Best pond de-icer according to redditors
We found 8 Reddit comments discussing the best pond de-icer. We ranked the 5 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 8 Reddit comments discussing the best pond de-icer. We ranked the 5 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
Depends on the weather, though we'd keep all windows closed for the entire winter as they were a pain to open. If it was below freezing or there was a chance for it to get very cold at night, we'd keep them in and close all doors. We'd also fork some bedding infront of the doors to try and eliminate the draft at the bottom. During the day we'd keep the south facing door open as there was less wind coming from that end. If it was a bright sunny day, we'd open both doors to try and encourage them to get out a bit.
I wouldn't clean out the barn as much as I would in summer. It may sound gross, but the bedpack builds up a little heat as it decomposes. I'd put down a layer of fresh bedding as needed to keep the girls clean though.
If you get below freezing temps regularly in winter, you are probably going to want a water heater for their water dish. This is probably the biggest can of worms, because they sell a few different varieties and you want to get one that fits your size water tub. If you have a 25-50 gal tub, you can get away with a backyard pond heater. I recommend getting one that doesn't have exposed coils, especially if you have playful goats. Something like this I found worked best for me. You want to make sure there are no exposed chords for them to chew on though. Take a piece of hose or pvc pipe and slip it over any wires that might be exposed. You'll probably need outdoor rated extension cords as well, which you'll want to make sure are positioned in such a way that the female end wont collect water. I always taped the connections with electrical tape to be sure.
In terms of the animals themselves dealing with the cold, they will most likely be okay. If you have some older girls or drama queens (ahem, nubians) you may want to invest in a couple coats, but they probably wont need it as they will grow in a winter coat themselves. It's fun in spring when they shed these little tufts of fluff that look like cotton. In fact, it's great to get them out in the sun even if it's a little chilly, as being in close contact 24/7 increases transmission of diseases like ringworm, orf, parasites, etc.
You got me thinking...
https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-C-250-Submergible-Aluminum/dp/B001E8X2CA/
I second the extension cords idea. The water dish will pull a mere 1/4 amp of current and even several cords will be fine.
(even if you are conservative, 100' of 16-gauge extension cord is good for 5 amps, 12-gauge is 10 amps)
amazon also recommended this watertight cord connector, so others are doing similar things.
You will need to buy a vacuum too and vacuum before you use the carpet cleaner. The machine could be used as a vacuum since it does have some suction but it's a really bad one. Different brushes are for different purposes. The 6 round spinning type brushes in good scrubbers are great for scrubbing carpet deeply but do a crappy job of lifting surface dirt toward the suction. The scrubbers rely on the water flow and detergent to dissolve the dirt instead of air suction to just lift it.
PS: Look for a vacuum with a really long power cord or find something like one of these cord protectors to let you attach a 20-30' extension cords to the vacuum without worrying about them coming unplugged. It's worth the money not to have to try to deal with a residential 12' cord on your vacuum. You may have to order a vacuum if you prefer the longer cord built in.
I’ve also heard the same but I was wondering if I could get away with a de-icer like this one from Amazon.
Edit : took forever to get the URL link to work, sorry.
The cord itself will be fine; it's the ends that need protection. "Waterproof outlet cover" and "extension cord waterproof connector".
Something like this where the cord plugs into the wall:
https://www.amazon.com/Taymac-MM420C-Single-Non-Metallic-Weatherproof/dp/B00JU532B0
and something like this for plugging the camera into the cord:
https://www.amazon.com/Farm-Innovators-CC-2-Connect-Water-Tight/dp/B002MHFXS8
Invest in a remote starter.
Use a spray de-icer.
Cover your windows with a sheet or window cover when not driving.
Maybe something like this? Weather proof cord connector cover