What type of waterererererer...waterers? - Page 2

One 125 watt heat lamp bulb will keep a water dish from freezing and will encourage laying. You set the timer to come on just like you would for supplemental light and it thaws the water. Works great. Oh, I should say hang it just above the water dish.

Fred's Hens :

There are multitude of water systems described and photographs shown here on TBN.

Hi Fred - what is "TBN"?  I'd like to find those water systems. We live in VT and occasionally have 2-3 days away from home, need to make sure the birds can have access to thawed water.  We are also off the grid, so need to find something that won't drain the house battery power (we have a separate inverter and battery we can use).

I use what grandma used. I have a couple of 5-gal and one 3-gal. 

I also go for simple and use plastic jugs.

Ha!!!  Fingers, can't always trust them.  BYC  Backyard Chickens.

Everyone has some great ideas.  I can never seem to do anything for too long, always changing things around.  I have lights on in my coops all the time and it keeps my water from freezing.  I also put fresh water outside of the coop daily to encourage them to drink through out the day, have always done this.  I use starter mash feed in the winter to fatten up birds for insulation, and their not laying much anyway.

I hate the "traditional" waterer because of the mess when refilling and cleaning out. But, that is what I use. I would like to try the cups or nipples on the bottom of a 10 gallon bucket though, seems like it would be so much easier to fill and wouldn't need to be cleaned as often either.

The opinions will be all over the board Bro. We each have issues in our own way. The nipples have to be cleaned if you have hard water, the trays get wood shaving in them, small ones get tipped over so like you said grandma had galvanized silo type and they work well. I bought a 2 gallon one and its easy to deal with but like I said everyone has their own way.

I found the usual inverted waterer to be a total pain to clean and refill, and because my flock is tiny, I now just use a bucket.  (The water stays remarkably cleaner than the inverted waterer.) Super quick to dump, swish out, refill. For winter, I'm using a 2 gal rubber bucket, filled to brim. If freezes, couple of kicks gets ice out. Bought a heated dog dish to have for bitter cold stretches, and may use Fred's technique with that.

As far as measuring consumption?  Have you taken into consideration of evaperation?  A big benefit of nipples, is it can be a fairly closed system.  The other systems will lose more to evaporation.
I find it hard to belive your chicks were thirsty for 14 months!  I think if chickens were not getting sufficient hydration they would be parked under the nipples drinking.  My chickrns hit the nipples, walk off and peck around.  I have been with them for long periods and they have gone that time without drinking.  That tells me they are getting proper hydration.
I have a 5 gal. bucket with a screw on lid, 3 nipples and a submersible heater for the winter.

As far as measuring consumption?  Have you taken into consideration of evaperation?  A big benefit of nipples, is it can be a fairly closed system.  The other systems will lose more to evaporation.

My chicks are 14 weeks, not 14 months.  And yes, I have considered the effect of evap, but I don't think it could explain all the difference.