water in winter

[gjoyner]

hey, I was thinking of buying a heated water fountain for my chickens, but all I can find it is a plastic one that you have to fill from the bottom..which seems inconvenient..
what a bout heated dog bowls? would that work? If so..what kind of wattage do you need? What if the weather gets below zero?

Can you guys post what you have and what you do?

 

[BellLisamo]

Well, last winter when it would snow, the ice would freeze. I have those big dog rubber bowls that I use... and when it would freeze I would kick the ice through or break it somehow. No complaints from the chickens/ducks etc... lol. Just can be a pain when your freezing and stick a boot in the water hahaha.

O the things we do for our animals...

 

[Nemo]

There are heaters that look like (and can be home-made from) a cookie tin... You plug it in, you set any waterer you want on top of it, and it heats it up enough to keep the water from freezing.

 

[gjoyner]

what about below zero?

 

[captainmoose]

I have a 5 gallon metal waterer, I set it on a cement chimney block inside the block I put a clip on light with a shield around the bulb. I only turn it on when it is real cold out, the water does not freeze and it helps keep the coop warm on real cold nights.

 

[littleridgefarmer]

We have a heated plastic waterer and it works just fine. But my husband did have to cover the wire with PVC pipe to prevent critters (mice) from eating their way through it. We had a hard winter for the Southeast last year (below zero) and it worked great!!

 

[ksct]

CAN YOU TELL ME WHERE YOU PURCHASED YOUR HEATED CHICKEN WATERER? I LOOKED AT TRACTOR SUPPLY.... THEY HAVE ONE THAT LOOKS LIKE YOU PUT YOUR METAL WATERER ON IT TO HEAT IT.... WE HATE OUR METAL WATERER SO WE HAVE PLASTIC ONES....... SUGGESTIONS? I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GET ONE I THINK....

 

[rajzwaibel]

I have a metal waterer. I basically did this with an oil pan heater, but instead of adhering it to the oil pan (with RTV silicone), I put it underneath the waterer which sits on bricks

 

[newchicksnducks]

We also have the plastic waterer. I have found a site that sells heated bases that you can put metal or PLASTIC waterers on without any problem. It is www.randallburkey.com, and the item is #10019 Electric Heater Base at a cost of $49.99. Or I can buy a heated 3 gallon waterer for only $39.99 - and it claims to be thermostatically controlled to come on only when needed. But it is a bottom fill. So if you're in love with your top fill plastic waterer, the heated base might fit your bill

 

[Sansena]

I work with horses.. they make an insulated bucket that hangs on the wall. The basic concept is a styrofoam frame that the bucket then sits inside of.

Anything like this in the chicken world?

I've got waterers that squeeze under a tight spot that's been cut out of the coop/ cage. An insulated sleeve might just work, except for the coldest of temps.

Suggestions?