heated dog watering dish question

[usalbrechts]

For thoes of you that use these in the winter, here is my question. Do you have problems with your chickens getting into the water and tipping it or making a mess in it? Is there a way to cover the top to make it more like a traditional poultry waterer?

 

[Wynette]

Can you put it on a cinder block? Raising it may help.

Off topic, but related: I should be receiveing in the mail today or tomorrow a new heated chicken waterer. I didn't even see a picture of it, but a few BYC members from Iowa mentioned it a few weeks ago, and I've been on the hunt to find it. I have a friend in Iowa that I sent the brand (Farm Innovations) and part number to, and she picked it up last weekend & popped it in the mail Monday. It's supposed to look like a traditional waterer, with domed top, but it's electric/heated with a wire-wrapped cord. Can't wait to see it!

 

[ChickieDee]

I put mine out last week. Mine are on cinder blocks. I never have a problem with tipping (used them last year too). But some of them do perch on the edge of the bowl and I have to change the water daily because of dirt and feathers in the water. I haven't given any thought to covering it so can't help you there.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Mine have been very polite about not getting the water dirty, which surprised me. Unlike when they were chicks!

 

[ScottM]

Any ideas about this unanswered question? How to cover a heated dog dish and avoid the problem of poop and messing in it?

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

You might be able to put a large funnel over it, with a cutout for them to stick their heads in

 

[ivan3]

Have the chook's bowl in corner, raised on pavers. All but .75"w/3"l semi-lunar portion of bowl is covered with a plastic storage container lid, this is weighted down to top of bowl with another paver (paver/bowl/lid against corner stud in coop - chooks won't get up on lid or paver). Chooks can get beaks in opening/very little bedding gets kicked in to the narrow gap.

Started trying out various covers years ago when we found the roo using the heated water as a hot tub (was actually napping in water, air temp. was about 10°F).

 

[epeloquin]

I always have my waterer elevated so they don't sit on and poop. It just needs to be raised up 6"-8" or so, bricks, cement block, 2gal. bucket, etc. But the heated dog water dish, is this an open dish on top?

 

[gale65]

Ours is on cinder blocks. Maybe 8 or 10 inches tall (plus the height of the water bowl). They get a few shavings and feathers in it but so far nothing too bad. We make sure it doesn't get too low (quantity wise) or else they'll tip it over.

 

[CupOJoe42]

A few thoughts: Put a piece of velcro underneath so they can't tip it over. Find a plastic lid that fits the top of the bowl and cut a hole in it so they can get some water without walking in it or getting shavings in it. Set a chicken waterer inside the heated dog water bowl.

I have my waterer sitting on top of an upside down plastic bin to raise it up. The bin can be wiped off easily if wet (the board I used to have was getting moldy smelling) and I cut the top off of a gallon milk container and put it upside down over the waterer so they can't roost on top of it. I have it zip-tied to the wall so they can't knock it off either.