Hard #'s on your waterer

[wood&feathers]

OK,we are all cold. But just how low can your waterer heat system go?

I used a heated dog dish from Wally World with a 3 gal bucket reservoir to add capacity and limit the chickies ability to poo in it.

This system starts to get a rim of ice around 10 deg F, freezes over below that.

What about the cookie tins? Commercial waterers?

 

[mayden]

I have a cookie tin heater that shows no ice in the single digits and wind chill below zero. I use a galvanized feed dish I bought at walmart for $3 that fit perfectly on top of the cookie tin. I placed a large empty #10 can in the middle of it with rocks and pieces of welded wire to prevent them from roosting and pooing in the feeder dish. Works great but it only holds 3/4 gallon. I usually fill it in the morning and then again in the evening.

 

[Joyryder]

After some experimentation, I found a nine quart personal cooler to be the best. I leave it out all day. Add water once in the afternoon. It never froze solid even when I left it out in 7 deg weather. I usually bring it into the barn at night, so I don't have to remove the top inch of ice the next morning. It works for 25 chickens and they haven't tip it over yet.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

I have the Little Giant (two of them) and one from Rural King (look like the same manufacturer). The temps have been down to ZERO outside the barn and the nursery. So far so good with keeping the water a liquid.

I do recommend that you spend the bucks for a water base heater. They are safe and effective and I do not worry about a fire.

 

[2DogsFarm]

wood&feathers :

OK,we are all cold. But just how low can your waterer heat system go?

I used a heated dog dish from Wally World with a 3 gal bucket reservoir to add capacity and limit the chickies ability to poo in it.

This system starts to get a rim of ice around 10 deg F, freezes over below that.

What about the cookie tins? Commercial waterers?

I have the same type of heated bowl - so far it has kept the water completely liquid in temps below zero.
It is kept inside my unheated coop, set on stacked bricks so it is about 6" above ground level.

How did you setup the 3gal bucket reservoir?
I'd love to figure out how to prevent my pullets from pooping into the bowl when they roost near it.​

 

[Keri78]

I've been going out in the morning with a big pitcher of hot water and just pouring some right on top of the ice. It lasts a while before it freezes up and then I go out again at dinnertime and add a little more...this way they all get a drink before bedtime. I have those 8 qrt. black rubber buckets from the tractor supply one in each pen. Every few days I have to dump out the big clump of ice b/c the bucket is too full to add anymore water to and frozen solid. Then I just start over with a couple of inches of hot water. It's the cheap way out! And I figure at least a couple of times a week I would be dumping out the water anyway and starting fresh even when it's not frozen. My Hubby refuses to have electric running outside for our chickens. Good thing for him he married a former cowgirl and I grew up dealing with icy water buckets!(lol)

Blessings, Keri

 

[mdbokc]

Speaking of hard numbers...I was at the feed store yesterday and I saw a commercial version of the Cookie Tin Water Heater. It was $52.00

 

[Akane]

My 4gallon heated buckets from the feedstore kept inside the coop with shavings piled up for insulation make it to around -20F and then are at risk of ice. I did have one freeze solid at -30F. I just set a brick in them if I have small chickens so they don't drown.

 

[Cindy in PA]

Quote:
Yep, in a hurray last year I paid $58 for one from Farm Innovators at the Feed Store. It is rated to 10 degrees & I had ice between the walls of my galvanized waterer yesterday at 15 degrees! My old one bought in 1993 worked below zero, but did cost $43 in 1993.

 

[boxermom]

I'm using a home made cookie tin warmer with a 40 watt bulb. The coldest my barn has gotten was 10 degrees. Outside was -36. The water froze initially, but I moved the light bulb side toward the inside of the barn then the 5 gal plastic waterer sits on the edge of it. The open air part of the waterer freezes except where the light bulb is. It never freezes solid. The top of the waterer freezes inside too, but there is always water that is open right over the bulb. I'm really impressed about how easy that cookie tin heater was to make. DH did it, but I bought the materials without even asking him what I needed! (pretty impressed with myself if I do say so myself)

Whoever put the plans on BYC, Thank you very much!