Any ideas for heated waterer for winter?

[tepchickens]

Do any of you have advice for what type of heated waterer is best for winter? We have a heated dog bowl but I am afraid the heating element may be too close to the bedding for it to be safe. I would not mind building by own if any of you have ideas on the best way to go about it. I will only be keeping 10 hens over the winter so it does not have to be huge. Thanks.

 

[jdoane]

Do a search for "cookie tin heater" and you will find directions for an easy DIY project. Sounds like lots of people swear by this. Haven't done it myself yet but I will be before winter

 

[Fred's Hens]

All electric devices need to be used with safety and fire hazards in mind.

The heated dog dish is just one of many choices, and they've worked very well for us. We place the dog dish on patio blocks. This only raises them up slightly, but having a concrete material under them provides a level of comfort in regards to safety. In the dog dishes, we place short pails of water. Makes for an easy swap out for a clean pail during sub zero mornings.

Again, all electric devices are potential fire hazards. Especially the various cords, plugs and extension cords.

 

[jimmywalt]

I made this cookie tin heater earlier in the year after reading about them here. My only concern is having water and electric meet up..... I also don't like the idea of using a standard waterer which will get gross from chicken waste.

Here are some pics of the one I made.

Get the cookie tin and the light socket/cord from the Goodwill for only a couple bucks! Purchase the cheapest lamp they have for sale and take the cord and socket for your cookie tin waterer.

 

[Alaskan]

oooh.... common question today...

I have an answer here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/820470/cold-weather-water#post_11957917

 

[jmagill]

Nipples in a bucket and an aquarium heater. You hang it above their heads. No mess, nothing can start the litter on fire. I live in Wyoming and need a heater 24/7 for up to 5-6 months. This will be my 5th winter with the same aquarium heaters and buckets. 20.00 for the heater and at 75 watts it is cheap to run.

 

[Alaskan]

Nipples in a bucket and an aquarium heater. You hang it above their heads. No mess, nothing can start the litter on fire. I live in Wyoming and need a heater 24/7 for up to 5-6 months. This will be my 5th winter with the same aquarium heaters and buckets. 20.00 for the heater and at 75 watts it is cheap to run.

how cold do you get? Do you get power outages?

It boggles my mind ....I just don't see how the nipples wouldn't freeze.


Even with my stock tank deicer in my little black horse pan I often get ice chunks.

 

[jmagill]

We get down to -40 but not to often. We average between 0 and 20 degrees with a few weeks a year at -20 or so. The power does go out but not for very long. There is no problem if the water freezes around the aquarium heater it just thaws when the power comes on. The heater sits on the bottom of the bucket and keeps the nipples from freezing. If it stays at 25- 30 below for several weeks then I add another heater. I use a smaller two gallon bucket as well. The beauty of this is that the chickens never have to get water on themselves buy dipping their beaks. That causes all kinds of frost problems. Also there is less open water in the coop and less air moisture in the coop.

 

[432bullet]

Does anybody have a brand of aquarium heater they like or dislike ? We live in Missouri and get some cold weather, but not as cold as WY. I was surprised that a 75 watt heater was enough. We also have the 5 gallon bucket, nipple waterer's. This sounds like it maybe the way to go for us

 

[Mehjr10]

I have a nipple system with rain barrel for collector,,, wrapped all with heat tape and insulation.. Shiny metal and foam adhesive type, chickens ate it all off, should have figured that one would happen. But all stayed flowing during the winter.. pics are before the heat tape.