Winter water?

[Gail in MN]

This is my first winter with chickens. I live in central Minnesota, and have 14 hens and a rooster. I am getting concerned about the winter watering situation. We have electricity to our coop, but not running water. I currently have a 3 gallon galvanized waterer, which is fine, but not for winter. It is too big to lug into the house and wash in the sink every other day. I would like to find something that is small enough to wash in the sink, won't freeze and doesn't cost a fortune. I was thinking about going with a few of the small animal (like hamster) water bottles, but am worried about the ball freezing. I can't find a one gallon galvanized waterer (then I could just get a heated base). I have been reading on here the pros and cons of heating the coop, and have decided to try the not heating method first--we'll see how it goes!! Please tell me how you have solved your winter watering problems!!

 

[aoxa]

I have a similar issue, i own waterfowl and horses and have a barn cat lol so i am already familiar with winter and water but i use heated buckets and heated troughs for all of them, the chickens i am a bit lost on how and what to do, i know they make heated waterers like Aoxa showed but unlike you i don't have that many chickens.. only 4 and these heated ones seem ridiculously large for a smaller flock.

For instances like yours: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/107951/cookie-tin-water-heater/0_30 Check this out. Simple and inexpensive

 

[jmagill]

Small bucket with nipples and a lid and a 50 watt aquarium heater.

I use a 2.5 gallon bucket. for 15 chickens. Then all you have to do is bring a gallon of water out every day to fill. Plastic milk jug works great.
You only need to clean once a month and you don't get water all over the coop.

I have been using this system for three or four years now and it is very little work.

 

[aoxa]

This is what I use in the winter. You don't have any waterfowl, so you may only need to refill every few days. I do find if you don't have this set flat, it will trickle out very slowly and create an ice pond.

Good choice on not heating the coop. I definitely say spring for the heated waterer.

Last winter when I lived elsewhere, I didn't have running water in the garage. I brought a mop bucket out every morning and filled the waterer outside. That was easier than bringing it in and doing it under the sink.

 

[Eggsoteric]

I have electricity to the runs. I use a plastic, heated dog bowl like this:

http://www.wag.com/dog/p/farm-innov...la&ca_sku=FPS-32805&ca_gpa=pla&ca_kw={keyword}

They come in different sizes and are easy to keep clean (I actually use them all year round).

 

[amillecay]

I have tried a few things and the heated bowl didn't work so well for me because they kept getting the whole thing filled up with wood shavings, this year i'm going to give this a try https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/wichita-cabin-coop (it's towards the bottom) I thought this was a perfect idea!

I also found this design but I can't remember where the link is!




I was looking at getting on like Aoxa put on but I was looking at the reviews and none of them are good.

 

[ll]

I use a heated dog dish.
But I've put a silicone baking dish inside of it, lining the dog dish.
Then when it needs to be cleaned I just lift out the soft liner, not the whole heated dog dish with cord.

 

[armorfirelady]

I have a pvc nipple waterer. I dont think using an aquarium heater will work since when the water gets low it wont be in the water to heat it



I was thinking of wrapping it with heat tape but then didnt think it would prevent the nipples from freezing? Anyone heated this type of waterer before?

I have heated dog dishes in there now for when it gets cold but its not going to be as clean & easy as my pvc waterer

 

[Cochaura]

We got a heated dog water bowl - it's about one gallon. There's a thermostat built in that shuts it off if its 40 degrees or higher. For our 12 chickens, it was enough water for them until we got home from work. I did not wash the bowl daily with soap and water - we usually head out to the coop with a gallon jug full of water with ACV and a towel. We dump out any remaining water in the bowl, wipe it out good with the towel, and pour the water from the gallon jug in it. Very quick, easy, and minimizes running back and forth.

 

[WillowChick]

We're using a baby pig waterer bolted to the side of the coop. It's removable from the frame, very washable and holds 1 gallon so it works great for our 5 chickens! It's enough water for 3 days. You could put it on a heat source too, as the frame is metal. We looked FOREVER to find something small enough that they couldn't poop in.