heated dog water dish question

[mkearsley]

Its been so cold this past several days that the water has a thin ice layer on it within a couple of hours of me putting it out. My birds free-range, but they also have a coop they can go in for warmth. I've got a feeder hanging in there, and had a waterer too, but its frozen solid. So, its got me thinking about buying a heated dog water dish for them. I've got a plug right next to the house (their coop is on the other side of the yard). Will my girls be dumb enough to peck at the metal heat cable? I've got one girl who loves anything white & pecks at whatever she sees that's white. I work 8 hrs a day away from home, so I leave before they get up & come back right before they go to bed (now that the days are short) and I want to make sure that with these single-digit temps that they've got water, but I don't want to fry one of my birds. Has anybody had any problems with these kinds of water dishes?

 

[spartacus_63]

I have one that I use as a treat bowl. The power cord has a shiny meatel spiral guard over it. The chickens do not seem to pay much attention to it and it wors very well.

 

[jeni51]

With regard to water heater, if you type "Cookie tin Heater" in the search box you will find out how to make your own. This is much cheaper and very efficient. depending on the size of the tin and the water container you can experiment with bulb size and wattage. I found that for my 1 gal. waterer an appliance bulb was enough. Good luck
.

 

[mkearsley]

Thanks for the tip on the cookie tin heater. However, there's no power in the coop, and the threads that I read suggested that this method was not recommended for outside use.....

During the summer, I use the 1 qt "mason jar" style waterer, along with a self-watering dog water dish, and the dog's big rubber water dish (I've got four water sources total scattered throughout the yard). Since they don't need as much water during the winter, I've just been using the 1 qt waterer. My outside faucet leaks, & I saw one bird desperate enough for water (before I broke the thin layer of ice) catching the individual drops of water!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I've used one of the heated dog dishes. My chickens didn't bother the cord cover.

 

[babieblues]

We have a heated dog water dish in each of our coops during the winter. They work great and as spartacus_63 said they don't pay any attention to the shiny metal spiral guard that protects the chord. It's meant to protect the chord from chewing dogs so don't imagine a hen could peck through it. We also have one in our rabbit pen and they haven't bothered with the chord either.

 

[crj]

I shine a light over my waterers. The light I use are they type you use in the garage. Sort of like a spot light. You squeeze the wires together and the things open up to attach to a board or something. If I use a pole I will put a cable tie around it to keep it from slipping or popping off. With a 100 watt bulb the water doesn't freeze. I do have a cookie tin type that keeps my horses water bucket from freezing and it works great. It's a 1/3 of a 55 gallon metal drum with a light on the inside. Stick a tub of water on top and works great for my horses.

 

[ryanhodapp]

We got the heated dog bowl, no problems. For those of us not handy enough to build the cookie tin light, this was a simple and affordable solution.
Ours was $15 from Rural King.

I wish it had a cover, because the opening is big for chicks and you know what happens---poo.
I know it is for a dog, I am just sayin

 

[SparksNV]

I have one in my coop - no problems with any pecking the cord. I got it at Walmart for $8 on sale - 1 qt capacity.

 

[mkearsley]

Thanks guys.

Our farm supply had a 1 gal for $20 & a 1 qt for $20. Unfortunately Walmart didn't have any

I'm trying it out for tonight. I'm a little worried, but you guys are making me feel a little less worried. The girls normally drink out of my dog's dish, so i'm not as worried. Thanks again