ARGH!!!!!! Overflowing waterers

[Aharden]

These work well but don't last long for the money. They are galvanized but it will rust up within a year. I use one of these and wrap to heat tape units around them using the silver tape you use for taping up furnace leaks. I have found it sticks the best, you can also make a heating box with a light bulb under it and not worry about it getting to hot.

 

[eggcatcher]

I have a metal waterer. The kind that has like a bucket and then another that fits over it and you twist to close it. Several people mentioned an o-ring. I don't think my waterer has an o-ring. If it does where would it be? I don't see anything rubber like. I have leveled and re-leveled my waterer, cleaned it, and bought new ones. I don't want to go to a nipple one, it's too cold too much of the time. Now that it's getting warmer I'm ready to put it outside and let it overrun. However in the winter 1/2 of the year I need the heated platform to keep it from freezing. One day it keeps the water in it, or half of the day and then I come back and the coop is flooded. I clean it everyday. If you put vaseline or oil on it where do you put it? On the inside container or the outside sleeve like lid? How much do you put on and where? Isn't there a problem with the oil in the water? What kinds of things does that grow? There has got to be a way to make this work. Pleaser help.

 

[DanEP]

eggcatcher have you tried a five gallon bucket with horizontal nipples? They don't leak like the vertical ones and you can add a bird bath water heater to the bucket for the winter and they still work

 

[cher1190]

In reply to the metal water jugs. They work great, if you are NOT going to be adding anything to your chickens water. We use ACV in our chicken waters and from time to time we also add probiotics and electrolytes. These should not be put into metal containers as the container will rust and leech into the water.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

Since I started this thread, I have been using the metal waterer with a base heater, and it's lasted a couple of years so far, and works out great. Unless it's very cold (below zero), the water doesn't freeze. This has been a great solution for us.

 

[sam92b]

I have that five gallon Harris Farms waterer. Mine was over flowing as well. The float under the bucket was filling with water. I took it apart and emptied the float, put it back together. It worked great for a couple of weeks, then did the same thing. I am going to try to seal the float together and see if it holds.

 

[SnowdogHERA]

So with regard to the water heater itself, could we simply put a metal bowl on it with water? is there a reason we need to use an actual waterer?

 

[GC-Raptor]

It will need a flat bottom, with straight sides, be a heavy metal and and a good conductor of heat. I don't know of any, myself. A bowl shape will tip over when a chicken steps on the rim. GC

 

[GC-Raptor]

It will need a flat bottom, with straight sides, be a heavy metal and and a good conductor of heat. I don't know of any, myself. A bowl shape will tip over when a chicken steps on the rim. GC

AND MUST NEVER RUN LOW ON WATER, you must prevent a chicken from stepping into the pan, lest a chicken burn its feet. I would not use a pan, only a galvanized waterer, which is what I use. GC

 

[blackdog043]

I've used these pans before, with that heated base and never had a problem.
https://www.amazon.com/MILLER-CO-Galvanized-Pan-quart/dp/B000FJX8C8