Automatic freeze proof watering?

[Hawkeye2010]

Does this exist or no? I live in Wisconsin.

Any other solution where I could leave 6 chickens for two weeks in winter without worrying about water for them?

 

[guineapeeps]

Does this exist or no? I live in Wisconsin.

Any other solution where I could leave 6 chickens for two weeks in winter without worrying about water for them?

Do you have access to electricity or are you needing something that will work without electricity?

 

[Hawkeye2010]

I have access to electricity.

 

[guineapeeps]

I have access to electricity.

I left 10+ guineas for about 10 days or so with (2) 5 gallon metal double walled waterers and used a metal heating base, which seemed to work well. I was leary of the automatic waterers that you hooked up to a hose or water source as I was afraid it would burst in the winter (I lived in Iowa...so it would get pretty cold sometimes). Here is are the links for what I had, which I got at our local feed store:

http://www.miller-mfg.com/product/9835.html

http://www.miller-mfg.com/product/HB125.html

 

[guineapeeps]

I have access to electricity.

Btw....it looks like your new here. Welcome to BYC!

 

[happyhllfarm]

Past few years I used buckets with nipples in the bottom and a bucket heater from local farm supply store. I had the nipples freeze up a few times but not for long. This year I took a piece of 1.5" pvc, drilled nipples into it, put heat tape cord down both sides of the pipe, wrapped in foam insulation, wrapped whole thing in electrical tape (chickens will peck at foam). Hopefully it works! Now it is hooked up to hose with pressure regulator but I also have five gallon bucket (with bulkhead fitting on bottom) connected to pipe as a reservoir. I plan on putting bucket heater in it during freezing temps and disconnect hose. I only have about three months when I can't use garden hose because of temperature.

 

[Hawkeye2010]

Thanks. I live in Wisconsin and I'm afraid it would freeze. The heater says it is good down to +10F. Every winter we seem to hit -20F if not -30F. So I would have to find something that could handle that.

How often do you have to clean them?

 

[guineapeeps]

Thanks. I live in Wisconsin and I'm afraid it would freeze. The heater says it is good down to +10F. Every winter we seem to hit -20F if not -30F. So I would have to find something that could handle that. How often do you have to clean them?

I like the metal waterers because they don’t get as slimy as the plastic waterers so don’t have to be cleaned out as often. I cleaned mine about every 2 weeks. I have seen some people make their own heaters for the metal waterers using some cinder blocks and a light bulb. Not sure how good or safe they are. Maybe someone else can comment on those? I found a thread here on BYC about it:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/concrete-block-water-heater.452081/

I have also used the following plastic waterer. It says it’s good to 0 degrees, however it has gotten to -10 inside my coop and the water has not frozen (The plastic does get a little slimy and needs to be cleaned at least once a week, and usually more often than that. Also, it doesn’t hold nearly as much water as the metal ones):

https://www.ruralking.com/farm-innovators-3-gal-plastic-heated-poultry-fountain-hpf-100.html

This next one I have not actually used but it looks to be good to -20:

https://www.premier1supplies.com/p/heated-poultry-waterer

 

[TalkALittle]

I'm in Massachusetts so don't get your kind of cold but I have had no freezing at all with my plastic 5 gallon bucket with horizontal nipples and small (internal thermostat controlled) stock tank heater. I know its a waste of energy but I don't even insulate the bucket--it literally just sits out there all winter and doesn't freeze. If I wrapped it I have no doubt it would function equally well in much colder regions.

 

[slordaz]

I live in Idaho and have yet to find something that works if it's colder than -20 which we frequently are. I keep an extra water in the house and on days where it's to cold for even with a heater base on every few hours I have to change them out so they have water. best one I found around here only works to -20 so if someone else knows of something would greatly appreciate it too

The rubber bowls or buckets seem to do better and easier than the double walled founts on a heater base but still freeze plus can give them frost bite on combs or wattles in those temps, tried the nipples in a plastic bucket and they popped out when frozen at -20