Frozen water heater...

[Crooked Chicken]

I may give the heated dog waterer a try in the future but for now this is all I've got. I've used up my chicken budget so it will have to wait till next winter.

Caution on using the heated dog water bowl :/

I just posted on another thread about my heated dog water bwls I bought last year. BOTH of them had a burnout on the underside of the bowl recently. Luckily they didn't catch my coop on fire. I've cut the cords off both and from now on I'm hauling water.

 

[Melky]

My chickens are too rowdy for that type of setup. They would figure out how to trash that in under 30 minutes. I'm home most days, so I just rotate the water containers as needed.

This is what I do as well. Keep putting out fresh water from house as my heated water base on fountain still freezes. I bring it in at night when 20 or below as everything freezes and keep taking fresh water out to them until temps come back up. My base is supposed to be good in -20 but freezes at 20 degrees.

 

[Cryss]

Caution on using the heated dog water bowl :/

I just posted on another thread about my heated dog water bwls I bought last year. BOTH of them had a burnout on the underside of the bowl recently. Luckily they didn't catch my coop on fire. I've cut the cords off both and from now on I'm hauling water.

View attachment 1658162

uh oh. Time to rethink maybe. I hate hauling water especially in a snow storm.

 

[vantain]

I have been using this, and with the temperature last night at -30F, the water was still fluid this morning. Note that the thermometer in the run is sitting right next to the waterer.
http://www.farminnovators.com/HB-60P Sell Sheet.pdf

Here it is in the run.

 

[Cryss]

This is what I do as well. Keep putting out fresh water from house as my heated water base on fountain still freezes. I bring it in at night when 20 or below as everything freezes and keep taking fresh water out to them until temps come back up. My base is supposed to be good in -20 but freezes at 20 degrees.

I did all last winter rotating every couple hours and bringing water and food every night. No thanks, at least not every night. I'll reserve that for emergency nights.

 

[wamtazlady]

I love my water system. It's a 44 quart tote with lid, horizontal nipples, and a stock tank deicer that is okay to use in plastic. Some members here use a 5 gallon bucket or a large jug instead of the tote. In past years the water has only needed filled once a week. This year I am down to 7 chickens. The water should last for at least 2 weeks now. The best part of the system is that it has gotten down to -22 F and did not freeze and it is easy to see when it needs filled as the tote is semi clear. Have been using this system for 4 years now in NW Montana. Had to replace the tote this year but the expensive part, the stock tank deicer is going strong.

I have to admit that when it needs filled it is very easily done. I have a well house near the chickens. Hook up one of those shrinking type hoses, fill the tote, let the hose shrink, and it gets rolled up and put back into the well house.

 

[Cryss]

Update:
Well I ended up rotating the waterers I used last year. I kept this unit in use but had to use a hammer every hour and a half these last 2 days. Of course I don't know if this means its not good. It has kept water thawed on most cold days but these last two days have been the coldest on record here so I guess I shouldn't complain. I actually love everything about this unit. They can't poop in it, there us a filter to remove run bedding that can get kicked in by scratching chickens, and its easy to refill especially if you have a bucket nearby. The cone shape makes it hard to hold upside down while filling so just pop it upside down in a bucket. The cap seals it closed while placing it back onto the base so no spillage. That's because the cap had a hole in the middle which has another push cap on the inside. Once placed on the base the push cap is popped open by a protrusion on the base. If you're quick you can avoid spillage when removing it from the base to refill it. The handle is comfortable and I'm very thankful for it. I may need to find something that can handle severe cold snaps for next year (please Lord, no more this season!) Meanwhile I really like this design.
http://www.khmfg.com/poultry-waterer.html

 

[Chick Chick McGee]

It has been so cold where I live the water heater I have can’t keep up and the water keeps freezing. I have been going between hand thawing the bucket and letting them peck at the snow to get some water to. Hopefully you won’t have to with freezing water anymore.

 

[Cryss]

It has been so cold where I live the water heater I have can’t keep up and the water keeps freezing. I have been going between hand thawing the bucket and letting them peck at the snow to get some water to. Hopefully you won’t have to with freezing water anymore.

Exactly. The heated waterer I showed is the one I've been using and it froze in this deep freeze we're having. I hope that deep freeze is over! I'll always keep these plain waterers on hand, I have 2. I put one out. Hour and a half later I take the other one out and bring in the frozen one. Hour and a half later its thawed and the other one is frozen so I swap them again. Thank goodness the heated waterer stays thawed down to around the 20's. But these 2 days its been like -14! Good luck and stay warm.

 

[Clairenh]

Caution on using the heated dog water bowl :/

I just posted on another thread about my heated dog water bwls I bought last year. BOTH of them had a burnout on the underside of the bowl recently. Luckily they didn't catch my coop on fire. I've cut the cords off both and from now on I'm hauling water.

View attachment 1658162

I got two of these bowls in July from Amazon for $8. They are now selling for $30 since it is winter. Both are kept on the ground outside and have been on and working great since New Hampshire froze over in November or so. I dump out the water, wipe them down and add new water every few days and have not seen any melting issues. Maybe yours melted because they were on wood? It was well below zero most of last week, and the water stayed totally liquid. I love these things!
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