Heat Lamp over the waterer Question

[jmass]

I have an uninsulated coop and I need to rig up a heat lamp or something else to thaw out the chickens water when the temps drop below freezing. I live near memphis, TN so we are not always below freezing, but at times we have cold spells and quite a few cold nights that I will need to keep the water thawed out. What do some of you do to keep the water thawed? I am thinking of puting a heat lamp over the metal water bucket with it pluged into one of the thermostat things that kicks on at 32 degrees and off at about 40 degrees or so (not sure on the exact temps or the name). If anyone else does this, how do you secure the heat lamp? I can see it getting knocked around alot with the chickens playing or flying around. How far away does the heat lamp need to be from the waterer?

PS I would like say that this forum is awsome, We just got our chickens a few months ago and this forum has been more helpful and informative than any book out there. I enjoy seeing everyones coops. I hope to post photos of mine soon. I have finished it about 3 or 4 times now

and still have plans for another addition. When does the keep building madness end

?

 

[speckledhen]

I myself use that method to thaw my metal waterer, or be sure it isn't frozen. The brooder light hangs from a metal cup hook screwed into one of the roof rafters about 2.5 ft over the top of the waterer. The waterer is near the front wall by the door and away from the roosts so no one is really flying around in that vicinity anyway. In the winter, it comes on about 6 a.m. and stays on a couple of hours to be sure any iced over places thaw out. I have a 125 watt heat bulb in it so the light isn't so bright like a regular light bulb would be.
And no, the madness doesn't end.. she says after the third coop is built, LOL.

 

[suburbanhomesteader]

Heat rises; therefore, I think it is better to have heat UNDER water.

Could a small cookie tin heater, smaller than the diameter of the waterer, work?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=19508&p=4

 

[WoodlandWoman]

When hanging a heat lamp, we use a metal chain wrapped around a rafter. To make the loop, the end of the chain has a c-link as a connector. They are very sturdy and won't come loose if knocked. Our chickens have occasionally gone up to the rafters. Since we are a parrot owning family, I always have a stash of c-links around!

For water in the winter, we've used a metal waterer with a heated base, placed on top of concrete blocks for a larger flock and a heated dog water bowl for just a few birds.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

I use 2 heated dog bowls for 24 chickens...Works like a charm....

 

[SeaChick]

We bought a plastic dog dish and the heater part comes right off the bottom. We found an old cast iton pot lid that it fits perfectly inside. This sits on an inverted flower pot to raise it up, and the metal waterer sits on top of that. The dog bowl cord is very heavily coated and is conveniently wraped in a wire coil (to keep dogs from chewing it I guess) and we used cable attachers to secure it to the wall of the coop. It's plugged into a "Thermocube" thermostatically-controlled plug that turns it on at 34 degrees and off at 45.

Hope this helps,
Stacey

 

[speckledhen]

Good idea, Stacy! I like that one.

 

[jmass]

I like the cookie tin design. Has anyone else tried this? How hot does it get? I am also thinking it will draw less power than the heat lamp bulb.

 

[speckledhen]

It should draw less power because you would only need a 25 watt bulb or something along those lines. I have those tins and I always sit gallon waterers on them, but I only like the ones with the raised edges-perfect fit!

 

[First-time-raising]

I just received an email from Murrey McMurrey about a new heated waterer that they are selling. I don't see it on there website yet but PM your email address and I can forward it on to anyone. It's 3 gallon, plastic, and it hangs. Looks really neat price is $48.90