Dixie Chicks

[hennible]

Sounds like one of the waters that's on that DIY contest thread... Page 2, I think on my phone...

 

[vehve]

Sam, found it. Yeah, basically like that, but a slightly less complicated build. I thought I'd skip insulating the bottom, the nipples would be the first thing to freeze anyway. But getting it insulated on all other sides would probably be good. Also, I think I would skip the filler hole, I can just have two lids with insulation in between.

 

[BriardChickens]

With those nipple waterers, how do the nipples not freeze?

 

[vehve]

BC, I've got the heater cable resting against the bottom, seems to work pretty well when it's working. But when you no longer have fluid against the bottom, they freeze too.

 

[vehve]

I should clarify, my heater cable is submerged.

 

[JW12]

I wonder if you could wrap the outside of the bucket in heat tape? I don't know if there would be enough heat in the water to keep the nipple from freezing though..... I think I may try.

 

[perchie.girl]

@hennible We'd probably have to use a much higher wattage light bulb. Someone posted the link on the ACE facebook site. I would want to test it first in the elements not in the coop.

Deb: we are in the prairies, close enough?

I doubt it... Does it get 110 in the summertime and 10 percent humidity? LOL...

deb

 

[BriardChickens]

Deb: we can get about 30C in the summer, low humidity (about 60% right now).. plus a good thunderstorm after really hot days. Usually it stays just moist enough that our grass does not require any watering.

JW: in my experience heat tape used a lot of electricity... we had a very expensive winter with that stuff wrapped around our pipes last winter and still lost our water pipe.

 

[Alaskan]

Deb: we can get about 30C in the summer, low humidity (about 60% right now).. plus a good thunderstorm after really hot days. Usually it stays just moist enough that our grass does not require any watering.

JW: in my experience heat tape used a lot of electricity... we had a very expensive winter with that stuff wrapped around our pipes last winter and still lost our water pipe.

ditto..... not reliable... only good if you need to "take the edge off"

 

[BriardChickens]

Hi @Alaskan

are you back to cold winter or still in the warmth?