ARGH!!!!!! Overflowing waterers

[Trux]

Flex seal can do wonders in this application

 

[Trux]

In freezing temps I believe the best route to go would be base heaters under your waterers. When I was a kid on the farm in MN we had to tote hot water to the coop every morning and evening, it was a pain. These days if you have a farm and raise chickens you got choices we didn't have in the 50's 60's. and so do all the backyard keepers.
For those of you that have nipples or drinking cups a submersible heater might be the way to go. Whether it keeps the nipples or cups thawed I have no idea as I don't use them.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

I ran a bead of good around the snap sections on the float and then snapped it back together. Then ran a bead around the outside and let it harden. Then filled in all the spots i sank in. Tested it this morning and it filled fine and watched the flow in the tray. I heard the float push up and cut the water off and saw the flow stream stop. It works, its just a bad float design.

Here you can see where I ran the goop beads to seal it up.
View attachment 1698019

Thank you for sharing this! I love the Harris waterer best, it's clean and easy to use in the summer. I will fiddle with ours more and see if I can get the thing to work again.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

In freezing temps I believe the best route to go would be base heaters under your waterers.

That's what I use here in Michigan, a base heater and a galvanized waterer. It has worked perfectly for us as long as it's out of the direct wind. The only times it freezes is when the temperature gets to -5 ish.

 

[wamtazlady]

Anybody try these watering cups? Seems like it might work better idea than the nipples, I bought a pair of them but haven't installed them on a bucket yet.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/harris-farms-poultry-watering-cup?cm_vc=IOPDP1

Many people have tried those cups. For some reason it seems to take a long time for the chickens to figure out how to use them. They also freeze easily in the winter. They get dirt in them that has to be cleaned regularly.

 

[wamtazlady]

Hello chicken folks,

I need help! I am about to purchase my third waterer because of overflow. I am reluctant to use a nipple water system because the waterer is outside and we are in Michigan, where it can get really cold.

!

I am not sure why living in Michigan where it is cold would make you reluctant to use a nipple water system. I live in northern Montana where it gets cold and have found the best water systems to use in winter are nipple systems. I have tried other systems. They have just not worked as well as nipples. I use only horizontal nipples in winter with a 11 gallon tote and a stock tank deicer. Have never had my water freeze. Got down to -20 this winter.

Someone wrote a great article a couple years ago comparing the different types of waterers. You might want to check it out.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/diy-chicken-waterer-3-compared.72579/

 

[Timothy Menezes]

I am not sure why living in Michigan where it is cold would make you reluctant to use a nipple water system. I live in northern Montana where it gets cold and have found the best water systems to use in winter are nipple systems. I have tried other systems. They have just not worked as well as nipples. I use only horizontal nipples in winter with a 11 gallon tote and a stock tank deicer. Have never had my water freeze. Got down to -20 this winter.

So I knew these stock de icer's exist and wondered why more people in the great white North didn't use them for chickens. Are they expensive?

 

[Sue Gremlin]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/diy-chicken-waterer-3-compared.72579/

I was picturing the water droplets freezing instantly on the metal rods. I was picturing vertical water nipples, rather than horizontal ones. For some reason, I never looked into those. Thank you.

 

[wamtazlady]

So I knew these stock de icer's exist and wondered why more people in the great white North didn't use them for chickens. Are they expensive?

My stock tank deicer cost about 40 dollars. It is now in its 4th year of service during the winter. The deicer is made for use in cold temperatures. It automatically turns on at 35 degrees and turns itself off at 45 degrees. It has gotten as cold as -22 F and still kept the water thawed.

 

[Sue Gremlin]

I have been using a galvanized waterer for a couple of years now, and it's been fine. Today, I scrubbed it out with bleach and now it's overflowing and won't hold water. Is this a thing with those metal waterers?

GAH. How hard does this have to be? I am so frustrated.