Bucket De-icer too scary?

[Humanbean68]

I have a small bucket de-icer (about 5 inches in diameter) in the water bucket that i keep with the feeder for my chickens and ducks, and another water bucket out in the outer run that freezes and that i refill daily. For some reason, NOBODY will use the bucket with the heater in it.... i can’t figure out why. It sits on the bottom, it’s not floating,

 

[Chookchicken]

Is water hot? Chicken and ducks I assume won’t normally drink hot or sometimes even warm water.

 

[wamtazlady]

I'd also tap the nipples to make sure they are working.

 

[Humanbean68]

There are no nipples. Its a bucket, thru drink from the top. Not hot water....de-icers are low wattage and prevent livestock water from freezing in cold temps. It’s cold water.

 

[Callender Girl]

Maybe it's too new? Mine seem suspicious of change. I put a heated dog water bowl in the run for four of my girls. For a few weeks, they acted as if I was serving liquid poison, much preferring to see me break ice on their plastic waterer.

Finally, it dawned on their darned little chicken brains that the heated waterer (and, as you said, it doesn't make the water hot, just keeps it unfrozen) was not dangerous. Thank goodness!

 

[Mimi13]

This was my last purchase for the ducks and I was pleased with the price. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/farm-innovators-9-qt-heated-round-plastic-bucket

The heated waterer I have for my chickens has the heater encased as well. https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/farm-innovators-heated-poultry-fount

I’m gonna guess that even though the de-icer is deemed safe, it still might give off a little vibration that the birds can detect. I have a floating de-icer in the horses’ water trough and it doesn’t seem to bother them at all.

 

[Humanbean68]

Maybe that’s it....they must be detecting a noise or something that I can’t. I might need to reconsider the heated bucket. I liked this idea because it’s separate from the container and therefore more versatile, but if they won’t go near it it kinda defeats the purpose!

Maybe it's too new? Mine seem suspicious of change. I put a heated dog water bowl in the run for four of my girls. For a few weeks, they acted as if I was serving liquid poison, much preferring to see me break ice on their plastic waterer.

Finally, it dawned on their darned little chicken brains that the heated waterer (and, as you said, it doesn't make the water hot, just keeps it unfrozen) was not dangerous. Thank goodness!

I had one of those heated dog bowls too, and mine were not scared of that, but they kept stepping on the power switch and turning it off!

 

[Wallygators]

I have been using my bucket de-icer for over ten years. Works great.

 

[Humanbean68]

I have been using my bucket de-icer for over ten years. Works great.

Yeah, mine works great too, but the chickens hate it.

 

[Casa de Pollo]

I seem to have noticed the same thing, I see my birds drink from the bucket With a heater occasionally, but when I fill the frozen waterer in the morning, they all run to it like they were bout to die... Silly birds