Cookie Tin water heater

[Delmar]

I built a cookie tin heater yesterday. I used an old standing lamp that we replaced because the three way switch quit working. I unscrewed the three sections of the lamp post and removed the light fixture. Put a hole in the tin and screwed the fixture in from the inside. Then I ran the chord through one of the tubes from the lamp post and screwed it back on to the fixture. There are now no exposed wires that the birds can peck at.

 

[Gypsi]

I just gave away 5 of those little clip on night lights to a school teacher... Wish I'd seen this first!

 

[Gypsi]

Quote:

 

[Kassaundra]

My husband made one yesterday morning, we couldn't get out to get any supplies b/c of our blizzard in OKLAHOMA!!! So we used what we had around the house, an old coffee can, and a small desk lamp I never used (just had it for a craft project) It has worked great, no frozen water at all w/ temps at zero and just below.

 

[3forfree]

I'm going to make one today, don't have chickens yet but have made an incubator that worked on pheasant eggs last year, the coop is being built, this hot plate idea is great. thanks.

 

[boysnoise210]

This is SUCH a great thread, thanks so much for the detailed instruction! We had a freak snowstorm and four-day freeze last week, and I made one of these on about day 3 (after I got tired of taking little water bowls out to my kids a few times a day

), and it worked great that last day before the thaw. Now we're getting yet ANOTHER "arctic blast" here in Central Texas, and the water heater is hooked up and working GREAT! Thanks again, this has been a life saver! (And a money saver!)

Here's my freebie water heater:

Better still, it took about five minutes to make.

 

[Delmar]

Coldest night of the winter, so far. -5 and just a little ice on top, but the birds were never without liquid water. i am using a 35W bulb and a one gallon heater. I could switch to a 50W bulb, but it is supposed to start warming up tomorrow. How warm do you folks let it get before you start unplugging it during the day?

 

[jaketheeggman]

Great idea

 

[bethsplace]

question still stands, my waters are outside in run i have metal waters we built one cookie tin water now have power run to coop, we live in ga so temps do not get to low so what size bulbs should we use? should we use plastic waters? do they work good outside?

 

[Ivywoods]

How low does your temp get down there? I don't think you would need a very big bulb, even with it outside. Wind would make some difference if you have much. 25 w ought to be more than enough I would think. Start small and see if that keeps it thawed, and if not move up a little.

It was -10 here this morning, but thank goodness it is going to start warming up a little now.