Heated Base w/ Plastic Waterer?

[sophiaw00]

I have an 8 quart flat back bucket with two poultry drinking cups screwed in for their water. I know it will freeze if I leave it and I will be hauling a lot of water. I am looking at different things to purchase and have come across a few - metal heated base, heated plastic waterer, or a heated flat back bucket used for horses. Here's my problems with all of them:

Metal Base: I have a plastic waterer and I am afraid it would melt on the heated metal. I would buy a metal waterer but I can't fill the waterers unless they are top fill (always end up soaking myself and just absolutely hate those waterers). So my question is basically would the plastic bucket melt on it?

Heated Plastic Waterer: Again, I can only use the top-fill ones and I can't find a heated top-fill waterer.

Heated Flat Back Bucket: This is looking like my best option but would it be possible to screw the cups into it or would that mess with the heat? It's also 5 gallons, so much bigger than the one I have now but would work (I'd have to find a bigger space in the coop for it).

ETA: I also found this: http://www.farmandfleet.com/product...sion-sinking-de-icer-plastic-tank-heater.html

Would that work better in the waterer I already have?

 

[aart]

The cups will probably freeze up no matter what you use to heat the water, as the small aperture the water goes thru outside the vessel to get to the cup will not stay warm enough, not to mention the water in the cup and the water held by the spring around the trigger...you'd have to heat the air around the cup to keep it thawed.

I found DIY worked the best solution for me:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/aarts-heated-waterer-with-horizontal-nipples

 

[RJSorensen]

aart is right, it going to freeze regardless of your choice… I use five gallon buckets and a bucket heater with horizontal nipples. This combo works for me and has no other parts to tend nor worry about. I am in USA zone six and it gets plenty cold enough here. I have had a good experience with my simple setup and offer same for your consideration. Frozen water is just a deal breaker, if you have electrical in your coop. I like the cups you use, but don't own any because I have no way nor method to keep them free of ice, except to heat the chicken coop to above freezing. Thats not going to happen here, anytime soon.



Best to you and your birds,

RJ

 

[sophiaw00]

aart is right, it going to freeze regardless of your choice… I use five gallon buckets and a bucket heater with horizontal nipples. This combo works for me and has no other parts to tend nor worry about. I am in USA zone six and it gets plenty cold enough here. I have had a good experience with my simple setup and offer same for your consideration. Frozen water is just a deal breaker, if you have electrical in your coop. I like the cups you use, but don't own any because I have no way nor method to keep them free of ice, except to heat the chicken coop to above freezing. Thats not going to happen here, anytime soon.



Best to you and your birds,

RJ

Does the bucket heater melt the plastic? Where did you find it?

 

[RJSorensen]

It does not melt a plastic bucket. The heater came from Amazon ~

Farm Innovators Model H-49 Ice Chaser Cast Aluminum Submergible Bucket De-Icer, 250-Watt

Is the descriptive name, I think you will like this setup a great deal.

RJ

 

[sophiaw00]

I wish I had come on here sooner! I bought the heated bucket the other day...but maybe I can return it and get my money back to get that heater instead. It looks like it will work a bit better.

 

[RJSorensen]

For me… simple is better with chickens. People will sell you anything you will buy. A bucket, some nipples, and a heater make for a swell trouble free setup, at least at my place. I have three of them going now, one is outside and it is holding up good so far. We are expecting 15 or so tonight, I don't really worry until we hit zero. This heater is thermostat controlled internally, I think it comes on when the temp hits 40. I found a heater that is 1500 watt if my outside bucket freezes up. But as noted the 250 watt version has worked good last year and so far this year. It is a solution, not a fix like the base heaters.

AND if you water in your coop, you won't be putting as much moisture into the winter are. With no lip there is a bunch less evaporation and all the bad that brings in the colder months.

Best to you and your birds,

RJ