We don't have a cement birdbath as the birds use our pond for bathing and drinking. I wouldn't imagine though that you would need to take a cement one indoors for winter.
@Petronius we did have one it was our first in the back garden and it was always outside even through the winter.
What?? Deprive the birds of ice skating parties, snowball fights, and ice sailing? It has been outside for over 25 years. Hawks, turkeys and various forms of wildlife have stopped for a drink or winter event. There it will stay. Jerry
A lady I worked for had a cement birdbath in the back yard. Every Autumn she had me put it inside her garage.
She would do mate because after so long in cold weather and ice they eventually crack...I filled ours up one morning and when I looked out the kitchen window half the water had gone but the slabs wasn't wet from when the birds wash them...went and took a look there was a crack around the base developing and the water was going down the stem.
Over time, the weather is often not kind to many cement structures that hold water. My solution was developed by Romans engineers over 2000 years ago and has kept my birdbath from becoming a landfill item for an archeologist to unearth 2000 years from now. Opus caementicium is a type of hydraulic setting cement. Volcanic ash prevents cracking and allows for repair of existing cracks. A modern form is available at your local big box home improvement center. Jerry
Interesting @Jerry Sullivan. I have never heard of that. I faithfully lug our 4 (yes, 4! Whose crazy idea is that?!?) in and out every spring and fall.
We use to put our cement bird bath away for the winter and bring out a heated one for winter ... even doing it that way the cement one didn't last very long. Now we have a lake behind our home and hopefully some of the water will be open for the eagles to fish and all of the other birds.
Hello Sherry we had our bird bath quite a few years before it finally went but your lakes a stunner...Jealous this end mate as I it
I do put out a bird bath in the summer. It's a metal one as it is easier to clean. But I take it in during the winter. We have a stream not to far from our home that does stay open in some areas during the winter.
Gail just left it it's original color as you do not see to much of it from the side as it is pretty shallow. I do have a bird dripper in it so it stays full of water all the time. sorry 4 not getting back to you sooner.
No need to apologise Tooty2shoes ….well if you like it how it is that's ok..some things on the garden I get my hubby to spray lol but that's good how you have a bird dripper connected...I empty mine and clean the two and fill them but none of the birds except for pigeons drop their mess in it, I can't understand why.
Gale I don't understand why those little feathered critters always seem to poop in the bird bath. A lot of my birds do that so I have to clean out mine every other day or so. If I don't keep it clean they get salmonella poisoning. It's something I have been battling for a few years at my bird bath. I even took down some of my stationary feeders as the birds congregate there and can pass it on to each other through pooping in the feed. It is no fun to see a poor little Gold finch who you know will eventually starve to death because of the disease. I keep a really close eye on my birds. This year I only had 2 of them that I found dead. I almost removed all of my feeders and bird bath to try and get rid of it. But they can get it from drinking out of dirty puddles. So what is one to do.
