Best Heated Waterer

[CountryCentinel]

We copied our neighbor, we have a square cinder block with a flood light upside down layed in, and a conventional galvanized chicken waterer placed on top, seems to work great for them, and hopefully us as well... ;-)

 

[wyododge]

We use a five gallon bucket with poultry nipples and a bird bath deicer. In the summer we just take out the bird bath deicer.

 

[Aussie Run Farm]

Thanks for the heated dog dish idea, I had been thinking about trying one for my ducks but had not considered the ice cream bucket approach. I bought 2 different galvanized bases to put my galvanized chicken waterer on an ended up taking them both back to my local farm store. One worked for a very brief time, the other not at all. Ended up using a You tube idea of a heat lamp bulb set into the center of a hole in one of the huge old concrete blocks with the waterer set on top of the block. Worked great all winter, just be careful about how you refill it. One drop spilled on the bulb will bust it if it is on.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

We have been using the electric dog dishes (both metal & plastic) for years & they work great until the baby chicks come. They will drown so need to get them put away come spring!

Make a cover for it, with just a small opening for them to drink

 

[rachel1977]

I live in michigan an we are trying to figure out how to keep the water from freezing this winter without power we have no access at the coop.

 

[jimmywalt]

I live in Michigan too. I ran a 100' extension cord (plugged into a GFCI outlet) and it controls everything in my coop - electric door opener, 2 web cams, and heated waterer.

Here is a link to instructions how to make a heated waterer........... Nice thing is that the thermocube turns on the power to the submersible aquarium heater and fountain pump when the air temp falls to 35 degrees.

It's been in the upper 20's in recent nights and seems to have been working really well at keeping the water warm.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ated-waterer-for-under-20-bucks#post_12211685

 

[OneCountryChick]

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/11/make-cookie-tin-waterer-heater-under-10.html.

We made this very inexpensive heated waterer recently. Works like a charm!!

 

[pawsplus]

Love the dog dishes. The HUGE kind. (think Rotwieller of St Bernard) Into that dog bowl, I do not pour the water directly. That'd be OK, but much prefer to just set a small pail, like a re-cycled ice cream pail into the bowl. This makes swapping out fresh clean water a snap. If the bucket needs cleaning, which isn't very often, you can take a fresh one out, and bring the old pail inside to be cleaned. When it is 20 below, I can think of no easier, simpler and quicker way to deal with watering the hens.

If any straw or litter gets into the dog bowl, just take your gloved hand and swipe it out. Done. Easy as pie.

I don't understand this. You put the bucket into the dog bowl and the dog bowl has no water in it? How, then, do the chickens reach the water?

 

[NRT16142]

To add to this string - we've found our chickens pecking at the cord. Has anyone else had this problem? Would taping it down be a simple solution or will they just peck at the tape?

 

[RonP]

This is the basic design for a cookie tin heater.

http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2011/11/make-cookie-tin-waterer-heater-under-10.html.

I used a popcorn tin for the extra height.

Inside, I mounted a light reflector, using the reflector, cord, and socket.

I use a standard double wall waterer

I also use a thermo cube for heat control

I use a 38 watt halogen flood for heat source.


I find that when activated, the cold waterer, will form condensation on its bottom.

This condensation will continue until it creates a puddle.

Then, direct contact is formed between the tin and the waterer through the condensation puddle.

This "direct contact" creates excellent heat transfer from the hot tin to the waterer.

The tin never gets more than warm to the touch after.

Has worked great, my coldest temp recorded was -6F in the coop.

The water was not frozen.