Frozen Bell Waterers?

[Beanhead]

Im getting my winter coop ready for the first time. Im planning on using bell waterers that are fed from a 30 gallon water tank. Im assuming it will freeze. What is everyones experience with this? Suggestions? Thanks!!

 

[Den in Penn]

You'll need a heater for the tank as well as a base heaters for the bell waterers. The water line from the tank would also need to be protected with heat tape and or insulation. If you haven't started to gather the materials yet I would consider using something other then the bell waterers. It is difficult to make them be fed from a tank and maintain a vacuum to make them work. I take my bell waters out for the winter and just use rubber tubs. More work, which I assume you want to avoid, but I don't have to worry about things like the lines freezing and the power going out. Have you considered nipples?

 

[Beanhead]

That's what i was afraid of. As far as the nipple waterers, wouldn't that still have the same problem? i would just be replacing the bell for the nipples. I guess unless i used them in a 5 gallon buckets, which will be tough for us since we have 70 birds. Maybe i should have mentioned that in the beginning? lol.

 

[Den in Penn]

Yes it would be more work knocking the ice out of unheated water buckets. But that is what my grandfather did using the low five gallon metal buckets he used for his 400 to 500 birds I remember helping with that well. Two maybe three times a day on the really cold days.
With that many chickens if I were to use nipples, I would use them on a pipe and fed by a tank. That way you could put a stock tank heater in the tank and maybe wrap the pipe. With the water warm the nipples only start to freeze at much lower temperatures.

 

[aart]

I'd use horizontal nipples with PVC pipe/fittings with a heated recirculating system...I had a design concept and some details worked out but it was more than I needed for 15 birds.