Below freezing temps?

[crooked stripe]

I bought a water base heater because of all the problems I was having with my heated waterer. I says it is good to 10*. What do you folks do in parts of the country that are well below 0 this time of year. I have read about the cookie tin heater but does that work
at -10 or so? I haven't had much trouble in the past years as the sun shines in the window and warms things up quite well. This year so far the sun has been hiding. I have had to clean out ice a lot so far this year and am tired of it already. Looking for something to solve this problem. I went so far as to build a insulated house around the heated waterer with a opening for drinking. Still not good enough. Hoping my new heated base will solve the problem as soon as it gets here.

 

[Chickenmaven]

I have one of those galvanized heated bases & it worked all last winter. I think you'll be fine.

 

[dacdeihl]

you should be ok.

 

[LynneP]

Some thoughts below along with pics-I switched to an electric dog bowl, but it's a challenge whatever you use in severe cold.

 

[ella]

Try only putting a gallon in at a time. If the waterer is filled to the top it takes more heat to keep it thawed, less water=lower freeze point. It helps anyway. It's been -10 here for a week now. It still has a bit of ice in the morning, but it isn't frozen solid so that's nice.

Or you could hang a heat lamp over your waterer to keep it warmer.

 

[tundrachicks]

I got you guys all beat, right now its -41 below outside and my chickens are nice and happy and warm in their coop. I have a galvinized steel waterer with a base heater on all the time. Its got a thermostat to turn off if the waterer is 35 above but it hasnt turned off all winter.

 

[crooked stripe]

My new heated base arrived last night at 7:30. As soon as it came I plugged it in. It sure gets hot. In the morning I will set it up and give it a go. If it puts out that much heat outside I know where I will find my 10 week olds. Now they just huddle in the corner at night. During the day they roam outside with the others. I hope soon they will learn it is a lot warmer on the roost with the others. Thank you all for the replies. John PS. If I have a problem I will be looking to you all for more magic.

 

[LynneP]

It feels very hot but once you put the water container on top and the air bleeds away a lot of heat, too, you'll see why the element feels this way!

Not as cold as tundrachick, but -23 chill factor today and the heated base kept the waterer in good shape and the electric dog bowl in the coop was working well.

 

[AnconaDuck]

We use the heated base and then heated dog dishes. Worked fine for us