Heated metal base outside?

[Wyo Chick]

I don't have enough room in my chicken house for a waterer. I have it outside. I have read abou the heated base and it says to keep inside. Has anyone tried it outside? Or what can I use outside to heat a metal chicken waterer.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Don't use it outside!

What I do is use those black rubber fortex tubs and turn them upside down when we get frozen water, and step on the bowl, and the ice slips right out. Then I bring fresh water from the house twice a day to refill.

If you don't get much freezing weather you can get by with this (assuming you can make the trek a couple times a day). We just don't have the water freeze all that often here.

Do you have room in your coop for a heated dog bowl? They are smaller, some of them.

 

[chfite]

I use a bird bath heater in the water bucket. Throw it into the bucket of water, plug it in. It keeps the water from freezing, bullet-proof.

Chris

 

[Chris09]

If you have smaller birds you could use a 5qt heated water bowl like -
http://www.tractorsupply.com/api-all-45-seasons-electric-heated-pet-bowl-5-qt--2411794

or for larger birds you can use a 2 gal. heated water bucket like -
http://www.tractorsupply.com/allied-precision-heated-bucket-2-25-gal-capacity-2170071

Chris

 

[lilchick]

I use the heated metal bases in my coops.

If used outside moisture from rain or snow could get under it and soak up thru the electric components that are inside.

Mine do not take up much room in corner of the coop.

What I have found is the plastic waterers work great on them even tho instructions say only to use metal waterers.