Insulation ideas please to help stop water buckets freezing

[HarlequinSeren]

Both in the stable and out in the field. I was thinking maybe wrapping something insulating around them might slow the freezing down a bit, but not sure what to use.
Anyone got any tips? Or am I barking up the wrong tree with this idea?

 

[ScarlettLady]

apples bobbing in the water, or small floating football or similar?

 

[Tinsel Trouble]

For water buckets- stand them in a rubber skip and if possible wrap them with bubble wrap too.

For troughs- if possible stand them in a rubber skip but floating a football over night or putting a stick in the water does fairly well at giving you a hole for water to be available from.

 

[xRobyn]

I put a layer of bedding under my water bucket and then bank it up around the sides in the stable

 

[touchstone]

I fill an empty plastic milk container (4 or 6 pint) with hot water and stick it the bucket.

 

[cheeryplatypus]

A little oil (veg oil!) in the bucket slows down the ice formation. Bucket has to be clean to work best. You will end up with rings of ice but it keeps the ice thin enough that they can push through it and have water overnight.
I also sit it on straw. Have tried putting in hot water bottles but didn't find it very helpful. May try the apple idea, thanks

 

[PolarSkye]

I use those thick plastic buckets for starters - they seem to help - I stand them on straw to keep them off the concrete floor and in a tyre . . . haven't had frozen water in his stable once.

P

 

[suzied]

Stand water bucket in an empty Haylage bag or something similar & pack the base of the bag & the gap between the sides of the bucket & bag with bedding - straw or shavings work equally well. The bedding packing stays in shape when you take the bucket out next morning, so it's quick & easy to use.

 

[showqa]

Might not be considered safe by some, so don't shoot me, but I raised my water trough outside, and beneath it put some chunky pillar candles and lit them. This was for last year which was truly desperate frankly, whereas so far this year for us it's been manageable.

 

[mrogers]

if you put a small amount of jelly in the water bucket, it helps stop the water freezing

 

[ArabianGold]

Might not be considered safe by some, so don't shoot me, but I raised my water trough outside, and beneath it put some chunky pillar candles and lit them. This was for last year which was truly desperate frankly, whereas so far this year for us it's been manageable.

What a peculiar thing to do? How does that not set fire to everything? Very intrigued!!!

Adios

 

[Elsbells]

1 trug bucket inside another and lots of bubblewrap in between. Worked for us last year and that was cold!!

 

[showqa]

Well, worked for us. The steel trough was out in the yard, and it was raised on a stone plinth, the pillar candles beneath. When you're dealing with minus 12 at midday, solid ice, and potentially dehydrated horses, desperation creeps in!

 

[DuckToller]

Well, worked for us. The steel trough was out in the yard, and it was raised on a stone plinth, the pillar candles beneath. When you're dealing with minus 12 at midday, solid ice, and potentially dehydrated horses, desperation creeps in!

Wow, sheer brilliance I'd say! Might try it on my trough as it's on a raised brick plinth - am off to seek out pillar candles, I'm guessing tea lights won't cut the ice (excuse pun )

Last year I put in my outside field bins a few metal thermos flasks filled with boiling water, they bobbed around rather than sank and there was a thinner iced area in the morning, although can't say for sure I noticed a huge difference and I was worried they might get nicked.

 

[HarlequinSeren]

Thank you all for your suggestions, I'll definitely try some of those out! Thankfully it hasn't got that cold here just yet, but the ice has been pretty thick in some places in the morning and I've been melting it with the kettle.

 

[Achinghips]

outside, pile up pooh along the water pipes

 

[somethingillremember]

You can get flat microwavable "plates" you put in the microwave to heat up then put them under your bucket .

 

[Dirty_D]

get 3 tub trugs, one larger than the other two, put nicely rotting poo in the larger one, fair whack in the base and then up the sides, then put one of your smaller buckets in and thats your heated bit which you will leave alone. All you then have to do is put your last bucket in with water and whala! A heated eco friendly water bucket!

the only reason you have two the same size is because otherwise your poo falls down everytime you take your middle bucket out to empty it!