Heated water base--safe?

[skrap]

Hi all,

Brand new to the forums--first time posting. I'm in Massachusetts & I've had my three hens (Barred Rock, Buff Orpington, Rhode Island Red) since the spring.

I'd like to get a heated waterer set up for my girls but I'm worried about safety. The hens live in a wooden coop with cedar shavings. I was looking to buy something like this: http://www.flemingoutdoors.com/elhebaforpof.html. I'm concerned, though, that this would be a fire hazard? Or that the hens will burn themselves on the base...

Thanks for any advice!

J.

 

[itsmechrissy]

I looked at those but decided not to get one because it was actually really big...i forgot the exact demensions but like a 12-15 inch diameter. I only have 4 hens so my coop is fairly small and didn't want to take up that much floor space. I ended up getting a heated dog water bowl cause it was much smaller (and less expensive). The dog bowl works great for my 4 girls. I do have to dump it, rince and refill each morning and then I top it off with more water in the evening (I use an old gallon milk jug to bring to hold the rinsing/refill water, just bring it out to the coop with me whenever I visit

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Hi, welcome to the forum. If the heating element is enclosed it should be safe, but I think those only work well if you have a metal waterer. Hopefully someone who has that heated base will reply, too. I have one of these waterers: https://www.backyardchickens.com/pr...ain-3-gal-model-hpf-100-100-watt/reviews/4454

 

[shelleen]

I don't know where you are located, but these bases are not sufficient for extreme temps. The fine print on the ones in our stores here say, good to 20 degrees (and only with galvanized waterers). I am in northern MN & we had -20 temps the other night and -35 windchill. If you are in a milder climate, they would work. I have a heated base plastic waterer that I have elevated on some cinder blocks to keep it up out of the straw & also to keep cleaner. I have also used cable clips to secure the cord, so the birds don't knock it over. I have also found that if you do not keep the water more than 1/4 full, it freezes. The birds will not burn themselves on either type...they just do not get that warm. They will stand on it in cold temps though

Hope this helps...

 

[itsmechrissy]

Ok... I looked them up again and those types of heaters are around 16-17 inch diameter. The dog dish I got was only 10in diameter so much better for my little coop. Here's the one I got, the cord is pretty long too (5-6 ft I think) the water never gets hot but it's not frozen yet and we've had the temps drop below zero.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001G1AUZ2/ref=oh_o02_s01_i00_details

 

[Rosaleen]

Welcome to BYC...I have never used a water heater in my coop. I have some rubber bowls that I fil with warm water. When they freeze I just knock the ice out and refill. I've done this for years and the chickies have all survived...I don't heat the coop either....last night -10 degrees and this morning they were all waiting to go out into the run. Living in northern Vermont we have some really frigid days and nights so I always make sure I raise cold hardy breeds. Good luck!

 

[skrap]

Thanks for all the replies! Helpful stuff.

itsmechrissy: Our coop was built to house six hens, so I'm not too concerned about space, but the heated dog waterer still sounds like a good option. Thanks for the link to the particular one you use--I'll definitely look into it.

Rosaleen: That's what I've been doing so far & I don't mind it, but it's a problem on the weekends when I'm sleeping in until 8 or 9--I don't like the hens to be without access to fresh water for several hours in the am. So I think a heated waterer will be best for me & the hens : )

 

[chick007]

another option is to use a automotive battery tray warmer between a couple of ceramic floor tiles. works for plasic or metal waterers, inexpnsive and made for outdoor use. would be bad if your car battery caught fire. hope you are useing pine shavings, as cedar shavings are toxic to chickens

 

[keenecowboy]

They are safe, but way too expensive.
You can build your own for less then 10.00

Tractor supply company has a pan that sell for about 5.00
Go to a trift shop and get a 100 watt table lamp and use the lamp holder and cord.
That will do the trick.

 

[nuchickontheblock]

Somewhere on the forum, if you search, is a thread about making a heater from a cookie tin. I never tried it, but it looked interesting, relatively easy and inexpensive. We have a metal base heater from TSC - does the trick and doesn't get very hot. we have it on a piece of metal on a couple of cinder blocks to keep it up a bit and not directly on the shavings.

AND