now lets see if it works and if it does I'll build a deluxe model.

This is a box with 3/8 inch plywood and 3/8 inch styrofoam;
http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/wvabe/box001.jpg?t=1292592346

The lid is 3/8 inch plywood and a piece of sheet metal on the underneath side;
http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/wvabe/box002.jpg?t=1292592346
http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/wvabe/box003.jpg?t=1292592346

Inside this box will be hot bricks heated on top of my Siegler Oil Stove;
http://i1082.photobucket.com/albums/j368/wvabe/box004.jpg?t=1292592346

The box was kept in the house overnite so a cold box wouldn't suck all the heat from the bricks.
I have a thick plastic water pan that will set on top of this box, it holds exactly one (1) gallon of water.
The water pan will be filled with warm water, a little warmer than luke warm.
Our temps have been in the low teens in the mornings and mid twenties during the day, but today will be in the low thirties. The water was placed on the box at 7:15 this morning.

Here's the contest;
How long will it take for the water to freeze today?
I'm home all day today and will be working in my chicken pen, so I will be monitoring it.
Please guess in 5 minute increments.
Anyone can play and you get one (1) guess.
I'll figure out a prize later, there will be 1 or 2 winners, all depending on the guesses.

Good Luck...

 

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6:50 pm

 

7:35pm

 

As in freeze solid or freeze a thick layer on top?

 

6:10 pm.

Good question... if it's solid, I'll say 8:30.

 

I'll post two guesses for the two possibilities:
Thick layer on top: 4:55 PM
Solid: 12:00 PM; tomorrow

 

As of noon its still water. A thin layer of ice is what I mean, I should of specified that...

 

Then I'd like to revise my guess, as I assumed solid through and through.

My guess for a thin layer 5:20 pm

 

I'll go with 8:05 pm

 

14 hours 45 minutes (10:00 tonight)

 

5:55 pm

 

3:33 afternoon

 

11:30 pm I am going through the same thing with my chickens. My trick is I hang a heat lamp on the ceiling above the waterer and it never freezes, and they lay egges through the winter

 

5:45 pm for a layer to form.

Since you already have the holder, may I suggest you use a metal pail and put an extension light in place of the bricks. Just in case, use the non-green incandescent bulb. My father used to do that for an out door in ground goldfish pond and it never froze over although he put it above the water instead of below. It was under a plastic sheet cover

 

To abe, sampson and your cold thirsty chickens...

Could you perhaps use an outdoor koi pond heating element in the water tank so the water doesn't freeze?

Floating or Submersible Pond Deicers seem to price around $50-$100 depending on output specifications and are safe for use with live animals.

Just a thought.

 

1:00 AM tomorrow morning (Saturday)

 

9:35 pm

 

9:40p

 

1:55 am

 

I will guess about 4 1/2 hours after sunset ....
my guess 8:50 PM if you live in the western half of virgina......
and 10:15 PM if you live along the coast.