??? Heated bowl for watering chickens (instead of dogs)

[joebryant]

Does anyone have an opinion about using a dog's heated bowl rather that a heated poultry waterer. I'm considering buying two of these; they're only $24.95 for the 1 1/2-gallon one.
Waddyathink? http://cozywinters.com/shop/kh-2010-2020.html

 

[cjeanean]

I'm thinking about it, too, but the problem is the hose that hooks up to the waterer. If the hose freezes the whole thing is rendered useless until you thaw the hose out. And I know my chickens don't use enough water to keep it from freezing. The only thing I can think of is using a rain barrel with a spigot and hooking the spigot from the barrel to the water dish, and putting something in the barrel to keep the water moving. Moving water doesn't freeze, but pumps are expensive so I'm trying to think up something that uses water and air and a counterweight to keep it in motion....

Edited to add: I was talking about a heated auto waterer....

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Joe, I believe I bought that exact dog bowl last fall. When I got it out of the package and in the coop, I realized that there was no way to thread the fat cord out any of the doors or windows. The coop is tight! So I just used it without ever plugging it in.

The bowl is big and is somewhat insulated, and it only froze once or twice during winter nights. The lowest we ever got last winter was 15 degrees (?). But mostly the chickens' warmth in the coop kept the water from freezing.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Thanks much! With that, I will order two of them because I have electricity in both coops.

Edit: There was a $10+ shipping charge added for the two bowls.
KH-2010-2020 Thermo-Bowl: Heated Dog Bowl
Size: 1.5 Gallon - Add $5 2 $24.95 $49.90
Shipping: Standard Shipping: 3-6 business days: $10.35
Sales Tax: $0.00
Total: $60.25

 

[patandchickens]

I used a heated dog bowl all last winter for my 3 (then became 2, for water-bowl-unrelated reasons) ISA Browns. Mind, it only got down to the low 20s in the building they were in but the heated bowl worked great.

I am not sure what hose cjeanean is talking about but mine was like the one in the photo you linked to, Joe -- no hose for automatic filling, you had to manually keep it filled (which was very easy for just 2-3 chickens, I just dumped it into an empty dishpan and refilled it).

E.T.A. - Joe, have you already ordered them? Because you should be able to do cheaper than that at local stores - walmart, pet stores, feed stores, TSC, that sort of thing...

Have fun,

Pat

 

[MichiganWoods]

I bought two of the 1.5 gallon bowls just the other day. Mine are that light speckled gray color. Glad to hear that they work well!

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Dang! Yep, I've already ordered. I should have thought to check at some of those stores you listed.