DIY Thread - Let's see your "Inventions".

[Aphrael]

I just wanted to clarify on my previous post. I am planning to build the solar heater for my house. I don't heat my coop ever. IMO the birds are much better off being acclimated to the natural temp. The only time my birds hide in the coop is during really nasty storms or, in the case of last winter, when we had a couple feet of snow on the ground. TBH a few of them even went out in the snow. But after one of them got stuck in a snowdrift I locked them inside for their own safety. Fortunately I found her in time. Poor girl was icy cold, but I was able to bring her inside and get her warmed up.

 

[evemfoster]

hi folks
for what ever reason the chickens here almost quit laying eggs my sisters get way less and my uncle also keeps his coop at 55 he told me so they lay all the time today was first day the chicken got a taste of cold weather they stuck their heads out of the coop then turned back around and went under the lamps

I believe strongly in allowing the chickens to acclimate to the weather.

I put the remote temperature probe from the greenhouse into the coop last night. The coop is small and was built for 6 chickens, but coons got half my flock about 3 weeks ago so i have been worried about keeping the hens warm in the dead of winter. It's been cold for a few days now. I don't heat the coop but it is insulated and vented. I have taken extra steps to help out the smaller flock like putting a few layers of bubble wrap between the screens and the windows and weather striping all the lower cracks. Last night it got down to 10f but the lowest it got inside the coop was 27f. Well I started getting a little worried about January's average -30 windy temperatures. Then when i went to let them out this morning i discovered the pop door hadn't been latched properly and it had been open a couple inches all night long. The hens were fine they came running out into the run in the 14f dawn and haven't gone back inside all day. I think they will be just fine come January.

I don't think they would have done so well if the coop had been heated.

 

[aart]

Got my new heated waterer up and running....time will tell if it holds up.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I believe strongly in allowing the chickens to acclimate to the weather.

I put the remote temperature probe from the greenhouse into the coop last night. The coop is small and was built for 6 chickens, but coons got half my flock about 3 weeks ago so i have been worried about keeping the hens warm in the dead of winter. It's been cold for a few days now. I don't heat the coop but it is insulated and vented. I have taken extra steps to help out the smaller flock like putting a few layers of bubble wrap between the screens and the windows and weather striping all the lower cracks. Last night it got down to 10f but the lowest it got inside the coop was 27f. Well I started getting a little worried about January's average -30 windy temperatures. Then when i went to let them out this morning i discovered the pop door hadn't been latched properly and it had been open a couple inches all night long. The hens were fine they came running out into the run in the 14f dawn and haven't gone back inside all day. I think they will be just fine come January.

I don't think they would have done so well if the coop had been heated.

Strangely enough, I never saw my birds huddling together last year even in the coldest weather. They always kept their distance on the roosts.

Got my new heated waterer up and running....time will tell if it holds up.

Lovely. Mine is in there too. Now I just need to see more than 2 birds using it!

 

[evemfoster]

Strangely enough, I never saw my birds huddling together last year even in the coldest weather. They always kept their distance on the roosts.



Mine also keep their distance on the roosts. But when it gets really cold i have seen them all try to pile into the next boxes.

 

[evemfoster]

If you find the water gets too warm and the heat doesn't need to be on all the time you can modify a timer so that you have more control.

You don't have to get the brand he mentions. They are all the same inside. You just take out a gear and super glue two others together. With this modification the timer is a 30 minute timer instead of a 24 hour timer and each tabs represent 40-80 seconds depending on the brand of timer.

I have a 45 watt fish bowl heater in my water bowl as i am working on getting the nipples and making my bucket. The heater is plugged into the modified timer and i have it set to turn on for 3 minutes out of every 10 minutes. That keeps things thawed if a little too warm at 27f but just thawed at 10f in an open bowl.

 

[aart]

If you find the water gets too warm and the heat doesn't need to be on all the time you can modify a timer so that you have more control.

You don't have to get the brand he mentions. They are all the same inside. You just take out a gear and super glue two others together. With this modification the timer is a 30 minute timer instead of a 24 hour timer and each tabs represent 40-80 seconds depending on the brand of timer.

I have a 45 watt fish bowl heater in my water bowl as i am working on getting the nipples and making my bucket. The heater is plugged into the modified timer and i have it set to turn on for 3 minutes out of every 10 minutes. That keeps things thawed if a little too warm at 27f but just thawed at 10f in an open bowl.

I think the water is going to need to stay pretty warm to keep the spring in the horizontal nipples from freezing up because there is always a bit of water in the lip outside the bucket.

I am not using a timer on the heater, or maybe you post was not directed at me.

Not sure it would be good for a heater to cycle on and off that quickly/frequently.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
The thermostat in the heater will do its job without a timer.... if it gets very cold youcan insulate the container with a blanket or one of those silver heat reflectors for car windows. They are tough so the chickens wont peck anything off and you can put it on with a little duct tape.

deb

 

[evemfoster]

I think the water is going to need to stay pretty warm to keep the spring in the horizontal nipples from freezing up because there is always a bit of water in the lip outside the bucket.

I am not using a timer on the heater, or maybe you post was not directed at me.

Not sure it would be good for a heater to cycle on and off that quickly/frequently.

Yes aart it was for you. No idea why it didn't do the quote thingie. I been following your project and trying to make a modified version of the bucket you have using what i already have on hand. How warm you think you will need to keep your bucket to keep the horizontal nipples safely thawed.

My choice of a already on hand fish bowl heater has some limitations. It was built to keep a fish bowl containing about a gallon of water at 72f all the time. No way do i need the water to be that warm. At that temperature the small open bowl of water will evaporate out overnight. I can't turn the heater any lower so i decided to turn the heater on and off. Fish tank heaters are made to click on and off all the time adjusting within a 2 degree range so that shouldn't be a problem.

The heater comes on and gets warm fairly quickly so when i get the bucket insulated i think all that will be needed is to let it turn on a few minutes a couple times an hour. Fingers crossed.

 

[aart]

Quote: OK cool....you use the timer and I won't....it'll be a good technique comparison for future use.

I too was wondering about the water being 75F, but again am concerned about the water in the lip outside the bucket freezing the spring:


And my jug is pretty well sealed with a rubber stopper with a small hole for vacuum release, so I'm not too worried about evaporation.

I have a KWH meter to track how much power I use.

Are you keeping track of the temp of your water and your power usage?